A Dangerous Love 7: Smiling Faces Hide Lies

by J Peach

  That night Blake slept in our room, he did not want to leave Peaches’ side at all. I didn’t fuss or snap like I normally would had. Instead, I let him sleep in there.

  ***

  Two Weeks Later

  Blake had slowly started to become his old self again. After Peaches told me everything that had happened in the basement, what he saw and what he had done with shooting that man, I now understood why he was so shook up.

  They told me about Tishana saying Peaches wasn’t his momma. That pissed me off and I wished like hell I could’ve killed her my damn self.

  We never lied to Blake about Peaches being his birth mother, he knew. He just didn’t acknowledge it because she never treated him bad. He admitted that it hurt him to hear Tishana say it but in every sense, Peaches was his mother. Blake said he forgot she wasn’t until it was said. He didn’t even remember Leslie, which was a good thing to me. All he remembered were bad things about her. Apparently her mother hated him, which I knew from Krystal a few years back.

  Blake told Peaches no matter what anyone said she was his birth mother.

  The one thing I couldn’t wrap my head around was the fact Tishana thought we were in a relationship when she was younger. It was hard to believe that because she was always quiet around me when she was a teen. As for us fuckin’, I didn’t remember that shit. But at that point of my life if I was drunk, it was no telling. And if she claimed I got her pregnant, I had to be fucked up because I never hit a bitch raw when I was aware of what I was doing. I do remember giving her money to get an abortion, but I didn’t know shorty was mine. She never even implied that it was. Then again even if Tishana would have told me, I wouldn’t have changed what I did.

  Now that everything was over, I was happy as hell. I now saw what Peaches meant when she wanted to leave and go back to Lafayette. I wish I hadn’t stopped her because Blake wouldn’t have experienced none of that bullshit. He was too young to be dealing with my mess, but I felt they were safer with me then off on their own. I explained that to Blake and he seemed to understand.

  He was just mad with himself that he couldn’t do anything to help his momma.

  Everybody had loosened up about the situation. Even though Krystal had taken a hell of a beating, she was good. A few broken ribs, a broken nose and a dislocated shoulder but she was healing. Mac had been looking out for her. I knew he wasn’t going to leave her alone, which was fine by me.

  Peaches said she was glad Krystal was okay but she didn’t want me to deal with her. I was cool with that. I’d rather lose her than to not have Peaches.

  After that bullshit happened, I thought we needed to blow off some steam and just chill.

  I called my moms over to throw some stuff on the grill and called Peaches’ ghetto ass friends over along with hitting up Sam, Bell, the twins and Mac.

  Later that day…

  “Uncle Boon, go get you son. He get on my nerves and that little girl over there won’t let me play with her doll. Can you go take it from her?” Keema came and sat on my lap as she rolled her eyes at Linnea. I just prayed my baby girl wasn’t shit like Keema’s grown ass.

  “Keema, go in the house and get a doll. How you gon’ bully her and take her stuff?” I asked her.

  “She not sharing. I let her play with my toys. Hold this. Nana!” She gave me her doll and ran to my moms.

  “King, I’mma whoop her little ass.” I pointed to Keema, not thinking she could hear me.

  She stopped talking to my moms and looked at me. “Uncle Boon, who you gon’ whoop?” Her little hands went to her hips.

  “You.” I pointed to her again.

  “You want me to make you plate?” she asked me.

  I burst out laughing. “Yeah, make me a big plate.”

  “Okay,” she went back to talking to my momma.

  Peaches came over and sat between my legs. “You better leave Keema alone.” She leaned into me with her lips puckered up.

  I kissed her like she wanted. “Man, that little girl grown as hell. She gon’ be real pissed when I tag that ass in real life.” I knew I was only talking shit. I wouldn’t touch her. I was a sucker for that bad ass little girl.

  Peaches grabbed her long beach towel and put it around her waist before she straddled my legs, wrapping her arms around my neck. “I love you.” She kissed me again.

  “You gon’ fuck around and get in trouble out here.” My hands went to her ass and I pulled her up on me.

