A Dangerous Love 3: Undeniable Desires

by J Peach

  “So why you in here? King’s out there,” I pointed toward the door before sitting my laptop on my lap only to have Blaze close and move it. “Blaze, get out for real. I’m tired, I’ve been up and driving since four this morning. I wanna go to sleep, so gone.” I said while tryna push his head off my lap. “Blaze, get out before I call King.”

  “Fuck he gon’ do, beat my ass?” Getting off the bed, Blaze kicked off his shoes then pulled his shirt off.

  “No, Blaze, get out. I’m not doing this with you. I’m going to sleep so leave, Blaze.” When I saw him walk toward the door I let out a relieved breath only to have it replaced with a groan as the lights went out. “Blaze—”

  “Man, shut the fuck up. A nigga can’t sleep in here?” He asked and I looked at him like he was stupid.

  “Um, no you can’t. The whole point of me being done is seeing you as little as possible and talking to you every blue moon,” I explained to him, but he simply ignored me as he took his gun from the back of his jeans and sat it on the nightstand before getting back in the bed with my phone in his hands. “Forget it, man, damn. I’ll sleep in the fuckin’ living room.” I was getting frustrated with his ass.

  His triflin’ ass wanna call me desperate when he can’t seem to leave me alone, though.

  “Wait, hold up. Why the fuck you got Mark’s number in here?” He suddenly snapped as he sat up on the bed.

  “What?” I asked confused.

  “Is this why you saying you done, huh? Because of this mothafucka?” Blaze was pissed and I found myself taking a step back which was crazy seeing as he was on the other side of the bed.

  “Who in the fuck is Mark? Ahh!” A small scream left my mouth and I ducked as my phone came hurling toward me. “The fuck is wrong with you? That could’ve fuckin’ hit me, you stupid bitch! I don’t even know a fuckin’ Mark!” I screamed at him.

  “You fuckin’ this nigga?” I looked away from my broke phone to him. “Peaches, is you fuckin’ this mothafucka?”

  “I don’t even know who the fuck you’re talking about for one. And if I was, so what? I’m not with you! So what difference would it make?” Blaze was across the room so fast I didn’t even see his big ass move. His hand came to my neck and I was roughly slammed against the wall.

  “Us being together ain’t got shit to do with anything. If I find out you fuckin’ this nigga or any nigga, boss, I’ma body they ass then…” He stopped talking, his chest rising and falling hard, his breathing coming out in heavy pants. “Peaches, don’t fuckin lie to me. Is you fuckin’ this dude?” He tried calming himself as he spoke low, but failed. He was pissed, I had never seen him that mad.

  “No, I don’t even know who… Mark.” I could’ve slapped myself. I had meant to delete his number after I didn’t call him on Tuesday. “I’m not fuckin’ him, now let me go!” I tried to push Blaze away, but his big ass wouldn’t budge. “Blaze, let go of me!”

  “He the fuckin’ reason fah all this bullshit—”

  “No. I just met him while I was in Muncie. You the fuckin’ reason, because of this shit right here. Now let me go!” Yelling, I pushed harder. “I don’t have to explain myself to you, but I’m not fuckin’ anyone. The only reason I got his number is because I didn’t want to give him mine. I never even called him. I’m done with yo ass. Because of you— Blaze, leave. Get out!” My fist smacked hard into his chest. I kept trying to get him to leave, but he wouldn’t. He just stood there and it pissed me off.

  Finally, he grabbed me and locked my arms at my side. Blaze picked me up then carried me to the bed.

  “Let me go, damn. Move, Blaze!” He wasn’t fuckin’ listening and hitting his dumbass wasn’t doing shit.

  Why can’t he just leave me alone?

  “Peaches, man calm down. Yo ass ain’t gon’ keep hitting me,” he snapped at me.

  I hit him again once he laid me on the bed, “Well then leave me the fuck alone!”

  “Shut the fuck up with all that damn screaming. Yo ass getting on my fuckin nerves—”

  “Then leave! I’m not keeping yo black ass here, the fuck. Blaze, get off of me.” I wished I had my damn knife or gun. I swear I would have shot or stabbed his black ass. “What are you doing?” Pinning my hands over my head, Blaze took my chin in his right hand and started moving my face from one side to the other before tilting my head back.

