by J Peach
I thought back on the text and voice messages he had been sending me. Irritation filled me more. He had been saying he wanted to see them, and he was probably going to try to convince them that we should come home. Hell, that was the only other reason I could think of. It actually made sense. Because he couldn’t get through to me, he would try to work through them.
Jerome stopped me once I slung my bag over my shoulder. “Where you going?”
“I need to go back to the hotel and make sure my kids are alright. Look, I don’t know what’s going on in Trell’s head right now. I know he can’t get to the kids because we changed rooms, but I… I just need to make sure. You know?”
“They’re good, I promise you…” he said while dialing on his phone.
“I just need to make sure of that—”
“Snoop, those kids ain’t left that room, have they?” he asked into the receiver.
My brows furrowed in confusion. Was he talking about my kids? Did he have someone watching them?
A deep male voice came through the line seconds later. “No, ain’t nobody left out yet, and little dude ain’t been playing in the hallways. Nigga, you done already texted me twice tonight. Dude, if something happens, I’ll call yo’ ass. Damn, I know how to watch fuckin’ kids… well, not really, but still, I know how to keep eyes on a mothafucka. Jolly, don’t call or text me no fuckin’ more. If shit changes, I’ll hit you up. Bet?” The man sounded irritated as hell by Jerome’s constant contact.
Jerome ignored Snoop and looked back at me. “Is that clarification cool for you?” he asked.
I actually did feel relieved that someone was able to tell me that they were cool in an instant. “Yeah.” I nodded.
“I’ight,” he said to the caller then hung up. “You good?”
I just stared at Jerome while trying to figure him out. “Why do you have someone watching our room?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t know I needed a reason to do that.” His shoulders moved once again in that uncaring manner.
“Jerome, I’m being serious right now. Why?” I didn’t understand him at all. What I expected him to be, he continued to show me that he was the complete opposite of a ruthless thug.
His hand rubbed over his face, and he looked away from me. “Shid, given the type of mother you are, I felt you would feel better knowing that they were safe. Plus, I don’t trust yo’ ex nigga. Dude seems like a snake, and those hoes are unpredictable. I didn’t want him to pop up at the hotel and accidentally run into the kids and figure out you weren’t there. Ain’t no telling what his ass would do.”
I hugged him tightly. His actions were selfless, and I hadn’t had anyone to do something like that for me in a long time. So, for Jerome to take it upon himself to have someone he trusted to look after my kids meant so much to me.
“Thank you.” All I could do was hug him. I felt Jerome’s hesitation before his body eased, and he hugged me back.
“It’s cool. You ain’t got to do all this shit. It’s good,” he stated, and I got the feeling that he wasn’t used to someone showing him gratitude or appreciation, period.
“I know I don’t have to, but I wanted to. It means a lot that you did this, especially because you didn’t have to. You don’t have to do anything you’re doing for me, Jerome.”
It seemed like he was always finding a way to help me out in some way or another. Like, him standing up to Montrell and fighting him, and even him talking to Kaeden. He didn’t have to do any of that, yet he had.
My hands went to the side of his face, and I stood on my tiptoes, bringing him closer to me. I kissed him before he could reply. I didn’t want to get that same uncaring response or that damn nonchalant shrug he always gave.
“Thank you…” I mumbled against his mouth. My eyes slid to his soft lips. Tracing my thumb over his mouth, I smile before kissing him again. My head tilted as my arms slid around his neck, and our tongues twisted together. I moaned into his mouth while trying to get even closer to him as that ache started between my thighs.
Jerome’s hand went to my ponytail, and he roughly pulled my head back while groaning. “Don’t start that shit back here. I ain’t tryna fuck you in this locker room, but if yo’ ass keeps kissing me like you want some, that’s where this shit gonna lead to,” he warned. “So, what you trying to do?”
Laughing, I pecked his lips once more then moved back. “I was just thanking you.”
Taking my hand, he turned me around, so I was facing the door, then he got behind me. His pelvis pressed into my back, and I felt his very thick and hard aroused soldier.
