by J Peach
I noticed Blaze didn’t show up but even that didn’t dim my smile. I walked past them with my degree in my hand. My eyes were wide with excitement as my tongue came out of my mouth flatly. I silently screamed toward them. They all had cameras snapping pictures. I laughed to myself as I went back to my seat.
After another hour and a half of names being called and long ass speeches being spoken, I grew anxious. I was literally bouncing in my seat, itching to go run over to my brother. Just to see that prideful fatherly look on his face as he looked over my degree.
“…move your tassels from the right to left at this time. Congratulations to the graduating class of 2015!”
The clapping and loud cheers started amongst everyone, but leave it to my loud ass friends to be the loudest out of everybody. I knew it was them because they were the only ones yelling that’s my bitch.
I had told them not to do that, but they didn’t care.
I covered my face to hide my embarrassment, while at the same time I was silently laughing harder than ever. My bitches were turned up!
Once the music started, we all left out of the gymnasium. Row by row, we went into the auditorium.
“Peaches!” I wasn’t even in there long before they found me. Holding up my degree, I let out a loud scream before running to my group.
“Ah, bitch you did it. Where my money at, hoes? I told you bitches she was gon’ finish, stuck on Blaze ass and all. Now the next time around I don’t know, but she did this shit. Fifty dollas each, bitches!” Missy squeaked out.
I wasn’t even going to address what she said right now as I watched King push her out the way.
“King!” I said excitedly. “I did it, four years!” I squeaked out loudly.
“Gotdamn, baby girl, you did.” As I expected that prideful look graced his face, but what I didn’t expect was for him to pick my overgrown ass up. “I’mma have to hang this shit on my wall. Momma would have been proud. Shid, I’m proud, though. A nigga gotda stick his chest out on this shit.”
Laughing at King, I shook my head as I felt hella embarrassed from him holding me at his side like I was kid. “You should. Now, King, please put me down. People are starting to stare,” I whispered.
“I don’t give a fuck about nobody staring. My baby just graduated. What the fuck? Shit!” He called excitedly.
I covered my face with a groan. Why was I acting surprised when he did the exact same thing at my high school graduation? Then again, I didn’t expect the same reaction for my college graduation seeing as he didn’t react like that when I went to community college.
“King…” I whined out a laugh as I hugged him tightly. I knew without his support and my determination to make him proud, it probably wouldn’t have happened.
“King, put her down you damn fool.” Bianca laughed, hitting him.
Looking at her, I silently thanked her for saying something.
“I’ight, damn. First, Blaze told me what happened between y’all. Even told me the foul shit he said so—here.” He held out a box.
My head fell down and my hands quickly made a protective barrier over my face trying to hide myself from prying eyes as King hiked me up more so on him. His arm holding securely under my butt. I seriously didn’t feel twenty-four at all. Instead, I felt like I was five.
“Take the damn box.” He pushed it to me.
It was times like this that made me happy folks didn’t know we were related.
I took the box from him and opened it. I stared at a silver key. “What does it go to? And what did Blaze say?” I asked before it dawned on me. “My house key, King?” I tried handing it back.
“Shut up! He told me what he said to you and knowing yo ass I knew you wasn’t gon’ take the house back unless either one of us bought it, so I did. I know you love that damn house so I bought it from him, now you ain’t gotda stay at the house we grew up in,” he explained.
Smiling at King, I hugged him tightly because I didn’t want to stay at my parent’s house. Hell, I hadn't even gone back there. Even though I sent Ebony and Cherry over, I never went. I couldn’t. It held too many memories.
“Thanks, King.” After kissing his cheek, I pulled back. “Can you put me down now, please?” I whispered so no one could hear me.
“I’ight, one more thing. You ain’t gotda save it like you do everything else. This yours to do what you want. Take a trip, a cruise, something. Anything to get away from this place for a while.” Once again, he reached in his pocket. He pulled out an envelope and handed it to me.
Smiling, I opened it and found a check for fifty thousand dollars. I looked up at King like he was crazy.
