Love is Blind (G Street Chronicles Presents)

by Nicole Jackson

  “Mind your business, mama!”

  “You in my house, so this is my business. She carrying my grandbaby and that’s my business!”

  “I know this is your house, but I help you pay the bills around this bitch! Mind your fucking business. Don’t worry about me and mine!” Carmelo shouted.

  “Wait, hold up, nigga. Don’t be talking to my mama like that!” Chocolate yelled as she entered the room.

  “You shut the fuck up! Get the hell out of my room!”

  “Mama, do you hear this nigga? He getting wet up and then coming home talking crazy. Put his ass out.”

  “She needs to put yo ass out! All you do is suck and fuck in the streets. That’s why these niggas don’t want ya ass!”

  “Carmelo, stop it. You need to find you somewhere to go, son,” Ms. Brenda said.

  “Okay, give me the rent money I gave you for this month, then I’ll leave,” he spat.

  Chocolate shook her head. “Nigga, you sad. You worried about that little money you give mama when you spend all that money on that shit every day.”

  “Bitch, you better shut up trying to talk my fucking business,” he gritted.

  “Carmelo,” Ms. Brenda said.

  “Mama, call the police on his ass,” Chocolate said.

  “How the fuck are you going to tell her to call the law on me? Did she ever call them on your bitch ass boyfriend when he got on it with me?” he growled as he stepped into his sister’s face. Necole sat back shocked, not knowing what to say. This was a side of Carmelo that she’d never witnessed.

  “Melo! Calm down. You need to go!” Brenda shouted.

  “Man, fuck this shit!” he snapped as he stepped around Chocolate and stormed out the room. He grabbed his keys off the coffee table and walked out the front door. All the women stood around as they heard the front door slam shut.

  “Mama, you crazy to put up with this shit,” Chocolate shook her head as she left the room.

  “Oh, shut the fuck up. Don’t tell me how to run my house,” Brenda barked as she left the room as well.

  Necole’s head was spinning while trying take in all that happened. Carmelo obviously had lost his mind. She was so glad that he’d left; otherwise she would have beaten him to the punch. She sat very confused. Her head was screaming leave! While something inside wouldn’t allow her to put her feet in motion. She was stressed out and tired. So, against her better judgment, she fell asleep in his bed.

  Sometime in the middle of the night, she felt someone slide into bed with her. She felt arms wrap around her and she knew that it was Carmelo.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered into her ear as he held her. She relaxed in his embrace and fell back asleep.

  * * * * *

  For two weeks straight, Carmelo had been on his best behavior. He’d been coming home at a decent hour and had apologized to everybody in the house. He definitely went out of way to make it up to Necole. He even went out and bought flowers for her which was a first for him.

  Necole didn’t know what to make out of his sometimes irrational behavior. She’d heard his sister say that he was wet up and she didn’t know what that meant. She hadn’t bothered to ask her friends because she wasn’t ready to have the conversation on why she wanted to know. All she knew was that she didn’t like Melo very much when he was on it.

  “Baby, why does that cigarette smell so bad?” Necole asked him as they drove to his friend’s house.

  “What are you talking ‘bout?” he questioned. He was sitting on the passenger side of his car blowing smoke out the window while she drove.

  “That smell. It stinks,” Necole crinkled up her nose.

  “That’s the pregnancy senses ‘cause I don’t smell nothing,” he slurred.

  “I’m not crazy, Carmelo. That fucking cigarette stinks. Can you put it out?”

  “I ain’t…I ain’t…I ain’t putting nothing out. You just drive,” he said as he leaned his head against the seat. Just as he was about to take another drag from his cigarette, his cell rang.

  “Hello,” he answered the phone.

  “Where are you?” some chick said on the other end.

  “I’m on my way to Big Jonathan’s house. Where you at?” he asked slowly.

  “At home. You got some oh we?”

  “Hell, yeah,” he grinned like a Chester cat.

  “It never fails,” the girl sighed.

