A Dangerous Love 7: Smiling Faces Hide Lies

by J Peach

  “Given his upbringing, I understand that. It’s hard out here and coming from those projects it’s harder to see anything outside of that.” He tried to justify his son’s actions.

  I shook my head at that because he was wrong. “But he did. Blaze went to college twice and has gotten his bachelor’s degrees. If he truly wanted to see past all of that, if he wanted it bad enough, Blaze would’ve changed his whole prospective on life.” That was how I truly felt about it. Blaze’s problem was that he was afraid of change because he had adapted so well to the hood environment.

  A thoughtful look came over his face. “My son went to college? That’s true.”

  “Yeah, he did.” I smiled still not understanding how he gone through it twice when he really didn’t like people.

  Joseph let out a sigh and a sad look covered his face. “Are you ready to go?” he asked.

  I nodded my head and he waved the waiter over. He requested the bill. Once the bill came, he rejected my money but I insisted I pay for my meal. He ignored my request and he paid for us both. Soon after we left the restaurant.

  Chapter 11

  Peaches

  “I wish I had a moment to tell him I’m sorry. Just a second to talk to him again. My boy,” Joseph cried as we stood at Blaze’s grave. He had fallen to his knees as he sob hard.

  I felt so bad for him that my heart cried with his. I wished I could tell him but I couldn’t. The way he was bawling I wish he had those moments with Blaze.

  I didn’t know how to comfort him any further. What other words could I say? I had no idea so I kept my mouth shut and kneeled down beside him. My arms wrapped around his shoulders in a consoling embrace as I cried with him.

  I felt so bad because I knew I’d be at peace with today but he never would, thinking his son was forever gone.

  As I thought that my mind went back two weeks ago to the moment I was now regretting as I held his grieving father.

  ***

  Two Weeks Earlier

  I woke up with a painful groan from the agonizing ache to my shoulder. I rolled on my back and looked up at the ceiling, watching the fan spin until my eyes slowly started to drift back shut. The realization that I had been staring at a fan in a bedroom instead of trees out of a window caused me to sit up straight. My fingers rubbed at my eyes, wiping the sleep away before I looked around the dimly lit room.

  It was a decent sized room. A few dressers and a TV decorated the tan colored room. There was nothing at all noticeable in there, so I still had no clue as to where I was. Even so, I didn’t feel the need to panic. If Jerron brought me here, I had nothing to worry about.

  With a yawn, I got out of bed and lazily walked to the door. I left out of the room and stood in the unfamiliar hall. There were two other doors on the floor as well as two different openings in the hallway. I looked from one side to the other, trying to figure out which way to go.

  “Jerron!” I finally called out to him. I didn’t know how long I had been asleep but I felt so drained. All I wanted to do was go back to bed. “Jerron!”

  The last door down on the right soon opened and I groaned as one of the twins looked out.

  “I can’t believe him.” I mumbled to myself before I rubbed my forehead. “Khalil? Khyree?” I couldn’t tell which one it was. “I don’t know why King has you here but I’m fine—”

  “I’m Khyree and that’s good to know you’re fine but we’re not here for you. Your friend should be down stairs.” He pointed in the direction to my left. The closest end to where I stood. With that, his head retracted back into the room and he closed the door.

  My brow furrowed. If he wasn’t here for me, why the hell was he here? I honestly couldn’t find it in me to care and with knowing King it could be anything. I shrugged it off and headed down the hall to a set of stairs.

  I ended up in the living room. Jerron sat on the couch watching basketball. I walked over to where he was and sat beside him. Doing so, got his attention and he sat up straight.

  “Hey, how you feeling?” he asked as his hand rubbed the back of mine.

  My shoulder moved up then down before my head lay on the back of the couch. I didn’t know how to answer his question at that moment. I was feeling numb.

  “Peaches, about Blaze—” he started to say.

