by J Peach
Martell smiled at me with a light chuckle. “Real shit, I’ve been good, sweetheart. You know, not too much shit can get to me. I hold my own no matter where I’m at. I’ll be out this bitch in a couple weeks, tho. So that ain’t shit, for real.”
“You getting out in a few weeks? Yeah, that’s not shit. You must ain’t really have shit on you. But why they move you out here then?” If they were only going to give him a few months, I didn’t understand why he couldn’t do that time in county.
Martell laughed. “Shit, they was bullshittin’. They ass was hoping to get more shit on me, but they ain’t have shit or couldn’t find shit. The fuckin’ car they stopped me in wasn’t in my name, so they couldn’t prove that work was mine. They was pissed about that, only thing they could hold me on was the gun I had. That wasn’t shit, tho,” he waved it off.
I laughed at him. “And you couldn’t wait a couple weeks to see me? You make me come an hour to Michigan City to see you?”
He nodded his head, smiling. “N’all, I couldn’t wait. I told you I’ve been missing yo ass, man. It’s crazy as hell too, I was in my own world minding my business and you popped in my head. You know you’ve always been my favorite girl. I’ll break my damn back for yo ass, ain’t shit changed about that. When I get out of here, we need to link back up on the streets. See how shit work out, you know?” He reached over and touched my chin.
I shook my head as if I didn’t understand. “No, I don’t. What about yo girl?” I asked him, confused. I knew damn well he didn’t call me all the way out there to try and mack with me. This nigga done lost his whole damn mind if he thought that shit was going to work.
“Man, fuck Lexi. I ain’t talked to that bitch since I got hit. I’m in this mothafucka because of her stupid ass. She know I ain’t fuckin’ with her no more. After all the shit we done been through, that bitch called the laws. This shit could’ve been a lot worse than what it really was, so I’mma end that shit now, you know. So who you out there fuckin’ with that got yo ass filling out?” He checked me out once again.
My eyes rolled up into my head at him. “Martell, I’m not even about to go there with you again.” I shook my head and changed the subject. There was no way in hell I was going to tell him about Parker. Hell no, he was already on some other shit and if he was serious about us getting together when he got out, I was going to make sure this was the last I saw of his crazy ass.
“You say that now, but once I touch down you gon’ be singing a whole other song. You know you got part of my heart. You gon’ always be my girl no matter how hard you try to act like you don’t want me. And you might not believe me now, but I’m serious about not fuckin’ with Lexi ass,” he sounded serious when he said it this time.
I honestly didn’t care if he was serious or not. I was happy in the relationship I was in. I knew that with Parker I wouldn’t have to deal with half the shit I went through while dating Martell. I would be a damn fool to give up what I had with Parker for a known liar and cheater.
“Maybe you are serious, Martell, but I’m not going there with you. Now what’s this favor you want from me?” I changed the subject, getting to the real reason he asked to see me.
Martell chuckled at me. “I’mma show you.” He then grabbed my legs and pulled me close to him. He tilted my head back and then kissed me once again before he pulled me into him. I was about to pull away, but stopped when he started talking.
“Look, I just hooked up with this cat who has a life bid. He pretty much running a little thing up in here. This shorty he was fuckin’ with was bringing him shit up here every weekend, but they done fell off and she ain’t fuckin’ with him no more.” He whispered before he pulled back. “Man, I missed the fuck outda you. When I get home we gone make this shit right, bet?” He grabbed the nape of my neck and kissed me again. He pulled back once more then place his face into the side of my neck.
“Would you stop kissing me, Martell? Damn. You can talk without doing all of that,” I mumbled to him.
He laughed and kissed me again, this time he tried to slide his tongue into my mouth. This mothafucka was starting to piss me off. I mentally rolled my eyes. “I gotda make it look good. You like kissing me, stop frontin’,” he grinned wide at me.
