by K. C. Mills
“You're leaving me my first night here?” I frowned, as I plopped down on my bed to pout and of course she laughed.
“I told you I'm never here boo,” she tilted her head slightly to the side and matched my frown. “Use anything you want. Those sheets are clean but there's more in the hall closet.” Diamond lifted her arm and pointed behind her.
I let out a short sigh, just as my phone went off again with back to back messages, which I didn't bother to check because I knew it was Mel.
“Is that your boy?” Diamond nodded at my phone.
“Yep, I think I'm about to turn it off.”
She shook her head and laughed. “Dudes are a trip, get caught in the act but then wanna burn up your data with every excuse about why you shouldn't be mad.”
“I can't even be mad; I just wish he'd leave me alone.
“He won’t, not for a while anyway. If old girl is anything like you described, then Mel will be blowing up your data indefinitely. He most certainly knows he lost a good one.” Diamond winked at me and then turned to leave.
“Don’t turn your phone off boo, Theory might call,” she tossed over her shoulder, but didn’t bother waiting for a response. A few minutes later, I heard the front door open then shut, and just like that, I was alone.
I finished unpacking the last of my clothes, putting them away, and then decided to get familiar with my new living arrangements. I scanned the living room, the hall bathroom which now belonged to me, and then checked out the kitchen. I made a mental note to do some grocery shopping since there was little to nothing in there which I expected, since Diamond admitted to never being home. But I loved to cook, so I needed some supplies.
Diamond’s apartment was nice. The complex was new, so everything in it was modern; Berber carpet, tile floors, marble countertops, and stainless steel appliances. It’s exactly the type of place I would have chosen for myself, so I was already feeling at home.
After my five-minute tour, I was back in my room with nothing to do. There wasn’t a TV since no one occupied my room before me, so I pulled out my wireless speaker and hit up my Apple music. I still wasn’t really used to being alone. Having grown up in group homes all my life made me depend on the presence of others being around me. Not that I actually liked it because honestly, I was technically a loner, more of a recluse, but being around people was more of a comfort thing for me; habit, if you will.
I shed my clothes and stepped into a pair of yoga shorts and a razor back tank top before climbing on my bed. Armed with my notebook of negatives and my spy glass, I decided to try and get some work done and then planned on going to bed. Even though it was only 8:00, I was alone with no plans, so I really didn’t have any other options.
*****
The sound of my phone ringing jarred me from my sleep, and I mindlessly grabbed it without thinking, placing it to my ear after I answered.
“Hello,” I mumbled which was likely barely audible.
A deep raspy chuckle forced its way through my line which made me smile. My eyes were still closed, as I rolled over onto my side hugging the covers, as I balled them up around my body.
“It’s’ early as fuck Rain, why are you sleep?” Theory asked with a playfulness in his voice.
“Because I don’t have a life,” I said.
“Where’s that punk ass nigga of yours? For you to be living together, his ass is never around ‘cause I know you didn’t answer my call while you laying up with his bitch made ass. Shit, you better not be laying with his ass at all Rain.”
“And what if I am?” I just wanted to know what he would say, but I knew what his response would be before he even opened his mouth.
Theory just laughed. “Get dressed.”
“I didn’t tell you whether or not I was with him Thee,” I said.
“And you know I don’t give a fuck one way or the other. Hell, tell his punk ass to get dressed too. He can come, but tell him don’t get all in his feelings and shit when he realizes you don’t look at him the way you look at me.” I could hear the smile hidden behind the seriousness of Theory’s voice. The crazy thing was that he meant exactly what he said. I could literally meet him somewhere with Jamel, and Theory wouldn’t change a thing about himself or how he dealt with me. He was just that arrogant; in his mind I was already his, always had been, so he didn’t care about Jamel or any other man that tried to be a part of my life.
“What if I don’t feel like going anywhere?”
“Kill that bullshit Rain, you wanna see me, so get dressed. I’m about to hop in the shower. I’ll call you back in forty-five.”
And of course in true Theory fashion, he hung up on me. He wasn’t leaving me any room to debate him.
I pulled my body from the position I had been lying in and let my arms extend above my head. It was almost 10:00, but the idea of being near Theory had me energized. Thirty minutes later, I was out the shower, dressed in jeans, Converses and a graphic tee, combing my thick curly hair into a ponytail.
When I was done, I filled the air with Victoria’s Secret Pure Seduction after laying my skin with it. As much as I felt at home with Theory, for some reason, my stomach was turning in knots. It was like I was meeting someone new, for the first time. Maybe I was; the Theory I used to know had transformed a little and I had yet to see all of his new dimensions. Even though under the surface I felt connected to the guy he used to be, I couldn’t help but feel like there was so much about him that was unfamiliar, different, and mysterious.
As I sat patiently, blankly staring around my room, my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of my phone. I leaned back on the bed, reached over my head to grab it, and then smiled, feeling grateful that it was Theory and not Jamel.
“You ready?” he asked the second he heard my voice.
“Yeah, where we going?”
“I’m on my way, just be ready and meet me outside if you don’t want me to come to your door, because you know I will,” Theory said firmly.