“You done thanked me enough. At this point,” his pelvis rubbed into me, “Yo’ ass teasing. You knew what the fuck yo’ ass was doing when you kissed me like that.” His head dropped to my shoulder, where he bit the skin.
Instinctively, my head moved to the side, giving him the access that he needed. When I did that, he groaned and pulled away from me.
“Yo’ ass on some straight bullshit.” He laughed then popped me hard on my ass. “Get yo’ nasty ass out in the gym, so you can work some of this sexual frustration off me.”
“You and your cousin, Akil, seem close. You’re different with him, I’ve noticed that. You’re more leveled and not so… angry.” Janessa chuckled as she glanced back at Akil and Nya, who were walking along the beach shore behind us.
Since Janessa was so cautious and didn’t want to be caught with me on a date, Nya found a dope ass restaurant that was on the beach called The Sea Breeze. It was a bit romantic for my taste, but I wasn’t complaining. That was just one of the spots, Akil and Nya went out to.
“Why I got to be angry? How come this just can’t be who I am?” I glanced down at Janessa to catch her brows furrowing.
She shrugged at that then chuckled. “I guess it could be that. I just didn’t want to think this whole, asshole, rude persona is your actual personality. When I saw how you are with your cousin, I figured… you know.” She explained while once again, glancing back at Nya and Akil.
Coming to a bench, I grabbed her hand and pulled her over to it. Once she sat down, she pulled off her heels. “Y’all can gone ’head, we’ll catch up,” I told Akil while sitting on top of the bench. He nodded and kept on walking. “Shit different with Killah because it’s more of a respect thing between us. Like, when my brother and I got charged with killing our pops, Killah and Ashaun looked out for us when they didn’t have to. Shid, damn near our whole family shut us out, even though they knew how my pops was, but not Shaun and Akil.”
“That’s fucked up to have your family turn their backs on you, but I’m glad you had them.” Janessa stared down at her hands for a second before her eyes met mine. “Is this the date where we’re going to be completely honest with each other?” she asked.
I laughed because I knew there was some shit that she wanted to ask me. “Yeah, you can ask me whatever, and I’ll be honest with you. I’m expecting the same thing in return, though, just so you know.”
“I figured you would. So, let me ask you this, and you don’t have to answer. When we first met, why didn’t you like me? Jerome, don’t lie and say you did because yo’ ass used to snap off on me for no reason at all.”
Deciding to be straight up with her, I pointed to my head. “You were fuckin’ with my mental. I was attracted to you, but I saw through that façade you had up. Yo’ ass might get slick at the mouth, but the whole brass knuckles and shit wasn’t you—”
Janessa’s lips popped loudly, and she rolled her eyes at my reply. “If you’re going to lie, keep that shit to yourself. How did me not wanting to be seen as a pushover, piss you off? What sense does that make, Jerome? I’m stepping into something I have no clue or experience about, the admin told me not to show fear and don’t let y’all run over me. Which I wasn’t going to do. So, how did me doing that get a reaction like that out of you?” she asked, seeming a bit irritated.
From her attitude, I knew that question had been on her mind for a while,
and she was just waiting for that moment to get it out. I laughed and leaned back uncomfortably on my elbows as I stared at her.
“Don’t look at me like that.” Her lips twisted up, and she averted her eyes from me.
Again, I chuckled. “Yo’ ass been waiting to get that shit out, huh?”
Janessa’s lips twitched, and she chuckled while letting out a breath. “I really have been, but since you said, wait until the date to ask questions, I’ve been holding that in. So, now answer the question honestly,” she urged.
Licking my lips, I nodded. “Straight up, everything I just told you, and I saw some similarities you had to my momma. That really fucked me up. I was attracted to you, but I hated those resemblances you had to her. Man, you just don’t know how much you were fuckin’ with my head. Straight the fuck up, and that shit had me hating yo ass, but it didn’t change the fact that I was still attracted to you.”
She hummed and nodded at that. “I kind of figured it was something like that after reading your file. I’m not like her, though.”