A small laugh left my mouth. “Whatever, man. Martell, what does this have to do with me? What do you want?” I asked, getting back to the point of me being there.
“I want you to bring some shit up here for me. There’s a guard that works at the front that’ll help you get in. And my man behind me at the door,” he nodded to a guard. “He gon’ be working when you pass the shit off. In about a week, I want you to come back up here and meet up with dude. Mook gone get you everything you need—”
I pulled away from him, looking at him like he was stupid. “Are you fuckin’ serious right now?” I moved away from him before I got up out my seat about to walk off.
“Angel, hold the fuck up,” he grabbed my arm and snatched me back to him. The guard on the far side of us looked up in our direction. “We good over here,” Martell told him before he stared back at me. “Angel, sit down.”
I sat back on the bench, but before he could start talking, I shut him down. “No, I’m not doing that. Martell, I’m not a kid no more and if I just so happen to get caught my record won’t be erased,” I explained to him. “No, I told you after the last time I would never do that again, especially not now. I’m in school working towards my degree in criminal justice and you asking me to do this bullshit. No. I’m not doing that. I’m sorry, anything else maybe, but not this. You can’t ask me to do that,” I made myself clear.
I remembered once when he asked me to do something like that and had this big ass nigga stick his big, meaty fingers into my pussy just to get a couple baggies of coke out of me. I felt so disgusted with myself for doing it and I was sickened with Martell for even asking me to do that. And he promised he would never ask me to do no bullshit like that ever again. Now there we were a few years later and he was asking me to do it once again. I wanted to slap the hell out of him.
“Angel, calm down, i’ight?” Martell pulled me to him.
“No, you said you would never ask me to do that again. No,” I let out a laugh and shook my head at him. “I can’t believe you called me out here to see you for that. I’m not doing it, Martell.”
“You know I wouldn’t ask you to do it if I really didn’t need this from you. Look, don’t give me an answer now. Sleep on it and then when I call you, tell me. But don’t shoot it down, besides, I’ll only need you to do it this once. And I promise you won’t nobody be putting their hands all on you,” he said, but suddenly stopped. “Damn, just think on it, bet. If you don’t wanna do it after you thought on it, cool. I won’t force you to do shit you ain’t comfortable with,” he spoke seriously.
“And that’s not the only reason I called you out here,” he changed the subject. “I told yo ass I missed you. I meant that shit, man. I’m telling you when I get home we’re gonna work this shit out. So whatever nigga got you thickening out, tell his ass to get lost.” His hands ran along my sides.
“Man, whatever.” All I could do was shake my head because everything that was coming out of his mouth was straight bullshit. I was not going to be seeing him when he got out. I was glad Martell was okay and now that I knew it, I could go home and forget about my visit to see him. “Do you want me to give your money to Mook or stash it at the house for you?”
He shook his head no. “N’all, hold onto it for me. I’m not in no rush to get it back just yet. When I get out, I’ll get it from you then. So how’s school going?”
“It’s been going good…” I went on to explain to him how school and work had been going for me.
He tried to get more personal, trying to find out if I was dating anyone. I simply told him no, not trying to have him all in my personal business. Martell could be a bit jealous when it came to me and for some odd reason, he still thought I was his. I made it perfectly clea
r that I wasn’t, but he simply laughed me off. Martell and I chatted it for about fifteen more minutes before he asked me to go out and send Mook back in.
Once Mook finished his visit, we left the prison.
When we made it back to Gary and he dropped me off at Martell’s spot, we said our goodbyes and I hopped in my little bug and drove myself to work.
Chapter 10
Angel
Parker held my hand as he led us to the football game. I was nervous as hell and it felt like I was about to get sick. I’d never been in that situation before in my life, so I was beyond scared. I knew what Parker told me about his sister, but I just didn’t know. What if she suddenly didn’t like me for reasons unknown?
Angel get yourself together. Breathe. If she don’t like you, so what. Fuck her. My head nodded at my pep talk. “Yeah, fuck her.”
