by A'zayler
“Come with me tonight.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. Ditch that lil nigga you with and slide with me.”
Phoenix’s body stilled for a minute, seemingly unaware that he knew about her so called brother.
“What time, Jamar?”
“Slide with me now.”
Phoenix shook her head and pulled away from him. “I can’t leave with you right now. Call me when you get home and I’ll come over.”
Jamar figured that was the best he could get, so he nodded his head before pulling her back to him. Phoenix and her chocolate friend waited to see what he was going to do. He winked at her friend before kissing Phoenix’s lips. He tongued her down so good, it had him weak. When he pulled away, her eyes were still closed. He held his fist up for her friend to pound as he walked past them to pay for his stuff.
“Good looking out.”
She smiled. “No problem.”
He could feel them watching him as he walked away. Phoenix’s ass better not be playing. He was ready to fuck something, and her little ass would be just what he needed. He exited the gas station to see the crew posted in the cut talking. They were watching the door like hawks, waiting for the girls to come out. He threw his head back in a slight nod and continued to his car. The youngest one of the crew who he saw Phoenix at the mall with stared a little longer than the others before turning his head.
Jamar sped all the way to his house. He got inside, showered and sat on the sofa to wait for Phoenix. He watched TV for a good minute before he started to doze off. His eyes hadn’t been closed no longer than five minutes when his phone rang. He looked at the Caller ID and let it go to voicemail, only for it to start ringing again. Jamar snatched the phone from the table.
“Yeah.”
“Open the door.”
Jamar sucked his teeth and hung up the phone. He didn’t have time for this shit right now. Phoenix hadn’t called yet, so hopefully she wasn’t on her way. He would clear this shit up before she got there. When he opened the door, his father walked in.
“What’s going on, son?”
“Ain’t shit for real. What’s up?”
His father walked past him and over to the sofa to take a seat. “How’s it going with everything? You getting set up all right?”
“Yeah. I met a lil’ chick. I like her, but it’s a little complicated. She’s not as naive as most females. That bitch is tough as nails. It’s hard to get next to her.”
“You mean to tell me that you of all people can’t finesse a woman? You’re weaker than I fucking thought.” His father raised from his spot on the sofa and walked toward the door while shaking his head. “Tighten up, young buck.” He chuckled to himself.
Jamar wanted to say something to his father but chose not to. The faster his ass left, the better. The joy he felt about his father’s departure was short lived. Phoenix had just gotten out of her truck when he opened the door. She looked from him to his father before stepping back closer to her truck. He could tell by the way she stuck her hand in her purse that she was ready and waiting to wet both of them up. Jamar thought about introducing them, but changed his mind. She didn’t need to know him.
“Hello, beautiful, how are you?” Francisco stuck his hand out for her to shake.
She looked at it and nodded her head instead. He laughed and walked to his car. She watched him until he pulled away.
“If I would have known you had company I would have never came,” Phoenix told him.
“I didn’t even know that nigga was coming.”
“I don’t like when people be in my business.”
“It’s cool. That old ass nigga aint nobody you have to worry about.”
Phoenix walked toward him with her bag on her shoulder and walked into his house. He closed the door behind her, locked it, and joined her in the living room. She was still dressed in her little shorts and heels and her toned legs were turning him on. She dropped her bag on his bed and began rummaging through it. A black pair of panties and a black t-shirt came out in her hand. The lime green soap container and toothbrush holder to match was in her other hand as she moved past him and padded toward the bathroom.
“Can I join you?”
“If you want to.” Phoenix looked over her shoulder and smiled.
Jamar didn’t need to hear anything else. He pulled his shirt over his head, kicked his shorts off, and followed her to the bathroom. He’d just gotten out of the shower, but he wasn’t about to miss an opportunity like this one. Phoenix had just pulled her shirt over her head, exposing her small body when he walked in. She leaned over to pull her shorts down, but before she could stand back up, Jamar had grabbed her and hoisted her onto the countertop.
