“Come on, baby,” Carmelo said as he pulled Necole through the crowd. They found four empty stools right near the dance floor and took a seat. Well, Carmelo took a seat and Necole stood between his legs while his arms wrapped around her waist.
The music was on point and Necole was relaxed in Melo’s embrace. He was calm and she could tell that he hadn’t gotten high. So he was mellowed out just the way she liked him. They quietly laughed with each other and sipped a few drinks. Every so often, they’d brush their lips across the other’s.
A little after twelve, Tory found all four of them. As soon as she stepped up, Lil’ Daddy’s antennas came up. He loved high yellow women and she had a phat ass to boot. “There you are,” she told Necole while ignoring Amber.
“What’s up?” Necole spoke. “Baby, this is Tory. Tory, this is Carmelo,” she introduced them.
“Sup?” Carmelo nodded.
“How are you?” she smiled, liking what she saw. She knew that Necole wouldn’t date just anybody, so she was expecting for him to be handsome. Still his swagger turned her on even more.
“I’m good,” he slightly smiled, peeping the scene. He knew a snake when he saw one. If he wanted to, he could probably take her to the bathroom and fuck her on the spot.
“Necole, let me talk to you right quick,” she said as she pulled her out of Carmelo’s arms.
“What’s up?”
“Somebody wants to see you.”
“Who?”
“Come with me. I’ll show you.”
“Okay. Hold up,” Necole said as she stepped back to Carmelo. “Baby, she wants me to walk with her to the other side of the club. I’ll be right back.”
“Alright. Hurry back,” he nodded.
“I will,” she smiled.
Carmelo stood and watched Necole and Tory disappear into the crowd.
“Melo, where are they going?” Amber asked, pissed that Necole didn’t take her along.
He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Tory, who wants to see me?” Necole questioned as they walked to the pool tables.
“Him,” she guided with her eyes.
Necole followed her gaze. Standing right near a pool table was the one and only Carl. A frown covered her face. “What makes you think that I want to see him?”
“What? How do you think that I was able to get the tickets? He saw me in the neighborhood and told me that he wanted to see you. I let him know that you are with Carmelo and that’s when he came up with the bright idea to talk to you at this party. He knew that you would come.”
“Okay, but why didn’t you tell me? You could’ve given me some kind of warning.”
“Because I didn’t want you to make up excuses as to why you couldn’t come,” Tory said.
The more Necole looked at her, the more she knew that it was a lie. If anything, Carl paid her to lure her there. She could see right then why Amber didn’t like her. “Whatever. I’m going back to my seat,” she said as she turned to walk away.
“Necole!”
“Fuck,” she mumbled as she turned around. “What?” she asked with her hands on her hips.
“It’s like that?” Carl asked as he walked over to her.
“Like what?”
“You were going to walk off without even a ‘Hey, how you doing’?”
“Yep.”
“Why? I thought that we were better than that?”
“Well, you thought wrong.”
“Oh, come on, Nicky. Don’t do a nigga like that. Can I at least get a hug?”
“Whatever,” she rolled her eyes as she allowed him to hug her.
Without her permission, he stole a kiss on the lips. “Carl, that’s not co…” she got out before she was cut off.
“What the fuck is this?!” Carmelo barked.
Necole’s heart dropped to her stomach as she turned around. “Baby, it’s not what you think.”
“What the fuck you mean it ain’t what I think? Ain’t this your ex?” he asked. Although she never spoke about Carl in depth with him, no man would forget if their woman had dated a NBA player. It stayed in the back of his head and he’d even talked about it with a few of his boys. They’d always jokingly say that Carl would one day come back and take her.
“Yes, Carmelo…but he kissed me. I swear that I didn’t know that he was going to do that,” she pleaded with her eyes. From the look on her face he could tell that she was telling the truth.
He pulled her next to him. “Say, my nigga…I would appreciate it if you stay away from my woman.”
“So, this your man, Nicky?” Carl asked.
