by B. Love
“My… my apartment, Jabari… Somebody has been in my apartment. They fucked my shit up! All of my shit is ruined! I can’t even go in the kitchen because there is glass all on the ground!” I yelled, stomping my foot as I tried not to have a spazz attack. Wouldn’t do me any good to right now because I didn’t know who was in my shit.
“What in the hell? Have you called the police? I’m on my way to you.”
“No, no, you don’t have to come. I can’t stay here. I’m going to go to Marcel’s for the night and try to get my mind right.”
“Fuck that, Alayziah. Go sit in your car. Call the police. I’ll probably get to you before they do. You need to file a report just in case some shit pops off. They will have this attack documented.”
“That makes sense.”
“Gone to the car. I’m on my way.”
“Jaba—”
He hung up in my face. Sighing heavily, I grabbed my purse and the contents that fell out when I dropped it and walked back to my car. By the time I made it, Rell was calling me. I wasn’t really in the mood to talk to him, but I didn’t want to hear his mouth about me not answering so I did.
“Rell…”
“Didn’t I tell you to call me and let me know you made it home safely?”
“Something came up. When I made it home and walked in, all my shit is fucking ruined.”
“What you mean?”
“Somebody came into my apartment, and trashed the place; spray painted my walls, and broke my glasses and my TV’s. They ripped up my furniture, and I know they had to be in there for a while because they even took the time to crumble my candles up.”
“Why didn’t you call me, Alayziah?”
“Call you for what? You already on your way to play hero for somebody else. I’m good.”
“No, you’re not. If nothing was stolen somebody clearly has it out for you and as your man, it’s my job to protect you. What’s your address?”
“All that ain’t necessary, Terrell. I’ll be fine. Take care of what you have to take care of. I’ll be good.”
“Alayziah…”
“Seriously, Rell, I’m good. I’m going to my best friend’s house tonight. I’ll be safe with him. Don’t worry about me. If they wanted me, they would’ve come at me, not where I sleep. Coward.”
“Him? Your best friend is a he? You think you finna spend the night over this nigga house?”
“Terrell, Marcel does not want me like that. Besides, he has a girlfriend.”
“I’m just gone let Bishop take care of Layyah. What’s your address?”
“I’ll be fine, I promise. You said you’ll be back in the morning anyway, right? I’ll get up with you then.”
“Fine. Call me when you get there, and before you go to sleep, and as soon as you wake up in the morning.”
“Okay. Okay. Be safe.”
“You too, baby.”
After I calmed him down enough to get off the phone and out of my hair, I tried to think of who knew where I lived and would want to bring me and my apartment some harm.
Rell
“You wanna turn around, huh?” Bishop asked me.
I did. I knew Layyah was waiting for a nigga, but Alayziah was my main priority right now. I was tired of constantly having to get Layyah out of shit because she didn’t know how to handle her anger. That shit was played out. We were getting too old to be out here fighting over our supposed spouses. There were too many people in this world to be trying to hold onto one that didn’t want to be held.
“Hell yeah. She’s acting like she good and she probably is, but I’d feel better if I had her with me.”
“So, what you wanna do, nigga? You know I’m down.”
“I don’t know, man. I know I need to help Lay, but I feel like I need to be here for Ziah too. Layyah’s a fool. I don’t want to have the two of them around each other. Layyah feels like she still got access to a nigga. Ion need her trying to fight Alayziah.”
“I feel you. Well, we ain’t made it too far yet so we can turn around.”
I sat in silence and weighed my options. It was already bad enough for me to have to leave Alayziah to go and see about Layyah, now she need a nigga even if she don’t realize she needs a nigga and I still ain’t doing right. I gotta go see about my woman.
“Aight, B, turn around.”
Alayziah
Jabari insisted that I stay at his house tonight instead of Marcel’s. The only reason I agreed was because Jessica was there and I wanted to spend some time with her. By the time I got out the shower, Jabari was done with my pasta and we all ate in silence. I can’t lie, I wish Rell did come and see about me even though I told him not to. Now, I was sitting up here with Jessica’s head in my lap while she slept. She wanted me to get in her bed so we could watch TV and her ass was out by the first commercial.
The light tapping on the door grabbed my attention. I smiled at the sight of Jabari. He was a good man and a good-looking one too. I hoped the chick he was messing with knew what she had in him.
“Alayziah… you have a visitor,” he whispered to keep from waking Jessica.
“A visitor?” I mouthed.
He nodded.
Gently, I lifted her head so I could slide from under her. Once I put a pillow under her head, I walked towards the door.
“Who is it?” I asked. I wasn’t leaving that room until he told me.
“Terrell.”
“What? How did he find me?”
“I don’t know. Ask that nigga.”
Sensing his attitude, I walked away to avoid that turning into an issue. When I walked inside of Jabari’s living room, Terrell and Bishop were standing there looking good as fuck. They both were wearing sweats and tight fitting tees. Bishop’s were black and baggy while Terrell’s were gray and form fitting at the bottom because of their fleece material. Just the sight of him had my mouth watering.
“What y’all doing here?” I asked by the time I made it over to them.