I nodded at that because she was right. “Yeah, I see that now. It took me a minute to realize that. I think it was when we were at the gym, and yo ass snapped back at me. Akil had talked to me too. Shid, you have to understand, I’m not used to feelings like these either.” Which I wasn’t. I mean, the only emotion I was knowingly good with was rage. I knew how to channel that, which was why it was so easy for me to accept that emotion.
The other shit Nessa had me feeling really fucked with my head because I didn’t know how to take those feelings in. Hell, I still didn’t. And when thoughts of my momma came back to me, I flipped because I didn’t understand why they had returned aside from it had something to do with Janessa.
“On top of that, you weren’t good for my mental like I said. Deadass, Nessa, I ain’t thought about my momma since the day Jonell and I got locked up. That bitch became dead to me that fuckin’ day, yo. Then, here yo’ ass come. I saw yo’ shit busted up, and my mind had twisted everything. I started seeing how my pops used to whoop on my momma, then the shit turned from her getting her ass beat to you. The shit was fuckin’ with me bad, and the more I snapped at yo’ ass, the worse the bullshit got. Which was why I kind of toned shit down with you, I needed to figure that shit out. I told Nelly you was fuckin’ poison.” I laughed, thinking about how fucked up I was behind Janessa in the beginning.
“I didn’t know that. If I had then... I don’t know, that’s crazy, honestly. I’m glad you see I’m nothing like her. I would have never testified against my kids. I would’ve taken the charge myself.” Janessa bit her bottom lip as her head shook. I could tell that was an instinctive action and that she was actually thinking. “I could never put any man before my kids, father or not. I can’t do it.”
I shrugged. “Like I said, y’all ain’t alike. But fuck that bitch, she’s dead to me now.”
“Do you really not care for your mom at all?” She seemed a little put off by the way I talked about her.
“Hell no. Why should I? Fuck that bitch. Real shit, I don’t feel no way toward her. I don’t hate her, nor do I love her.” I shrugged once again as I decided to change the subject. “What about you and yo’ people? Shid, why you ain’t go stay with yo’ folks instead of a hotel unless they dead. If that’s the case, my bad.”
She stared at me for a few seconds, then chuckled. “You really can’t help yourself; this is really how you are.”
“I told you that. Now, tell me, is yo’ people dead?”
Janessa stood from the bench and nodded to the side. “Let’s walk and talk.” She held her hand out for me. I took it, and she entwined our fingers while leading the way. “No, they’re not dead, but they don’t want to have anything to do with me.” She fell silent and just continued to walk.
Five or ten minutes had gone by, and still, she said nothing. She seemed sad about whatever happened.
“What you do?” I stopped her from walking and moved in front of her. When she didn’t say anything after a while, I grabbed her chin and tilted her head back so that she was looking at me. “Come on now, I done told you mostly everything about me and my shit.”
She blew out a heavy breath and met my eyes. “I got pregnant.”
My brows rose at what she said. I was expecting her to say more, but she simply shrugged. “That’s it?”
Janessa popped me in the stomach, and I laughed. “Don’t say it like that’s nothing. My parents didn’t like my ex, because he was a hood and heavy in the streets, plus he was older than me. So, when I got pregnant, and they found out, they put me out because I didn’t listen to them. They didn’t want me to tarnish their uppity name. I was hurt and upset, but I moved in with my kids’ father. Things were good between us. He treated me right, but the fast money and streets were his life. It wasn’t until I had Kae that he got caught up and went to prison.” She paused and let out another heavy breath.
“I went to my folks for help, and they slammed the door in my face. We ended up homeless. I was doing what I could, you know? Working, going to school, but I couldn’t afford a place for us. Then I met Trell, and he helped us out a lot,” she explained before shrugging. “So, yeah, that’s my life story.”
“Damn. That’s fucked up yo’ folks put you out because yo’ ass was chasing dick.” Janessa went to hit me again, but I grabbed her arms. “I'm dead ass serious. That’s some crazy shit for real. So, because you got pregnant, they disowned yo’ ass?” My arms went around her waist, and I pulled her closer to me.