He kissed and rubbed all over her body, pushing his hard dick into the fabric of her panties. Reassured by the moans she released, he pushed harder. Her arms were wrapped around his neck as she sucked on his tongue. His body was on fire for her. He pulled away from her and yanked her panties from her body then dropped to his knees in front of her. After pulling her to the edge of the sink, his head lowered between her legs.
“Ahhhhh… Jamar…” Her back arched as she moaned.
He moved his tongue faster, trying to please her. When he felt she was on the edge, he jumped from the floor and plunged deep into her valley. The high pitched scream Phoenix released made Jamar want to go harder. He started pounding her relentlessly. Her nails digging in his skin brought him back to reality, reminding him of the last time they had sex, so he eased up some.
“You good, baby?”
“Yeah, just take it a little slower.”
Jamar picked her up from the sink and pumped in and out of her while holding her in the air. Phoenix moaned loudly in his ear, encouraging him to keep going. Jamar felt himself about to bow out, so he pumped faster, trying to get her there. When her legs tightened around his waist, she bit down on his shoulder and released a muffled scream. Jamar thought his knees would give out when he felt her juices shoot onto his stomach and down his thighs while some dropped onto the floor.
“Damn, Phoenix… Ahh shit… Girl, fuck!” Jamar panted as he slid to the floor, still holding her.
She rested her head against his shoulder as her body calmed from her orgasm. Jamar ran his hands up and down her back as they sat there quietly.
“I ain’t know you had it like that, lil’ mama.”
“If you wouldn’t have fucked me like you ain’t have no sense, you would have known last time.”
Jamar laughed and kissed her shoulder. They sat on the floor for a little longer before getting in the shower. Now they were dry and lying close to each other in bed. Phoenix had fallen asleep and was snoring lightly in his ear. She felt so right in his arms, he almost thought about backing out of the plan with his cousins. Once they killed her brothers, she would be in shambles. Now that he knew the plans his cousin had for her as well, they would never work. There was no way he would be able to keep her alive. Jamar took in a deep breath and tried to relax his mind. This was getting way harder than he’d expected.
*****
“The only reason you probably came is because your little girlfriend had something else to do,”
Ollie rolled his eyes and started tying his shoes back up.
“See, this is what I’m talking about now Oliver. You take off when it comes to that little tramp, but when it’s me you just treat me any kind of way.” Aaliyah hadn’t wanted to cry, but she couldn’t help it. “You must don’t love me anymore?”
Ollie was out of his seat within seconds. “It’s not that, Liyah baby. You know I love you. The shit I’m in is just complicated.”
Aaliyah wanted to believe him, but she also knew in her heart he was in love with that girl. She could tell by the way he chose her side after their fight. As if that wasn’t enough, the way he looked at her whenever she was around was enough to make Aaliyah throw up. He used to look at her and only her like that, but that was a thing of the past n
ow. She used to feel like a queen, knowing she was the only one who had his heart. Now she felt like a peasant begging for his attention.
“Do you love her?”
Ollie was quiet for a minute. “I love you.”
Aaliyah didn’t say anything else. He was being evasive and she didn’t have the energy to fight. If Ollie couldn’t see that she loved him then there was nothing else that needed to be said. He could have his little hood rat. Aaliyah shook her head. On second thought, no he couldn’t. If she wanted Oliver, then little Miss Phoenix was going to have to fight her for him.
“Make love to me, Oliver,”
“Is that what you want?”
“More than anything.”
Ollie kissed her lips and helped her undress. He wanted to take his time with her so she would know he still loved her. He hated to see her cry. Aaliyah was special to him, always had been. They had been together for years and the bond they shared couldn’t be touched. Or so he thought. Phoenix’s lil ass was making that very hard. Just like Aaliyah had said, the only reason he was there with her now was because Phoenix didn’t know about it.