Terrell just stared at me and smiled as Bishop shook his head. I looked down at what I had on and realized why.
“Why you got on these little ass boy shorts in this nigga’s house?” Rell asked, pulling me into him by the back of my neck.
“Nigga, will you let me go?”
“Fuck that. Why you got these little ass shorts on in this nigga house, Alayziah? And, I thought you said your best friend’s name was Marcel. His name is Jabari. So, who the fuck is this nigga?” His smile had disappeared. He’d gone from happy to see me in lust to pissed off.
I looked at Bishop for help, but he lifted his hands up in submission.
“Aye, that’s yo crazy ass nigga,” Bishop said as he leaned against the wall and pulled his phone out.
“Alayziah…”
“I was in the bed, Terrell, with his sister. I didn’t plan on getting up for the rest of the night, but when he told me I had a visitor, I just jumped out the bed. I wasn’t thinking about putting no pants on.”
He looked at me as if he was trying to gauge the truthfulness of my statement. When he was satisfied with my answer, he let my neck go only to wrap his arm around my waist.
“How’d you find me?” I asked.
“I tracked your phone,” he replied nonchalantly.
“Stalker ass nigga,” I joked, pushing him away from me. “I’m glad you came, though,” I continued honestly.
He smiled before pulling me back into him. “Swear I can’t keep my hands off of you, Ziah. Did you bring some clothes or some shit with you?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“You coming to Miami with me.”
“What? I can’t…”
“You quitting your job anyway. I’ll have you back before your class tomorrow night. I’d just feel better if you were with me. Don’t fight me on this.”
“Please don’t. We gone be stuck in this house until you agree,” Bishop added without even looking up from his phone.
“Fine. Let me get my stuff and say goodbye to Jessi
ca and Jabari.”
“Hurry up, and don’t think I didn’t notice you avoided telling me who that nigga is to you either.”
I flipped Terrell the bird as I walked back into Jessica’s room.
Rell
“Wake up, baby, we here.”
Alayziah was stretched out in the backseat faking like she ain’t hear a nigga. I got out, opened the door to the backseat, and leaned inside.
“Alayziah, I know yo ass hear me.”
She smiled but kept her eyes closed. I kissed her silly ass on the cheek about a million times as she wrapped her arm around my neck and pulled me deeper into her.
“Get up, baby. Layyah gone need somewhere to sit and I’m ready to get this shit over with.”
Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at me, widening her smile. “Alright, alright.”
“Get up, Alayziah.”
Running her fingers through my locs, she bit her lip.
“Alayziah…”
“Is this how you always plan on waking me up?” she asked sitting up.
“Nah, next time, I’ma wake you up with this dick,” I joked.
She blushed and brushed a few strands of her hair from her face.
I heard Bishop yelling at Layyah and I shook my head, trying to keep my nerves calm before she stood in front of me. Alayziah looked at Layyah through the window briefly before looking back at me.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing, she just looks familiar.”
“Well, she’s from Memphis so you probably saw her out and about.”
Alayziah nodded as she stepped out of the car and stretched.
“And, I ain’t doing this shit again, Layyah. You better leave that stupid ass nigga alone. A nigga ain’t tryna be traveling like I ain’t got a pregnant wife sitting at home,” Bishop yelled as they made it to the car.
Layyah was half listening. She was too busy staring at me to pay him much attention. I didn’t want to smile back at her but I couldn’t help it. Didn’t matter what Lay was going through, she always looked good. Alayziah turned around and looked at Layyah and Layyah stopped dead in her tracks. Looking from me to Alayziah, she shook her head in disbelief.
“Really, Terrell? You couldn’t have me so you found the artificial copy of me?”
“The fuck are you talking about?” I asked as Alayziah laughed and stepped up. I wrapped my arm around her stomach. I didn’t know if she could fight or not, but I knew Layyah didn’t fuck around.
“Alayziah, you gone act like you don’t know me?”
“I don’t know you. How do you know me?”
Layyah looked up into the sky with a smile on her face. “That’s right... We were a secret to you but we knew all about you.”
“Mane, look… I ain’t got time to be playing with you. If you got some to say, say that shit. Otherwise, shut the fuck up and get yo yellow ass in the car so I can get back home.”
Bishop laughed at Alayziah’s outburst.
“You’re my little sister, Alayziah. We have the same father. Laymont is my father. Your father is my father.”
Alayziah took a step back as the smile that was on Bishop’s face disappeared. I turned around and looked at Alayziah. Her face was pale.
“Layyah… this ain’t no shit to play about,” I said with my eyes still on Alayziah.
“Why would I play about this, Rell? How would I know her and her name if I wasn’t telling the truth? You originally from Chicago, right?”
Alayziah nodded.
“Well, when your mother and father moved to Memphis, our daddy met my mother. He was married to your mother. They were separated and he fucked off. They ended up getting back together and he broke it off with my mother. When she found out that he was married, she decided not to tell him about me. For years, I thought my father was the same as my sister and brothers, but we saw him out one day and he flipped, talking about he couldn’t believe she had a child without telling him. She told him that she loved him enough to let him go and work things out with his wife and she didn’t want to complicate things so she stepped back and planned on raising me alone just like she did my sister and my brothers. I knew about you though because he kept coming around and shit.”
