by Natavia
I dragged her by her weave and snatched her ass down the stairs. She was screaming for Trell to help her out, but he stood in the doorway and watched.
“Get off of me!” Kabella cried out while I swung on her. I couldn’t stop hitting her if I wanted to. The thing that pissed me off the most was that she couldn’t be happy for me. I wanted out because I saw how crazy it was getting for me because of Adrian. Kabella couldn’t accept I wanted happiness. Her hair was coming out of her scalp as I dragged her across the sidewalk.
“You want to fuck my sister’s nigga, bitch? I bet you’re the one who got her fired!” I yelled at her. She laid on the ground covering her face while I kicked her in the head. Trell grabbed me and told me to chill out before I killed her. I clocked him in the face, too, and he pushed me against the rail.
“FUCK, DREAM!” he said.
“I’m telling Naya so she can move on and get her a better man!”
“It’s not your job to tell, just like it ain’t mine to tell my brother you’re a hoe! Besides, I only came here to get some shit I had stored in the closet. I cut her off, that’s why she’s acting dumb,” Trell said.
“I’m calling the police!” Kabella cried.
“No, you’re not, don’t be stupid. You already know how I take that as a threat. You’ll end up stankin’ somewhere,” Trell said to her. He dropped her house key on the ground next to her before walking off. Kabella crawled up the stairs with a bloody face and missing patches of hair.
“You’re gonna regret this! I’m pregnant!” she sobbed.
“No, you’re not. You had a hysterectomy ten years ago! That powder has you hallucinating.”
Kabella crawled into her house and slammed the door. I hurried to my car and got out of dodge in case she actually called the police.
***********
Tryst was in the living room talking to Jasma when I came into the house. He was trying to feed her leftover lasagna I cooked the night before.
“Come on, baby girl. This shi—I mean this stuff is good,” he said. He slid the spoon into her mouth and her small cheeks were full. I took off my shoes before entering the living room.
“Now you know you can’t eat in the living room. You’re setting a bad example already,” I told him. I sat on the couch next to them. Tryst was gentle when he wiped off her small face. Jasma sort of smacked Tryst’s hand away. It had to be hard for her being around strangers.
“Yo, I cannot believe Jonna is so gone like that. It’s crazy how most of the kids I went to school with are addicts. She did the right thing though by telling me she couldn’t do it,” Tryst said.
“I just hope Jonna doesn’t change her mind because legally she can get her baby back and you’d have to go through a long process.”
“Why you got on fighting gear?” he asked.
“I had to put hands on Kabella for spreading rumors about me. Did you know Trell was sleepin’ with her?”
“That’s not my business but let Trell tell your sister. He said he was going to once the time is right,” Tryst replied.
Deerie came into the house with bags from Target. Tryst must’ve called her after he called me. She had a lot of things, even toys.
“I was just grabbing things. There’s more stuff outside in my car,” Deerie said to Tryst. He yawned before getting up, causing me to yawn, too.
“Tryst is young and old,” Deerie said and I agreed.
Jasma yawned herself after she laid across the couch. Deerie picked her up to give her a bath but I told her I’d do it since she bought her so many things. Jasma didn’t cry when I picked her up, she actually laid her head on my shoulder. I took Jasma’s clothes off after I ran her a bubble bath. Me and Naya used to babysit when we were younger for tennis shoe money, so I knew a little something about kids.
I put Jasma in the tub and she splashed water on me. She thought it was funny when soap suds flew into my face.
“What’s your name?” she asked in her baby voice. I wasn’t expecting her to talk so clear but then again, I watched kids her age before and they could hold a whole conversation.
“You can call me, Yomi.”
“You live here?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“I don’t want to live here. I want my mommy,” she said sadly.
“Your mommy is sick, so you’re staying here until she feels better.”
While she was splashing the water, I took out her ponytails. Her hair was sort of matted into a ponytail. I assumed her mother was just brushing over it without taking them out. I went underneath the sink to get hair conditioner and a shower cap. She cried a little because her scalp was hurting. Tryst came into the bathroom with his eyes covered.