  “Why it’s like that, baby?” he asked gently.

  Necole’s head almost snapped on her neck as she looked over at him. He was seemingly oblivious to her staring at him.

  “‘Cause you know that I hate when you get high,” the chick said while Necole listened closely. She could hear the female’s voice.

  “I know, I know, but don’t I always make it up to you?” he asked while getting more comfortable in his seat.

  “Yeah,” the girl purred. “Are you coming over here tonight? I miss you.”

  “That’s what’s up. I’ma come over there.”

  “Baby, don’t lie to me,” the girl whined.

  Necole had heard enough. “Carmelo, who the hell are you talking to?”

  He sucked his teeth as he glanced over at her. “What?”

  “Who is that?!”

  “Carmelo, I know that you ain’t with a bitch!” the girl shouted through the phone.

  He focused on his call. “Hey man, chill out,” he spoke calmly.

  “Did you not fucking hear me?!” Necole shouted.

  “Hold up,” he said into the phone. He glared over at Necole before slapping the taste out of her mouth. “Who the fuck you hollering at!”

  Necole held the side of her face while she tried to steer the wheel. “You put your fucking hands on me?!” she cried.

  “What the fuck you expected?” he asked as he hit his stinky cigarette.

  Carmelo’s entire demeanor was so out of character that Necole didn’t know what to expect from him just then so she remained silent. He continued to talk to the girl on the phone while she drove to Jonathan’s house.

  When she pulled into Jonathan’s driveway Melo hopped out without saying one word to her. She’d been thinking about her next plan of action as she drove there. She had second thoughts for a quick second before getting her mind right. She watched him walk into the house and she backed out of the driveway. He didn’t even realize what was going on until she’d hit the corner on two wheels.

  She drove his car back to his mom’s. From there she packed most of her things into her car. Then she hopped in and skirted down the street. She made it to her mom’s forty minutes later. Since she still had her key, she let herself in and dragged her bags along with her. She was so done with the boy named Carmelo.

  Later that night, Ms. Dean came home and found her daughter there. She didn’t ask any questions because she knew the story without it ever been spoken. She was just elated to finally have her baby back.

  * * * * *

  A month had passed by and it was finally the end of the school year. Necole was so happy that she had successfully passed all of her classes with A’s while carrying a huge belly around with her. That was an accomplishment within itself, knowing that she finished even with all the chaos going on in her life. Since she’d left Carmelo, he called her non-stop and made impromptu visits to her school. Each time, he embarrassed her beyond belief. Now, the whole school knew that she was pregnant by an idiot.

  It was to the point where Necole was sometimes afraid to walk out to her car because she never knew when he’d be waiting. It didn’t matter if she had her friends with her, he’d still choke her until he felt like letting go. Somehow, he always eluded the police if they were notified.

  Necole was so ready to have her son and be able to defend herself against Carmelo. He was relentless. He’d show up to her mom’s house in the middle of the night and tap on her bedroom window. If she’d talk to him through the window for a little while, he’d leave peacefully. But if for some reason she didn’t want to be bothered, he’d
go berserk and he’d surely pay her back the next day.

  “I am so fucking stressed out,” Necole complained to Amber. Just earlier that day Carmelo had busted out her car window.

  “I know you are,” Amber said as she rocked her newborn baby in her arms and cradled the phone on her ear. “I never knew that the nigga was so crazy.”

  “I know, right. That embalming fluid is frying his brain,” Necole sighed. She’d finally learned that this was the drug that Carmelo used. He was dipping his cigarettes in the liquid used to preserve dead bodies and smoking it.

  “Yeah and that’s fucked up. What a waste of a nigga. I mean…he is handsome and talented. I wonder what makes him smoke that shit,” Amber said.

  “I don’t know,” Necole said as her line clicked. “Girl, hold on. Let me answer this before there’s another problem,” she said before answering the other line.

  “What do you want?”

  “Who you on the phone with?”

  “Why?”

  “‘Cause I fucking asked.”