  My head shook and my hand waved, cutting him off. “I don’t wanna talk about what happened. I understand—”

  “No, you don’t understand. Peaches, it’s not what you think—”

  “Jerron, I don’t wanna talk about it, okay, please.” My voice cracked as the lump quickly formed in my throat. My eyes began to water as my lips started to quiver. I was trying hard to hold back the tears but I was failing miserably. My eyes rolled up and focused on the ceiling. I cleared my throat before I looked back at him. I tried to give a faint smile but I’m sure it didn’t reach my eyes.

  “I never did thank you for that night. If it wasn’t for you, I probably wouldn’t be here either.” He opened his mouth to interrupt me but I held up my hand, stopping him. “Let me finish. Thank you so much for always being here for me. I don’t know what else to say or do to show you just how grateful I am to have you in my life.” Tears ran down my cheeks as I thanked him.

  If it wasn’t for Jerron showing up on time the night someone shot up Bellow’s truck, both he and I would’ve died.

  King didn’t really feel comfortable about sending me off to do anything but since Bellow hung back at the club in hopes of over hearing someone talk about who started the shooting. And with Sam being unreachable until the very last minute, he had no one else so he asked me. He also called Jerron telling him what went down and asked him to follow me until I met up with Bellow.

  Jerron did as he was asked. Even when I got with Bellow, he continued to trail us until he got cut off by a stop light. But apparently that didn’t hold him too long because whoever hit our trunk didn’t do too much damage, thanks to Jerron’s interference. They managed to shoot Bellow twice on his left side but it could’ve been a lot worse had Jerron never caught up to us.

  Blake popped in my mind, he had already lost his dad. I needed to see my baby. I hadn’t seen him since Blaze’s birthday. While I was in the hospital, all I could do was talk to him on the phone or video chat with him, which wasn’t the same. I needed to see my son. I needed to hold him and see how he was doing.

  “Peaches,” Jerron’s fingers snapped in my face, pulling me from my thoughts.

  I blinked a few times before I glanced down at his hand that covered mine. I turned my hand up and entwined our fingers together. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here for my baby. “Thanks so much.” I kissed his cheek and hugged him.

  Jerron returned my hug as a heavy sigh left his mouth. “Peach—”

  The front door opening cut him off and he left out an irritable groan. I pulled back away from him and looked at the entrance to see King and Bellow walking through the door. I stood up from the couch and made my way to my brother.

  King hugged me and kissed my forehead. “How you feeling?”

  I shrugged, “Giving everything, I don’t know. Hey, Bell, I’m glad to see you’re good.” I gave him a faint smile as I let my eyes drift to his side.

  “You know ain’t no bullets gon’ get me down.” He joked while he hugged me. “How my man doing?”

  I looked back at Jerron and shrugged. “I mean, I guess he’s good.” I didn’t understand why he was asking me about Jerron when it was clear he was fine. Bellow was weird anyway, so I brushed him off. My main concern was my baby, Blake. I needed to see him. Taking ahold of King’s arm, I pulled him to the side. I didn’t want Jerron overhearing my conversation about Blake.

  Even though Jerron and I kept in touch when I moved to Lafayette, he still didn’t know about Blake. Blaze didn’t want him to, so I kept it from him.

  I pulled King into the dining room. “How’s Blake doing? Is he okay?”

  “Yeah he’s at Mom B’s crib. I told him we’ll be
down to get him next weekend but right now I need to keep the two of you low until we can figure this shit out. And with B not up and running like usual, my nigga can’t handle shit so I need him here until he can move on his own.” King explained.

  My brows furrowed at what he just said replayed in my head. Blaze was here? “Wait, wait Blaze? What?”

  With no one willing to tell me anything about him, I had assumed he was dead. Every time I brought him up everyone would beat around the bush and wouldn’t tell me anything. King, Bianca, Bellow hell even Jerron wouldn’t even speak his name.

  King’s head tilted as he looked at me. “Ron, ain’t tell you?” The tone of his voice wasn’t a questioning one instead it sounded more factual.

  My head shook. “Didn’t tell me what? King, talk to me. Is Blaze alive?”

  King’s head snapped toward me so fast. “Who the fuck said he was dead?”