“I can’t take this—”
“You can and you will. I need you to leave here for a while. We don’t know what’s about to go down but I want you far away from here.” His tone turned serious as did his stare. I went to reply but he shook his head. “No questions, Peach. Now say thank you, give me a kiss, and then get down. Yo ass getting heavy.”
I knew not to argue with him. He was worried. I couldn’t blame him for wanting me to leave Indiana. So, I nodded my head in understanding before letting out a laugh and doing as I was told.
“Thank you,” hugging him, I kissed his cheek. “I love you.” I hugged him again tighter this time.
“Love you too, baby girl. Finish in here, I got another surprise.” King placed me on my feet.
“You got me something else, ain’t this enough?” King made a pss noise looking so prideful. He had me wanting to cry as I silently wished my folks were here to share our moment with us.
I wondered if my dad would be this proud. Hell, would he even show up? My mom would. There was no question about it, but would my dad? My activities were never a priority of his. It was always my mom and King who showed up for me. They never missed a track meet, basketball game. Nothing. Whatever I had going on, those two were there for me. My dad was always too busy or maybe he didn’t want to be seen with me.
If I wasn’t seen around with him, questions of who I was wouldn’t come up, I guess.
“Congratulations, sweetie,” Bianca said, hugging me tightly then handing me a card attached to three graduation balloons, one of which was this big Tweety Bird with the graduation attire on.
“Thanks, Bianca, I love me some Tweety.” I told her, pulling back to open the pretty card with purple flowers on it. The card read:
Your life is unfolding, your dreams are growing,
And who you are is coming to full bloom.
It’s a joy to see the young woman you are now and a
Delight to think of who you will be in the years ahead.
Awing I opened the card reading the inside.
‘Praying you’re blessed in all you do and that every desire
of your heart comes true.
Congratulations on Your Graduation.
Love, Bianca and Marcus
“Thank you, this is sweet.” Hugging her again, I wiped the tears from my eyes.
“You’re welcome, sweetie.” Once she let me go, the girls came entrapping me between them.
Laughing, I shook my head at those fools.
“Y’all are so freaking embarrassing.” I laughed, hugging each one of my bitches while taking their balloons. Each one had two balloons with a card. “Thank y’all, these are so sweet. Y’all got me crying.”
“Bitch, that’s called hormones.” Leave it to Missy’s dumbass to take my happiness and twist it into something else.
“Nuh uh, bitch. It ain’t shit like that, hoe. I graduated after four long ass years. Y’all, that shit was hard. You bitches know.” Laughing, I was so proud of myself for finishing. There were times where I wanted to quit. Then when I got with Blaze, those times intensified but I didn’t quit.
“Well, I’m proud of you, Peach. So we’re clubbing tonight?” Angel asked, dancing making us laugh.
“I’m down.” Kimmy and Ebony said at the same time. The girls soon got quiet as their eyes stared past me. Th
ey seemed in awe. “Well Damn!” They all chorused, as if they had rehearsed that response.
“Bueno maldito papá puedo montar?” Well, damn, daddy. Can I ride? Missy spoke in Spanish making my brows raise as I watched her suck her bottom lip into her mouth. “Papi si sabía a limpian este bonito, yo he estado tratando de joder.” Daddy, if I knew you cleaned up this nice, I would’ve been trying to fuck.
“Damn, Miss, I agree. Daddy, you cleans up nice.” Angel said, grabbing my head damn near twisting it off my shoulders.
I slapped her hands off me and I turned to see what the hell got their panties wet.
“Well—damn! Wow!” Were the only three words that left my mouth as I stared at the sexy God of a man in front of me. “That is Blaze?” I whispered to one of my girl not knowing who but I received a chorused Mmmhmmm.
“Damn, Boon, yo ass looking good. Who knew my baby could clean up nice? Hell, who knew you owned a suit?” Bianca took my thoughts from my mind.
I didn’t know what to say. Hell, I couldn’t even believe that was Blaze. He cleaned up nice.
Blaze had on a black pinstriped suit with a black button down dress shirt, a dark purple vest, the matching tie and handkerchief with his purple leather dress shoes to match. His jewelry went with what he had on. The black diamond earring in his right ear. His black diamond chain and black Rolex with the purple face. His jewelry finished with a 14k black Rhodium black diamond pinky ring.
