by Jade Jones
Quay rolled his eyes. “This nigga,” he muttered. Where the fuck does she meet these weak ass niggas?
Shayla quickly jumped up in her husband’s face. “Romeo, you seriously need to calm your ass down!” she yelled. “What’s gotten into you? We ain’t been together in months and now you show up and pull this shit? You have no right—”
“Don’t tell me what the fuck I gotta right to do! You’re my wife! I shouldn’t have to find out from ya girl you out kickin’ it with some fuck nigga. How did you think I would react? You know me! You know how the fuck I get down!”
Now it was Quay’s turn to jump up. “Hol’ up. Hol’ up. You married to this clown?” he asked Shayla.
“Pussy nigga, keep fuckin’ with me! I’mma put my mufuckin’ foot off in ya ass!” Romeo yoked Quay up by the collar of his shirt, and Shayla quickly jumped between them before things escalated. They were creating a huge scene in the quaint two-level restaurant.
“Romeo, stop!” Shayla snapped.
Quay rounded on her. “In the bar I asked who the nigga was and you told me he was a fuckin’ nobody.” He looked genuinely disappointed by Shayla’s deception. She actually felt bad for not keeping it one hundred sooner. “If it’s one thing I hate it’s a liar, lil’ mama.”
“And if it’s one thing I hate, it’s a dog sniffin’ after my bitch,” Romeo piped up.
Quay pushed past them with an attitude and headed towards the exit. “Fuck you, nigga. Keep talkin’ that shit. I’mma show you just how cutthroat this dog can be.”
Romeo held his hands out, welcoming an altercation. “Don’t talk me to death, blood. I’m an advocate of action, ya dig?”
“Romeo, stop it! You’re acting like a dick, for real. What the hell is wrong with you?”
“I love yo’ mufuckin’ ass! That’s what the fuck’s wrong with me.”
“No you don’t. You just hate the idea of me being with someone else. You’re selfish. I don't get you, Romeo. You don't want me but you don't want nobody else to have me. That's fucked up,” she said. “Don’t be mad now ‘cuz somebody else appreciates what you took for granted. I’m sorry, Romeo, but I can’t take any more of the back and forth. I can’t play these games with you. It’s driving me crazy!”
“It’s driving me crazy too, baby. I ain’t ever went this far with nobody. I love the fuck out’chu. I don’t know what the fuck to do—but I’m trying.”
Shayla shook her head in disagreement. “You are not trying, Romeo. You may think you are, but you are not trying—”
“I’m here now…”
“It’s too late, Romeo. I hate to say it, but it’s too fucking late…” Shayla turned to leave, but Romeo grabbed her wrist from behind. Turning her around to face him, he grabbed her by the jaws rather roughly.
“Is you fuckin’ him?” he asked through clenched teeth.
“What? Seriously, Romeo? Let go of me! You’re hurting me!”
“Did you fuck that nigga?!” he yelled.
“Stop it! You’re embarrassing me—”
“Shay, if you go after that nigga, I'm through wit'cho mufuckin ass. I put that shit on everything!”
Shayla pushed him off and turned to leave, but he yanked her towards him again. “If you love a nigga like you say you do, you ain’t gon’ just walk away from me.”
“We cannot coexist!” Shayla screamed. She snatched her arm away, and his fingernails accidentally sliced her skin. “It’s over, Romeo! I’m done!”
“Fuck you mean you done?” Lines creased his forehead as he searched her eyes for compassion; for the woman he’d fallen in love with. Sadly, he saw neither.
Romeo couldn’t believe the next set of words that came out of her mouth.
“…I want a divorce…”
He opened his mouth to protest but could think of nothing to say. In silence, Romeo watched his girl walk away from him for good.
“Quay, hold on!” Shayla called out. He had just opened the door to his car when she reached him in the parking lot.
She assumed he was preparing to leave after Romeo’s temper tantrum, but he was actually retrieving his gun. Shayla and Romeo didn’t know it, but the young cat was certified crazy. He’d caught his first body at fourteen, and wasn’t afraid or apologetic about taking a life.
“Why you ain’t tell me that nigga was yo’ husband?”