  “King, don’t fuckin’ play with me. Blaze not dead?” My tone sounded harsher then I intended it to. Khyree being in the room popped in my head and I quickly pushed King out of my way and ran to the stairs. My side hurt like hell as I took the steps by two but I paid the pain no mind. I came to the last room in the hallway.

  I pushed the door opened and Khyree jumped up from his chair. I paid him no attention as my focus shifted to the bed. My body froze, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t believe I was actually looking at him. I thought I had lost him.

  “Yo ass gon’ stand there looking stupid or you gon’ come over here.” Blaze licked his lips as he gave me a crooked smile.

  I shot to the bed so fast to him. I didn’t think about his wounds nor mine. I just lunged myself on top of him with my arms wrapped tight around his neck.

  “Ah! Fuck, Peach! Damn!” Blaze groaned out.

  His grunts didn’t bothered me any. I still pressed my lips to his and once again as if a faucet was turned on, tears fell from my eyes. I couldn’t stop them even if I tried nor could my lips stay off of him.

  “Baby girl, you hurting me. What’s good, Peach? What’s up? Why you crying?” he spoke between my constant kisses. With a grunt leaving his mouth, his hand gripped the back of my head, tilting it backwards. “What’s up?” His face contorted into a look of confusion.

  I didn’t want to talk, all I wanted to do was hold him. I leaned into him again and kissed him.

  Just like before he kissed me back but he didn’t get into it. Blaze pulled his head back. “Peaches.”

  How could he even ask me what was wrong? “I thought you were dead, I didn’t know—”

  “Hold the fuck up. Who told you I was dead?” His eyes tore away from mine and focused behind me. A mean scowl covered his face. “Who the fuck told her I was dead?”

  “They wouldn’t tell me anything. For two weeks, I asked how you were. Where you were. And everybody just seemed so depressed. They wouldn’t talk about you. I didn’t know what to think. Everybody just told me it’ll be good. But I didn’t know.” A laugh suddenly left my mouth as more tears poured from my eyes. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I didn’t know what I was going to do without you here. Now I don’t even want to think about it. I love you so much.” My lips was back on him as my arms held him tightly around his neck. I bit into his bottom lip then sucked on the top. My mouth parted, allowing his tongue to slip through the slit of my lips and tango with mine.

  A moan left my throat as the kiss grew intense. I tried hard to merge our bodies as one. I needed to be close to him, feel him. I had to know this was real instead of a dream.

  Blaze’s head pulled back as a painful groan left his mouth. “Ah fuck! Peach, baby, you killing me.”

  “Yeah, Peaches, his body ain’t healed. You ‘bout done busted his stitches.” Khyree came and stood next to us. He gave me a look that told me to move.

  I glared hard at him before I got up and pushed him back. “Yo ass could’ve told me he was in here when I saw you in the damn hallway. You get on my damn nerves.” I snapped at him before looking at the others in the room. I opened my mouth to yell at them but Khyree started talking.

  “I didn’t do nothing to you. Hell, I didn’t know you thought he had died. You were calling him,” he pointed to Jerron. “So how the hell was I supposed to know?”

  He just had to get smart but he was right, no less. So I turned my attention to the other two idiots who knew. “King, every day I asked you about him and you told me nothing. You didn’t even give me so much of a fuckin’ hint that he was alright—”

  “Bae, calm down,” Blaze said.

  I was anything but calm. I couldn’t calm down. My chest raised and fell hard from my erratic breathing. Did they not know what I went through those past two weeks? How much my body, heart and soul hurt with thoughts of thinking he was dead?

  I was pissed the fuck off but happy at the same time.

  “No! For two weeks I’ve cried. Not knowing how we were going to get through this with you being gone, only to find out you’re still here and these assholes knew! And you want me to calm down? How the hell am I supposed to, Blaze?” I yelled at him. I wanted to hurt both King and Jerron. “You two fuckas knew and didn’t tell me shit!”