Before she could open her mouth, Carmelo spoke up. “I know you heard what the fuck I said. I don’t give a fuck about you knowing how to bounce a basketball, nigga. If you touch what’s mine again, I’ma put something hot in your ass.”
“Baby, let it go,” Necole pleaded as she pulled him away.
Carmelo allowed her to pull him back to their seats. “I can’t believe that fucking nigga,” he vented.
“I know. Just don’t let him ruin our night,” she said as she wrapped her arms around him.
“What happened?” Lil’ Daddy asked.
“Her ex tried to kiss her.”
“For real? You talking about Carl Brown?”
“Yeah,” Carmelo nodded.
“Damn. Necole, why you ain’t get the nigga’s autograph for me before that nigga came over there hating?” Lil’ Daddy teased.
“Nigga, fuck you,” Carmelo frowned. “Fuck that nigga. That bitch came and got you for that nigga, didn’t she?” he asked Necole.
“Yeah, she did. I don’t appreciate that shit.”
“I figured,” he shook his head.
To Necole’s surprise, Carmelo kept his cool. They enjoyed the rest of the night without incident. They rode home totally in tune with each other while Amber and Lil’ Daddy argued.
“I don’t know what yo fucking problem is but you need to adjust your attitude.” Lil’ Daddy barked.
“Whatever. Like I said…don’t fucking touch me. Just because they’re all over each other don’t mean that I want you touching me like that!” Amber snapped.
“What the fuck you mean? You don’t want me touching you?”
“Hell, no! Don’t act like this is new to you. I told you to move on. Go find yourself a new bitch. I won’t be mad at chu.”
“Bitch!” Lil’ Daddy seethed as he punched her so hard that her head slammed into the window shattering the glass.
“Hey!” Necole shouted. “That was so uncalled for! She’s bleeding.”
Amber whimpered as the entire side of her face bled.
“Damn, nigga…you trippin’,” Carmelo shook his head. He knew that Lil’ Daddy had hit a sherm before leaving home and usually he’d be high right along with him. For the first time in a long time, he chose to stay sober and got to witness how they behaved while high.
“Fuck that stupid bitch, man. She thinks she fucking better than somebody,” Lil’ Daddy spat. “You ain’t shit,” he told Amber with a disgusted snarl on his face.
“Fuck you! You the one that ain’t shit!” Amber roared.
“Shut the fuck up!” he lashed as he slapped her. “Bitch trying to get brand new after all the shit I done for her. Yeah, when I met her my money was better and I was breaking bread. But now that I ain’t tricking stacks on her, she ain’t got time. You stupid yellow hoes are all the same.”
“Fuck you and ya money. And yeah…the money is what got me; but now I know better. That little hustle you got ain’t shit! I got plenty of niggas that want to get with me, and they can afford to buy me whatever I want and not just when they hit a lick every now and again!” Amber bellowed.
Lil’ Daddy pulled into their complex and threw his truck into park. She had finally said what he knew all along. She was in love with his money. He’d met her at an impressionable seventeen and lured her in with gifts. He could tell that she liked nice things, so that’s what he gave her. His
money was all good at the time, so he tricked. As times got harder, the women disappeared. He didn’t have bad bitches beating down the door to be with him anymore. He really had no interest in any of his children’s mothers except for Amber. She was the only one still fine and he figured that if he took care of his child, then they could be together. The thing is he realized that her demeanor changed when his pockets did. Before then, she’d take on the world for him; but as of late, he couldn’t get a smile unless he opened his wallet.
“You dirty bitch!” he seethed as he punched her in the mouth.
“Stop!” Necole yelled as Lil’ Daddy punched Amber viciously. “Unh uh,” she hopped out of the truck and snatched Amber’s door open. She pulled her away from Lil Daddy.
“Let that bitch go!” he shouted as he hopped out of the truck.
“No! Carmelo…get your friend!”
“My nigga, you trippin’,” Carmelo said as he grabbed Lil’ Daddy.
“Let me go, Black. That bitch used me, dog,” Lil’ Daddy fumed as he tried to break away.
