She sighed. “Don’t tell me that you’re mad now.”
“Okay, I won’t.”
She sat up. “Baby, don’t do this. How else am I supposed to handle this?”
“Answer this, Necole,” Mark said as he sat up too.
“Okay.”
“Has he hit you in front of the kids?”
She sighed. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“No…answer me.”
She shook her head before answering. “Yes.”
“Has he come home high around the kids?”
“Yeah.”
“So what’s the hurry to let him see the kids? If he ain’t gon be a positive influence in their lives, then I don’t see the point. Him being a sperm donor don’t make him a father. I don’t see that nigga blowing your phone up to give the kids shit. His only concern is you.”
Necole could not deny that. Ninety percent of the times Carmelo called, he didn’t even mention the kids. He wanted to know what she was doing. She tried to make it clear that she was no longer his concern, but he wasn’t trying to hear it. So, maybe Mark was right.
“I hear you, but he is still their father. Now, I agree with you…he hasn’t shown me that he needs to be around the kids. I just don’t want to punish the rest of his family.”
“I get where you coming from. Just tell them your reasons that you can’t come over right now. They should understand and if they can’t, well…fuck them. You have to do what’s best for you and the kids. Everybody else should be secondary.”
“Right,” she nodded in agreement. “But baby, can you answer one question for me?”
“Yeah.”
She took a deep breath. “Okay. Is there a part of you that doesn’t want me around Carmelo?”
“Yeah,” he didn’t hesitate. “What, am I supposed to pretend to like him? The nigga took you through some unnecessary changes. He don’t take care of his responsibilities as a man, and I know that if he put his hands on you again…that I’ma kill him. So, yeah…I want you to stay away from him.”
“I understand.”
The baby started crying from the other room.
“Is that Carma crying?” Mark asked her.
“Yeah, I think so,” she said as she attempted to get out of bed.
He stopped her. “Naw, I got it.”
She watched as he went to get her baby. Over time, he’d developed a bond with her kids. It was very enduring. A part of her thought that he didn’t like kids until he let his guard down. She realized that his hesitation had more to do with her and Carmelo verses him and the kids. She understood why he was precautious. He stood to get hurt if she changed her mind about them, but she couldn’t see that happening.
Mark was a street nigga through and through, yet he was so much more. He was a man that knew how to leave shit back in the streets. He didn’t bring the madness of the streets to his home. He was supportive and genuinely wanted to see her succeed. He never tried to interfere with her going to school. In fact, he sometimes pushed her to go on days when she didn’t feel like it. He understood the importance of having an educated woman on his side. He didn’t want to be in the game forever and he needed a ride or die to hold it down when it was time to make an exit.
He might have been young, but Mark had been in the game for a minute. He’d watched his uncle do his thing for years. His uncle was one of the few to make it out of the hood. He now owned a plethora of lucrative businesses and Mark aspired to do the same. His uncle had introduced him to the game and it was through him that he’d met his connect. Even with that, his uncle never wanted that life for him; but since Mark refused to leave the streets alone, his uncle made sure that he did it right. He took him under his wings and showed him the ropes and he always stressed the importance of finding the right broad. Fucking bitches came with the territory, but having an intelligent woman to hold it down when things got rough was crucial.
Mark knew that getting Carmelo completely out of Necole’s system wasn’t going to be easy and he never thought that he’d feel the insecurities he had. Although, she was there with him day and night, a part of him felt that the minute she’d see Melo face to face, it would be over for them. He knew how strong of a hold a dude like Carmelo could have on a young naïve girl like Necole. So until he became comfortable, she wasn’t going anywhere near that nigga, whether she knew it or not.
* * * * *
I like ‘em hot the ones that don’t tell me to stop. Eat dick, swallow the cum and they know how to pop. The stereo blasted. Mark was having a huge party back at his pool. It was the first time he’d had a shindig at his home. His boys had been urging him to have one, but what finally coerced him was Necole’s birthday. He wanted to do it big for her twentieth birthday. He’d gone all out for her. There was a deejay, caterers and he hired a professional party planner to put it all together.
