by Love Belvin
My eyes went down to short bare legs that were arched and crossed in the boat, across from me as I rowed. My wife. She was on her phone, relaxed as I worked. All I could think about was how much love we made on this island. How hard we laughed together. I’d seen a deeper, more transparent side to her. She got silly with me, nasty with me, and even spiritual as we kicked it a few times about growing in Christ. This was the best time in my life. Everything I needed was on the island, except for Kyree. He didn’t need to be here while I’d been exploiting his moms’ body, but if we were to stay longer, he’d have to be sent for. I wasn’t trying to hog her from him. Jade seemed happy, though. She fussed when I had her wear a life jacket again tonight. She may have known how to swim, but I wasn’t risking her safety or my daughter’s life to her ego.
After dinner, we decided to come out here again. It had been our fourth time getting in a boat at night. This was peaceful: just Jade and me. The water was pitch black except for when it sparkled with turquoise lights. That was new to me. Just beautiful. There were light posts around. A lifeguard on duty, but we were a good distance from the shoreline. This had been the farthest I’d taken us out. I figured I’d explore more, seeing it was our last night on the island.
“Whoa!” She broke the silence.
“What?”
“That video I posted last week got mad hits and shares!” Jade looked scared as hell over it.
Good…
I wondered why she’d just found that out. That was over a week ago. We’d been pretty busy here, focusing on us and exploring the island, but she’d had her phone. It’s how we kicked it with Kyree and April. Jade spoke to her moms, too, when she took Kyree for the weekend last week.
“No surprise. It’s a first for them.” I tried playing it cool, but really wanted to talk my smack about her never having me on her social media.
“I’m just glad I didn’t get more than our faces.”
“You wouldn’t let nothing like that slip,” I spoke underneath my breath, throwing a jab. Then I thought about something. “You uploaded that to Facebook, too?”
“Only IG, but I have my posts go to Facebook and Twitter from there.”
“Why?” I didn’t even know that was possible.
I liked social media. Instagram blew up while I was locked up. When I came home, I dabbled on it, but never did more than lurked. I had people posting for me, for the most part.
“It’s something I set up a while ago for my nail business. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have the time to post anywhere else.” She looked up from her phone. “You devoured me two point five seconds after I hit Share.”
I rolled my eyes out to the water. Little did Jade know, that shit turned me on something dangerous. When I realized she was recording us on her phone, my dick got hard and heart started racing. It was crazy.
“Oh, my god!” She lifted her head, eyes still on her phone. “Tineka from N.B.P. commented on the video!”
“Who? What’s N.B.P.?”
“Nubian Beauty Products. The company I met with last year about the nail salon chain.”
“What she say?”
“She big upped my nails, asking if I did them myself.” Jade pulled her nails to her face, inspecting them.
“That’s what’s up.” I liked Jade getting shine. She was talented in so many ways. She deserved it.
“I guess she still keeps in touch.” Then she frowned. “Or maybe seeing you on my post reminded her of why they were interested in the first place.”
Using the left oar, I started rowing a new angle, turning us around for the shore. TiTo, the water sports guy, taught me how to row last week. I hoped I could remember the technique to teach Ky.
And my baby girl…
“Or maybe she never forgot how skilled you are. Maybe you should have Minnie Chew hit her back up and see what y’all can work out.”
“Negative,” she came back quick. Jade took a deep breath, sitting up.
“That’s it? You don’t even give it thought?”
“I thought about it back then. My hands are full now. I don’t have time to upstart a business now anyway.”
“You’re just about done with the house, the wedding’s over, Shank’s ball’ll be here before you know it, then you’ll be freed up. So what else you gone do, Jade?”
I watched as she licked her lips, thinking.
“So, I’ve been thinking about culinary school.”
“Culin—” My head jerked back. “You already cook your ass off.”
“This is Polynesian cuisine. I’ve always wanted to learn a new type of food. You know that.”