“You came.” I managed to say. I didn’t see him out there, so I didn’t know if he was coming or not. With him having Blake, I hadn’t expected it.
Nodding, he stepped closer to me and without meaning to, I moved back.
“I been here. I just didn’t sit with them. Here, I got you these.” Blaze pushed a bouquet of dark purple roses toward me.
“Thanks, these are so beautiful.” Why was I suddenly feeling nervous around him was beyond me, but I was. My face had turned hot so there was no doubt I was blushing like crazy.
“So are you.” Blaze said and again that chorus of awes started.
“Aww, am I?” Looking at Missy, I laughed.
“Girl, he ain’t talking to yo ass. Come on. Let’s go before she mess my Boon up.” Bianca snapped, pushing the girls past us.
“But the rest of us didn’t say anything.” Ebony tried to protest.
Bianca paid her or the others no mind as she continued to push them. “I don’t give a damn. Now get y’all’s asses on.”
Hiding my face in the flowers, I laughed. “Your mom is crazy. She know it’s not cool to just talk to people any kind of way, right?”
Blaze shook his head. “N’all, she don’t know that. She rude as fuck.”
I gave him a look that said, No you didn’t.
He laughed. “Fuck you.”
I finally walked to him and I gave him a hug.
“Thanks for coming. You’re looking good. I honestly didn’t think you would wear a suit let alone come.”
He didn’t reply to what I said instead he grabbed my hand holding it up, looking at the bracelet then back to me.
“I thought you tossed this?” He asked while his fingers played with the purple sapphire diamonds.
Pulling my arm back, I looked away from him shrugging. “I did, I wanted to leave it but it was about the only meaningful thing you gave me. This and my bear…” I trailed off as a small laugh let my mouth. I couldn’t begin to explain my nervousness.
“Man, loosen the fuck up. Why you looking like you ‘bout to pass out?” Blaze suddenly said, making me laugh.
“Shut up, I don’t know. I mean I don’t know why but I’m nervous. You making me nervous. You look really good in a suit. You look like a grown man and not some wannabe hood,” I stated, referring to the baggy jeans, big shirt and hat he usually wear. “You look real good.” My roaming eyes couldn’t be helped as they drunk him in, both approvingly and sexually.
Blaze was looking fine as hell, right now. Better than usual. Moving from his lower body, my eyes came back to his face, slowly roaming. Catching the tightening of Blaze’s jaw as his back teeth clenched, then the slither of his thick pink tongue as it came out seeming to slowly swipe over his full bottom lip before retracting both his tongue and lip into his mouth.
Blaze’s lips soon stretched, his teeth slightly peeking through. “Wanna kiss?”
His words didn’t register at first as the word kiss stuck it’s wicked self in my head. A kiss was one of many things I wanted. God, why did he have to make that damn suit look so good? It was practically screaming sex, taunting me.
“You making this hard and uncomfortable. Yo damn eyes is raping me and I’m liking that shit.” Blaze pulled me from my lustful thoughts, making me laugh.
“I could say the same thing about you, Blaze. You’re looking good as hell right now. Sexy isn’t even the word. Shid, I’m saying, though. Can I ride?”
Blaze literally burst out laughing whereas I was serious as hell. “Ain’t yo boyfriend gon’ be mad you tryna seduce me?” Blaze joked.
Humming, I licked my lips. “It’s only seduction if it’s working. Plus, last I checked, I was single.”
Laughing, Blaze shook his head. “I ain’t fuckin’ with you, Peaches.” He let out another chuckle before he turned serious, which wasn’t a usual expression for him but as of late, I was starting to see that look a lot.
He was making me so nervous.
Chapter 15
Peaches
He reached in his suit pocket and pulled out a small white box. “I got this for you after the shit I spat at the club to you. I don’t know if you’ll take it but I’d like for you to.” From the way his eyes moved from mine to the box then back again told me he was nervous.
I let out a breath and sat the roses and cards on a chair then tied the balloons to back of it before taking the small box and opening it.