  “Peaches, we couldn’t talk at the hospital or on the phone.” King explained as he walked to me. “I ain’t wanna hurt you and I hated to see you tore up like that but if you had of known you wouldn’t have been able to fake those emotions. Right now it’s best if people thinks he’s dead. The shit that’s going on is wild. We don’t know shit about the shooting, which is crazy because we have hella eyes and ears around but nobody can tell us nothing. So I moved B out to The City to lay low for a minute. Sooner or later somebody gon’ slip and I’mma catch that shit. Until then, Blaze being alive have to be quiet. I’m sorry, Peaches, but I couldn’t risk it.” King seemed frustrated as he spoke.

  After hearing his explanation, I understood his reason.

  “Regardless, someone could’ve gave me a hint.” I looked at Jerron.

  He raised his hands before pointing at me. “I tried to tell you downstairs but you wouldn’t stop talking. You kept cutting me off. I didn’t tell you in the hospital because the night you got your surgery, we caught someone leaving out your room. We found three bugs. We didn’t remove them because we needed folks to think your dude was dead and with your reaction it helped.”

  They both had great explanations as to why but it didn’t change anything. They could’ve wrote me a damn letter explaining everything. Not have me going weeks thinking my man was dead.

  Sighing, I shook my head before I made my way back over to Blaze.

  My adrenaline slowly started to fade once my body calmed down making the pain in my shoulder and side now noticeable.

  “Peach, you bleeding.” Jerron stopped me from walking past him.

  I jerked away from him. I understood his position and the decision that had to be made but a part of me still felt as though they could’ve found a way to secretly tell me Blaze was still alive. The pain of thinking he was gone was one I never wanted to feel again.

  I looked down at my shirt and saw the small spot of blood. I pulled my shirt down and looked at the wound. I busted a stitch. It was nothing serious in my eyes. All I wanted to do was layup with Blaze and just talk to him. What about? That didn’t matter as long as he was talking.

  After Khyree finished with Blaze, I asked them all to leave us alone. King wanted to talk about what was going on but I felt as though it could wait. He already made it clear they didn’t know anything, so I didn’t see the point in wanting to discuss the situation.

  Blaze must have felt the same way because he told them to leave. Once everyone left, my insides became jittery.

  “So you was worried about a nigga, huh? Did you cry hard?” His face was straight for all of a second before he started laughing.

  My eyes rolled up in my head as I laid against the headboard next to him. “B, that’s not funny. My damn soul was hurt. I still feel like crying.” I confessed.

  B
laze licked his lips as his head nodded. His demeanor broke and he started laughing again.

  If I wasn’t afraid of hurting him, I would’ve punched his childish ass. I didn’t see how he saw my pain funny. “Blaze, you’re a fuckin’ dick. That ain’t even funny, like seriously.”

  “I’m sorry, Peaches, but you dumb as hell.”

  I hit him on the arm. “How the hell am I dumb?” I was beyond confused.

  “Ah, Peach. Damn, man, chill the fuck out.” He fussed but ended up laughing.

  My brow raised at him. He stared back mimicking my look. All I could do was laugh. “You so stupid.” I leaned over and pressed my lips to his. I just couldn’t imagine him not being here with us. A sigh left my mouth and I pecked his lips once more. “I love you. Don’t ever get shot again. We should go somewhere, anywhere. Me, you and Blake could just pack up and leave. No one would have to know where we are.” My lips pressed against his again. Deep down I hoped his mind was in the same place as mine and he wanted to leave everything behind. But from the way his lips barely moved I knew he wasn’t thinking the same.

  “You wanna run? That’s what you want to do?” His head reared back as he stared at me.

  “If that’s what you want to call it, then yeah. B, it’s never going to end unless you’re dead or you stop hustling. What part of that don’t you understand? It’s been five years and they’re still hung up on you. Bae, I don’t think this has nothing to do with territory anymore. Maybe at one point in time, yeah, but not now. It’s not going to stop.” I explained.

  Blaze wasn’t looking at me and I knew whatever he was thinking his mind couldn’t be changed.

  “Baby, it’s not that simple. I’m not running. Ain’t nobody about to run me from my city. Fuck that! Its gon’ stop once they’re dead—”

  “Or you’re dead. Blaze, how many second chances are we going to get before they run out? Why stay and fight a fight that doesn’t need to be fought? If they want territory, give it to them! It’s not like you need the money—”