by Desirée
“Wow,” I said, amazed, as I tuned back in to the heated debate.
Glancing at Elijah, I saw that he had his head down, with a beer bottle in his hand. He was keeping quiet, with Jahiem trying to talk to him. I guess Shiloh looked back at him before looking at me.
“He missing that girl,” he said.
“E!” one of the men called out, tossing a napkin at him. “Boy, you sick or something?”
“Nah, Uncle,” he mumbled, barely looking up.
“You some big ol’ fancy superstar now, but you sitting here looking like yo’ cat died.”
“His girlfriend broke up with him,” Trent snitched easily as Elijah cut his eyes at him.
“Boy, all this pussy running around here and you worried about one girl?” The man laughed. He was definitely a Carter. If that didn’t give it away, the gun tucked behind him did.
Before anything else could be said, we heard this loud commotion, followed by a scream, coming from the house.
“Get out! Get out my house!” their grandma cried.
We all quickly got up to see two grown-ass women having it out on the floor. It was Elijah’s mom and Anthony’s mom. The men broke them apart, and you could see wigs on the floor, broken furniture, and clothes halfway off.
“That’s why he never wanted to be with yo’ ass!” Anthony’s mom cried as he pulled her away.
Ms. Ava, I think was her name, turned to Shiloh, looking like she expected him to help her. He just turned and walked back to his seat like it was nothing. Elijah moved past her and headed upstairs, so I thought I would reach my hand out to help her get herself together. I thought wrong, clearly. She smacked my hand away at the same time Shiloh chastised me.
“Don’t help her, Noelle. Let her look stupid,” Shiloh snapped, sitting back down in his chair as Ms. Ava’s eyes started to water.
“Boy, I told you about talking to yo’ mother like—”
“Grandma, I don’t care! You hear me? I don’t give a fuck!” he let out angrily, immediately setting off the biggest verbal jump I’d ever seen take place with Shiloh.
“Nobody told you to disrespect yo’ own mama like that! She gave birth to you! She—”
“No! He don’t wanna hear nothing like that!” Ms. Ava cried as she pushed me aside to step out of the house so she could confront her eldest son. “He don’t wanna hear that I carried his ungrateful ass for nine months, fed him, clothed him, bathed him! Wiped and cleaned his nasty ass for years! I could have—”
“You wasting yo’ time on me, Ms. Ava,” Shiloh said in a low voice as he stared at her, eyes cold and dark as night.
His uncle, out of nowhere, took his apron off, hauled off, and hit Shiloh hard in the face, causing the biggest reaction I’d ever seen. I couldn’t react fast enough when Jahiem, Trell, and Talin all jumped in, ready to defend and fight with Shiloh. His mother started crying, pleading with her brother not to hit him again.
Okay, so he isn’t a Carter? I can’t keep up with this shit.
“You talking all that big shit, nigga! Fight me! You not about to talk to my sister, yo’ mama, like that, boy! I’m sick of her crying to me about yo’ ungrateful ass!”
“Aye! Aye, you not about to touch my nephew, big dawg,” another man said, stepping in between the two groups. “You already know I’m not about to let you lay a hand on these kids.”
“They grown men, Christian!” Ms. Ava said. “Let them fight with grown men, since Shiloh wanna run his—”
“Hold up! Hold up! Let me set this straight, because I’m sick of this. Every time I see you, it’s always some bullshit, so I’m going to be grown about it,” Shiloh said, moving past everyone to get to his mother, jaw red from the hit his uncle gave him.
He stood in front of her, eye for eye. She immediately broke down in front of him, crying as we all watched in heartache. She was pleading to have her son back. He wasn’t moved—far from it.
“I respect you for raising me up until Grandma got me. I respect and appreciate all the things you did for me and the triplets,” he said, hand on her shoulder. “But I don’t want nothing to do with you. When I marry that girl,” he said, pointing at me, “don’t show up at my wedding. When I have my firstborn, you will be nowhere near my kids, and you know why! Don’t sit here and act like you so innocent, because nobody else knows what the fuck you let happen!”