  “Blaze, stop, what the fuck!” His hand grabbed the hem of my shirt, pulling it up, then my bra. Not once touching me in a sexual manner, he was just looking. “Are you serious? You’re not going to find no fuckin’ marks, you dummy. I can’t believe you’re seriously giving me a body check right now.”

  A laugh burst from my mouth. “Yo ass is sick like for real, Blaze. I’m not fuckin’ nobody. I didn’t even call Mark, just look at my damn call log. Now get yo heavy ass off of me,” I snapped at him. I was never gon’ get rid of that mothafucka, I was gon’ have to kill his ass.

  “Stay away from Mark. I ain’t saying this on no jealous type shit either. Stay the fuck away from him, that mothafucka ain’t wrapped too tight,” Blaze said as he stared down at me.

  Did that shit really just come out of his mouth?

  “And you are?”

  “I’m serious as fuck, Peaches. You see that nigga, you go the other way. Don’t talk to his ass.” The seriousness in his voice had my wiggling stopping and my brows furrowing.

  “I don’t plan on it. Like I said, I didn’t even call him. I’m not into fuckin’ hoods and that’s including you. Now get out.” I was serious and meant every word that came out of my mouth.

  Blaze wasn’t worth my time. Even loving him still wouldn’t change my mind. He was a fuckin’ hood. He didn’t want to move forward, he wanted to be stuck and I wasn’t going to be stuck with his ass.

  Getting off of me, Blaze sat in front of me, running a hand over his head then face, something I noticed he did when he was frustrated. The urge to massage his shoulders and neck was strong, but I wasn’t going to be weak and give in.

  He looked at me, his eyes roamed over my face before they locked with mine.

  “My moms having a cookout this weekend, I want you to come with me,” he said sincerely.

  Not a trace of a lie swirled in those light brown eyes of his. He actually wanted me to go and I wanted to, but it was too late.

  “Blaze, I can’t.” I wasn’t about to get sucked back into him, I couldn’t.

  “Peaches, don’t do that, man. Look, don’t decide now. I got some shit I need to do, I’ll be back Friday, so think on it, i’ight?” I had already made up my mind.

  “Okay,” Saying that, I thought he would’ve left, but he didn’t. Blaze undid his jeans, then took them off before he climbed back in the bed, pulling me into his chest. Why did he have to make things so damn hard? “Blaze?”

  “What?”

  Nothing came out. I wanted to ask him about that night. I wanted to know if he really thought of me as that. Just another fuck. I wanted to know, but at the same time I didn’t.

  I was afraid of what his answer might be, scared it may change the decision that was best for me.

  Inside of every strong woman lies an insecure little girl beneath that armor we guard ourselves with.

  Blaze brought mine out and she was blinding me to what he was silently showing. But also protecting me from the hurt he could cause.

  I hated questioning everything that was him.

  I hated that I wanted everything he was.

  Blaze was my addiction.

  The decision was hard, but it was for the best.

  Right?

  Chapter 6

  Peaches

  One Month later…

  “King, grab that box over there and take it out. Be careful, my glasses are in there.” Today was moving day, which I hated. Thank God for brothers and their friends. “Mike, that’s going out last. You and Sam can take out the couches, then the tables.” I had Sam, Mike, Dane, King, and Dane’s two brothers, Anthony and Jerome, wh
o were only there to visit, but I managed to talk Dane into letting them come. “Anthony, if you break that damn lamp, I’ma cut you.” Only thing about those niggas was they were careless with my stuff.

  I forgot the lamp was heavy and tried to snatch it from him, almost dropping it. “Wait, take it. Just be careful.” That damn lamp felt like it was made of stone or some shit.

  “Where you get these from?” Sam asked as he took the lamp from Anthony and sat it on the floor.

  “Blaze gave it to me. Why?” I asked him while walking in the kitchen. “King!” I called.

  “He’s outside, slow your little ass down, damn. You talked to Blaze?” He stared at me as he leaned against the counter.