Necole couldn’t remember a time where she’d been that happy. Things between her and Mark weren’t complicated. They just enjoyed each other.
Mark had to stand back to admire Necole’s physique. Her body looked amazing in the earth toned strapless two-piece Bebe bathing suit. Her auburn and honey blond hair blended in perfectly with her swim wear. Her hazel eyes brought everything together.
Necole could feel someone watching her, so she turned to see him. Her smile invaded her face. “What are you looking at?” she sassed with her hands on her hips.
“You,” he said with a grin as he moved in on her. He wrapped his hands around her tiny waist and slowly pecked her lips. He then slid his tongue into her mouth. She grabbed the back of his head as they took the kiss deeper.
A few guys there were mutual friends of Carmelo and they hurt for him. They knew that he was crazy over Necole and would be devastated to see the scene with his own two eyes. Still, they all had love for Mark so they all decided that it wasn’t their business.
“Okay, that’s enough,” she giggled as she pulled away from him.
He pulled her back into his embrace. “Who said so?”
“Me. I know that you want to mingle with your boys.”
He shrugged. “Fuck them niggas.”
“Okay,” she nodded before kissing him one last time. “I’ll remember that the next time you say that you’re going to hang with them.”
“Write it down, take a picture. I don’t give a fuck,” he joked.
“You are so silly,” She playfully hit his chest.
Just then, Meech and his boy Bam entered the party. They had been invited by a mutual friend. Meech knew that it was Necole’s party, but he was coming to see all his peeps from the hood. Everybody was supposed to be there.
“What’s up, my nigga?” Meech spoke as he spotted Big Jonathan.
“Chilling, boi,” Big Jonathan smiled.
Meech checked out the atmosphere. He could tell that Mark had spent a grip for the party. The party goers were sitting around eating shrimp and sipping out of wine glasses. The deejay worked at the local radio station and only came out to do exclusive parties. “That pussy must be exuberant,” he mumbled to himself, knowing that he would never do that for a female.
“Mark, my nigga…what’s good?” Meech spoke as he approached Mark and Necole.
Mark clenched his jaws knowing that he hadn’t invited Meech. “What’s up?” he spoke dryly while his hand rested on the small of Necole’s back.
“Maintaining, main. I just came by to support Baby Girl. Happy birthday, Necole,” Meech grinned while his eyes wandered up and down her body.
Necole gave him a strange look. “Thanks, Meech.”
“You welcome,” he smiled as he handed her fifty dollars.
“Thank you, again,” she laughed as she placed the money in her top. She turned to Mark. “Baby, I’m about to go get a drink.”
“Alright,” Mark nodded before slapping her ass as she walked away.
“Um, um, um,” Meech let out as he watched Necole’s ass.
Mark gave him a mean mug a
s he stepped to him. “Say, my nigga…we go way back, but don’t test me. I know how you get down, but you better leave that shit out there somewhere. Feel me?”
Meech put his hands up in surrender. “Aye, you got it.”
“Alright, man. Enjoy the party,” Mark gave him a snide grin as he walked off.
It’s this one thing that caught me slipping. It’s this one thing that I want to admit it. The deejay was now playing Amerie and that was Necole’s jam. “Uh-oh-oh-uh!” she shouted as she danced around with a wine glass in hand. She had her own personal bottle of Cristal on ice, so she was feeling it.
Mark copped a squat and watched her enjoy herself. Her girls – Cali and Corrine – were both there and she hadn’t stopped smiling all day long. She seemed carefree and most of all…stress free. Her eyes sparkled under the sunlight, making her look almost angelic. She definitely had enough beauty to be on someone’s television set. She was a sight to see.
He knew that she had him. The night before her party she’d stayed out late with her friends. For a minute he was pissed until he saw what had kept her out so late. She had gotten Mark’s Angel engraved in wings on her hip. Technically, it was her birthday, but she’d given him the biggest gift.