  “How much trouble would I be in if I did this?” She bit into my bottom lip before she licked my top. Peaches pulled back and brought her mouth to my ear. “What about this?” She bit into my lobe before she kissed down to my neck.

  My hand tangled in her hair and I pulled her head back. “Peaches, you better stop. I got on shorts.”

  “You gon’ spank me if I don’t? Mmm, you know I like that shit.” Peaches hips rolled before she grinded into me.

  My dick got harder.

  “Mmm, there he go.” Her lips pressed against mine as her hand slid between our bodies. Peaches’ hand went into my shorts and she took hold of my man.

  “Peaches, why you playing?”

  “Can I sit on it?” She whispered, licking my bottom lip.

  I picked her up and jumped in the pool.

  “Ah!” Peaches screamed loudly making my ear ring. Once we came up from under the water, she hit me. “Ugh, why would you do that?” She hit me again.

  I laughed and pushed her against the side of the pool. “Because yo ass was hot and needed to cool off. Yo ass was straight about to pull my shit out and sit on it.” I laughed at her.

  She let out a whine. “Wasn’t nobody gon’ see. Besides, you could’ve taken me in the house, threw me on the bed and had me screaming my lungs out.”

  My brows raised. “Really now? Tell me more.”

  She started laughing. “See you playing and I’m serious.” Peaches brought her mouth to my ear. “Bae, I am so horny. Let’s sneak off for about ten minutes?” Her nails dug into my shoulders as she bit into my ear lobe.

  I was tempted like a mothafucka but with these kids here, her friends, my moms, and my niggas, we were bound to be interrupted. Especially with Blake’s cock blocking ass around. I wasn’t about to set myself up for that bullshit. It was only going to piss me off. And ten minutes damn sho wasn’t gon’ be enough time for me. “Who the fuck you think gon’ last ten minutes?”

  She gave me a pointed look. “You.”

  “No the fuck I ain’t. I’mma be in that shit for at least an hour, beating.” My hips pushed into her emphasizing me beating her pussy up.

  Peaches let out a loud snort before she pushed me away from her. She turned around and got out of the pool. “An hour my ass. You ain’t held an hour round in months. Everything been about ten/fifteen minutes. I’m starting to think you just too old to be tryna beat.” I could tell she was mad. That mothafucka did not like to be turned down but would hold out on my ass for weeks.

  I laughed at her. “Maybe so. We probably need to play around a bit. Try out some new shit.” I joked in a serious tone.

  Peaches stopped walking and looked back at me. “I will kill you and that new shit. Don’t play with me, Blaze.” She rolled her eyes hard before a thoughtful look covered her face.

  Oh shit. I shook my head already knowing she done thought up some bullshit.

  “Have you been looking around? Is that why you ain’t been tryna have sex lately?” Her arms crossed over her chest as she cocked her hip to the side.

  “Lately?” This mothafucka was crazy as hell. I was jumping on Peaches ass two/three times a fuckin’ day, not even including the earlier mornings when I would wake her ass up to fuck. I didn’t have a chance to think of no new shit because she had my ass hooked.

  “Yeah lately,” she countered.

  “Shut the fuck up! Lately was about two hours ago.”

  She looked at me like I was crazy. “So— Ah!” Peaches screamed as King pushed her into the pool.


  “Cool yo hot ass the fuck down. That’s why yo ass pregnant now. Fast ass trick. Oh shit!” He cussed as Blake shoved him in the pool.

  “That’s what you get for not watching yo back.” Blake fell out laughing.

  “Nuh uh, Blake don’t push my daddy! Uncle Boon, you better get you son.” Keema fussed, walking up to Blake.

  Blake picked her up and then tossed her in the pool. “Sha, you talk too much!”

  Keema came from under the water and swam to the side. Her eyes were wide as she tried to regain her breathing. I grabbed Peaches and tucked my head in her neck, trying to hide my face as I laughed.

  Peaches elbowed me. “That’s not funny, Blaze.”

  Shit if it wasn’t. I cracking the fuck up.

  Keema soon started crying and I laughed harder.

  “Blake, I’m about to beat yo ass.” King threatened.