My neck gave out and head dropped. Maybe I’ll get a drink when we’re done. I hadn’t had one since the night of the wedding. It was sounding good to me the more she spoke.
I tried calming myself.
“Okay. I’ll roll with you on that. How much?”
“Oh.” Jade blinked. “You don’t have to worry about that. I’ve got it covered.”
“You? How?”
“Through a grant the state offers to low income applicants.”
I slapped my forehead with my right hand, forgetting what I was doing. Then I jumped to grab the oar that shifted into the lock hole. Jade bit her lip, looking guilty. I couldn’t look at her and shot my eyes into the distance instead. I could feel my nostrils flare.
“You can’t do that, Jade. You don’t qualify anymore.”
“How do you figure?”
“Did you forget you’re Jade Bailey now? You got seven zeros behind your name as her. You wanna scam the government now, Jade?”
I watched her look out into the water now. It took her a while to speak as I got us back to shore.
“I didn’t think about that,” she whispered.
“Yeah. I get it.”
“You get what?” She looked at me with big eyes.
“I know that state of mind. I get when you don’t trust someone to do what they say they’ll do.”
She sucked in air. “I do—”
“No, you don’t!” I yelled, and probably unnecessarily.
I was expecting her to chew me up about that slip. Jade was no pushover. She was one of a few that could hem me up with just words. But my girl never uttered a comeback. She folded her arms under her chest and turned to face the side of the boat. That had me more messed up. Where was her defense? Her assurances? What was going on?
We were back at shore. TiTo and his crew were in the water, pulling the boat in and holding it steady. I jumped off first. Then I turned to see where she was. I reached for her hand to help her off. At the same time, one of Tito’s guys extended his hand. She went to him instead of me.
“I got her, man!” Quickly, I moved in front of him and grabbed Jade as gently as I could, laying her in my arms.
She felt tense in my arms like she didn’t want to be there. When we made it to the dry sand, I put her on her feet. She started toward the bungalow without looking at me.
“J—”
She leaped in the air, turning toward me with tears in her eyes.
“Why am I always feeling like the only one proving myself here?” she screamed at the top of her lungs, standing on her toes. Her index finger swung in the air. “I’m always the one reassuring, always the one begging you to believe I’m sincere and my love is true. Maybe I’m not secure in this thing! Maybe your constant need to be coddled emotionally is your lack of trust showing its ugly head! I’ve brought all I have into this. I’m having a second baby and my only income is tied to you. Damnit, Trent, reassure me, too!”
That hit me hard. My eyes closed, feeling her pain. Had I been this hard on her? I swear, I was good with Jade. My head and heart totally with her. I didn’t know I’d been sending mixed messages.
“Baby,” I stepped to her, grabbing her in my arms. Jade covered her face as she cried. “I’m sorry. I get you been out there hustling, tryna find your way all these years. I slipped up. I’m sorry.” That was all I could say.
Jade had been on her own for so long with nothing but Kyree and half supported by her baby’s father. She’d gotten used to hustling on the government. She wasn’t used to being with a man with my type of money. And then on top of that, she probably kept in mind how tight I am with money and didn’t want to ask for too much.
God, what am I doing?
I began the walk back to the bungalow with her still in my arms. Jade cried into my side half the way. When she was done, we finished the hike in silence, the ocean waves playing the backdrop. I felt…stupid for just now seeing this new perspective of her struggle. I’m sure she felt attacked on the boat. She had been carrying all of this on top of the nasty things said about her in the media—really on social media. All of it wasn’t bad, but I was used to being attacked by people who’d never met me. That had been my experience my entire career, but the tradeoff was my passion. The ball. Jade’s was just me, a suck ass, who was scared of embracing something real. Something he never had. Love.
I followed her up the stairs, into the bungalow. Jade went straight to the bathroom, turning on the shower. She came back out to drop her phone and take off her short dress and underwear. I tossed my clothes off in no time and followed her into the shower, needing to be next her. I moved so fast, I almost tripped over her small frame, not wanting to be far away. We washed and I watched her, looking for an “in” to end this madness. I wanted her: all of her. I wanted Jade forever.