  “Why, Carmelo?”

  “Answer the muthafuckin question!”

  “I’m on the phone with Amber. Are you satisfied?”

  “Am I satisfied? You better quit that sarcastic shit, real muthafuckin talk.”

  “Oh my God. Did you call me to tell me this?”

  “What the fuck you mean? This is the exact reason a nigga trip with you. I try to talk to you with some sense, but you wanna be all fly at the mouth.”

  “Are you fucking serious? You just punched out my window a few hours ago and now you expect me to laugh with you on the phone?” she asked incredulously.

  “Okay, but why did I do that, Necole? Tell me that.”

  “I don’t know. I’m not walking around in your head.”

  “You know exactly what the fuck I’m talking about. You had that nigga in your car.”

  “If this ain’t the dumbest shit I ever heard. I am seven month’s pregnant in case you forgot. That boy was just bringing my bag to the car for me. You blew the shit entirely out of proportion; and besides, I don’t owe you an explanation. We’re not together, Carmelo.”

  “We ain’t together, huh?”

  “No, we’re not. You’re not even allowed on my mom’s property for God’s sake. What is it going to take for you to realize that I’m not with you?”

  “How the fuck you ain’t with me when my son is inside of your womb?”

  “The same way you hit me while he’s in my womb,” she shot right back.

  “That was when that water had my mind fucked up. I don’t fuck with that no more.”

  “Why don’t I believe you?” she sighed.

  “I’m telling you, baby. I’m good. Why can’t we just be a family?”

  “You sound like a got damn fool. Not only were you getting high, staying out all night and hitting me, but you neglected to tell me that some bitch gave birth to your baby while I’m pregnant. You looked into my eyes and lied.”

  “No, I didn’t lie. I told you that I didn’t think that the baby was mine. I told her that I needed blood work first. So, when she had the baby, she paid for a DNA test. After it came back to be mine, I started going around her and the baby,” Carmelo explained.

  “Don’t forget to mention the fact that you were fucking her too. That’s a very important fact. And let’s not forget that once you found out the truth, that you never bothered to tell me anything which further tells me that you are up to no good.”

  “But it ain’t like you making it seem.”

  “No, that’s how you made it seem. I’m only going by your actions.”

  “Look…I don’t want that bitch. She’ll tell you that herself. I go over there and check on my daughter. That’s it.”

  “Yeah, right. That’s why you were caking on the phone with her right in my face. Then you hit me and then continued talking to her,” she reminded him.

  “Baby, I keep telling you that was the drugs,” he insisted.

  “What was it that made you break out my window today?”

  “I told you. I thought that you was talking to that nigga. I was hurt.”

  “You was hurt? What about all the things that you do to me? What kind of effect do your actions have on me?”

  He took a deep breath. “Necole, I’m not saying that I’m perfect. I got some major flaw; but I’m asking you to see through all of that. Just see my heart, baby. I need your love in my life right now. It’s the only good thing I have in this world. I know that I was trippin’, but you have to understand where I coming from. Not even a year before I met you, I watched some niggas blow my brother’s fucking brains out. I still have nightmares about that shit. Drugs were how I coped with it; but I’m done. You and my unborn child mean more than anything to me.”

  “Okay, you’re hurt and haunted by the loss of your brother. I can completely understand that, but what you’re doing is crazy. This is self-destruction and you want me to be a part of that? You want the baby to be around that?”

  “No. I want to be better. Just give me a chance,” he pleaded.

  “How is it that you want me to give you a chance when you just broke my window? You’re not showing any signs of changing.”

  “I can replace that window.”

  “It’s not just about the window. It’s about the fact that you can so easily do the things you do.”

  “I’m not usually like this. It’s you. I love you more than I ever loved anybody. So sometimes I lose control when I think that I’m about to lose you. I’m not trying to make excuses. I know that I need to work on my anger and I’m not blaming you. I just love you, Necole and it drives me crazy to think that you’re with somebody else.”