“Fuck who?” Parker suddenly asked.
Oh shit! I said that out loud. Angel, get yourself together, shit! I fussed at myself.
“Syn? You straight?” Parker asked with a questioning brow.
No. “Yes, I’m fine. Just a little nervous is all. I mean, this chick is important to you. So what she thinks of me matters to you, right? Yeah—”
Parker stopped walking and stood in front of me. “What she thinks don’t matter. I fuck with you hard, Syn, so calm down, we cool. And I don’t need you getting sick on my sister or nephew, for real,” he teased me.
My face contorted into a mean mug. “Shut up, you ass! Get on my damn nerves. I’m not going to get sick, I told you it was something I ate.”
“Whatever it is, you need to calm down. Syn, my sister is cool as hell, man, for real. So chill out, don’t let her see you nervous like this, man. You’re with me so you family now. Yah hear me?” He took hold of my face, staring me down.
I nodded my head even though I was so nervous. I really just wanted her to like me for his sake. “Okay. Parker, I swear she better like me.”
Parker laughed. “She will, i’ight? How about this, if I’m wrong you can go in my garage and have any car you want. Then you ain’t never got to say shit else to me. Bet?”
I felt my eyes widen at the thought of getting one of his cars. My nervousness quickly left. “Deal on the car thing, but I’m still going to be seeing you. If I get to pick any car I want, she ain’t never got to like me,” I burst out laughing at his crunched up face.
“Yo ass foul for that. Bring yo ass on.”
Laughing, I wrapped my arm around his waist and let him lead us to the field. Once we got closer to the bleachers those nervous feelings started to set in once again but I quickly shook them away. I had never been that nervous before in my life. Those sudden anxious feelings I was having, I couldn’t begin to explain where they were coming from. All I knew for sure was that they needed to go the hell away.
“Meka!” Parker suddenly yelled.
“Parker! Yo ghetto ass,” I whispered to him, laughing.
“P-Nut!” A tall, heavyset female yelled right back as she made her way towards us.
Once they were close, Parker let me go and embraced his sister. She was a pretty brown skinned female and she and Parker looked just alike. One glance and you knew they were related. The fight I started with him because of her had me feeling even more stupid now that I was actually looking at her.
“You must be Syn,” she asked, smiling hard at me.
I cut my eyes at Parker for telling her my name was Syn. “You can call me Angel.” As soon as those words left my mouth she pulled me into a hug.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Angel. P-Nut always talks about you. I must admit, though, his description of you does no justice. You’re a cute little chocolate thing,” she beamed at me. “Come on, let’s go talk. P-Nut, La’Var is on the bench, go let him know you’re here,” she waved Parker off then linked her arm with mine and took me to where she was sitting. “It really is nice to meet you. For a while I thought he was making you up to get me off his back,” she confessed with a laugh.
“Why would you think that?” I laughed along with her, but was confused.
“Because Parker’s real picky when it comes to women. You wouldn’t believe how many women I’ve tried hooking him up with and I mean some good females that were pretty, smart, and independent. He shot it down every time, constantly. It never went past the first date with him. I think he honesty went out with them to shut me up,” she told me. “I asked him why one day and he told me about you. Well kinda. He was real vague about it. He said something like, when I want to get serious with a chick I got a girl, the time just ain’t right. I remember that because I thought it was weird, so I let it go. That was like three maybe four years ago. And I can tell you I haven’t set him up on another date ever since. So you must be something special to him.”
I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and then looked out to the field where Parker was with a boy I assumed to be his nephew. I was trying even harder to read him now that she told me that. I looked away from him and back to her. “How do you know it was me and not someone else?” I asked.
Her eyes rolled and she laughed. “He had me get you a cellphone and I asked questions. That’s when he told me all about you. How you all met, how you kept shutting him down. I don’t know why, but he liked that. This year though, he wasn’t having that shit. I don’t know what you did, but girl you pissed him off. And now he’s spending weeks away from us, that’s not Parker. And he’s staying out at your place? Yeah, you’re something special if you got his attention the way you do.”
