Nobody Can Love You Like Them Roughnecks Do 4

by Shvonne Latrice

  “Yeah, I am. Her daddy is fine though, so I was good either way.”

  “Very true. I told you, you need to hook me up with someone on his team. I’m tired of these niggas being broker than me.” Reen began taking my hair down to assess it.

  “That’s what happens when you become a successful woman; it’s the only downside. But I will look into something for you.”

  “Appreciate it. Want some champagne?”

  “No, I can’t. I’m breastfeeding still, but if you have some water, that would be nice.”

  “Sure thing.” Reen left to the back, and when she did, I saw someone come to the door. Of course it was none other than Jessica Mae, ringing the doorbell. “Oh shit, what is she doing here?” Reen came back with the water before jogging lightly to the door.

  I’d completely forgotten about this bitch Jessica, but now she was fresh in my mind. I couldn’t turn away as I watched her step in, liposuction stomach on display. That was the one thing on my body I didn’t get done, unless you counted my face, which was all-natural as well.

  “Hey. I thought if I came early, you could work on me as soon as you were done.” Jessica smiled, clutching her purse from Hermes. It was a baby Birkin, and I knew that bitch didn’t make enough to afford such a thing. Anytime a pretty bitch on Instagram had that type of purse, even the smaller cheap ones like that, she ain’t buy it. I didn’t care how successful her business was or how rich she appeared to be.

  “Oh, okay. Well just wait over here. When I’m done with Nichole, I will get right to you.”

  As soon as she said my name, Jessica’s head whipped in my direction. I raised my eyebrow at her as to say, ‘yep bitch, it’s me’, so she gave me a fake ass smile along with a lazy ass wave. I ignored it because she was beneath me, and I didn’t speak to peasants.

  “Hey, umm, Reen… no, she has to go. I told you I didn’t want anyone here while I have my baby,” I let her know once she came back over to me.

  “It’s just this one girl, and she’s quiet, so—”

  “I don’t give a fuck if she’s a replica of Helen Keller. I don’t want anyone here with my baby,” I snapped, glaring at her stupid ass hard.

  “Okay, my bad.” Reen rushed over to tell that gutter rat Jessica to bounce. I was her most prominent customer, so she didn’t wanna lose me.

  A few hours later, my hair was looking perfect as usual, so I had Reen take a few photos of me with my snapback body and fresh hair, up against my Range Rover. It was like a breath of fresh air posting that shit on Instagram with the perfect caption.

  Iliana and I left the salon to go meet up with Helen for lunch. I was honestly so over hanging with her ass, and I didn’t really understand why. I mean, Helen was always the sloppy thirsty one, but it was still cool to hang with her. Nowadays, I just wished I had someone else that I could connect with more; someone like Blaise. I sighed at the thought as I parked my truck at the restaurant.

  Entering with my baby carrier, I told the host who I was here for, and then he led me to the table. I’d strictly told Helen to get a table because I wasn’t squishing my baby into some booth.

  “How are you?” Helen asked me, watching as I placed Iliana’s carrier in a chair and then sat down myself. I noticed she had an odd look on her face, like she was thinking about what she saw in front of her.

  “I’m fine. My body still feels different, but I’m happy it’s getting back to normal.”

  Helen nodded as the waitress approached. We’d been here before, and since I usually got the same thing, I didn’t need any more time to survey the menu.

  Once she left us alone, I began checking on my baby to make sure she was okay. I felt Helen watching me closely, so I turned to face her with a skeptical expression.

  “Okay. I wanted to ask you something.” She exhaled.

  “Ask me.” I gave Iliana a bottle full of breast milk, holding it for her since she of course couldn’t do it alone.

  “So with my case against Blaise, my lawyer said I could get even more money if I got other people to not only support my story, but explain how they, too, have been victims of Blaise.”

  “And what does that have to do with me?”