Necole walked over to the deejay and put in a request and the next thing they knew he was spinning, Baby, I love you…I got this Jones forming in my bones came in and took over my soul. I couldn’t breathe if he ever said. Get on my knees until they’re bloody red. See, I don’t know if you get it yet. He’s like a lighter to my cigarette. I never knew another human life could have the power to take over mine…
She walked over to Mark and sat in his lap and sung into his ear. “Baby, I can’t see my worth, living here on God’s green earth. You don’t know what you’ve done to me. I never thought I need you desperately. It’s kind of sick how I’m stuck on you. But I don’t care ‘cause I need you. And how I feel will remain the same because you’re my baby. Listen, when the world starts to stress me out, it’s to you, boy, without a doubt. That keeps me sane and I can’t complain…”
Mark tried his best to conceal it, but she had him blushing.
“Baby, I love you,” she whispered.
He got serious. “Don’t say nothing that you don’t mean.”
“I mean it,” she leaned her forehead on his. “You love me?”
“What you think?”
“Tell me.”
He looked into her eyes. “I love you so much that the shit is scaring me.”
“Aw baby,” she cooed as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Cameras flashed. “Aw, that is so cute,” Cali teased as she took pictures.
Day turned to night and the party was still going strong. Both Necole and Mark were now pissy drunk. They had drunk two bottles of Cristal and a few other drinks. They were in their own world as he lay out on a sun bed and she was on top straddling him. Uh nah nah na nah, I’m so horny and I want you to fuck me. The deejay played a song fitting to the mood they were in.
Necole grinded into him as his dick sat between her pussy lips. No one seemed to pay them any attention. The later it had gotten, the more people had paired off to do their own thing. Everybody had found their own spot to indulge in a little adult fun.
Mark had been letting her tease him long enough. He was about to catch blue balls from all the humping they were doing. So, he eased her bikini aside and pulled his dick out. He slowly eased into paradise.
“Baby,” she tried get off of him. He gripped her hips. “We can’t do this in front of everybody.”
He sucked his teeth. “Ain’t nobody worried about us,” he started stroking her.
“Umm,” her eyes rolled into the back of her head as her mouth fell open.
Mark couldn’t resist placing a finger in her mouth. She unconsciously sucked it. “Oh, shit,” he moaned.
“Uh,” she squeezed her eyes and her pussy muscles tighter.
“Cum on this dick,” he urged as he hit it so hard that he made her bounce in his lap.
“Oh God,” she let out as she came while rolling her hips into him. She was getting louder, so he covered her mouth with his to muffle her moans.
He gripped her hips and picked up the pace. It was obvious to anyone in the area that could see them that they were fucking, but they didn’t give a damn at that point.
Mark pumped into her one last time before releasing everything he had inside of her. “Damn,” he huffed.
She let out a giggle. “I am so damn embarrassed. I can’t believe you had me fucking out here.”
He smiled. “You’ll live.”
* * * * *
“Nigga, I’m telling you. He was fucking her outside,” Meech said. He couldn’t wait to tell. While he was kicking it with a broad at the party, he looked up and saw Mark and Necole getting it in. Envy took over his body. Shit…it was one thing to see her with his nigga…he had no control over that; but with Mark? Hell, why didn’t Necole choose a nigga like himself? So he figured if couldn’t get a taste of her, he’d throw a little salt on the game.
Carmelo clenched his jaws at the thought of Necole being with someone else besides him. He had never loved a broad the way that he loved her and it was killing him to know that she didn’t want him anymore.
“So that bitch was disrespecting herself like that?”
“Hell, yeah. That nigga was all over her acting like he in love and shit…but nigga this is the kicker.”
“What?”
“She got the nigga’s name tatted on her hip.”
“What?! Nigga stop bullshitting!” he fumed.
“Main, I wouldn’t lie to you like that. I’m telling you, she got the nigga’s name tatted.”
