by Tiece
“I think that’s the best thing, sis. I can’t say that my situation will be the same, but I’m definitely not going to worry about Jay anymore. He just better hope that I don’t catch his ass nowhere with that chick, because if I do, he’s good as dropped.” she said, almost hoping that she could believe that herself. “Let’s just have a relaxing day, just me and you. Since he doesn’t want to be here, then I’m sure you’ll keep me company.”
Samantha felt the vibe and appreciated hearing her sister say that. “I’d love to,” she responded.
“No more talk about these no good men. I’m just tired of giving them so much of my time.”
“I’m with you on that.” Samantha agreed, wishing for something to take her mind off Anton.
“Before we do anything, though, I need to do something to your raggedy ass head.” They laughed and headed up the stairs.
Chapter 5
Scarlett stepped outside on her front porch, almost running straight into Gwen, who was about to knock on the door. She immediately shook her head at how small a frame Gwen had, and how bad she looked.
“Taking out the trash?” Gwen smugly asked, followed by a harsh cough.
“Yep,” Scarlett responded as she passed by her, heading to the garbage can that sat at the corner of the house.
Gwen watched her walk to the trash can and dump the bag of trash in it, while she comfortably sat down on the porch steps. Scarlett turned to see that her mama had sat down, which meant that she wasn’t planning to leave anytime soon. She walked over to her and folded her arms.
“I’m assuming you’re here to see Ant.”
Gwen smirked. “Maybe I’m here to see you.”
Scarlett grinned, already knowing that Gwen was full of shit. She could smell the cheap gin on her breath as she spoke.
“Well,” her words slurred. “I wouldn’t mind seeing my son, since somebody else thank they too cute to be around me. You too good for ol’ Gwen now, since you keeping up that lil make over and thangs,” she said, rolling her eyes while studying Scarlett’s appearance from head to toe.
“Gwen, don’t start that mess. You already know what the rules are around here. As long as you’re looking like that, then you’re not welcome inside my home.”
Gwen conceitedly laughed. “Like what?” she asked looking down at her worn out attire. “Even at my worst, I still look better than you.”
Scarlett grinned at the way her words dragged. “In your wildest dreams,” she stated.
“I knew this new look would go to your head. That’s why I don’t come around here. I ain’t got time for nobody who thank they better than me.” She said, pointing her skinny finger in the air at her daughter.
“I never said that I was better than you. You said that, not me.” Scarlett reminded her. “But look, I got things to do. I’m not doing this tit for tat crap with you today. I’ll go get Ant.”
“Yeah, you do that,” Gwen said as Scarlett walked up the steps past her and into the house.
A few minutes later, Anton stepped out the house to join his mama. “Hey Ma,” he spoke giving her a light hug and holding his breath from the stench on her.
“Hey son,” she spoke back with a smile. Just the sight of her baby boy always warmed her heart. “What’cha been up to?” she asked, pulling a can of beer out of a little brown paper bag that she was carrying.
“Nothing at this second, but I’ll be going somewhere with Scarlett in a lil bit.” He answered, remembering that he had to drop her off at the car rental place.
“So you don’t miss me around here?” she asked with a slight cough.
“I always miss you, Ma. That’s why I make it my business to see you at least once a week.”
“I know you do, son. Scarred don’t give a shit about me.”
“Don’t say that. You just always start with her for no reason, so she has to treat you differently. If you take out a little time to really get to know your daughter, you’d know that she is a loving, caring person.”
“Listen at ya. You sounding all righteous just like her. Think I’ve been gone from around you too long. Deepen your voice and quit sounding like a pussy.” Gwen said, popping the top on her beer then turning it up.
Anton shook his head because he knew that he wasn’t a pussy and his voice wasn’t even remotely sweet. Gwen just hated the fact that he was close with Scarlett, and she felt left out.
He stared at her, frustrated and concerned. “Ma, you need to chill and clean yourself up. Look at you. You’re out here in ninety-five degree weather walking in this heat. You’re drenched with your own sweat, and to be honest, you smell. You need to find some type of shelter or shade, and rest yourself. You’re looking really rough.”
She ignored him as if he hadn’t said a word. “Guess who got choked out today?” she asked, ready to clown.
Anton shook his head. “Who, Ma?”
Gwen put her hand up to her mouth and snickered like a silly little kid. “Ed,” she reported.
Anton raised an eyebrow. “Talkn’ ‘bout 10-10?”
“The one and only,” she laughed.
Anton chuckled, feeling good that Ed had been choked out, because the last time he’d seen him, Gwen was on her knees sucking his dick for a hit. “Damn, I wish I coulda choked his ass out myself,” he uttered.
“You shoulda seen him tryna steal Slim’s jar of dope when he wasn’t looking.” She snickered. “Slim caught that nigga on his way out the door and yoked him out so fast, with that lil po’ ass arm of his gripped around his neck so long, till he farted. I thought that nigga was dead the way that shit stunk up the room.” She chuckled, making the story seem so dramatic, but funny at the same time.
Anton couldn’t help but laugh aloud. Just seeing how amusing her story was to him, made her laugh even harder.