She dropped her head in defeat, tears flowing. Nobody else said a word. They were just looking on like I was, in shock, confusion, and hurt.
“This is my last time saying this. I don’t want it to be an issue every time we all get together. Just act like you don’t know me, because that’s exactly how I’m going to treat you.” With that, he turned back and sat in his chair as everyone looked at his mom.
Trent was the first to speak. “Bruh, I don’t think you should—”
“Nah, let that be the end of it!” one of the uncles said, turning his attention back to the grill. “Tired of the bullshit myself. Whatever they got going on is between them two. So much goddamn drama in this family, I almost forgot it was Sunday. Go cut the TV on and see who’s playing!” he called out.
“Bruh, what the fuck did she let happen?” Elijah asked, coming to the doorway, looking irritated. “You never said why you don’t want shit to do with her.”
“Mind yo’ business, E,” Shiloh warned, eyes only for his mom.
“She’s my mama too, nigga! What the fuck are you always so angry for? ’Cause she called the cops on yo’ violent ass? I would have too! You need to learn to—”
“It don’t have shit to do with you,” Jahiem cut in.
“You not even related to her, so why the fuck are you even talking?” Trent asked as Jahiem stood up once again.
“Stay yo’ cripple ass down in that seat, nigga,” Jahiem snapped as Ms. Ava shook her head, walking back in the house, crying.
I looked at Shiloh, who showed absolutely no compassion. None whatsoever. Hearing the front door open and close, I looked back, seeing their sister with her two friends walking in.
“Hellooo?” she sang. She was wearing riding boots with a cute brown leather jacket, hair straightened with that side bang swoop as she walked in, all smiles. Her friends? I couldn’t even describe them to you. I could see why Taylor didn’t hang around her as much.
“There goes my baby girl!” one of the uncles let out as she shrieked in excitement, rushing up to the men. They were all babying her and hugging her like she was the ray of sunshine during this dark time.
“I need to sit down.” I sighed, walking back in the house, needing time to process everything that had just happened.
Taylor came in behind me, flat out ignoring Trent, who was calling her name as we walked closer to the front door, sitting down in the dining room. The grandma, whose birthday celebration this was supposed to be, just walked upstairs, cussing to herself, following after her daughter.
“Girl,” Taylor said with a roll of her eyes and a deep sigh. “This has been pretty calm compared to what it can usually get to.”
“Are you serious?” I gasped, hearing the sounds of arguing once more.
She nodded, afro bouncing as she looked back down.
“Why aren’t you and Olivia speaking?” I asked.
“Because the bitch is not who I became best friends with. I don’t know this Olivia,” she said hatefully. “I don’t deal with—”
The front door opened, and a girl walked in with a gift bag, wearing a beautiful black gownlike dress with a coat on. Her hair and makeup were done to perfection.
“Jordyn!” Taylor yelled out as she quickly got up to hug her. “I’m glad to see you made it.”
“Yeah, I thought I was almost too late,” she said, closing the door.
I politely smiled.
She started to look around. “What’s going on? I thought it was like a party or something.”
“Girl, you right in the middle of—”
“Nigga, do something!” I heard Elijah yell, a
nd we all scrambled to crane our necks down the hall, seeing Shiloh and Elijah about to go at it.
“Oh my God,” I groaned, making my way over.
“Elijah!” Jordyn called, and he quickly turned around, eyes wide as he looked at her.
He nearly tripped over his feet to rush over to her. “You—” He wrapped his arms around her neck so quick, nearly knocking her back, and he immediately started begging forgiveness.
“Y’all are so cute,” Taylor cooed.
I went to grab Shiloh. I was ready to go. This place was nothing but drama everywhere I fucking went. Luckily, Shiloh was on the same page, along with the rest of his brothers.
“You out?” Jahiem asked, slapping hands with Shiloh as he grabbed our things.
“Yeah. I should have never come here.”
“Don’t even worry about it, bruh,” Jahiem said. “I’m about to make this trip to Albany tonight. Yo, Olivia got some bad-ass friends. You seen ol’ girl with the tattoos?”
“She was looking at me,” Trell boasted as Shiloh put his hand on my lower back to guide me out of the house.