After the game he dropped her off at the house. She didn’t look like she believed him, but he had to get out and see Aaliyah. He didn’t want her to feel neglected either. Ollie wanted to believe that he knew what he was doing when it came to these women, but he didn’t. The fact that he was here with Aaliyah but thinking about Phoenix only proved that he was in deep. Ollie shook the thoughts of Phoenix from his brain and removed his shirt.
Aaliyah gasped and her eyes filled with water. Ollie looked at her and noticed that her eyes were trained on his chest. It wasn’t until then that he remembered the tattoo of Phoenix’s name on his chest.
“Aaliyah…”
There was a pregnant pause.
“Don’t. Just don’t, Oliver.”
Aaliyah turned over and he could hear her crying. She sobbed to herself quietly at first, but her sobs got louder and louder. His heart tightened in his chest as he watched her crumble before his eyes. There was nothing else he could do to comfort her so he climbed behind her in the bed and scooted as close as he could to her. He held her until she stopped crying. To say Ollie felt like shit would be an understatement. He had to figure out what he was about to do and do it fast.
The next morning when Oliver woke up, Aaliyah was still sleeping. He wanted to avoid any confrontation, so he eased out of the bed, got dressed, and left. On the way home, he thought long and hard about where he wanted to be. He couldn’t see himself dogging Aaliyah out, but there was no way in hell he could break Phoenix’s heart. Every time he thought he had a solution, he realized he didn’t. Phoenix would probably kill his ass before she let him leave her for Aaliyah. And Aaliyah, his sweet guileless Aaliyah. She’d never done anything but try to help him. He’d left her one time; she didn’t deserve that same heartache again.
He made the long drive home, hoping all the way that Phoenix wasn’t awake to confront him yet. When he walked in the house it was quiet. Versus going to Phoenix’s side of the house, he went straight to his room to shower and lie down. As he walked over to his bed, something yellow caught his eye. He pulled the curtain back and watched Phoenix pull her truck into the driveway. Where the hell she coming from? He wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt thinking maybe she’d just come from the store or something, but once she grabbed that loud pink overnight bag out of her backseat he knew he was wrong. She looked around the yard as she walked up the sidewalk.
Ollie threw on some shorts and ran down the stairs so he could meet her at the door. She was so busy trying to close the door quietly that she didn’t even see him behind her.
“Hell your hot ass coming from?”
Phoenix’s whole body jumped. “I went out, why?”
“Don’t do that shit, Phoenix. Just tell the truth.”
“Why you questioning me when your ass is just getting here your own self?”
Ollie stood quiet. How did she know he was just getting there? Zino. He would bet his last dollar that nigga had ratted him out.
“Where you been Phoenix? And don’t lie.”
“After, I noticed that you’d left me here to go tend to your other hoe, I went to see my friend.”
Ollie stood there, unsure of what to say because he thought she had gone to sleep before he left. She still figured him out even after he made sure to dot all of his I’s and cross his T’s before leaving. He was sure his moves were smooth, but he should have known better than to think he could pull one over on Phoenix. They had her trained. Her assertiveness was off the charts.
“Yeah. Just like I thought. Don’t get around here questioning me when your ass ain’t even right.”
“Fuck all that shit. You know I had to check on her, don’t get brand new now.”
“Ollie, I don’t have to sit around and wait for you to choose me. If you want her then be with her, but don’t think I’m going to sit around like a fool in the process.”
Phoenix was about to walk past him when he grabbed her arm. “I thought we were good, Fe. Why you tripping?”
“Because I love you, Ollie, but you love her. It’s not fair to either of us, but I understand the situation.”
“Just give me time to figure it out, baby, please.”
Phoenix shook her head no. “The longer I wait, the deeper my feelings get. I’ll end up killing one of y’all, and you know I’m not bullshitting.” Phoenix looked him in the eye before scooting past him and hopping up the stairs.
Ollie watched her disappear down the hallway and felt the same tight feeling he felt in chest when he watched Aaliyah cry last night.
