by Nikki Brown
“You really like her, don’t you?” Piper asked and Cassidy didn’t answer. Truth was he really did but now he didn’t know if he could trust her. “Umph! Did you know that Saque was her ex?”
“Nah I didn’t, not that it would matter but I didn’t know.” Cassidy sipped on his beer. “The man didn’t even know he had a son, there was no way that we would know anything.” Cassidy chuckled.
“A son?” Piper whipped her head around.
“That’s some shit you gone have to talk to him about, just like I need to holla at Key. I shouldn’t even have said that shit. That was some bitch shit.” Cassidy closed his eyes tightly hating that he even said anything about Kane possibly being Saque’s.
“I don’t even know if I want to find out anything else about him. I really want out, but I’m stuck.”
“The fuck you mean you stuck Piper? If you don’t want to fuck with that muthafucka no more then don’t fuck with him. Simple as that.” Cassidy glared at her. “He ain’t holding no gun to your head making you stay, you staying because you want to stay.”
“He paid for my shop.” She said barely above a whisper. “I worked so hard for that and if I leave, he’s gonna take it from me.”
“Well then that’s some bitch shit. No nigga should hold something that they done for you over your head, that’s not a man.” He could feel his anger rise because that’s the same thing that Key said he did to her. “That’s where you females mess up, let me ask you this… Is your name anywhere on the business.”
“Yeah my name is on the building as a co-buyer and I have the LLC for A Touch of Beauty by Piper.”
“Well then he can’t take shit. The only thing that he can do is make you buy him out of his half of the loan for the building.”
“But he bought all of the furniture and all of that. I’m sure he kept the receipts so when it all comes down to it, I will still be shit out of luck.” Picking up her drink and chugging it she waved for the bartender to bring her another one.
“So you gone stay with this nigga, so you don’t have to start over on your own?” He heard the words that were coming out of her mouth and he couldn’t believe how superficial that some women could be. They would rather sell their souls than to make it happen on their own. That’s the one thing that he could say about Key, she was independent, and he loved that.
“I love my business, Cassidy you just don’t understand.”
“But I do, I run a business. Actually my family has numerous businesses. GO to a bank and see what kind of loan you can get to buy him out and that way everything will be yours.” What he was saying sounded simple to Cassidy, but it wasn’t that simple for Piper because deep down she still loved Saque.
She thought that he was different, that he wouldn’t do her like the other men did and for a while he didn’t. He was the perfect gentlemen; he was invested in what she wanted out of life and he brought her vision to life. She was grateful but she didn’t want to feel stupid in the process.
“He made me feel so comfortable and then played me like that.” Piper confessed her true feelings, right before she put her head down. Cassidy didn’t think there was any hope for Piper, but he couldn’t deny that for some reason he had a little soft spot for her, so he tried to put her up on game.
“Because he could.” She popped her head up, her eyes searched Cassidy’s for understanding. It was something that she didn’t know, and she felt like he had the answers. “You make it too easy. You don’t make him work for nothing, the pussy, the loyalty, the heart, nothing. You met him and was like here nigga take this shit it’s yours.” Cassidy turned his beer up again. “I told you before if you don’t know what you’re worth no one else will care.”
“I just want to be happy.”
“But you ain’t happy with yourself, so how do you plan to be happy with anyone else?” Cassidy glared at her while he waited for her to answer.
Piper pondered over what Cassidy was saying. Growing up she watched her mother get with these men and give them all of her just to get her rent paid. She watched as she catered to them for a new bag or bomb pair of heels. Not once did she ever witness her mother going out and getting it on her own. That was unheard of, her mother always told her that men were supposed to make ways and women were supposed to reap the benefits and that’s what stuck with her.
Saque made the money and opened her up a business, he made a way for her to live how she felt she deserved to live. He did things to and for Piper that she would never think someone would do for her. Piper’s mother use to always say, “A lonely bitch is a broke one”. Piper wanted to be neither.
“You have to make you happy shorty. If you ain’t happy with you then you’ll never be happy with anyone else. You be giving people too much control over your life and that’s where you fuck up.” Cassidy turned so that he was facing her. “When muthafuckas get that much control they use that shit to the best of their ability, and you end up disappointed.” Cassidy lifted Pipers chin so that she was looking at him. “Let me ask you this…do you love that nigga?” Piper nodded her head. “Okay, why?”
She took a minute to think about what she wanted to say before she said it. Cassidy made her nervous when he talked to her like this, but she also knew that she needed it. He had a way of putting things into perspective for her even if she didn’t listen.