  “And I’m helping.” Ebony chimed in, getting out of her seat. Blake took off running.

  “Hold her.” King gave Keema to Peaches then hopped out the pool and chased Blake with Ebony.

  “Auntie Peaches, can you whoop him?” Keema’s shoulders shook as she cried.

  I tried to stop laughing but I couldn’t. That was some shit I would have done. Blake definitely had it honest. He was my son.

  “Uncle Boon, gon’ get him for you, okay.” Peaches assured her.

  “Okay. When you babies get here?” Keema switched the conversation quick.

  “In a few months,” Peaches said, laughing.

  “Uncle Boon, can I get on your back?”

  I stretched as I laughed once more. “Come on, baby girl.” I turned around and she got on my back. Peaches went to leave but I grabbed her back to me. “Where you going?” I picked her up. “Keema, hold yo breath.” I took us under water.

  For the rest of the day, we all just played around in the pool before me, my son and my niggas started playing ball.

  “Don’t be having my baby out there betting either!” Peaches yelled from the lounge chair.

  We all looked over at the girls before getting back in our little circle. We looked back at Peaches, who was watching us like a fuckin’ hawk. “Two each. Give Sam yo money when we go in the house.” I whispered to them.

  “On what we whispering, tho’?” King whispered to the group. “She ain’t my damn momma. She got one kid over here.”

  “Shid, I saw her fight him once. So I ain’t giving you shit until she gone,” Mac said in a hush tone.

  “What he said.” Bell, Khyree and Khalil agreed with Mac.

  Sam scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t know. She done got meaner.”

  “Y’all some punks. She a girl.” Blake jumped in, shaking his head.

  “What that mean? That mothafucka crazy. I wouldn’t try her. She done shot at me once.” Bellow told Blake, shaking his head.

  “Me too. Her bullet grazed my ear.” Sam told him, showing the light pink mark on his ear. “Shid, she done beat yo daddy ass so many times, I lost count. And she tased yo uncle, too. B, yo momma crazy and she pregnant. She’s ‘bout twice as worse.”

  Blake looked over at Peaches and then back at us. “We’ll just give you the money when we get in the house.” He walked away from the circle and went to get the ball.

  “Why y’all tell him that shit?” I asked them, laughing.

  “Shid, he needs to know his moms crazy as shit.” King shrugged.

  I looked over at Peaches to see her already staring my way. She smiled and waved.

  Yeah, that mothafucka was most definitely crazy, but I loved the fuck outda her.

  Epilogue

  One Year Later

  Peaches

  I stood in a chair hanging the Happy Birthday banner over the sliding back doors before I threw the balloons over on the covered pool.

  A lot had changed over the past year. My family had grown closer and as bad as I wanted to leave Gary, Blaze made me realize we couldn’t always run away from our problems because they would eventually catch up to us, like his past mistakes had.

  I understood what he meant and now that everything was over, I agreed to stay in Indiana. Especially with his businesses he had out here, I figured it was best. Blaze said we could move if I really wanted to and I did want to get out of this state, but I knew he didn’t want to leave. At the end of the day, where we were didn’t matter to me as long as we were together and our family was whole. I’d live anywhere to keep that.

  “BJ, get over here!” I yelled at my son as he tried to make a quick dash for the back door. I stood there for a second, laughing to myself at his bowlegged self. Still chuckling, I sat the decorations down on the table and went after him. “BJ!” He fell to the ground but got right back up, wobbling to the door. Quickly catching up to him, I swooped him up in arms. “Where are you trying to go?” I asked before tickling him.

  My baby burst into a fit of laughter, which was contagious. I kissed his spitty mouth before I wiped it with my fingers. “Where is your daddy?” I asked him before putting him in the playpen. As soon as he got in there, he started crying. “Nuh uh, little boy. I’m not going to hold you.” I laughed at his spoiled self. He stood up and held his arms out for me. “No.” My head shook as I went to the table to get his sippy cup. “Here you go.” I gave it to him but he threw it to the side before he fell back on the soft mat, crying.

  I stood there looking at him, not believing he was acting like that on his birthday.

  “What’s wrong with my baby?” Joseph asked, coming from out of the house.