Carmelo stood and started pacing the floor. “I’ma kill that bitch!”
“And she still ain’t letting you see your little ones?” Meech asked, adding fuel to the fire.
“Man, I haven’t seen my kids in almost six months. The last time I saw my daughter, she was just two months old. If I saw her right now, I probably wouldn’t recognize her.”
Meech stared at the floor. “That’s fucked up, dog.”
“Fuck!” Carmelo seethed as he swung at the air.
Carmelo was so distraught that if he’d been alone at the time, he would have probably have shed some tears. He had never in life felt like this before. A woman had never walked out on him. He, on the other hand, had broken many hearts.
Since Necole had left him, Carmelo’s world had spiraled out of control. He had recently linked up with some niggas he’d done time with. Together, they were robbing and setting up any nigga that had a little something. Those cats were grimy and not even Carmelo completely trusted them. He dealt with them to feed his habit. He needed his “get high” money and they provided a way. Still, he only rolled with the dudes when it was absolutely necessary. A few of them were trigger happy and the last thing he wanted was to be involved in a sloppy murder.
Everyday Brenda feared that her son would die. It was clear that Necole was the only reason he’d halfway cared at one point, and now that she was gone, he didn’t give a fuck. Carmelo had been involved in numerous shootouts and some masked men had kicked her door in looking for him. She just knew that in the near future he was going to be either dead or in jail. That’s the reason she was pleading with Necole to come around, but even she knew that it was in Necole’s best interest to stay away.
“Man, you know where that nigga stay at?” Carmelo questioned. He’d been trying to get someone to tell him where Mark lived for months. Up until then, no one wanted to get involved, but he knew Meech didn’t give a damn.
“Yeah. That nigga stay out there in Kingwood,” Meech offered willingly. He liked hearing and seeing drama.
“Show me,” Carmelo demanded.
Meech thought about it for a second. Mark wasn’t somebody to laugh at. He’d seen the little nigga in action. “Main, I ain’t going out there with you, but I’ll give you directions.”
&nbs
p; Forty-five minutes later, Carmelo was sitting outside of Mark’s crib in a dope fiend’s rental. It was just three o’clock in the afternoon, but he didn’t give a damn about someone spotting him. He thought about going to beat on the door, but he knew how that could end. Mark would probably have quick access to a pistol and that was the last thing he needed. More than anything, he wanted to see and confront Necole, so he waited.
Around five o’clock, Necole stepped out of the house. She hurriedly hopped into a black Lexus SUV. He didn’t know who the vehicle belonged to and he didn’t care. He watched as she pulled off and he slowly followed behind her. When she pulled up at a daycare, he realized what she was doing. He was going to kill two birds with one stone.
A smile crossed his face as she stepped outside with his kids. Junior had grown so much and his baby girl was starting to look just like him. A part of him wanted to hop out right then and confront her, but he couldn’t risk her making a scene at the daycare, so he followed her.
When she pulled into a gas station, he decided that it would be the place where he’d step to her. So, as soon as she parked behind a car at the pump, he pulled up behind her, blocking her in.
He hopped out of the car just as she was stepping out of the Lexus. “So, this is how I have to talk you?” he asked as he approached her.
The sound of his voice sent a chill down her spine. Something had been telling her that this day was coming. She looked at him as her heart raced.
“Carmelo, what are you doing out here?”
“I came to talk to you.”
“For what?” she fidgeted around.
“What the fuck you mean, for what?! You just burnt off with my kids without saying shit!” he seethed as his nostrils flared.
“I told you that I was leaving!” she screamed.
“That’s supposed to make it okay?”
“No…look…if you don’t leave, I’m going to call the police,” she threatened.
“And tell them what?” he questioned as he stepped closer.
She backed up. “I’m telling you, Carmelo…” she was trying her best to conceal her fear.
He grabbed her arm. “You telling me what? Huh?”
Love is Blind (G Street Chronicles Presents) Page 23