Scarlett stood to the living room window, peeking out of the curtains at them. She had to grin to herself after hearing the funny story too. If nothing else, Gwen was known to have a very vivid imagination, and a hilarious sense of humor.
She looked down at her phone when it distracted her entertainment by ringing. The caller ID displayed a name she hadn’t seen pop up on her phone in a while, and for some unknown reason, her stomach fluttered at just the thought of answering it. She contemplated whether she’d answer then.
“What’s up, Jay?”
“What’s up Scarlett?” he spoke back. His heavy subtle tone sounded pleasantly sexy. “Are you busy?”
“Uh no, not at the moment,” she responded.
“I know I’ve not called your phone in over a month, and I hope you understand that the reason why I’m calling now is because I need you.” he said.
She walked away from the window and quietly sat on the living room couch.
“I’ve missed you like crazy, and I don’t know what to do with myself.” Scarlett vacantly stared at the black TV screen, unsure of what to respond. “I know this call comes as a surprise to you, because I’m surprised that I’m even calling you myself. Somehow, we’ve managed to dodge one another for damn near the past two months with just a mere hey here and there at work. But, I can’t do this no more.” he admitted, to her surprise. “I wanted to stay out of your way because it hurt me to see that some other guy was making you happy and loving on you like I should’ve been.”
Scarlett nibbled on her fingernails as she eagerly listened. The sound of his voice made her panties moist, but more importantly, it touched her heart to hear him share his feelings. “I know you’re mad about me fucking with Sheila. I shouldn’t have gotten with her, because I knew that she was one of your closest friends.” He sighed. “I’m sorry that I let you down.”
“Jay,” she said, cutting in. “What is this call really about?”
“It’s about my feelings, and how I can’t do what’s right in my relationship because I’m still caught up on you.”
“What are you doing so wrong in your relationship? Ain’t Sheila looking for y’all a crib, probably a
s we speak?”
“Yeah, but I can’t move in with her. I ain’t ready for that shit. I just don’t know how to tell her without hurting her feelings.”
Scarlett shook her head. “Well, I think you should tell her, so she can stop house hunting. It’ll piss her off more to have found a house, and then later find out that you don’t wanna live there.”
Jay nodded his head as he agreed. “I’m also cheating on her.” He blatantly admitted.
“Damn, Jay. Why are you feeling the need to share this with me?” she asked, feeling bad that she almost felt sorry for him.
“Because I have no one else to talk to that’s as real as you,” he answered. “And it’s because of you that I’m in this fucked up predicament.”
“Really Jay, don’t blame this on me. You know you gotta hot dick that likes to jump from one rabbit hole to another. Just admit it.”
“Don’t treat me like that,” he miserably commented.
“Who is the other chick that you’re seeing?” she deliberately asked, trying to be nosey.
“You don’t know her. She’s a chick I used to talk to from Atlanta.”
“Well there you have it. As long as she’s not in this area, then you’re good. Sheila will never know, and I’ll never tell, since this is supposedly all my fault.”
“I wish it was just that simple,” he sighed. “She lives here in Augusta now. That’s how we reconnected.”
“Well damn, and what am I supposed to do about that?”
“Come on, Scarlett. Quit being so stubborn,” he said. “I’ve always been able to talk with you, and all I want is that same friend back, minus the sex… But if you wanted to…”
She cut in. “Nope, that’s not gonna happen.” Her smart remark caused him to smile a bit. “Listen Jay, the only advice I can give you is to come clean with Sheila about not wanting to move in with her. Then somehow, you need to figure out which one of them you want more, and choose or continue to be a player and hold your own. I don’t know what else to tell you.”
“If I could have you back in my life, I’d drop both of them.”
She was caught off guard with his open remarks. “We’re too far gone past that now, Jay.”
“I know,” he said, feeling bad as hell that he might have made a wrong decision that would fuck with him for a long time to come.
“Well hey, thanks for talking to me. I thought you may have hung up the phone at first, or not answered.”
She grinned. “Nah, I’m not cold-hearted like that. You already know.”
“Yeah, I know.” He hesitated, hating that their brief discussion was coming to an end. “Is it okay if I call you from time to time? I believe that’s the only thing that’ll help me get through this”
Scarlett exhaled slowly, and then spoke. “Sure, I don’t see anything wrong with that. Just know that this will go no further than a simple chat here and there. I can’t get caught up with you like that again.”
“I know,” he regretfully responded. “Be good, Scarlett, and have a safe holiday weekend.”
She smiled. “Thanks Jay, and you too,” she stated, then listened for him to hang up.
He sat on the other end, waiting for the same thing.
Once Scarlett caught on to it, she immediately hung up. Her heart rate calmed down as she walked in her room and laid across the bed. She immediately had to soothe the butterflies that were still swarming around inside her stomach.
“Damn, I just dreamed about his ass.” she said, burying her face in the pillow as thoughts of their conversation played repeatedly inside her head.
Chapter 6
Nina walked out of the bathroom with a white towel wrapped around her head, wearing a mini purple cotton robe tied around her waist. Her house slippers brushed across the waxed wood floor as she made her way to Macy’s bedroom and turned the doorknob. She quickly frowned. What the hell?
