by J Peach
“I’m trying to figure you out. You always seem to surprise me with your actions. Like right now, I’m trying to understand it. You were just pissed off a minute ago and now you’re bathing me. So I’m just trying to understand what changed.”
Blaze ran the sponge over my breasts, cleaning them. He dipped the sponge into the water, rinsing it off before he put more soap on it and started to wash me again. He cleaned down my stomach to my pelvis before he pushed my legs apart. Not once saying anything, he just continued to clean me.
He let the water out the tub, pulled me up and turned on the shower. Taking the spray off the hook he rinsed me off. Once Blaze finished, he grabbed the towel from off the counter and wrapped it around me.
I held my arms up and waved my fingers so he could pick me up.
He laughed at my childishness but picked me up nonetheless.
My legs wrapped around his waist and my face buried into his neck as my arms held tightly around his neck. When we made it to the room, Blaze tried to lay me on the bed but I wasn’t letting him go.
“Peaches, come on, man.” He tried once again to pull my arms from his neck.
“No, stop it and just lay down.” I instructed.
He let out a heavy breath before laying down on the bed. “What’s up?”
He knew me all too well, just as I knew him. “I don’t know, you tell me. Bae, I know you and as much as you love me, you’re not doing this just because. Now tell me what’s up.” Blaze helping me off the bathroom floor and rinsing my mouth was just him. The extra stuff, though, there was a reason behind it. I knew that much because he didn’t try to have sex with me in the tub. Blaze was always trying to have sex with me on any given opportunity. But not this time.
My lips pressed against his neck before I pulled the skin into my mouth. I bit him then kissed the spot. “Bae, talk to me.”
“It ain’t shit—”
“Maybe not to you but it is to me. So tell me.” I sat up on him and grabbed the hem of his shirt. I pulled it off then tossed it to the side. I unhooked my towel and leaned into him. My mouth pressed against his, pecking his lips twice. I kissed my way down to Blaze’s jaw and then his neck before my tongue trailed to his shoulder.
Lifting up, I pecked his lips again before I moved down his body so that my head laid on his chest.
Blaze’s arms wrapped around my waist and he kissed the top of my head. “I overheard you talking to Blake a little while ago. You good with him. Man, Peaches, I can’t get to him like you do. He won’t talk to me like he do with you. We might fuck around on some bullshit but Blake will never be open with me like that. Shid, if I can’t click with my own son, how the fuck I’mma do it with these babies? Shid, maybe we are rushing into this.”
I knew it was something. “B, you click with Blake. Maybe not on a sensitive level but you two are like two peas in a pod. It’s going to be times when Blake comes to you over me about some things and vice versa. I mean, Blake has never talked to me about girls before but he does with you. Bae, you are amazing at what you do with him. And whether he comes and talk to me about something that isn’t going to change anything about y’all’s relationship. Blake simply felt as I had—ignored. Baby, if you don’t talk to him, he’s going to feel that way.
“Before the shooting, you and Blake was tight and to suddenly lose that hurts, badly. For months it’s been like that with him and after a while hurt turned into anger. That’s what happened with Blake. Blaze, you have a tendency to shut folks out without intentionally meaning to or knowing you’re doing it. That’s what you did to us and if you don’t talk and tell us what you’re feeling all we have are assumptions.
“It’s no telling what thoughts Blake was thinking. You have to talk to him, explain what you have too and then work to get y’all back to where y’all were. And believe me if I didn’t think you were capable of loving and taking care of our baby, then I wouldn’t be having it. You are amazing with Blake, so I know you’ll be just as great to this one.”
Everything I said was the truth. Blaze was more than capable of raising a kid. He had to work on his communication skills a lot but he was still an amazing father.
“Shid, I can’t talk to him like you do.”
I loved that man like crazy. I would never understand why he could talk to me so easily but not to anyone else. “B, you don’t have to talk to him like I do. Talk to him like you normally would. Baby, he’s used to the way you are and how you talk. And I seriously think you would freak him out if you went to him the way I do. So be you. All I am going to say is don’t go to him first, let him come to you and apologize. The way he flipped wasn’t cool and was hella disrespectful of him.” I leaned into him and bit his bottom lip and then sat up again.