She nodded at my question while rubbing up my arms. “Yup, they were strict as hell, and I messed up, so they threw me out and didn’t want anything to do with me or the kids. I have other family around, but my folks made us outcasts to them, so because I’m their daughter, I became the black sheep of the family. I’m not mad about it, though. Yeah, I hate how everything is, but,” she shrugged and looked up at me, “it is what it is. I have my kids who give me the strength of superwoman, and that’s the reason I can get through anything.”
As Janessa spoke that last bit, a small smile came to her face, one I doubt she even realized she was sporting. That told me she really meant what the fuck had come out of her mouth. Oddly, that made her even more attractive to me. Janessa wasn’t the weak woman I thought she was in the beginning; shorty was so much more. I now saw why she stayed with dude for so damn long and put up with his bullshit.
“Yo’ folks are dumb as fuck. I’m glad it’s more to you than I thought, and that’s a good thing. Shid, yo’ mindset also explains yo’ damn son, though, for real. His approach and the way he talks, he’s mature for his age.” I laughed, thinking about that little dude. “I’m still not over the fact that little mothafucka—”
Janessa hit me in the chest. “Don’t refer to my son as a little mothafucka. His name is Kaeden or just Kae.”
“You better keep yo’ hands to yoself.” My hand smacked against her ass hard before I gripped and squeezed it. Janessa’s lips pursed, and she looked away from me as she seemed to blush. “Oh, yeah, how many niggas have you been with?”
“Oh, my God!” Her hands left my arms and went to her face.
“Hell no, don’t do that shit. I done already told yo’ ass we talking about everything on this damn date. That was the whole reason for us waiting to ask shit. Now, come on, tell me how many niggas you done let slide into yo’ pussy.”
“Jerome!” She hit me again while laughing. “I don’t see how this is even important, honestly.”
“It’s not, but I wanna know. I’m not tryna be walking around with yo’ ass and hella niggas start recognizing you because they done fucked you or some shit. I’m not tryna be with no hoe. I’m not saying yo’ ass one. I mean, yo’ pussy tight as fuck, so I know it can’t be that many niggas that done had it.”
Janessa’s head fell against my chest as her shoulders began to shake. “Oh, my God.” She laughed. “You seriously don’t think before you speak. I’m so glad nobody is around us.�
�� Glancing up at me, she shook her head before groaning. “Fine, I’ve only been with two men, my kids’ dad and Trell. That’s it. Now you. How many chicks.” I pulled away from Janessa and walked around her. She grabbed the back of my shirt and got back in front of me. “Oh, hell, no, you don’t. We’re being honest, so tell me. I need to make sure I’m not with a hoe,” she repeated after me, and I burst out laughing.
“I’m not a hoe… it’s more than two, though, I can tell yo’ ass that now. Shid, I started fuckin’ young too. Hell, I was about thirteen when I got my first taste of pussy. Then when I got locked up… Man, I can’t even count the different C.O’s I hit. Those bitches were sexy as fuck…” Janessa’s eyes rolled at that comment. “They weren’t fuckin’ with you, though, but they were something to do at that moment. I know a few of them were hoping for something serious once I got released, but I wasn’t on that bullshit.”
“Mhm… tell me anything, Jerome.” Her lips twisted as she turned around and started walking away.
Laughing, I grabbed her from behind, wrapping my arms around her waist. “I ain’t bullshitting. What the fuck I look like getting serious with any of those bitches? I wasn’t the only inmate fuckin’ them.” I told her honestly. I didn’t know why I felt the need to let her ass know that shit.
“What happened to that one girl you were at the hotel with? What? You just dropped her?” She glanced up at me from over her shoulder.
“I wouldn’t say I dropped her. We weren’t for real. She was a stripper I met when I first got out. We just fucked a couple times, and that was it. I told yo’ ass that day, it wasn’t shit going on with that babe. Matter fact, I ain’t seen or talked to her since that night.” I hadn’t even thought about Diamond’s ass since that night at the hotel.
“Okay, cool, because I’m not the type to be fighting over somebody else’s man. Now, if you’re telling me there was nothing with that girl, I’m taking your word on that.”
Janessa saying that told me right then that she never went through my cell phone when she had it.