I thought back to the day he got me the cellphone and the time before he gave it to me. My hand covered my face and my head shook. It had to be the day I had sex with him in his truck and left him there. That had to be what pissed him off. With Meka telling me what she did, I felt excited to know that he was actually waiting on me. But that still didn’t answer my inner question. Why? What was it about me that attracted him to me? I wasn’t nothing special, just a plan old project girl with momma issues.
Laughing, I looked at her. “I did blow him off a lot. I honestly thought he was just another arrogant, conceited hood.” I shook my head now that I was seeing him outside of the club and in a new light. My original thoughts had changed.
“You thought? So are you open to him?” She asked me, but before I could respond she started talking again. “Angel, I don’t know you, but you seem like a real sweet down to earth person. You just have this vibe about you, it’s kind of innocent. I don’t know what that is, but you’re guarded. From what P-Nut has told me and just looking at you now, I could tell that the innocence you have, it’s like you pull it back whenever it tries to surface. Your body language gives you away. I’m real good at reading people.” She went on to explain to me.
I looked at her like she was crazy. She must have read my thoughts because she laughed.
“I’m not crazy, like I said I’m just real good at reading people. Your eyes and body language tell everything. My point is, I want my brother happy, not hurt. Parker will be honest and open with you about anything you ask him. There are no secrets with him. Can you be like that with him? Let that guard you have down completely with him?” She turned to stare at me.
I looked at her to Parker. “I don’t think it’s nothing innocent about me at all. Being open to Parker is something I would like to do. Well, I’m trying, like really trying too.” I looked back to her and shrugged. “But I don’t know how to be. This is something completely new to me, so I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m just going off of his vibe in a way while trying to protect myself. Regardless of my feeling, I think I really like him.” My eyes rolled and I started laughing at how that sounded.
“You think?” She laughed.
“That sounded so stupid, I can’t believe I said that,” I covered my face and laughed into my hands.
Her shoulder hit mine. “I think you like him, too. So I don’t have to threaten you not to hurt my brother. Just know, tho, if he’s bringing you
around us then that means you’re officially with him. So you’re family. And believe I’m not just saying this because he’s my brother. I don’t like doggish ass men, I know the damage they can cause. If Parker was one, I’d be straight up with you about it.”
Meka’s words brought me some comfort. Even though I had started to see that Parker wasn’t a hoe, it was nice hearing that he wasn’t a dog as well. I didn’t know why I believed her, but she seemed sincere about him. I really did like Parker and I was scared, but the way he’d been making me feel, I wanted that and I wasn’t ready to let it go just yet.
At the end of the day all I really had to lose was my pride and my feelings. Hell, I’d reclaimed those two emotions back before, but a part of me felt that I didn’t have to worry about that with Parker.
I turned toward him and watched him with his nephew. A smile came to my lips as I saw Parker push his nephew to the ground. The little boy got back up with his fist raised and took a swing at Parker. He caught La’Var’s fist and then slammed him again. I let out a laugh and shook my head at them. La’Var suddenly said something to Parker and they stopped playing around. His nephew pointed to his coach. He then gave Parker a hug and ran back to the benches.
“He’s glad P-Nut’s here,” Meka said, pointing to her son. “That’s all he’s been talking about, Parker being here for his game. He loves his uncle.”
“And his uncle loves him,” I told her. “When Parker was telling me about him, he had this shine in his eyes like that was his son.” I laughed after saying that, thinking about when I flipped out on him.
Meka laughed and nodded. “Yeah, he’s been like a father figure to La’Var ever since his dad died a few years back. Parker stepped up and took on that responsibility. He’s good with him.” She looked over at her brother and then at me. “He’s just putting in practice for when he gets his army.”