  I hadn’t talked to or seen Blaze since that night at King’s house. He did come back on Friday, but I wasn’t trying to be found. When I got off work at five, I went to a small café in Merrillville and stayed there until twelve. Time flew by fast as I sat there doing homework.

  Blaze’s sister, Britt, sent me a message on Facebook, but I didn’t read it. I didn’t want to lie to her, so I ignored it.

  “Peaches!” My shoulders shook and my eyes snapped to Sam.

  “Hm?” I shook his hands off me. I hated when he was brought up, it made the detoxing my body had been going through worse. “No, I haven’t and don’t want to. You want a TV?” My head nodded toward the sixty-five inch Blaze gave me. I told him to take it, but he didn’t.

  “No. And it’s best you keep it. I’ll take the lamps out,” Sam said nothing else as he walked back into the living room to grab the lamps.

  “Whatever,” I mumbled under my breath. I looked around my now empty kitchen and felt sad about having to leave my apartment. I’d lived there for so long, so many memories with me and my girls, even King’s ol’ hungry ass. But the recent memories those walls held made the sadness dim. I was starting over, which wasn’t a bad thing.

  I wanted to leave him along with the memories of the apartment.

  Not bad at all.

  King and Sam came back in with a large box and bubble wrap. They quickly packed up the flat screen TV then took it out. After a few minutes they returned.

  “So that’s it. Now who wants to help me unpack?” We hadn’t even left yet and I was talking about unpacking. I really hated moving, it was just too much.

  “I got something to do.” It was said in unison as every male spoke at the same time.

  “Y’all bogus, but that’s okay. Don’t be coming over asking for a plate later either.”

  “What you cookin’?” King asked, making me laugh.

  “Come on, Cherry.” Putting her on the leash, I left my apartment.

  “Oh, Peaches, you riding with me,” King said.

  After locking the apartment I turned to look at him.

  “I got my car, why can’t I drive?” My brows furrowed in confusion. He knew, just like everybody else, I wasn’t leaving my car there.

  “I gave Anthony yo keys, he gon’ meet us at the house,” King informed me.

  Instantly I got hot, my fists balled at my sides. I was about kill this mothafucka.

  “You what?” Silently, I prayed I’d heard him wrong.

  “N’all, I’m fuckin’ with you. But I’m driving.” My hand went to my chest as I let out breath.

  “That shit not funny, with yo stupid ass. I almost had a heart attack. Boy, I was about to kill you, then him.” I bumped into him as we left the building. “Why I can’t drive, though? I know where the house’s at.” My hand hovered over the driver’s door handle as I questioned him.

  “Man, get in the car damn.” He pushed me out the way and got in my car with a slam of the door.

  No he didn’t!

  Quickly I made my way to the passenger side. Once in my seat, I reached over and punched him.

  “Don’t slam my damn door. Treat my baby like you would that raggedy ass Chevy.” King had an Ocean Blue, big body Chevy and would kill anyone that scratched it. He loved that damn car. Let me have slammed his door, somebody would’ve been scraping my face off the floor somewhere.

  Laughing, King pushed me back over to my side. “Boss, gon’, Peaches, before I put yo ass out yo own shit,” he playfully threatened.

  Getting over to my side, I jumped at his ass, only making him laugh again.

  I love my brotha, but I can’t stand his black ass.

  ****

  “King, where the hell are we going?” I asked as I looked around. I could actually see my school from there and I shouldn’t have been able to. The townhouse I was moving into was at least thirty minutes away from there. “King, I know damn well yo triflin’ ass ain’t bringing me to one of yo hoes house?” King gave me a look that had me smiling at him.

  “Make me beat yo ass—” He started, but I cut him off.

  “Are you serious right now?” I yelled as we come to a stop in front of a grey town house with purple shudders. It was similar to the town house I wanted, but bigger. “King, seriously! Ahhhh!” Screaming, I reached over and hugged him. “Thank you!” As I kissed him repeatedly on the cheek, King pushed me off him.

  “Gon’, damn, slobbing all over me.” He laughed, wiping his cheek.

  “Thank you, King. I can't believe you. When did you do this?” I stared at the house with a wide smile. I was in love with the house and I hadn’t even seen the inside.