“Lemme take a walk. I need to calm myself down,” Shiloh mumbled.
I slipped my coat on and followed him, keeping quiet, so he could have his own thoughts. Hearing the car engines start up as people started to leave, I looked at my man, seeing the pain and hurt in his eyes. What the hell happened between him and his mom that caused him to act like that toward her?
“You okay?” I asked softly as we walked down the hill, using the streetlights to guide us. I stopped him from walking as we stood next to a curb. I looked up at him.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” was all he said, eyes on the ground, looking like a little boy who was hurt.
Cupping his face to bring his eyes back to me, I could see him trying to hold it in, to block off any emotion. Yet, the moment I caught those eyes watering up, I immediately used my thumbs to press down on his eyes as he closed them. Wiping away any stray tear, I brought him close for a hug. He needed to let it out, whatever it was. He needed to release it, so he could move on from it. I wasn’t going to ask questions. I wasn’t going to speak; just let him release it.
Jordyn
“Can’t believe I’m doing this,” I mumbled to myself, pulling up to this two-story brick house. I’d just finished my Christmas concert, and I felt like ignoring Elijah wasn’t the right thing to do. Plus, he had my phone in his truck. We needed to actually talk and work through some things, instead of me pretending everything was okay all the time.
Parking alongside the curb, I got out, lifting my dress up so it wouldn’t drag. My signature long-sleeve black gown hugged my body just enough to see a peek of the curves. I wore a simple silver necklace, and my hair was done in a bun as I walked up to the house, hearing music playing. With a simple birthday card and a gift card to Barnes & Noble since I heard she liked to read, I pushed the already open door, hearing the commotion from the back.
“Jordyn!” Taylor screamed out as she got up to hug me. “I’m glad to see you made it.”
“Yeah, I thought I wasn’t going to make it,” I said, glancing at Shiloh’s girlfriend, who gave me a tired, fake smile. “What’s going on? I thought it was supposed to be a party or something?” I asked, looking at Taylor before glancing at the chaos out back.
“Girl, you right in the middle of—”
“Nigga, do something!” I could hear Elijah scream. Noelle and Taylor quickly got up to see what I was seeing. Shiloh and Elijah were squaring off. I sighed. Noelle started to go toward them, but I decided to cut it short.
“Elijah!” I called to him, and he turned around, eyes wide, mouth dropped. I shyly waved to him with a slow shake of my head. Almost tripping on his own two feet, he ran up to me, nearly knocking me down as his arms came around my neck.
“Elijah, you’re about to make me fall!” I laughed.
“I’m sorry, Jordyn. I’m so sorry,” he repeated over and over as Taylor cooed. He looked back at me before kissing me hard on the mouth, and I tasted beer. “I fucked up, and I shouldn’t have—”
“We can talk about it later. I have a gift for your grandma,” I said, seeing all his brothers making their way out. Shiloh and I locked eyes, and he gave me a heads up in greeting. I smiled back just as their grandma came down.
Elijah introduced the two of us, with his mom right behind her. Even though I wasn’t there, I could tell a lot had happened. Everyone looked mentally drained.
By the time we got in my car, since he rode with his mom and Trent, I was curious to know what had happened in there. Letting him drive, I popped open a bottle of beer, taking a swig as we shared, enjoying the night ride to his favorite wing spot.
“So much shit, baby.” He sighed, rubbing his head as he glanced at me. “So much deep-rooted issues between everyone. Only person that don’t have no drama is Livie. She’s peaceful all around with the fam.”
“Mmm,” I said. “I bet.”
He looked at me with those hopeful, sleepy eyes. I already knew what was coming next. “Can you come over tonight? Stay the night with me? Let me make it up to you?”
“Elijah.” I sighed, turning to him. “We have so much we need to figure out between us before we even begin to think about—”
“I know,” he said, cutting me off as he got on the highway. “I know that, Jordyn.”
“Sooo, I mean, we can’t just not talk about it or ignore it. I’m tired of acting like everything is okay with us. I let you get away with so much shit, Elijah, and you know it. You take advantage of my soft, quiet nature, expecting me to—”
“Hold up.” He laughed with a shake of his head. “You far from quiet, shawty.”