Upstairs in her room, Phoenix finally let the tears fall. She had been holding them in so Ollie wouldn’t see her cry. Tears were a sign of weakness and that’s the one thing Tone didn’t tolerate. Never let a nigga see you sweat. Tone’s voice was loud in her head as she pressed her face into her pillow. Her sobs were coming out involuntarily and she just wanted them to stop, but no matter what she did, they wouldn’t. Whenever her eyes closed all she could see was Ollie kissing and holding Aaliyah the same way he did her.
The pain was unbearable. Phoenix held her onto her pillow as she soaked it with the salty remnants of her pain. She had fun with Jamar, and could even see herself starting a relationship with him, but right now all her heart wanted was Ollie. He was her first true love and that shit didn’t just go away. She continued to cry until her eyes were swollen and tired. She could hear her phone ringing in the distance, but she didn’t move to grab it. It stopped and started again so she rolled over and pulled it from her purse. It was Jamar.
“Hello.”
“Hey baby. Everything okay? What’s wrong?”
Phoenix wondered if the hurt in her voice was that easy to hear. “Yeah, I’m fine. What’s going on?”
“You lying to me, what’s wrong?”
Just when she thought her tears had stopped, here they were again. Jamar’s voice brought them right back out. She cried for a few minutes before he interrupted her.
“Let me come and get you.”
“No, I’m fine. I’ll call you later.” Phoenix hung up her phone and rolled back over in her bed. She spent most of her day in bed crying.
Chapter 13
Jamar sat in his car parked in front of his father’s house. He looked at the screen of his phone, Phoenix had indeed hung up in his face. He wanted to call her back just to check on her, but she probably wouldn’t take his call. He let out a loud sigh before tossing his phone into his passenger seat. He didn’t want to feel anything for Phoenix, but it was becoming impossible.
He was calling to invite her out for lunch, but as soon as she answered the phone he could tell something was wrong. Had he known where she lived, the moment he heard her crying he would have gone straight to her right then, but he didn’t, so he couldn’t. Jamar picked up the half smoked blunt from his ashtray and put it to his lips. He lit it and inhaled the smoke into his l
ungs. Through one of the smoke rings he’d just blown he watched Phoenix’s pretty dark friend jog across the street. She was dressed in heels and shorts. He watched the way her ass bounced as she walked down the driveway. If he hadn’t been trying to figure out why she was there, he probably would have gotten lost in the sway of her hips.
Jamar hurriedly put out the blunt he was smoking and got out of the car. He took the same route she’d just taken down the side of his father’s house so that he could enter through the back door. If she was here, it had to be on some dirty shit. His father didn’t casually deal with anyone. If it wasn’t something business related, he had no dealing in it. The sliding glass door on his father’s patio was slightly ajar so he walked right in. No one was down stairs so he took two steps at a time until he was at the top of the staircase.
In the living room his father was sprawled out on the sofa with a Cuban cigar hanging from his mouth. Francisco Austin was one of the coolest dudes to ever do it. He never raised his voice or got his feathers ruffled. He was a short light skinned man, similar complexion to Jamar, with long brown hair that he usually wore in a ponytail. His dark eyes had deep circles around them and his face looked to be in a permanent scowl. When he looked up at Jamar, he nodded his head and pointed at the seat next to him.
As Jamar took his seat, his eyes wandered the house for Phoenix’s friend. He couldn’t remember her name for nothing. Wherever she was, she had moved fast.
“Looking for something, son?”
“Yeah. Where’s the girl that just came in here?”
“You talking about Kara?”
Kara!
“Yeah, her. Where’d she go?”
“To use the restroom. She’ll be back in a few. Make yourself comfortable.”
Jamar could tell by the tone of his father’s voice that he knew something that he didn’t. Versus asking questions, Jamar scooted back on the sofa and lay his head back against the cushion. Like his father assured him, Kara came down the stairs dressed differently. She was wearing a pair of dark blue Nike sweats and a tank top to match. She looked like she was about to hit the gym. Halfway down the stairs, she stopped mid-step and grabbed her chest. Her eyes were wide as she looked at him with a shocked expression.