“Oh, I doubt he jump stupid like that again. I’m far from a bitch. I ain’t takin’ shit from a nigga on the streets and damn sho’ not about to have my son jumping bad with me like he’s one. I fuck’d his ass up real nice. Don’t fuckin’ look at me like that. Hell n’all mine ain’t gon’ pop like he can whoop my ass, fuck outda here.” Blaze stated.
I could tell just thinking about Blake’s actions pissed him off. I wanted to know what he did to my baby but I decided against asking. Hopefully Blake learned his lesson about jumping crazy with a crazy person, who just so happened to be his father.
“Blaze, I’m hungry.” I rubbed my stomach actually seeing everything I wanted.
His hand came to my stomach and he started rubbing it, too. “What we gon’ name them?”
I rolled my eyes at him. “I’m not having no twins. And I don’t know yet. We’ll talk about it later—”
“Yo ass just thinking about food, that’s why you don’t wanna talk about it, ol hungry ass. What you want, man?” He laughed, still rubbing my stomach.
Again, my eyes rolled but mouth watered. “I want some waffles. Ask Bellow if he’ll make his buttery waffles for me, please. I swear I can taste them.” I bit into my lip just thinking about those buttermilk butter waffles dripping in syrup.
“Shid, the way you looking, I think I’m jealous of some gotdamn waffles.” He laughed. “That’s it?” He rolled us over, kissing me before he got off the bed.
“Wait, no that’s not it. Bellow’s waffles, eggs and some biscuits. I think it’s some ice cream in the freezer. Ooh no, forget the ice cream. Look in the cabinet and get the Flamin’ Hots then get the round pickles out the fridge also get the cheese and warm the cheese up. Umm…”
“Umm? The fuck you mean umm? Hell n’all! I ain’t about to get all that shit. You better get yo ass up and come get it.” Blaze looked at me like I was crazy.
My eyes cut at him. “I don’t be saying that when you ask me to suck yo dick at three o’clock in the morning or when you wake me up to ride yo shit when I don’t be feeling like it.”
His expression didn’t change. “Shit, we be in the same place and you ain’t gotda carry shit—”
“Oh, my God. Are you serious right now, Blaze? I’ll do it for you. Forget it. I swear you get on my damn nerves most of the times and I still deal with you. But now that I’m starving, you can’t walk yo simple ass down a few stairs to get me something to eat? Ugh, man, I swear I don’t know why I continue to deal with this shit.” I fussed as I sniffled. My hands quickly wiped at my eyes before I snatched his shirt and put it on.
“Peach, I was just bullshitting. You dead ‘bout to cry, fah real?” His brows were furrowed and his head tilted. “Hell n’all. Yo ass straight went off because you hungry, tho’ Damn. Baby, what else you want?” His hand moved over his mouth so I wouldn’t see his lips twisting up.
“Never mind. I’ll get my own food.” I lied. My ass wasn’t about to leave out that damn room.
“Peaches, stop playin’ and tell me what the fuck you want before I change my damn mind.”
I let out a heavy breath and rolled my eyes as I walked back to the bed.
“Fuck it,” Blaze said, coming back to the bed.
“Ok
ay. Dang. I want everything I said. I gotda taste for some garlic bread. No, forget that. I want some bread sticks and look in the bathroom and give me the Ajax—”
“Hell n’all! You tryna eat bathroom cleaner?”
My face went blank. “You’re not funny, you ass. No, I’m not about to eat it. I like the smell of it. The smell help with the sickness sometimes.”
“Hell n’all and yo ass bet not be smelling that shit no damn mo. The fuck wrong with you. Man, get those damn crackers until I come back. Yo ass crazy.” He fussed at me.
“I’ll get it myself,” I mumbled. I was going to wait until he left out to get the Ajax.
Blaze walked into the bathroom. He returned a few second later with two cans of Ajax. “Don’t worry, I’m getting all this shit outda here,” he said, walking out the room.