  “Y’all got him spoiled as hell. That’s what’s wrong with him.” I fussed. They did my baby so wrong. They sat around holding him then left his spoiled self for me to deal with. “Don’t pick him up.”

  Joseph ignored me and grabbed his grandson. “Peaches, stop being mean.” He came over to me and kissed my forehead. “How you feeling?” He sat on the lounge chair with BJ on his lap.

  I rolled my eyes at him before going back to setting up the purple and black party decorations. “I’m good, sleepy but good.” I sat the cups on the table and then glanced back to see Joseph handing BJ some chips. “Joseph, do not give him those Cheetos. He’s gon’ make a mess.” I fussed but again he ignored me. Instead he took a napkin and tucked it in the front of my baby’s shirt. My eyes rolled but I ended up smiling no less.

  It was nice to see Joseph interact with his grandson. It had been seven months since we welcomed him into the family.

  Blaze was ready to kill him when we ran into Joseph at the grocery store once he remembered my and Blake’s last encounter with him. He was in full protective mode and the fact we were in a store didn’t matter to Blaze one bit.

  Joseph explained his intentions wasn’t to hurt or scare us. He was just surprised to find out his son had another part of him in this world. And he was hurt that I didn’t tell him. He also explained how the night after he found out about Blake that he had relapsed, which he hadn’t done in over five years. He just couldn’t carry the burden of knowing his son had never forgave him or that his grandson would never know him.

  Me being the sensitive punk I was cried for Joseph. Only because I saw that broken look in his eyes and I felt worse knowing he relapsed.

  After that run in with him, Blaze told me to stay away from his father. He simply didn’t trust him. I don’t know what happened within that weeks’ time between the two of them but Blaze brought Joseph to the house and reintroduced him to us. He had been family ever since.

  I looked over at BJ to see he had Cheetos all over Joseph’s white jeans. “Joseph, look at your pants.”

  “Girl, sit down and shut up. They only pants.” He waved me off before giving BJ some juice.

  “Whatever you say, Joseph.” I started blowing up the balloons.

  “Ma, we about to ride up the street, i’ight?” Blake called from the door. He was about to slid the screen closed. Blake was ready to take off.

  “Blake, hold on. Who is we and up the street where
?” I waved him to me only to see Ace slide out from behind him. Where did he come from? “Hey, Ace. When you get here?” I asked him. After everything went down, Sam helped Jerron get full custody of Ace. With Monica not showing up to a trail hearing, it was easy. Ace seemed to be happy with his new living situation. Of course Jerron was spoiling him rotten for the times he missed out on.

  “Hey, Peaches,” he came over and gave me a hug then kissed my cheek. “My dad just dropped me off.”

  Why would he just drop him off without telling me? I looked at Blake with a raised brow.

  “Ma, can Ace spend the night over here?” He looked just like his damn daddy.

  I rolled my eyes at him. It was too late now. “Ace, you can stay over. Blake, will get the guest room ready for you.”

  “I told you she wasn’t gon’ trip.” Blake told him.

  I cut my eyes at him. “What y’all trying to do?”

  “Just go up the street.” Blake vaguely answered.

  They were up to no good. I could tell. Those two together were trouble. You would have thought they were brothers with the way those two acted.

  “Y’all can help setup then ask me. Come on, we got people on the way over here.”

  “People? That’s family. They can help setup. You help them.” Blake complained.

  Ace started blowing up balloons. “I got you, Peaches.”

  My lips pursed together as I pointed at Ace. “Why you can’t be like that?”

  “He just sucking up to you, is all. You my momma. I don’t have to do that. But you know I love you.” He kissed my cheek then went over to where his granddad sat. “What’s up, Joseph. BJ, you fresh, huh?” He fist bumped his granddad. “Dad, gon’ have a fit when he see him. He got Cheetos everywhere.” Blake pointed out, picking up his baby brother.

  “That’s between him and Joseph. I don’t have nothing to do with that.” I shook my head.

  “Ugh, he stink.” Blake’s face turned up and he held BJ out to me. “Here. He just messed up my stomach.”