“I’m sorry, Quay. Look, it’s complicated. I knew that you wouldn’t understand so I didn’t mention it—but I swear I was gonna tell you.”
“Man, I don’t like that lyin’ shit, shawty.”
“From here on out, I promise there’ll be no more secrets between us.”
Quay looked deep in Shayla’s beautiful, brown eyes and saw her soul. She meant well, and he knew that she was a good girl. Maybe a little too good for a hood nigga like him, but he still wanted her, nonetheless.
Suddenly, Romeo appeared in the parking lot. Shayla’s back was faced towards him so she didn’t see the sadness in his eyes. He was heartbroken.
Quay, pleased that he’d come out the victor, decided to taunt Romeo a little. Grabbing Shayla by the nape of her neck, he pulled her close and kissed her aggressively. He didn’t hold back the urge to slide his tongue inside her mouth.
Several feet away, her husband stood with gritted teeth and clenched fists. It took everything in Romeo not to run up on him. Quay showed the ultimate disrespect by grabbing Shayla’s ass during the sloppy kiss. He wanted Romeo to witness her choose a real nigga.
“Don’t do that shit again, aight. I don’t wanna make a habit out of lyin’ to each other.”
“I agree. As long as you keep it real with me, I’mma be real with you,” she said. “I wanna take things slow, Quay…but I promise you can expect nothing but honesty from me.”
Quay loved the way that sounded, though he’d never admit to her that he was in fact a jack boy. “Aight then, bet. Let’s get up outta here.”
Romeo was forced to watch the love of his life climb in the car with a nigga he knew wasn’t shit. At the end of the day, he couldn’t blame anyone but himself. Shayla had told him countless times that she wouldn’t wait for him forever. Unfortunately, Romeo had taken her threats for granted. His time had finally run out.
15
After Quay dropped Shayla off, she called up her so-called girl to check her ass. Kimberlyn answered on the third ring.
“Hey, boo.”
“No, don’t ‘hey boo’ me. You fucked up, Kim! Why would you tell Romeo that I was with Quay? And more importantly, why the fuck would you tell him where we were? You know how Romeo is! I don’t ever be jumping in the middle of you and Dez’s shit! That’s messed up!”
“What was I supposed to say? The nigga called me wanting to know where you were! I said having lunch and he asked if you were solo—”
“Don’t gimme that bullshit! You could’ve fucking lied. You don’t seem to have a problem doing it any other time!”
“Shay, I’m sorry, but dude is your husband—”
“Stay the fuck out my business, Kim! Yo’ ass is dead to me!” Shayla hung up on Kimberlyn before she could respond, and then blocked her from calling.
They were supposed to be girls. Kim should’ve never put a man over their friendship. She was definitely out of line. Suddenly, Shayla had to step back and analyze their relationship. Maybe Kimberlyn wasn’t as loyal as she thought she was. How could she still be a friend to Nina after the foul shit she did with Dexter?
Hmph! Those hoes are cut from the same damn cloth, Shayla thought.
***
Apollo rested his head on Liberty’s lap while she gently scratched his scalp. He could fall asleep with her doing that shit. They were relaxing on a picnic blanket at Piedmont Park. She had prepared toasted Ciabatta sandwiches and fresh squeezed lemonade for lunch. It felt good to take a break from all the chaos and chill with her. Liberty was probably the most normal thing in his life. Not even Trip or her crazy ass antics could keep Apollo away.
&nbs
p; It’d been a while since Liberty had last been on a date. Even when she and her ex were together, Trip wasn’t the most romantic. She certainly wasn’t the outdoorsy type. Liberty, on the other hand, was an extreme lover of nature. Damn, why haven’t I ever noticed how much we didn’t have in common, she asked herself. Suddenly, Liberty began to rethink the last three years of her life. Had she wasted all that precious time on Alexandria?
“Can I tell you a secret?” Liberty said.
Apollo opened his eyes and looked up at her. “Tell me a secret, baby…”
Liberty studied the way the sun reflected off his beautiful gray eyes. She admired the faint scar on his lip from a prison fight that occurred two years earlier. He was sexy, and yet rough around the edges. He had the whole enigmatic bad boy thing going on—but he was still gentle to a certain extent.