“What are you doing?” I asked him.
“I gotta respect her privacy,” Tryst said.
“You don’t have to do that right now,” I said.
I wasn’t in the mood for laughing after what happened to my money, but Tryst was the type of man that brought good energy. Nothing else seemed to matter whenever I was with him. Tryst uncovered his eyes after he sat on the toilet seat. I had to explain to him why Jasma had on a shower cap.
“I swear this is bad timing. I’m gonna be pushin’ double than before. Trell stole from me so I have to deal with that too. I’m kinda stressed out especially after finding out Bentley is my grandfather. Ain’t that some sh—I mean stuff? He said he couldn’t tell me because he had to trust me first. So, Kimberly lied to me and Deerie about our grandfather,” Tryst said.
“Your family is like a soap opera. Why would Kimberly lie about somethin’ so serious?”
“They have some type of beef going on and now I’m in the middle of it,” he said.
How selfish would it have been if I asked Tryst for money knowing he was handling a lot? I just couldn’t do it even though he wouldn’t mind. My mother would lose her apartment if I didn’t pay the rent; I still had hope that she’d come back. My money was gone, and I had to figure out a way to get it back.
It took almost an hour to clean Jasma’s hair and give her a bath. By the time I was finished, she was asleep. Tryst put her in the guest room bed, so I could undress to take a shower. He came into the bedroom with a smirk on his face.
“Why are you lookin’ at me like that?”
“I’ve been wantin’ to ask, why are you dressed like that?” he said.
“To beat Kabella’s ass.”
“About the prostitute rumors, huh?” he asked.
Bitch, just tell him the truth!
My pride wouldn’t allow me to be honest because Tryst thought nothing but good things about me.
“Yes, those rumors.”
“You do know you can talk to me about shit? We’re homies before anything, shorty,” he said. He stepped closer to me, aggressively cupping my chin so I could look him in the face.
“I hope you’re tellin’ me the truth. In my heart I know you wouldn’t stoop to that triflin’ ass shit, but I can’t put nothing past anybody right now. Is there somethin’ I need to know?” he asked while looking down at me.
“No.”
He pulled away from me to undress. My heart was beating fast—too fast.
“You comin’?” he asked.
I joined Tryst in the shower; he wrapped his arms around my waist, palming my backside. He apologized about his behavior earlier for bringing up Adrian, telling me it was in the past. I couldn’t help but to think I’d be the same way if he was deeply involved with someone else.
He pushed me against the shower wall before pulling up my leg to wrap around him. We always had sex in the shower, even if we were mad at each other. I pulled him down to kiss him and he slipped his tongue between my lips. Tryst’s erection was pressed against my center, slipping through my slit because of the soapy water. The friction was causing me to throb, letting a moan slip from my lipa. Tryst bit my lip as my nails dug into his back. I almost bit my tongue off when he took a breast into his mouth, suckling on my nipple.
“Babbyyy, put it in,” I panted.
He turned me around, making me face the wall. I closed my eyes when he spread open my cheeks. Tryst slowly entered me and just like that I was on the verge of coming. He was the only man who could hit my G-spot from any position. I was on tippy-toes with each stroke. I wanted him to go deeper so I threw my ass back, making my cheeks clap. His deep groans made my pussy wetter because I could imagine his sexy face twisted up in pleasure. He pressed his hand above my lower-back, which meant he wanted me to lean over a little more. I grabbed my ankles and prayed I didn’t slip.
“Damn, Dream. You are grippin’ my shit,” he said.
Ten thrusts later, he was pulling out, so I could finish him off in the mouth. I got down on my knees to bless him. He took control and pushed his dick into my throat. Tryst was jabbing my throat while I jerked him off and played with his balls. He was throbbing and groaning loudly while squeezing my head. Seconds later, I swallowed his seeds. We washed ourselves up after our little quickie.