  “Well, she’s hit you on multiple occasions. She punched you at that restaurant when you told her that her man was cheating. Then she beat you up in the parking lot of that club and sliced your back after that. Not to mention, this is the second time she’s hit me. She slapped me with the table decoration at Mindy’s baby shower. She has a problem, and I think if you help me, it would get her in check.”

  “No. I am not about to get up in court and talk about her hitting me.”

  “Why? She needs to pay us both for what she’s done.” Leaning in with her voice lower, Helen added, “And if our stories are compelling enough, we can possibly get her ass locked up.”

  “Locked up? She has children she needs to take care of. Just get whatever cash you can get and then move on. But don’t try to drag me into this shit.”

  I shook my head as I stared Helen down because this bitch was crazy. Getting money for herself was one thing, but I had bigger fish to fry than to be sitting my ass up in court snitching like some little punk. I needed to be making sure my damn fiancé wasn’t cheating on me. I couldn’t care less about getting Blaise locked up or her having to pay for Helen’s medical bills.

  “You are so fake! You’re just worried about being her friend still, and you know if you testify for me, that will never happen.”

  Part of what Helen was saying was true. I did miss Blaise and did want to be friends again. I wasn’t desperate like she was making it seem, but it was something I would like.

  After dealing with this Jessica shit and Ian mistreating me in the past, I had a different outlook on life. If someone had tried time and time again to sleep with my man while playing friendly in my face, I would have beat her ass too. Blaise had every right to break Helen’s nose and to snatch my lace front. I hated Jessica with every fiber of my being, but had she been my friend too, it would have been a much worse feeling.

  “No, you’re just a thirsty ass bitch always trying to come up off of a man who doesn’t want you. You should be focused on securing your future instead of trying to make a living off of another woman. I will not be helping your case, and if you ask me again, we will not be friends.”

  “I’m sorry, Nichole. I just thought you could help me. Yes, this money from Blaise will be helpful to me, but I deserve it. She hit me.”

  “Okay, then that’s fine, but I won’t be a part of it.”

  Helen nodded, and we changed the subject. When our food came, we didn’t talk much, just ate. She offered to pay the bill, and I let her ass before dipping out with my baby.

  The whole way home, I couldn’t stop thinking about Jessica and her new purse. So once I arrived, I put my baby in her crib since she was sleeping and then went to the bedroom I shared with Ian. Soon as I walked in, my phone buzzed, and I saw it was him calling me.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, baby, how are you?”

  “I’m fine. What’s up?” I began pacing, wanting to get off of the phone.

  “Nothing. I just got a break from practicing and wanted to talk to you. I miss you and my baby girl.”

  My heart started to melt at the sound of his words, so I took a deep breath to halt it.

  “I miss you too. What time will you be home?” I checked my Rolex.

  “About an hour. We’re almost finished with everything. We can go to dinner tonight, okay? Put the baby in her new dress.”

  “It’s still too big, but okay. See you then.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too, Ian.”

  After hanging up, I just looked down at my phone, pondering. I loved him and didn’t really want to do what I was about to do.

  However, despite how blissful being blind to his antics had been, I couldn’t be dumb. Isabella was right when she said I’d never been the type to let a man play me, so
I wasn’t going to start now. And I didn’t want Iliana thinking she should take whatever a man gave her simply because she loved him or already had his child.

  Sitting down on the bed, I pulled Ian’s laptop from the drawer. He had his phone, so this was the only way I could read his text messages at the moment. I’d been watching him for the past two weeks, and I was able to learn his password to the computer and Instagram. He didn’t get on Instagram much, only on his computer, which I found odd, but I still wanted to check it out. His manager mainly ran his account.

  I went to his text messages and scrolled through the list of conversations. Only a few numbers were actually stored, mine being one of them, so I became frustrated. I didn’t know what number belonged to who, but God came through for me when I saw Jessica’s name in one of the conversations.

  Ian was texting his teammate Kevin, the one Jessica claimed to be dating. I could hear my heart beating out of my chest as I read the messages. Ian was telling Kevin how Jessica had become obsessed with him ever since he tried to cut their relationship off. He explained that he was scared Jessica would expose him to me and that I would leave. It was obvious he’d asked Kevin and Jessica to help lie to me if I asked about the expensive stuff she had and why she claimed Ian’s jersey number was her favorite.