“Okay, well now you know how she feels. If she don’t want to be with you, fuck her. It’s plenty of other broads out here, man,” Melo reasoned.
“But I had a baby with this bitch, man. How the fuck she gon play me like that?”
“Just how you did me. Remember all those nights you’d hang up on me when I was pregnant. Huh?! Or how you didn’t even bother coming to the hospital when she was born. You quick to forget that shit. It was you! You turned my heart to stone. You should have treated me right when you had the chance! Now I don’t want ya broke ass!” Amber yelled. “What happened to your house, Deon? Huh? What happened to the Cadillac? Tell them how you fell off so hard that you couldn’t afford to pay your rent and how you fuck off so much money on wet that you had to sell your car. Tell them!”
“Bitch, so you putting my business out there?” Lil’ Daddy snarled as he lunged for her.
“My nigga! Come on, man. All these people are coming out of their house, dog. Let’s go man. Let’s take a ride,” Carmelo grabbed him, trying to get Lil’ Daddy to leave.
“Alright, man. You can let me go.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I ain’t gon touch the bitch.”
Carmelo released him.
“Before it’s all said and done, you gon get yours, bitch. You fucked with the wrong nigga,” Lil’ Daddy pointed a shaky finger.
“I got mine the day I met your sorry ass.”
He nodded. “Alright. Talk that shit. We gon see who have the last laugh.”
“Come on, man,” Carmelo said as he pulled him back to the truck. “Go, nigga. You know they called the law on your ass.”
“Alright, I’m gone,” Lil’ Daddy said as he hopped into his truck and backed out of the complex.
Necole looked at her friend. “Amber, we need to get you to a hospital. I think you need stitches.”
Chapter 13
“Melo, where is your daddy? Huh? Tell mommy,” Necole talked to the baby. It was a little after eleven and Carmelo hadn’t made it home yet. Up until then, he’d been coming home at a decent time. In fact, he’d been sticking to her like glue. She had never known him to be so clingy. He’d go and hustle and come home to her and invade her space. She acted like it annoyed her, but secretly she loved the extra attention. It was what she needed from him. So now she was sitting with a funny feeling in her stomach figuring that he was back to his old habits.
For over a month, Carmelo had been doing well. He hadn’t smoked any wet and they hadn’t had one disagreement. Something in her gut was telling her that their peace was about to be nonexistent.
“That nigga better not come in here with no shit. No, he better not,” Necole cooed to her son before laughing at herself, realizing how much Carmelo had rubbed off on her. Over time, her vocabulary and her entire demeanor had changed.
About one that morning, she gave up on waiting for him and went to bed fuming. She’d tried calling his cell a few times but got no answer. “Bitch ass nigga,” she mumbled to herself.
Just as she was finally drifting off to sleep, she heard the front door slam shut. Her eyes shot open and she looked at the alarm clock that read three a.m. She couldn’t believe him and for a brief second she thought about hopping up and questioning him. That was until he entered the room. The stench of embalming fluid hit her nose letting her know exactly what time it was. He was high out of his mind and she couldn’t take him in that state. So she decided to play possum.
She kept her eyes closed as she listened to him undress and crawl into bed. He pulled her into his arms and wrapped his legs around her. She prayed that he didn’t want to have sex and a few minutes later her prayers were answered. She heard him snoring in her ear.
Later that day, she woke up and got dressed while he and the baby continued to sleep. She quietly moved around hoping that she didn’t wake him. She thought that she was getting away with something right up until she grabbed her keys off the nightstand.
“Where you going?” he asked groggily.
“Huh?” she asked, being caught completely off guard.
“Where you going?” he asked again as he sat up in bed.
“Oh, I’m just going around the corner to Amber’s.”
“So why are you taking your car keys?”
“To lock the door. I didn’t want to leave the door unlocked while ya’ll were still asleep.”
He studied her for a second. “So if I walk around there, that’s where you’ll be?”
“Yes,” she nodded while deep down hating that she had to explain her every move. Her mom never even grilled her this much.
“Alright, man. Go ahead,” he told her as he lied back down.