“On your way where, you don’t know here I live?”
Theory laughed. “Come on Rain, you know better than that. I know where the fuck you live and I’ve known since the day I saw you at Marty’s. I don’t know that fuck nigga you with so I had to make sure you were good.”
“I can’t with you, I swear. I’m not home though, I’m at Diamond’s,” I said.
“Aight, shoot me the address and I’ll scoop you from her spot.”
It took Theory twenty minutes to get to me and when he got there, he came straight to the door. When I opened it, he stepped past me looking around and for what, I don’t know.
“She not home?” he asked, likely because the apartment was now dark and quiet since I was literally sitting there waiting for him so that I could leave.
“Nah, she’s at a friend’s house.”
“Then why the fuck are you here without her?” Theory looked at me confused.
“Long story, can we go?”
He stood there for a minute just staring at me, before he broke eye contact with one last look around the apartment.
“Yeah, aight,” was all he said, but I knew him well enough to know that the conversation wasn’t over.
“We walked to his truck which was parked right out front. He opened my door, waited for me to get in, and then shut it before moving to the driver’s side.
Once he was in, he glanced at me with a sly grin and then started his truck.
“What?” I asked as I checked him out. He was dressed simple: jeans, t-shirt hoodie and a pair of Nikes. He had on a fitted cap that sat low so you could barely see his face, and the only jewelry he wore was the platinum necklace that housed a diamond encrusted T that he always seemed to have on. Tonight he traded in his Rolex for a watch that was simple but that still likely just as expensive only not as flashy.
“Nothing,” he said as he pulled out of the apartment complex. We made small talk, not really about anything important, and he watched me just about the entire time. So when he f
inally pulled up to a restaurant that I had never been to before, I felt relieved. It was a small building; the parking lot was dark but full of cars, and the building was lined with blue and green florescent lighting.
“Where are we?” I asked as I looked around. It was almost midnight so I assumed it was a club of some sort.
“You hungry?” he asked, shutting off his truck and then turned slightly to face me.
I shrugged, “I guess I can eat,” I said, which made him laugh before he got out and walked to my side of the car and opened the door.
“Come on.” I got out but Theory hadn’t really left me much room, so once I was on my feet, we were face to face with our bodies touching. He leaned into me, letting one arm slide around my waist, and then nuzzled his face in the cork of my neck.
“You smell good as hell, Rain. You’re fucking with my self-control so don’t expect me to behave.” He kissed the side of my face before he grabbed my hand, and pressed the remote on his key chain to lock his truck. We moved towards the building, but he made sure to keep my body close to his as if until we were inside. It was dark and smoked filled the air. There was a small dance floor that was filled with people, swaying to the sounds of a live band that was on the stage performing. It felt cozy, like a set of loving arms surrounded you the second you entered the building, but that feeling was short lived when I noticed all the hateful stares we were getting the second I became aware of my surroundings.
-10-
Theory
I sat across from Rain as she pretended to concentrate on the crumpled paper menu instead of addressing the fact that several of my past experiences were burning holes through her. She looked so damn cute sitting there trying to ignore it, that I couldn’t help but smile.
Every time she felt my eyes on her, she looked up at me briefly but then went right back to the menu. Rain’s mind was working overtime on the females that were sweating her, but they didn’t faze me. When I was done I was done, and none of these bitch in here mattered to me. I was more concerned with Ross who was sitting in the corner with some bitch I knew from the block. I was hoping that he was preoccupied enough not to start any shit with me, because I really wasn’t ready to introduce Rain to that side of my personality.
Ross and I had ongoing territory issues. I took his territory and he had an issue with it. I didn’t really give a fuck though, because I feared no man walking the earth, but with me being here with Rain was not the time for me to have to handle Ross.
“Say what’s on your mind Rain, that shit isn’t you,” I said looking her right in the eyes.
“What?” she asked before she focused on the menu again.
“You heard me. You’ve been staring at that damn menu for the past ten minutes when there’s literally only five things on it; three of them I know your ass don’t eat, so say what’s on your mind so we can get this shit over with.”
When she looked at me, I had smirk on my face which forced a frown onto hers.
“Did you fuck everybody in here or just those two?” she snapped, nodding to Sam who was clearing a table and April who was behind the bar. They both had eyes on our booth, with sour ass looks on their faces.
“Does it matter? I’m here with you. Not once have I entertained either one of them so whether or not I’ve been with them is irrelevant. They’re not gonna say shit to you because they know what it is. I can only control what I do, so I can’t control what the fuck they do with their eyes, but I will go check both they asses if it will make you feel better.”
“I’m good on that,” she said.
“Good, now tell me why the fuck you’re staying with Diamond. Did that nigga put his hands on you?”
“Wait what, why would you think that?”
“You don’t do the whole people thing Rain, so if you’re staying at Diamond’s spot then that nigga did some fuck shit.”
“How do you know I’m staying there, maybe I was just chilling?” She looked at me with that cute, goofy ass grin.
I just laughed. “Let me find out he put his hands on you.”