“Bastard.” Sighing, I flopped down on the bed. My eyes slid over to the crackers and I sat up remembering something else, so I grabbed my phone and called Blaze.
“What Peaches?” he answered.
“Bae, can you get the salt and vinegar chips out the cabinet? That helps settle my stomach too. These crackers really don’t work. And can you bring the Ginger Ale up here too? Ooh and can you make the eggs into an omelet, please?” I bit into my lip. I was nervous that he would go off.
“I’ight, Peach.”
“Okay, thanks, bae. Aye and can you bring the other stuff up now until the food gets ready, please? And some ice,” I quickly added.
“Bye, Peach.” He hung up on me.
Oh, I was not about to be the only one going through this pregnancy by my lonesome. Nope, I wasn’t. Blaze was going to be running like crazy for me.
Chapter 19
Blaze
Two Weeks Later
Bellow pulled two blocks down from Oak Knoll apartments. “Pull right there.” I pointed to the dark street. I looked around until I saw King’s tinted all-black Navigator parked further up the street. “Go to the end of the block and wait there.” I pulled my hood over my head and hopped out of his car. Once the door closed, he pulled off and I made my way to King’s truck. I tapped his back window three times before going to the back passenger door and sliding in.
“Yo boy just went in there about ten minutes ago.” King pointed to an apartment that was dark.
“Ain’t shit happened?” I asked, looking at the house.
He turned around to face me. “How the fuck am I supposed to know what’s goin’ on inside that mothafucka?”
“Shut the fuck up, stupid mothafucka. Look.” I heard a gun go off followed by flashes of light coming from the front room’s window.
“I told you that nigga was reckless. He don’t give a fuck.” King stared at the house.
The front door opened and Mac walked out. He came to the end of the sidewalk and looked around. He stared in our direction for a long while before he turned and headed the way I sent Bellow. I pulled out my phone and text Bell, letting him know Mac was headed his way.
“What the fuck is he doing?” King mumbled to himself but loud enough that I heard him.
Mac stopped halfway up the block under the street light. He looked back down our way before he turned around and headed toward us.
“Why the fuck you drive this big ass, noticeable ass truck. Yo ass could’ve got a toy car for this shit.” I snapped at him while looking at Mac. His pace picked up, he was getting closer to us. “King, pull off.”
He put the truck in gear but didn’t move. “I know this nigga ain’t that fuckin’ bold.”
Oh, he bold as fuck. “Nigga, go—” as soon as the words left my mouth Mac started shooting. “That mothafucka!”
King reversed down the street. “Nigga, yo ass better shoot back. What the fuck is you doing?” King snapped at me.
I laid on the backseat laughing, not believing that little nigga was bold enough to walk down toward the truck and start shooting. Now if we we’re niggas trying to kill his ass, he would’ve been dead. Then again, he ‘bout would’ve took one of us with him.
“When I see that nigga, I’m fuckin’ him up. Bitch ass mothafucka.” King was pissed. “I don’t see the comedy in this shit! That nigga could’ve shot us and he hit my damn truck. I’mma stomp the fuck out that nigga. Tell Bell to follow his ass.”
“Hell n’all. He’ll notice Bell. Plus, his ass done cut through them houses. He gon’ stay off the streets. We gon’ have to grab his ass another time.” I started to think about the different spots Mac used to hang out at. He probably done dropped a few cribs. It was probably one crib he kept up.
“How the fuck you gon’ do that when you not supposed to be out?” he questioned.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll get him and be low.” I told him as I hit the back of his seat. “Now take me to the crib. If it ain’t too late, I could probably get some.” I rubbed my stomach just thinking about Peaches.
“Oh, y’all good now?” King laughed.
I didn’t find shit funny. It had been two weeks since I moved us back to Gary. Peaches ain’t like that shit at all. She simply thought we we’re coming to visit my moms and go back to Muncie. She was pissed when she realized we weren’t going back and that I had King find us a house out in Ogden Dunes before I was even walking.
I thought she would’ve liked the house. It was a nice two story brick ranch. It had five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a nice big living and dining room. A full basement, big kitchen and the crib had a pool. What really made me think she would love it was because of the waterfront on Lake Michigan.