She stood for a few seconds just staring at him. He had some nerve. He came home a few hours before daybreak and didn’t offer any explanation as to where he was. Then he turned around and acted as though he was King Tut and she needed his blessings before she could walk around the corner.
She shook her head deciding to let it go. She walked out of their bedroom and grabbed her purse. She then waltzed out of the door. She hurried down the stairs and hopped into her car. Then off to Walgreens she went.
“I can’t believe that my stupid ass is back here so soon,” she mumbled to herself as she stood on the pharmacy aisle checking out pregnancy tests. Her period was late and she couldn’t ignore it any longer. “Here goes,” she sighed as she grabbed an EPT test and headed to the cash register.
After paying for the test, she drove back to Amber’s place. She hopped out of the car and walked upstairs to the door. She knocked and a few seconds later the door swung open. “There you are. Where did you go?” Amber questioned as she stepped aside to allow her in.
“I went to Walgreens,” Necole said as she walked in.
“How long were you gone?”
“Not long, why?”
“Because Carmelo just came around here looking for you.”
“That fast? I just left him and the baby sleep not too long ago.”
“Well, I don’t know,” Amber shrugged. “All I know is that he just came over here saying that you was supposed to be here.”
“Why the fuck would he check behind me like that?” Necole frowned as she headed to the bathroom.
“Uh, what is that you have in the bag?” Amber questioned as she followed her.
“You’re nosy,” Necole said as she tried to close the bathroom door behind her.
“Uh, I don’t think so,” Amber said as she pushed the door back open. “I wanna see this shit. You got a pregnancy test? Um, um, um,” she shook her head as she folded her arms while leaning on the door-frame.
Necole rolled her eyes as she pulled her jeans down and sat on the toilet. “Whatever,” she ripped the box open and pulled out the test. She looked up at Amber. “Uh, do you mind?”
“I sure do,” Amber smirked as she remained in the doorway.
“Damn, you’re worse than Carmelo,
” Necole sighed as she placed the stick underneath herself and pissed.
“So…I thought that you were on the pill?”
“I am,” Necole said as she pulled the stick from between her thighs. “I thought…” she said before she saw the words pregnant staring back at her.
“Dayuuum!” Amber stressed. “Ba-by number two. ‘Cause the first one must’ve not been enough for you,” she sung, teasing her friend using Pleasure P’s, “Boyfriend Number Two’s” rhythm.
“This is not funny,” Necole grimaced as she used her free hand to hide her face.
“Aw, don’t be shame now. You should’ve thought about that while you were spreading those legs.”
“Amber, it’s not funny,” she cried.
“Aw, I’m sorry. I was just trying to make you laugh,” Amber apologized as she knelt down and hugged her.
Necole nodded and sniffed. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault. I wasn’t taking my pills on schedule.”
“Yeah, I know it ain’t my fault, unless there’s something you want to tell me,” she giggled.
“Move bitch,” Necole smiled as she shoved her away.
“So, what are we going to do?”
“I don’t know. I’m not ready for another baby.”
“So, are you considering abortion?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“O-kaaay. I thought that you’d want anything that came from Carmelo.”
“I love him, but it ain’t that damn deep.”
“It ain’t that deep? Necole, who do you think you’re fooling? You love that nigga’s dirty drawers and you gon have his baby without a doubt. So I don’t know why you’re sitting here bullshitting yourself.”
“Amber, it ain’t all what it seems, man. I mean…yeah, I love him. Sometimes I wish that I didn’t, but that’s another story. The bottom line is that we’re not ready. Carmelo has back child support for two kids that he never sees. He helps me out with the bills, but if it wasn’t for the fact that I paid my rent upfront without his knowledge, I’d be fucked. He barely gives me enough to cover the rent. I don’t think he’s been seeing the kind of money he used to. Then last, but not least, he’s a fucking sherm head. It’s bad enough that Junior has to be around that shit, so why would I want to subject another child to this bullshit?”
Love is Blind (G Street Chronicles Presents) Page 16