“Awe wow,” mumbling lowly, I stared at the beautiful 18K white gold, three stone drop diamond pendant. My fingers grazed over the chain, debating on what to do. “Blaze, this is beautiful,” I said, looking at the necklace for a few seconds longer then looked back to him. I stared at him for a long time before giving the box back. “Can you put it on me?” Turning away from him, I pulled my hair over my right shoulder holding it up.
After a couple of seconds, Blaze’s hand slid through the opening my arm made, pulling one end of the chain through then connecting it with the other.
Once the clamp snapped around my neck, my free hand pulled it down before grabbing the pendant and staring at the sparkling diamonds. I fell in love.
“I love it, thank you.” Turning back to him, I got ready to thank him again but before I could get another word out, Blaze started talking.
“I got you something else.” He sounded like King.
“Blaze?” My head was shaking and I was about to tell him he didn’t have to get me anything else.
“Don’t say nothing. Just let me do this, i’ight?” Laughing at the determined look on his face and in his eyes, I didn’t argue.
“Okay.” After he handed me the flowers, he pulled a blindfold from his pocket. “Nuh uh what kind of surprise calls for me to be blindfolded?” I’m not liking this gift already.
“Peaches, turn yo ass around and stop playing.”
I stared at him blankly, clearly stating I wasn’t playing.
He laughed. “I ain’t gon’ do shit to you, I promise,” he said as he put the elastic against the back of my head before the front covered my eyes making everything go black.
“Blaze, don’t run me into any walls—” My words faded from the feel of his lips brushing against mine. My neck stretched but he had pulled back.
“You talk too much, now come on.”
Well, I guess he shut my ass up.
He did a hell of job too because I didn’t say anything the entire time he led me out. Then again it could’ve been the feel of him pressed into my back or the tight grip of his fingers as he held my waist. Whichever it was had m
e mute as well as made the butterflies in my stomach go crazy.
“I’ight, you ready?” Blaze asked, biting at my ear.
“Boy, you better stop.” The fluttering in my stomach picked up, making it feel as if the butterflies were having their own little war. Letting out a shaky laugh, Blaze took my free hand pushing something in it.
“I’ight. One. Two. One,” he played.
Laughing, I elbowed him. “Blaze, stop playing. I’m already nervous.”
“Okay, I quit.” With that being said, the blindfold was pulled from my eyes. I saw Bianca, the girls and King standing in the parking lot along with a few other graduates. I didn’t really see anything else.
“Okay, what is it?” I asked, looking at Blaze. Grabbing my hand, Blaze brought it to my face. It was then I remembered the thing he pushed in my palm. Seeing the logo, I screamed, “Quit fuckin’ playing, Blaze. Seriously what is it?”
“Push the button.”
I shook my head, not wanting to believe he bought me this.
Blaze laughed. “Push the damn button.” Looking away from him, I pushed the button. It chirped. Pushing the button again, it made the same sound. The third time it chirped, I found it.
“Are you fuckin’ serious right now?” I literally yelled. “Blaze, you didn’t?” At the nod of his head, a loud squeak left my mouth. “No! Oh, my God! B, you did!” I yelled at him. “You bastard! You got me truck? A Mercedes, though?” My eyes glanced over the all-black 2014 Mercedes ML350 with the big purple bow on top. “You fuckin’ didn’t! King, do you see this shit?” Hitting Blaze was all I could do as I jumped up and down in the same spot.
“Yo ass gon’ stand here jumping like an idiot or are you gon’ go look inside it?” Blaze asked.
I was too excited.
“I don’t know.” Covering my mouth, I laughed out a scream as everybody else standing around me laughed.
“Peaches, go to the truck,” Blaze said, pushing me.
“I am. I can’t believe you got me a truck.” My heels clacked hard against the cement as I walked fast to the truck. Making it there, I opened the door “Ah!” A loud bubbly scream/laugh left my mouth. The interior was black and purple. The seats were black but down the center was a dark purple stripe. Even the steering wheel was decorated black with purple hearts going along the whole thing. The dash board was black but everything else—radio, buttons and knobs were purple. “Can I drive it?”