  Having that information, I carefully scrolled through the list of conversations, and when I found one where the last text seemed to be hostile, I clicked on it. Sure enough, it was Jessica, which I’d gathered after reading a few messages. Ian hadn’t replied in a week, but she kept sending things. Before he stopped texting back though, he was trying to pay her off so she’d leave him alone, but she claimed to be pregnant and in love with him.

  I’d seen enough by this point, and it was obvious Ian had been fucking this bitch. I didn’t even need to check his Instagram.

  Removing my clothes, I went to take a shower, then after dressing in some tights and a t-shirt, I began packing my stuff into my Chanel suitcase. I moved faster when I heard the front door ding all over the mansion, because I knew it was Ian. My body was still a little weak from giving birth, but I had to get the fuck out of here for the night.

  “Baby, I am tired as fuck.” Ian entered the bedroom just as I tossed the baby monitor into my luggage. “What you doing?” I heard him coming closer.

  “I’m leaving you.” I took the ring off, and it felt like a punch to the gut. I may have wised up a bit, but a bitch still loved expensive things.

  “Leaving me? For what?” He blocked me from going into my large closet.

  “So I can make room for Jessica.”

  Sighing as he placed his big water bottle on the nearby dresser, he replied, “How the fuck did we get back here? I told you all that shit was a lie. She’s fucking with my teammate.”

  “No.” I shook my head, holding back tears as best as possible. “She’s not. I saw the texts between you and Kevin. Then I saw the ones between you and Jessica. I don’t want to be with you anymore.”

  He was silent, chest heaving as his worried eyes surveyed my face. I guess he was looking for something to say.

  “Okay, okay, wait.” He stopped me when I tried to get around his ass. “I fucked up, but baby, the shit is over with now. I stopped messing with her.”

  “Where were you the morning I had Iliana?”

  “I uh…” He looked behind me for a moment. I already knew the answer, which made me burst into tears. “I haven’t fucked with her since our baby came, Nichole. Once she got here, I told her ass I couldn’t do the shit no more. I wanna be faithful, and I want to get married.” He hugged me, and if I weren’t so physically worn out right now from heartbreak, I would’ve pushed him off.

  I couldn’t believe Ian had done this to me. I loved my daughter, but right now I was wishing to be the old Nichole… the Nichole who made fun of women like myself. I was pathetic, standing here crying like a newborn baby over a man. This was surely rock bottom for a bitch like me, and if you asked anyone who knew me, they’d say the same.

  “Let me go, Ian. I have to leave.”

  “Nah, you don’t have to leave. What you want? We can go shopping—”

  “I don’t want to go shopping! That doesn’t work anymore!” I shouted, still crying hysterically. “I want you to be faithful. I want you to care about me, about your baby. I want you to love me! Yes, some gifts are nice, but it is not enough anymore!”

  “Aight, aight, I’m sorry. I just ain’t know what to do.”

  “No need to do anything. Just let me get some clothes, and I will go to my place. Iliana is coming too.”

  I started toward my closet, but Ian dropped down to his knees, hugging my body tightly. I stared down at him as he looked up into my face. He was as handsome as ever, with the body of a perfectly sculpted statue.

  “Baby, please don’t leave me,” he pleaded. “I swear this will never happen again. I’ll change my number. I’ll do whatever you want me to. Just please, Nichole. I love you.”

  Inhaling and exhaling shuddered breaths, I didn’t know what to say or do…

  Will

  “Aight. And just turn your head a little bit for me,” I directed this rapper nigga named Kel. His label had asked me to shoot his album cover, and because my reputation had gotten fucked over by them solicitation charges, I was more than happy to oblige.

  “Looking good, nigga!” a voice called from behind me.

  I glanced over my shoulder to see Priscilla’s so-called boyfriend Sly, carrying a bunch of bags from a few luxury designer stores. He nodded his head to say what’s up to me, and I couldn’t even return the gesture because I was stuck.