A few years back, Peaches wanted a house on the beach. But now that I found her spot she dreamed of having, she was pissed because it meant being back. So she done spent more time with Blake, my moms and her girls than she had with me.
It was time to come home but her attitude told me she didn’t understand that.
Muncie was just a low key spot until I was better and able to move around. Now that I could walk it was time that I handled business now and I knew that’s what really pissed her off. While I was confined to the house, she could watch me. Hell, she knew my every move. But Peaches couldn’t do that now and she was scared for me. I couldn’t be mad at her for that.
“He’ll n’all, we ain’t. Peach ain’t gon’ be good until this shit is over with.” My hand ran over my face thinking about the shit that was coming. I know mothafuckas gon’ regret coming at me. They done did too much. I was going to enjoy this to the fullest.
“You ain’t getting shit, then. Yo ass better get used to that hand and some lotion.” King thought that shit was funny. “Here, roll that.” He tossed me a sack and a swisher.
It wasn’t shit funny to me. I grabbed the weed and broke it down before I started to roll the blunt. “You don’t know Peaches like I do. Yo sister a freak. She be wanting it just as bad as I do. It’s been two weeks, too? Oh, her ass gon’ give that shit up tonight.” I lit the blunt and inhaled deeply.
“Shut the fuck up.”
This time, I laughed. Peaches couldn’t resist it when I went for her all the way. I had just let her be mad for the time being but shid, it was time her ass got over it. We were here now and wasn’t shit changing.
***
When I got in the house, I tossed my keys on the table in the hallway then made my way to the kitchen. It was a little after midnight and I could still smell the food Peaches had cooked. I opened up the microwave and just like every night this past week, my plate was in there. I warmed the lasagna, garlic and grilled chicken up. Once it was done, I quickly smashed everything on the plate and made my way to our room.
Blake laid at the foot of the bed watching wrestling on the TV. He loved that WWE shit. His ass had so many recorded shows on our TV, shit was crazy.
When I stepped in the room, he looked at me and sat up.
“Why you in here?” I asked him as I walked to the closet. I kicked off my shoes and took off my shirt. When he didn’t say nothing, I peeked back at him to see he had gon’ back to watching TV. �
��You don’t hear me talking to you?” I walked back into the room.
“Yeah, but I didn’t wanna miss this match,” he replied before pausing the TV.
“And you couldn’t pause that mothafucka?”
Blake laughed. “I could’ve,” he shrugged.
“You gon’ make me fuck you up. Now why you in here and not in yo own damn room? Shid, we might as well move yo bed in here with as much time you be in this mothafucka like it’s yours.”
Blake laughed again. “N’all, momma was getting sick, so I came in to check on her. That damn baby be having her throwing up everything. Dad, that baby gon’ be problems, I’m telling you. Look at what it’s doing to momma. She can’t eat nothing without getting sick. She’s always crying and fussing about something. Auntie Kim said it hormones. Well, they need to take them damn hormones out. That baby gon’ be bad as hell, man.” Blake’s head shook before his hand ran over his head then down his face.
My son had it honest. He took straight after me and a part of me was happy as hell he had no parts of Leslie in him. The other part was kind of nervous about just how much he took from me. Blake’s ass was gon’ be hell once he got into his teen years. My little man was already sounding grown.
“You think so?” My head tilted to the side as I watched him.
“Hell yeah. With the way momma be acting, hell yeah. I bet it’s a girl, too.” He looked over at Peaches and shook his head. “No boy is gon’ have her like that.”
I started laughing. “Yo momma having twins—”
“You better stop saying that. She be so mad. You should hear how she talks about you to my aunties. Oh, that Jerron dude told Auntie Ebony to tell momma to call him. He wanna check on her.”
“Oh, fo’real? What momma say?”
“Yeah, momma said, Oh okay, I really need to talk to him. I haven’t heard from him since we been in Muncie. That’s it. She didn’t call him, tho’, unless she did when I was in the pool.” A thoughtful look appeared on his face before he stared back at me with his hand held out.