“I haven’t dated a man in almost four years…”
Apollo held his hand up to shield the sun. Squinting his eyes a little, he tried to read Liberty. When he realized he couldn’t, he finally asked, “Is there a reason you tellin’ me that?”
“Not really.”
“What’chu think? I’mma blow yo’ mind when I finally get in that?”
Liberty blushed and laughed. “You already blowing my mind,” she confessed.
Apollo sucked his teeth since he didn’t believe her. “Man, come on now. Man, is you serious? Stop gamin’ me.”
“I’m serious. You intrigue me.”
His lips curled upward. He still wasn’t falling for the okie-doke. “What about a nigga intrigues you?”
Liberty shrugged. “I don’t know. Everything. Your demeanor. The way you walk, the way you talk…”
Apollo listened to her sentimental words. Prison and the street life had hardened him, so he didn’t quite know how to take it. He wasn’t with the whole title shit, but Liberty was his—whether she knew it yet or not.
“C’mere,” he finally said.
Liberty smiled bashfully. “What?”
“You heard me. C’mere. Lemme kiss ya lil’ mouth.”
Apollo lightly grabbed hold of her neck and pulled her towards him. Their lips connected in a passionate kiss. When they pulled apart, she gazed into his slate-colored eyes. Apollo had her trapped by his thug charm…and not even her crazy ass ex could break the spell.
After their picnic date, he treated her to Morelli’s Gourmet ice cream. Liberty loved that she was able to be herself around him. For years, Trip had always criticized her for her weight. She even scolded her about her calorie intake. The shit was a nightmare. But with Apollo, he embraced her curvy size. Every so often, he even paid her a compliment or two—nothing too ostentatious. Just enough to let her know that she was perfect for him. His pops had taught him a while back that there were three things women needed: food, water, and compliments.
Liberty was surprised when she came home to an empty house later on that night. Knowing Luke, he was probably at Tiffany’s or running the streets with his friends.
Apollo grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and made himself comfortable on her sofa.
“Oh, I didn’t even tell you what I found in Luke’s room the other day.”
Apollo tore his gaze away from Sports Center long enough to look at her and ask, “What?”
A wicked grin spread across her lips as she dug in her purse and extracted a dub. As soon as he saw the pink frosted hemp he knew immediately that it was their shit. Damn, Pink Dragon really went global, he thought.
Apollo had no idea that it was actually a competitor’s brand he was staring at. Someone out there was peddling the exact same weed—only this time there was no middleman.
“After I slapped his ass I took it.” She joined him on the sofa.
“Young niggas will be young niggas,” he said.
“Not Luke. He needs to be thinking about college. Not fucking off like most of these teenage dudes.”
“He’s still young. He’ll get it together.” Apollo could take one look at the kid and see that he was bright. Apollo had been a fuck up all his life, so he only had two choices: either the street life or the grave. Luckily, he chose the former.
“I hope so,” Liberty said. “You wanna fire up?”
“You know I do.”
Apollo pulled a pack of Dutch’s out his back pocket, and sprinkled the weed on her coffee table. Liberty’s clit jumped as she watched him lick the cigar. Something about seeing a man roll up turned her on. Or perhaps it was just Apollo. Either way, he had her sexual senses on high alert.
“Keep lookin’ at me like that, I’mma fuck yo’ thick ass,” he warned her.
Liberty shyly looked away.
Once Apollo had that mothafucka nice and pearled, he passed it to Liberty to do the honors. They smoked, chilled, and talked about everything under the sun.
Apollo could chop it up with her for hours on end, and he almost did until Dez called him up.
“Damn, what time is it?” he looked at his phone and noticed it was 8:30 p.m.
“You gotta go?” Liberty asked. She tried her best not to sound disappointed.
“Yeah, I should prolly slide. Come walk me to the door though.” Apollo straightened up his jeans and stood. When Liberty wasn’t looking, he massaged his erection in an attempt to make it go down. She had his shit harder than a bitch.
Liberty led the way to the front door and opened it.
Apollo stalled as he waited on his hug. She obliged, wrapping her arms around his tattooed neck; she had to stand on her tiptoes a little. He didn’t miss the opportunity to squeeze on her ass. The erection he’d worked so hard to put away quickly sprang back to the life.