Soon as we hit the bed, Tryst went to sleep. I, on the other hand, was thinking about Adrian. He stole from me and I wanted it all back. I believed he had some dirt on me, probably had over twenty videos of us. That money was for my family just in case something went down. I had to get him back some way, somehow.
**************
The next day…
I woke up early to shower and get dressed. Tryst was still asleep, and I didn’t want to wake him to tell him I was ready to leave the house. Deerie was coming out of Jasma’s bedroom while I was on my way down the stairs.
“I gotta run a few errands but tell Tryst I’ll be back in a few when he wakes up,” I told Deerie.
“Cool, I’m gonna go downstairs and cook breakfast since Jasma and Tryst are still in bed,” she yawned.
“Appreciate you very much, Deerie.”
“Y’all better use me before school starts back up,” she said. I hugged her before rushing out of the house.
Naya lived only twenty minutes away from us. I hated that her and Trell decided to break away from us because we’d been living together for over three years. I really do wish things could’ve been different for them. Since it wasn’t much traffic out, I got to her neighborhood in fifteen minutes.
Naya was stretched out on the couch watching TV when I used my key to get into her condo. She was only in a bra and underwear. Her hair was all over her head.
“I need to borrow your car, so I can take care or somethin’. Do you have plans for the day?” I asked.
“Yes, sit around here and be miserable. I miss Trell,” she pouted.
I wanted to tell her so badly about Trell and Kabella but he gave me his word he’d tell her himself. While she was ranting, I texted Trell and told him he had until tonight to tell her or I was going to. I didn’t wait for him to reply back as I stuffed my phone back into my purse.
“There are other men out here! Fuck Trell, Naya. You need to get out of the house, maybe we can go hit the club later or somethin’. You are young and beautiful so fucked that nigga.”
“Well, if you must know, I do have a lil’ friend. I used to work with him until I got fired. He brought lunch to me yesterday and we’re going to see a movie tonight. I’m nervous, Dream. I don’t know how to entertain other niggas,” she said.
“Trell entertains other bitches so do you. It’s just dating, and you don’t have to jump into somethin’ serious at the moment. I’m gonna leave my car here and take yours, is that cool?” I asked.
“What’s wrong with your car?” she asked.
“There is a lot we have to discuss but I gotta leave now, so I’ll tell you all about it later,” I replied.
“You better come back soon so we can finish our talk,” Naya yelled out while I was on my way out the door. I hope I wasn’t too late to catch Adrian before he went to his office.
Thirty-five minutes later…
Adrian was coming out of the house he shared with his wife. I knew where he lived because the fool told me. Luckily, I had Naya’s car, so he wouldn’t see me. He was standing outside of his truck on his cellphone. The piece of shit sent me an email before getting into his truck.
I’ll give you your money back if you let me screw that pretty pussy again, the email read.
He pulled off from in front of his house; I waited for a few seconds before I followed him. I needed dirt on him for collateral, anything! I knew it was just a matter of time before my life was revealed because of him and Kabella.
Adrian made a right turn at the stop sign on his street then took the entrance to get on the highway. Adrian was heading towards D.C. and I wanted to give up because of the traffic but I needed something on him. It took him almost an hour to reach his destination in Georgetown. Adrian got out of his truck after he parked. He checked his surroundings, perhaps looking for someone. Someone walked towards him, and I knew that walk from anywhere—it was Rizzo.
How in the fuck do they know each other? I was with Rizzo when I was younger, and I didn’t see Adrian back then.
I was puzzled as I watched them enter a restaurant together. Since they were inside the building, I hurriedly got out of the car to pay the meter.
“Damn it, I know I saw a few quarters in here,” I said aloud while looking through my purse.
“Don’t worry about that,” a man said from behind me. He handed me four quarters and I declined it. I never thought there’d come a time when I was tired of getting money from men.