“Uh LIL GUL,” she called out. “Why in the hell is your room door locked?”
The door quickly swung open. “Ma, I’m just watching TV until Daddy makes it here.” she said, then turned to walk back to her bed.
Nina entered the room and just stared at her. “We don’t lock doors around here, missy. Especially, nine year olds.”
“Soon to be ten,” she corrected her.
Nina shook her head. “Yeah whatever,” she commented. “Now go make sure that your baby brother and sister have their shoes on, because I’m sure that Stephen will be here to pick them up quicker than Rick’s slow ass.”
“Daddy probably won’t even show,” Macy stated then exited the room to check on her younger siblings.
Nina sat on the side of her daughter’s bed, already feeling the need to call Rick. He didn’t have but one more time to disappoint her children, and she was going to act a fool. She quickly pulled her cell phone out of the pocket on her robe and dialed his number.
“Yeah,” Rick answered.
The sound of his voice irritated the fuck out of her. She couldn’t believe how long she stayed hooked on a no good man who’d gotten her pregnant at fourteen, then again not even two years later, only to disappear and leave her with two kids to raise on her own.
“Yeah, baby mama, what you want?” Rick spoke again.
“Oh um, I wanted to make sure that you were still coming to get Marc and Macy.”
“I guess so,” he said coughing in the phone. “Why you ask?”
She could tell that he was smoking from the strain in his voice as he spoke.
Nina frowned. “You know why the hell I asked. I wanted to make sure that you weren’t gonna stand my kids up today like you’ve done so many times in the past.”
“I’m coming to get them like I said I would. My mama wanted them here anyway so they could be here for the Memorial cookout that she having for the family.”
His slow country sounding ass continued to bother her as she rolled her eyes at him like he could see her. “So they’re gonna be with your mama, not you?”
“Does it matter?” he snapped. “Being with my mama is like being with me. Hell, we all family.”
Nina shook her head. The Shemar Moore look-alike only had two things going for him, good looks and good dick. “You sound real stupid, you know that right? If you were as smart as you looked, you would be alright.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“If your brain was rain, you couldn’t put a match out.” She grinned at her joke.
Rick didn’t think it was funny. “Look man, I’ll be over there to pick up the kids in a lil bit.” He huffed then quickly hung up the phone.
Nina took the phone from her ear and rolled her eyes. “Bastard hung up on me,” she whispered then exited the bedroom, hearing the doorbell ring.
She glanced out the sheer curtains of the living room window and saw a brand new white four door Ford F-150 parked in her driveway. Who is that? She thought then opened the door.
It was Stephen, the father of her youngest two, standing there looking so suave and debonair in his name brand gear, smooth black shades, and low temple fade. He was certainly tall, dark, and very handsome as she smiled at him.
“Hey,” she spoke while sliding her cell phone back down in her front pocket and cordially inviting him in.
“Hey, what’s up?” He spoke back. He couldn’t help but notice her skimpy attire, since the robe stopped right under her ass.
“Is that you out there?” she asked in reference to the new truck parked in her driveway.
“Yeah, I just got it yesterday.” He confirmed, then handed her a hundred dollar bill.
She put the money in her pocket, slid the living room curtain back, and took another peek to get a better look. “That’s nice.”
“Thanks,” he said.
“Well, you can have a seat for a second while I go get the kids. They’re packed and ready to go.”
“Oh nah,” he said. “I have a friend out in the truck, so we’ll be gettn’ on out your way.”
Nina glimpsed back out the window to see if she could get a look at who was inside the truck. “He coulda came in too.”
Stephen smiled. “It’s actually a she, and I’m kind of in a hurry…”
“Hey Daddy,” O’mari called out as he ran over to his dad.
Stephen picked up the curly haired six year old and hugged him, then put him back down. Nina stood back and smiled, but her thoughts were still on the friend who was sitting outside in the truck. Before she could interrogate him a bit, Macy walked in, holding the four-year-old baby girl, Mya, as she slept.
“Hey Stephen,” Macy spoke, handing over her baby sister.
Stephen got the baby and their small bags of clothing. “Are you okay, Macy?” He asked, noticing a pout.
“Yeah, I’m good,” she responded then headed back down the hallway.
“Her lips probably poked out because she doesn’t wanna go with Rick.” Nina stated.
Stephen sighed, hating the fact that Rick was such a deadbeat daddy. “I would’ve took’m with me.”
“You already do enough,” she responded. “He needs to spend time with his kids just like you do with yours.”
Stephen shrugged. “A’ight then, I guess we’re gonna go, but I’ll call you before they go to bed tonight,” he said while opening the front door to leave.
Nina kissed and hugged the children, then watched them leave with their father. She wanted to walk them outside and be nosey, but she was already underdressed and didn’t want to seem desperate for attention. Damn, I wonder who she could be and what she looks like.
She reached inside her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She quickly dialed Scarlett’s number.
“Hey girl,” Scarlett answered.
“What’s up, chick? Are you busy?” Nina asked.
“No, what’s up?”
“How about Stephen just came here in a brand new Ford F-150,” she reported.
“Damn, that supervisor position must be paying him good. What color is it?”