  “I didn't do shit, the realtor called me the other day talkin’ about the house was ready. Saying somebody gave my number to call once it was finished. Shid, this wasn’t me babygirl. I wish I knew who bought it,” King said, not looking at me, but out the window at the house.

  “Come on.” He shut off the car and then got out.

  I followed his lead with Cherry tucked in my arms. I looked at King with slanted eyes. “Wait, how we know this ain’t a joke?”

  “Because I got the deed for it. All you got to do is sign your name on the papers.” He reached in his back pocket and pulled out some folded papers.

  I stared at them, then at him. “Did you kill somebody for this? I mean, it’s cool if you did, but—” King started laughing at me. “It’s not funny. I won’t tell, I just don’t want to be living in no dead person’s house,” I whispered to him as I looked around.

  “Man, shut yo dumbass up and go open the damn door,” he said, still laughing as he pushed me toward the three concrete steps.

  I walked up the steps and then up the walkway to another set of five steps. The house looked bigger now that I was that close. There were two big rose bushes on either side of the yard. It had an attached garage with the door painted purple, the same color as the shutters.

  If I had it my way, I’d never move out of the house.

  “King, you got the keys?” I asked him as I got to the door. Throwing me a set of two keys, I opened the door. Right when I walked in there was a wall that blocked me from the living room, but once I rounded the corner, “Oh, my God, King!” The living room was already furnished. A suede, purple and black, round sectional sat in the middle of the room with a large, round, purple foot rest sitting between them. Taking off my sandals, I stepped on the soft black carpet and went to the couch, fingering the material as I walked around it.

  It was so soft. For some strange reason cotton candy popped in mind, which caused a laugh to leave my mouth. A small bar sat on the right side of the room, black barstools lined the thick glass purple bar. I was in love.

  “Damn, I don’t even like purple, but I think I need to sign these damn papers,” King said. I hadn’t even realized my mouth was opened until King started talking. I had to close my mouth to swallow, otherwise I’d have been slobbing.

  “King, you really didn’t do this?” I asked him. Because if he didn’t, who the hell did? I didn’t want to get attached to the place and then have it suddenly taken from me. It was my dream home.

  “Hell n’all. I love yo ass, but I ain’t gon’ go through all this to show that shit,” he said, making me roll my eyes because he was lying. King w
ould break his back to get me what I wanted. Look at my car.

  He didn’t spoil me at all, far from it. He just sometimes gave me what I wanted when I hinted it to him. My lips twisted, not believing a word that left his mouth.

  “Serious, Peach. I ain’t have shit to do with this— Damn!” He suddenly said.

  “What?”

  “Now Ebony’s black ass gon’ be asking fah some shit like this. Can she move in with you?” He looked serious as he asked me that.

  I started laughing at him.

  “I’m dead ass serious. Boss, I am.”

  “I’m telling her, too.” I walked past him to the hallway. I stopped at the first door to see that it was a bedroom, just as the door next to it. They were empty, but spacious rooms. I would have to get King to buy some beds for them.

  I opened another door and it was the bathroom already decorated in white and grey. Grey cups and a toothbrush holder that were both designed with white swirls decorated the counters. A set of two white and grey hand towels lay on top of each other from small to medium and then the larger towel at the bottom as they hung from the rail. The bathroom was nice and big.

  I closed the bathroom door, then walked into the kitchen. “King!” I called, stopping in my tracks as I took in the kitchen.

  Everything was stainless steel. The microwave, the oven, the refrigerator. I could actually see myself in them. And to make it better, they were built into the wall. The microwave sat over the oven and the fridge right on the side of them. The stove was on the same side and built into the white marble countertop. The kitchen was beautiful.

  Walking to the sliding doors, pulling the vertical white blinds back, and then sliding the door open, “Do you see this backyard?” I felt like a kid on Christmas morning, gasping and screaming at everything I opened. “This damn thing is huge!” I spoke excitedly.

  “Man, calm yo ass down. You acting like you ain’t ever seen a nice place before,” King said, pushing past me.

  It wasn’t that I’d never seen one before, I’d just never had one of my own. Growing up, we didn’t have the lavishly big house in the suburbs. Even with the business my dad had going on, which was pulling in money, he settled for a nice, four bedroom house in a middle class area.