Rain and I ordered, talked, ate and chilled for the next hour. Ross kept watching me, making sure I knew he had eyes on me. I guess he assumed it would intimidate me, but all it did was fuel my obsession to want to put a hot one in that fuck nigga. I knew he wasn’t hitting on shit because if he was real with his shit, then he would have stepped to me instead of eye fucking me from across the building.
“Is something wrong?” Rain’s voice brought my attention back to our table and she had a concerned look on her face.
“Nah, I’m good.” I leaned slightly back, so that I could get money out of my pocket. After I tossed two twenties on the table, I stood and reached for Rain’s hand. After one last sip of her soda, she joined me and the two of us left the restaurant.
Once we were outside and standing next to my truck, I backed Rain against it until my body was pressed against hers, and my hand gripped the back of her neck. With our lips inches apart, a smile crept across my face. “You better breathe before your ass passes out. I don’t fucks with that CPR shit,” I said.
She balled up her fist and punched me in my arm. “Shut up Thee, I’m not worried about you, trust.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” she said with all the confidence in the world, but her body was working against her, telling the truth to the lies her mouth was speaking.
“You most definitely are worried about me because you want me. In fact, you’re thinking about it right now, I can feel your heart racing.”
Rain got quiet all of a sudden. I could tell that she didn’t know what her next move should be, so I made one instead. With light kiss on her jaw line and then one on her forehead, I backed away from her and smiled.
“Let’s go,” was all I said before I opened her door and waited for her to get in. She climbed in my truck without saying word, and I walked around to the driver’s side. But before I could get in, Ross stepped out of the shadows causing me to grab my nine. I looked back over my shoulder, through my window, and Rain was looking right back at me.
“What’s good Theory? No need for all that, I was just coming to speak,” Ross said with a sarcastic grin on his face.
“Now is not the time, trust me,” I said making sure he could see the seriousness in my command.
“Yeah, aight. Like I said, I was just making my presence known,” Ross said again with a fucking smile that made me want to shoot his ass right then and there. If it wasn’t for Rain I would have. I just couldn’t bring that into her life right now. I could tell she was already on the fence with me, as if she had a choice about whether or not she was going to be mine.
Ross backed away from me, making sure he kept his eyes on me the entire time. He may have had a shot of courage by confronting me, but he also wasn’t stupid enough to turn his back to me. I watched as he walked to his car, got in and pulled off before I got in mine. Rain sat silently, but she kept her eyes on me as if waiting for me to explain.
Even if you didn’t know the relationship between Ross and I, you could tell from simply watching our exchange that we weren’t cool, so I knew she had questions. We had yet to discuss how I was able to afford my home, my car, or any of the lifestyle that I was currently living. I wasn’t the richest nigga on the streets but I was not hurting either.
“You going back to Diamond’s?”
“Where else would I go?” she asked burning a hole through me because I had yet to explain the situation with Ross.
I let out a light chuckle. “Maybe you wanna go home to that nigga you buying time with.”
“Diamond’s,” was all she said before she looked away.
After a few more minutes of silence, she finally couldn’t take it anymore so she asked, “What was that all about?”
“What’s that?” I asked, knowing damn well she meant the situation with Ross.
“Don’t play me Thee, you know what I’m talking about. I’m pretty sure you don’t pull guns
on your friends.”
“It’s nothing,” I said.
“Nothing, yeah okay.”
When we finally made it back to Diamond’s apartment, I walked Rain to the door and stepped inside behind her. It was still dark, so I assumed that Diamond was either going to be late as hell or not coming back at all, so I shut and locked the door, while Rain watched me like I was doing something wrong.
“What are you doing?” she asked, arms folded, peering at me like I was her worst enemy.
“The fuck it look like I’m doing? I’m locking up so that we can go to bed.”
“What do you mean we?”
“Where’s your room?” I asked moving past her, ignoring her questions.
“Theory, you’re not staying here with me tonight.” Rain was on my heels, as I rounded the corner looking in the first bedroom I saw, which I assumed was Diamond’s because it looked like the master, so I passed it and walked into the one at the end of the hall.
After I flipped the light switch and noticed Rain’s cameras on the dresser and a few of her things on the bed, I walked in with her right behind me.
“Umm, what makes you think that I want you to stay with me and even if I did, don’t you think you should at least ask me first?” Rain stood in front of me as I sat on the foot of her bed looking around her bedroom.
I just laughed. “First of all, I don’t need permission to do shit where you’re concerned, and I know you want me here so kill all that. Your ass don’t like to be alone and it doesn’t look like Diamond is coming back tonight, so we can sit here and argue about it or we can go to bed. I’m tired as fuck and I know you are too.”
Without waiting for an answer, I stood and pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it on her dresser. I stepped out of my Timbs and unbuckled my jeans, while she watched me the entire time but didn’t move.
“Why the fuck you staring at me like that, you’ve seen it all before,” I said with a smirk, as I stepped out of my jeans and laid them across the dresser. When I was down to just my boxer briefs, I walked to the bed and pulled the covers back, but Rain stopped me.