I waited for her to be done to turn off the shower. I dried off next to her, eyes glued to her for clues of a mood change. She walked out into the bedroom for a shirt to toss over her head and I was behind her. So close that when she lay her first knee on the high bed, I waited for the next before I grabbed her by the hips and buried my face in her cheeks. My tongue stroked until it found her clit. Jade moved to widen her hips, opening her legs to me. And I stroked, tasting her special flavor mixed with the perfume of her soap.
The first hint of a moan sounded as though it slipped, like she didn’t want it to be heard. The others that came after were choppy, not fluid as she usually delivered them. Jade threw up a guard. I didn’t want her protected against me. I wanted to protect her. I pulled back and pushed on her hips, telling her to move up the bed. As I followed, I jerked my cock in my hand, feeling lightheaded about being inside her soon.
I reached over and kissed her, turning her away on her side as much tongue moved in her mouth.
“Mmmmm…” Jade moaned, helplessly this time, bringing her arm around my neck.
I situated myself behind her, bringing the head of my dick to her opening. I could feel Jade arching to me as I rubbed my head over her clit. I didn’t let her come, so I knew she was ripe. Our tongues moved against each other, her hand reached up to grip my head.
I hadn’t been inside her since yesterday morning. Last night we debated names for the baby and where we’d build the nursery until we fell out. This morning, Tessie sent over the link to the digital copies of pictures from our wedding. We spent most of the day going through them and deciding which two we’d release to the media. The rest were separated by the photo album we’d have printed, the picture we’d use in our “thank you” messages to guests, and which one we’d have blown up for the living room at the crib. See, we vibed, talked about our plans, mapped out our future.
When I slipped inside her from behind, there was no way I would end this honeymoon beefing with Jade. I needed her. I made sure to tell her with every stroke I made. When I rubbed her nipples and nibbled on her bottom lip. I stroked her slow, not in a rush. I took cues from her breathing to know when she needed me to pound and not caress her walls.
“I love you,” I whispered to her.
She couldn’t keep her heavy eyes open as our skin smacked against each other, over and over again. When Jade’s head fell on my arm as I sucked on her neck, I knew she was ready.
“Trent…” she breathed and I sat up, keeping my dick inside of her.
I squatted on my thighs, keeping her on her side and hammered into her. My fingers grabbed the meat of her cheeks for leverage and my hips moved faster, plummeting into her. One of her hands went to her belly and the right one, closest to me swung back, hitting the mattress and made her tit bounce erotically.
My teeth clenched and I could feel chills in my spine and a twitch in my sacs. I let out a moan I couldn’t hold back. It was loud and…free. That’s what marriage had been for me these past six months. I was free to express my feelings without having to worry about Jade taking advantage of them or not feeling the same way. As I emptied inside her, recklessly spraying with my head tossed back, I felt a bond a man should only feel with a wife like Jade Renee.
“Don’t forget to look around for all the chargers we brought,” she shouted from the bathroom as I was pulling on my socks.
I grabbed my sweat shorts, but stopped before putting them on. Not wanting to forget, I walked around the small suite and looked behind furniture. We didn’t have a lot of time before needing to head to the airport. Jade was in there flat-ironing her hair, but was dressed.
“My hat,” I whispered to myself, reaching for it.
It was on the floor, next to the couch. The first night we were here, Jade had tossed it. It hadn’t been a thought until now. After seeing there were no more chargers left, I picked up the ones she already had together on the dresser and put them into the pocket on the front of the suitcase. Then I finally put on my shorts. While kneeling over, I heard the bed squeak before I felt her at my back. Jade’s arms were around my shoulders and she bit my ear while laughing. My shorts fell to the floor.
“You found my favorite hat!” She reached over and kissed my mouth. “This is the first one you wore when going down on me in the kitchen. You remember that?” She couldn’t stop giggling, arms pulling me tighter and tighter.