  I hated this nigga, even though I really had no reason to. A part of me wanted to let him know I’d fucked Priscilla while she’d been his girl, but I knew if I did, she would never talk to my ass again. True enough, we hadn’t said shit to one another since that last argument, but I still had faith. So I knew me blowing up her spot would ruin any chance I had with her.

  “Thanks, man.” Kel got out of his pose to slap hands with Sly. “What you got for me?”

  “Plenty of shit. My assistant is gonna take all of it out of the bags, and then I’ll show you everything.” Sly gestured for his assistant to get to work.

  “Aight.” Kel nodded before looking to me. “Aye, I’m gon’ take a little break. We can resume after I snack, take a piss, and do a little a shopping. Cool?”

  “Yeah, it’s cool.” Shit, I got paid by the hour, so the longer this shit went on, the more money I made.

  “By the time I come back, she should be done setting shit up,” Kel announced before jogging to the back where the change rooms and bathroom were.

  Both Sly and I took a seat on opposite couches, and as he busied himself with his phone, I just stared. I couldn’t help it, so I decided to make conversation.

  “So you get all this shit for free or something?” I inquired, already knowing the answer and just trying to make conversation.

  Looking up from his phone, he replied, “Nah. I get access to a lot of exclusive and sold out shit. Then I bring it to clients who want it and charge a little more to make profit.”

  I nodded as if this was new information to me.

  “Excuse me.” I stood up and stepped off to the side of the room and down the hall. The place was huge, so I felt comfortable enough to place a call. Dialing Belly, I waited impatiently for him to answer as I watched Sly like a hawk.

  “’Sup?” He picked up, a little out of breath, so I was sure he was working out.

  “You wasn’t fucking, was you?” I inquired to be sure.

  “Nigga, if I was getting some pussy, I wouldn’t have answered yo’ fucking call.”

  I chuckled, realizing how true that was.

  “I’m doing a photo shoot right now, and Priscilla’s nigga Sly is here.” I was talking lowly, even though I was sure Sly couldn’t hear.

  “And?”

  “I wanna step to his ass, but I can’t do that shit because she re
ally likes this nigga.”

  “You sound like a bitch.”

  “How? I’m not—”

  “’Cause you do. If that’s yo’ fucking girl, then you let that nigga know that she’s yours, and it’s only a matter of muthafuckin’ time before she comes back. Then you hit his ass.”

  “I can maybe do the first part, but I can’t hit nobody. I don’t like the threat of jail hanging over my head. I’m sure shit like that is small to you.” He made a sound, which only confirmed my statement. “So if this was some nigga Blaise left you for—”

  “Blaise can’t leave me.”

  “She did though be—”

  “And did she have a new nigga?”

  “Nah, not that I know of.” I exhaled heavily.

  “Blaise will never have a new nigga. And when I even thought she did, he got fucked up and robbed. Ain’t no muthafucka about to sit in my face claiming my bitch, unless that’s the only way of suicide he can think of.

  Get some balls, let that nigga know what it is, then whoop his ass. But also, you gotta be a little more aggressive with P if that’s who the fuck you want. Singing love songs on the balcony like a hoe and hoping she comes home like some fuck ass romance film ain’t gon’ cut it.”

  I shook my head at Belly, snickering.

  “Aight, thanks.”

  “You’ve been fucking her?”

  “Yeah, man.” I ran my hand over my curly hair, staring down at my shoes.

  “Don’t mention that shit to him. Just leave it at the fact that that’s yo girl and nothing else.”

  “Aight.”

  Hanging up, I went back out to where Sly was now standing, helping his assistant fix shit. I guess Kel had the bubble guts or something because he still hadn’t come back out here for his photos.

  “You good?” Sly turned to look me up and down since I was standing right next to him. We were what for what in height and had about the same build as well from what I could see.

  “You’re dating Priscilla Dimitri, right?” I started off, not knowing how I was gonna do this shit.