“You do know the tickets up this way cost an arm and a leg, right?” he asked. He was a handsome man and looked to be in his late thirties or early forties. He was wearing khaki shorts, a pair of Christian Dior loafers with a white crisp polo shirt. I knew by observation he had money. He was wearing a pair of Cartier shades and a watch that I knew cost more than a foreign car. His cologne even smelled rich. I was wondering if he was from Maryland because he had the accent.
“What’s your name?” he asked while I observed him. He must’ve thought I was interested in him, but truthfully, I wanted to know if he was from around my way.
“I’m Keisha. What’s your name?” I asked.
“Con,” he replied while his eyes roamed over my body.
“I’m new around this area. Do you know where they have the best breakfast?” I asked.
“Yeah, matter of fact, I’m meetin’ up with a few of my homeboys. How about you go to the bar while I have a chat with them, I won’t be long. I’m going to that restaurant over there,” he said, gesturing his head towards the place Adrian and Rizzo walked into.
“Nooo, I don’t want to spoil it.”
“I gotta tell you, you’re a very, very, gorgeous woman, which is why I came over here. How about we catch up later?” he asked. I rambled off the number to my old cellphone and he plugged it into his phone.
“I’m lookin’ forward to seeing you later,” he said before walking off. I rushed back to Naya’s car, more confused than ever.
What in the hell is Adrian, Rizzo and Con into? Does Con know them? He gotta know them because I can tell he’s a street nigga and this isn’t just a coincidence. Rizzo is a street nigga also, so where does that leave Adrian? What in the hell is his square ass up to?
I waited in the car and took my chances on getting a ticket. An hour later, the three of them came out of the restaurant together.
I knew it! The three of them know each other!
I left before they did but went in the opposite direction, so they wouldn’t see me. The dirt I wanted on Adrian didn’t help me one bit, it just made things worse. How dangerous is Adrian? I wondered on my way back to Annapolis.
**************
Deerie and Jasma were in the living room watching cartoons when I came into the house.
“Tryst’s truck is gone. Where did he go this early?” I asked Deerie.
“He went to meet up with Bentley. Something about a club,” she replied.
I sat on the couch, staring ahead at the TV. Deerie sat next to m
e. “What happened?” she asked.
“I’m in a tough situation, Deerie. I haven’t even told Tryst about it or my sister. You will hate me if I tell you my secret.”
“Bullshit, Dream. We’re family and you know that. I might be upset but I won’t hate you. I have a secret, too, that I haven’t told Tryst yet,” she said.
Jasma was sitting on the floor, eyes glued to the TV as me and Deerie talked. I told her everything about my life and didn’t hold back.
“I slept with June Bug when I was sixteen and he was giving me money for it. Back then I was a troubled teen. My parents were always arguing, and David stayed away from home a lot. I ran track, but nobody really cared, it was all about Tryst’s football career. June Bug gave me the attention I needed, and I didn’t realize how wrong it was until I overheard David and June Bug talking while I hid in the garage. David was going to get out of the game so that he could focus on his kids. That same night, he died. I think he was targeted because he wanted to quit the game. I don’t trust Bentley,” she said.
“He’s so good to us yet we’re keepin’ secrets from him. This is why I don’t deserve him, but you did things with June Bug because you didn’t feel loved. I have no excuse for why I degraded my body. Being a gold-digger, prostitute or whatever you want to call it, wasn’t my plan. It was all innocent at first until I saw big dollar signs.”
“When did you realize you wanted to quit?” she asked.
“When I saw how much Tierra was doing for Tryst. I’d been planning on quittin’ but I knew I wasn’t ready to lose him. That woke me the hell up.”
“Tell him before it’s too late, though I can’t tell him about June Bug because he’ll kill him. It’ll be too personal since that’s our godfather. I don’t want him to ruin his life because I seduced an older man,” she said. She excused herself because Sebastian called and told her he was outside.
“I want a snack,” Jasma said.
“Say, ‘Can I have a snack?’”
“Can I have a snack?” she asked.
I got up to get Jasma Teddy Grams. I must’ve gotten up too soon because I felt light-headed, and my body went crashing to the floor…