Liberty boldly gave his dick a gentle squeeze through his jeans.
“Don’t be grabbin’ on that mufucka like you gon’ do somethin’. Like you want work.”
“I might want to,” she whispered.
Apollo quietly closed the door behind him. “Fuck that. Dat nigga just gon’ have to wait then.” He leaned down and covered his mouth over hers, his hands exploring her curvaceous figure.
A soft moan escaped Liberty’s throat when his lips reached her neck. That was her spot.
“Put your arms around my neck, baby,” he whispered. Apollo cupped her ass, preparing to lift her off her feet.
If he can pick my big ass up, she thought.
Liberty wrapped her arms around Apollo’s neck, and he effortlessly lifted her up and carried her to the bedroom. For a nigga who bench-pressed 350 on the regular, she was light weight.
When Apollo reached the queen-sized bed, he gently placed her down. Liberty assisted with helping him remove his shirt. Gliding her fingers across his bare chest, she admired every tattoo and imperfection she saw. Three dime-sized scars were covered by ink from where he’d been shot at 19.
“What do these tattoos mean?” she asked, pointing to his set.
“Society labeled a nigga a heathen, so I figured I’d brand myself like one.”
“How did this happen?” she asked, lightly touching his scar.
Apollo chuckled. “You ask a lot of fuckin’ questions, yo.”
“I wanna know everything about you…”
“In time you will.”
Liberty fingered the waistline of his jeans. Her mouth watered at the delightful sight of his abdominal V-cut. A mass of curly black hairs peaked out at the top of his boxers. It had been almost four years since she last let a nigga hit, and almost three since the last time he had some.
Liberty ran her hand across his erection through his jeans. She could clearly see that homeboy was packing. She reached for the button to his jeans, but Apollo surprised her by pushing her backwards. He wanted to let her ass know that he ran shit in the bedroom.
“Take yo’ clothes off. Lemme see dat pretty ass body.” He slowly undressed as he waited for her to do the same.
Liberty blushed as she timidly did as she was told. Once she was fully nude, she tried to cover up her belly.
“Move ya hand.
I wanna look at you,” he said, stroking his curved dick.
Liberty slowly removed her arm so he could take in an eyeful. Apollo licked his dark lips in wantonness. She had his shit at a solid 11-inches. Veins pulsated as he pulled and gripped his rod softly. As much as he wanted to dive in, he preferred savoring the moment.
Gently grabbing her leg, Apollo lifted her foot towards his lips and sucked on her toes. He took his time as he worked his way up her thigh. When he reached her center, he pulled her down towards the edge of the bed, and feasted like a starved animal.
Liberty subconsciously pulled on his dreads as he sucked, kissed, and chewed on her sweet pussy. She gasped when his long tongue slithered across her asshole. There wasn’t an area on her he wouldn’t explore.
When Apollo could no longer wait, he crawled in between her legs and rested the tip of his anaconda at her base.
Liberty quickly placed her hand on his torso to stop him.
“Stop playin’ and lemme put this dick in yo’ body, baby.”
Before Liberty could get the word ‘condom’ out, Apollo invaded her tight threshold. A high-pitched wail bounced off the bedroom’s walls, and it took a moment to realize it’d come from her. Interlocking their fingers, Apollo pinned her arms high above her head.
Liberty wrapped her legs around his waist for dear life. Apollo didn’t just stroke the kitty—he punished it.
“You feel my dick up in yo’ pussy?” he asked. “This my hole. You hear me?” He wrapped a large hand around her throat and squeezed lightly.
“Oh shit! Yes, baby,” she purred.
Apollo was amazed by how tightly she gripped his dick. Trip had never penetrated her during their relationship; dildos just weren’t her thing.
“This my mufuckin’ pussy,” he repeated. “Turn that ass over.”
Liberty obeyed his every command. Apollo kissed each of her booty cheeks before giving them both a firm smack. Next, he licked her pussy from the back until she shivered and shook with multiple orgasms.
Liberty was soaking wet when he stuffed every inch of dick inside from the back. “Damn, this mufucka so deep,” he groaned. Grabbing a handful of her hair, he hit it from the back.