Layyah took a step forward and Alayziah took another step back.
“I know this might be a lot for you to take in right now but it’s the truth. Ask him.”
Alayziah inhaled heavily as she opened the door to the backseat and got in.
“Bishop, you mind driving? I need to sit in the back with her.”
“Yeah, no doubt. You wanna take her to a hotel? She probably doesn't want to be around nobody right now.”
“Yeah, that’s probably best.”
Bishop nodded and got in the driver’s seat as I stared at Layyah’s inconsiderate ass.
“You just had to tell her that shit right now? You couldn’t wait or find a better way of saying the shit?”
“Don’t be mad at me because her daddy couldn’t keep his dick in his pants. That’s not my fault. I just felt some type of way when I saw you with her. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not me that you need to be apologizing to Layyah, it’s Ziah.”
“That’s funny… That’s what he calls her.”
Alayziah
Before they dropped me off at my suite, I made them stop me by the liquor store. I brought two bottles of wine and a pack of cigarettes. I didn’t want to be drunk, but I did want to numb this pain. I didn’t even want to call my father to see if what Layyah was accusing him of was true. What reason would she have to lie? If it wasn’t true, how did she know me? After finishing the first bottle, I had enough liquor courage to call my father.
“Ziah… what’s up, Princess?”
“Hey, Daddy. Listen, I’m going to ask you something and I want you to be honest with me… okay?”
“Of course, baby girl. What’s wrong?”
“Do you have any other children that I should know about?”
His silence was deafening. “You met her?”
Tears immediately filled my eyes. “Daaaddyy…”
“I’m sorry, baby. I never meant for you or your mother to find out. That was… that was during a very rough period in my life. Your mother and I were having some issues and we took a break from each other. I messed around and… being with Layyah’s mother just made me realize how much I loved your mother, so I called it off. I didn’t find out about Layyah until years later.”
“Did Ma find out?”
“I told her. She never met Layyah or her mother, said she didn’t want to have any parts of my infidelity. How did you meet her?”
“It’s a long story and I really don’t feel like getting into it. I just wanted to call and see if it was true.”
“I’m sorry, baby.”
“Me too. I love you. I gotta go.” I hung up before he could respond. Leaning back on the bed, I closed my eyes as tears fell from them. No matter how I tried to live a peaceful life, I swear it seemed like shit came to me from all fucking sides.
Rell
By the time we were done taking care of Layyah, it was late as hell so Bishop decided to rent a suite next to Alayziah’s, and I was going to crash with her. I had her to leave a key to the room at the front desk because I didn’t know how long we were going to be. When I walked into the bedroom, she was stretched out across the bed laying on her stomach. Her arm was hanging off the bed clutching an empty bottle of wine in her hand. I ran my hands down my face and walked towards her. I didn’t even know her ass smoked but she had a few cigarette butts in an ashtray on the side of the bed.
I sat on the edge of the bed as best as I could and ran my fingers up and down her spine until she stirred lightly. Her hair had come out of its band and it was all over the pillow. I massaged her scalp until she moaned.
“Have you eaten? You good?” she asked, turning to face me.
I chuckled. “Don’t worry about me. I’m good. How are you? Have you eaten?” I asked as I ran
my hand across her stomach. When chills covered her skin, I smiled.
“I could eat,” she mumbled, sitting up in the bed.
Our faces were inches apart. Her eyes were puffy and I could tell she’d spent most of the time I’d been gone crying. That shit made my heart ache.
“What you want to eat, baby?”
She shrugged and wiped her eyes. “I don’t care, Rell. Anything close that will deliver. I need you next to me. Everything in my life is shaky right now. I need you to be my rock. I need you to keep me steady.” Her eyes were getting watery so she turned her head to the side.
I wrapped my hand around her neck and pulled her lips to mine. This time, when I kissed her, she didn’t resist. In fact, she cupped my cheeks with her hands and welcomed me in. She pecked my lips back until I sucked on her bottom lip causing her to moan. Sliding my tongue inside of her mouth, I grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled back gently, giving myself a better angle to introduce her tongue to mine. She moaned as she entangled her fingers in my hair. Lifting her off the bed, I placed her on my lap and started to suck on her neck.
“Rell…” She moaned as my hands found their way to her hips. “Take it off,” she continued, trying to lift her shirt but I wouldn’t allow her to.
My dick was hard as hell and I wanted to dig inside of her in the worse way, but I didn’t have sex with a woman unless I could see myself marrying her. I definitely could see myself with Alayziah for the long haul, I just wasn’t sure if she was ready to say the same.
Standing, I turned around and climbed on top of the bed. I laid her down and placed my knees between her legs. Her eyes were half closed as she looked at me. After pushing her legs further apart, I placed my forearms on both sides of her head as I kissed her deeply, slowly, and passionately. Her legs wrapped around me and she held my face – making sure to keep me from ending our kiss again. I had to, though. I had to make her feel better. After removing her panties, I crawled down until my eyes were staring at her pussy. Gripping her thighs, I pushed them back before licking and biting them both.