  “Carmelo, I am pregnant. Who exactly is going to come along and sweep me off of my feet?”

  “Me…and stop talking like pregnancy is a lifetime condition. These niggas know that you gotta drop that load eventually.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Baby, just think about us, okay. I’m gonna leave the money for your window in ya’ll’s mailbox in the morning.”

  She took a deep breath. “Okay.”

  Chapter 10

  Necole’s family cheered loudly as she wobbled across the stage to receive her diploma. All of her immediate family was in attendance along with Carmelo and his family. Ms. Dean didn’t want him there, but she wasn’t going to let that overshadow the joyous day.

  Carmelo sat and watched Necole’s family’s reactions to her graduating. They all seemed supportive, which made him think about how his life could have been if he had a family like that. His family was huge, but they fought like crabs in a bucket. None of them wanted to see the other do better.

  “Nicky!” one of Necole’s aunt shouted as they filmed her and snapped pictures.

  “Poor baby. She can barely walk,” Necole’s grandma said.

  Carmelo sat without saying much. He knew that Ms. Dean didn’t like him and it was out in the open now. Ever since she’d witnessed him manhandling her daughter, she didn’t have a problem expressing her disdain for him. The only reason that Necole agreed to allow him to come to the graduation was because Ms. Brenda wanted to be there.

  While the rest of Necole’s family waited for her in the parking lot after the ceremony, he waited for her right at the exit for the graduates. He held a huge bouquet of flowers for her. As Necole and her girls walked out of the stadium, she spotted him. She hated to admit it, but he was looking good enough to eat. He had a fresh haircut and he was waved up. He had on Ed Hardy jeans and a red button down shirt with Air Jordans.

  For almost a month, he’d been the perfect gentleman. He’d kept his word and fixed the window he’d broken. He called her daily and would bring her food when she had midnight cravings. She had even allowed him to go to the last doctor’s visit. He’d bought the baby several items including a baby bed. She definitely gave him an A for effort.

  “Congratulations,” he smiled as she approached him.

&n
bsp; “Thank you,” she said as her friends walked ahead.

  “I’m proud of you,” he said as he hugged her. “Here,” he said as he gave her the flowers.

  “Thanks,” she grinned as she checked out the flowers.

  He wrapped his arm around her neck and placed a hand on her protruding belly. “Anything for you, baby,” he whispered in her ear.

  “I hear you,” she nodded.

  “I’m for real,” he said as he softly kissed her neck. This caused her to moisten. It had been two months since they’d had sex.

  “Stop,” she whined.

  “Why?”

  “Because…” she moaned as she closed her eyes and indulged in his kisses. “You know that…we…don’t rock like this…anymore.”

  “We’ll always rock exactly like this,” he told her as he placed his mouth on hers. They stood in the middle of the sidewalk kissing as people walked by.

  Necole’s family was looking around for her in the lot. Most of the other graduates were already standing around taking pictures with their family, but she was nowhere in sight.

  “Let me go find my slow child,” Ms. Dean said as she walked over to the stadium’s exit. She spotted Necole wrapped into Carmelo. It took everything within her to not walk over and snatch her out of his arms. She couldn’t believe that she was being that stupid. Carmelo had shown his ass on more than one occasion and now here was Necole lip locking with him.

  “Nicky, did you forget that you have everyone waiting?” Ms. Dean questioned.

  “Oh, mom,” she pulled away from him. “I was just about to come.”

  “Were you?” Ms. Dean asked with a raised brow.

  “Yeah,” Necole nodded as she headed to the lot. Carmelo was right behind her. Ms. Dean walked slowly behind them trying to hold her tongue.

  After taking tons of pictures, everyone headed to Pappa’s Seafood for dinner. Carmelo sat right next to Necole with his arm draped over her chair. She was leaning into him while everybody else mingled.

  “Can you spend the night with me?” he whispered as she ate.

  She shrugged, never bothering to give him a response.

  “So, what school are you going to, Necole?” Aunt Judy questioned.