“I done ate ya pussy more times than I can count. No way I’m gonna remember the first time I wore a cap.”
My arm was draped around her, holding her leg in case she lost her balance.
“You don’t wear caps on me, remember.” Her dark lined eyes blinked then she busted out laughing.
“Jade, easy! The baby, yo.”
“You are my baby. My biggest, forever, best-booty-rubbing, future-rocking-chair-companion baby.”
“I’m not playing, girl!”
“Okay!” She stopped moving in her long fitted dress. “I just want to say sorry about last night. I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way. I know you love me deeply and I can have patience with the rest.” I was able to turn in her arms while she stood securely on the bed. Her face turned serious. “I had a magical wedding. This was the best honeymoon I could ask for. Thank you, babe.”
I kissed her, sucking on her bottom lip when pulling back.
“You’re welcome. Anything for you. Now get down. Please,” I begged.
She dropped her head, agreeing and I helped her off the bed. Jade reached from her toes and kissed me again. Then she strutted back to the bathroom. I went for my shorts again.
“One last thing.” I looked over at her while pulling them up and tossed my chin to her. “I want to be your best friend.”
I grabbed my shirt off the bed. “Best friend, huhn? What’s that about?”
“About the fact that you don’t have one.” She shrugged with her palms in the air. “Neither do I. No one loves you the way I do, and nobody has the patience for me that you have. So…” She shrugged again. “I think if we’re stuck with each other, we should make the best of it.”
I chuckled quietly, pulling my undershirt then t-shirt over my head. Jade waited for an answer.
“I’ll be whatever you need me to be.”
A goofy grin broke out on her face. Jade leaped on her toes cheerily. “Well, cool then!” She turned for the bathroom, and I went for my sneakers. “One last thing.” While bending over, I looked her way. “You have to be open with me. Best friends share the good, bad, and ugly.”
I stood straight, still looking a
t her. Jade spoke those words with a straight face, silly smile seemed to have never existed. She dipped her chin asking if I agreed.
After snapping into the moment, I nodded. This was a different woman from last night.
Maybe it was the pregnancy…
~Nineteen
“Wow!” I breathed, stunned. “That was my nose.”
I watched Jade wipe the gel from her belly.
She nodded with a big smile. “Mmmhmmm.”
“But that last ultrasound you said she looked just like Ky did as a newborn. That’s crazy.”
She giggled again and picked up the phone to carry it across the room. Then the image was still again.
“That means, this month, she’s looking like you.” Jade pulled the white tank over her head and straightened it over her belly. “Maybe she’ll go back to looking like me next month.” She giggled, teasing her hair with her fingers.
I hoped I could be at the next checkup. I hated missing them. I made sure she FaceTime’d me for this one.
“Where’re you going after this?” I asked on a yawn.
“I’m hoping that refill of prenatal vitamins will be ready by the time I drive by the pharmacy. Then I’m taking Ky and Jordan to the movies.”
“Oh, word? What y’all going to see?”
She frowned in her compact as she touched up her lip gloss. “I’m not sure.”
Jade stayed picture perfect. She was so damn cute pregnant. I could never tell her, but her nose had swelled in the past month or so. I noticed since our wedding, because I’d been away so much, working. I left home nine days ago to do a few mentoring workshops in Kentucky, then in D.C. Yesterday, I flew out here to L.A. to meet with a sports medicine specialist for a checkup, take a meeting this morning, and do an appearance for juvies before flying out to Connecticut tomorrow to start training camp with the Kings.
It was July. Already. Time had flown since our wedding. I had a couple of weeks off in June to spend with my family, but then I was away a whole week, doing Kings community obligations. The last week of June, when Ky got out of school, we spent a week in The Bahamas as a family vacation with him. I was home maybe a day before having to fly out to Kentucky. Life had been too busy for my family, but I was grateful for another chance at my career and tried not to complain. I enjoyed talking to young kids about careful decision-making. I dug hearing their dreams and pushing them to accomplish each one. It gave me purpose.