“I am!”
“No the fuck you not, Jordyn. I do apologize if you feel that way, but you far from quiet. Get that shit right.”
“This isn’t funny! I’m trying to tell you how I feel, Elijah! You sleeping with these girls in front of me, telling everyone about the abortion, and . . . and . . . I’m sick of how you talk to me like I’m just some random bitch in the club. You think everything is fucking funny. You refuse to tell me you love me, but you have no problem scaring my boyfriend into breaking up with me, and . . .” I sat back in the seat with my arms crossed. “That’s all I have to say.” I took another shot of the beer angrily.
He looked at me with that tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth and a goofy-ass smile because once again, everything was funny to him.
“Jordyn?”
“What, Elijah?” I snapped, watching him pull into the parking lot in front of the small wing shop. He leaned in and kissed me sloppily on the lips. “Ew, Elijah! Move!” I freaked, trying to push him away, but he stuck that tongue out, trying to lick all over before coming to my neck. “Elijah!” I laughed. “I was being serious!”
Pulling away, he eyed me with a small smile as I wiped my soaked mouth and neck.
“You’re so fucking disgusting, Elijah. I swear I don’t even know how I deal with you,” I mumbled.
“I’m about to knock all yo’ issues out the park right now, shawty,” he said, and I cut my eyes at him. “Will you be my girlfriend?” My mouth dropped. “My one and only girlfriend.”
“Yes.” I smiled.
“Will you forgive me? Because I am just a simple-ass nigga who is too dumb to see the girl he was meant to be with has been in front of my face this entire time, grandma glasses on and everything,” he teased.
“Yes, I forgive you, Elijah,” I answered, moving his wild locs out of his face as he smirked at me.
“Will you move in with me? My house looks a fucking mess, and I don’t want to clean it by myself,” he said. I outright laughed before nodding my head.
He continued, “When the day comes and I pop that question on whether or not you want to marry a nigga, will you say yes?”
I gasped. Not even . . . I don’t . . . how in the hell did he even word that question?
“I will say yes,” I
said with a soft smile.
His eyes lit up like a little kid as he leaned in and kissed me gently on the lips.
“You know I’ve been in love with you since the moment you told me you was bisexual, shawty,” he teased, and I laughed.
“Yeah right, Elijah.”
“Real talk, I’ve been in love with you longer than you have with me, baby,” he said, kissing me. “A nigga is straight-up crazy about yo’ nerdy ass, baby. You got my heart, my soul, my everything. All you. I’m just a simple man without you.”
“That was so sweet, Jaja,” I cooed, using the pet name I gave him when I caught him sleeping with fingers in his mouth like a pure baby.
“You ready to go home, baby?” he asked. “This is my last night before I get back to work, so we gon’ make this count; you feel me?”
I nodded. Sure enough, we stopped and got the wings, grabbed a bottle of E & J, went to his house, straight to his room with his two dogs chilling on the floor, and watched Scandal, starting from Season 1. That’s how we turned up on a regular, watching shows on Netflix. Rarely did we have wild sex with other women. It happened, but this was mostly what we did when we were together. He’d smoke, we’d eat naked, and then watch these shows.
“Aye, look at this.” Elijah laughed, showing me a text message. His brother Anthony sent a picture of his car scratched up with the windows broken. The caption read: 2nd baby mama did this.
“Your family is something else.” I sighed with a shake of my head as he leaned back.
“They are,” he agreed. “Carter boys stay in some mess, baby. Always have, always will.”
Tia
Sunday night, I was sitting in the bed, rubbing cocoa butter on my stomach once again. I could barely get any sleep, even after a full meal. Glancing at the clock, I saw it was going on 1 a.m. Shit, I guess it was Monday morning then. Sitting in the bed with my thick socks and shorts, with my shirt raised above my protruding stomach, I sighed. I was content. Not happy, but I was good. Blessed.
“I do want me something to drink, though,” I mumbled, getting up. Walking down the hallway, I headed for the kitchen, seeing headlights pulling in the driveway.