“He helped me get on my feet. When me and Sutton fell out, he was there to make sure that I got clients, so I didn’t lose out on money. I’ve always wanted my own beauty bar and he made that happen. I have access to his accounts, and he makes sure that I stay fly. I’ve never had a man take care of me like he does.”
“But at what cost?” Cassidy shook his head. He was more superficial than he thought. “Not once did you say because the way he makes you feel. Like how when y’all are together, nothing else matters. Or what about the way he brings out the best in you. Everything you said was surface, and superficial as fuck. You need to grow up beautiful.” Cassidy called for another shot.
Piper looked at him and nodded her head. What he said was true and she knew it. The two sat at the bar and talked until the bar closed. When it was time to go, Piper didn’t want to go home and face Saque, and Cassidy was enjoying her company. He invited her to come sleep on his couch or in his spare room and she agreed.
***
Knock! Knock! Knock! The banging on the door woke Piper up from her drunken stupor. She opened her eyes and the minute she did the room began to spin and she shut them tight again. She couldn’t remember anything that happened after her and Cassidy left the bar. She remembered the conversation getting a little lighter and they started to have fun.
The drinks were coming like water, it was like as the night went on the bartender made them a little stronger. With everything going on she felt like she needed to have a night like that. She definitely appreciated him for it.
Knock! Knock! Knock! The person on the other side of the door wasn’t letting up and as bad as she wanted to ignore it, she couldn’t. Pulling herself up to the sitting position she slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She was in a living room, one that didn’t belong to her.
Grabbing her head she tried her best to remember where she ended up the night before but to no such luck. Standing to her feet she struggled to the door as she pulled it open and came face to face with the girl Key, the one that was with her ex.
“Oh yeah?” Key said with much distain. She didn’t hold back the ill feelings that she felt seeing the woman that was with her ex now standing at the door of the man that she called herself falling for.
“You looking for Cassidy?” Piper said still not fully functioning. Her mind was on her splitting headache and not the woman standing in front of her with a very displeasing scowl.
When she finally focused, she realized who the woman was. Piper could have easily told her what was up because from the look on her face she thought that her and Cassidy did something. She opened her mouth to say something then she remembe
red that this woman was the reason that she was in the situation that she was in with her man. She was the reason that Saque didn’t trust so she didn’t feel like she owed her shit.
“Nah.” Key released an angry chuckle before she slowly started to back away. “No thanks, I think I actually found the real him.” She smiled and then jogged to her car.
Key was trying to tell herself that she wasn’t hurt by this revelation, but she was. Even though her and Cassidy hadn’t been physical but a few times, they had been talking and getting to know each other longer.
She knew for a fact that she wanted to be more than just friends and he said that he did to. The two agreed to take their time but Key didn’t know that take their time meant sleeping with other people. Staring back at Cassidy’s door watching as it closed, she felt like her heart was closing too, closing to the thought of them being together.
Cassidy was pissed last night, she could see it in his eyes but what Saque said wasn’t completely true and she felt like she owed him an explanation, which was why she was here. Now she didn’t think he deserved a second thought when it came to her.
Pulling out of the driveway she headed to the shop, she had a few appointments and she needed something to get her mind off of what she just saw. Lines had been crossed and she didn’t know if they would ever be the same.
Tell Me
Chills ran up and down Icelynn’s spine as AD moved in and out of her. She arched her back to give him the access he requested, and it proved to be rewarding when he tapped her g-spot a few times before he slid out and entered her again.
“I fucking love you, you know that?” AD sunk his teeth into his bottom lip. His hands caressed the meatiness of her cheeks as he had his way with her.
“I love you too,” flowed from her lips effortlessly.
The words they spoke were nothing but the truth. Everything had lined up for them lately and they couldn’t be happier. AD had hired Icelynn as the manager of the restaurant and they were due for the grand opening soon. They both were excited surprisingly.
“Say that shit again Ice.”
“Ummm shit baby right there.” She started throwing her ass back on him. “Fuck I love you baby.”
“Shit Ice, take that shit then.” He thrust into her as he watched her throw her ass back, wrapping her pussy muscles around his dick. His orgasm was on the rise and he knew it. “You gone make me nut.”
“Come with me baby.” She cried out. “Oh god.” The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as a shiver worked its way from her pussy to her shoulders. Her stomach knotted up as the most powerful orgasm shot through her. “Yes baby!” she cried out.
“Fuck Ice!” AD cried out as he released everything that he had into her waiting womb. Icelynn fell face forward and AD fell beside her. They both were breathing hard and trying to catch their breath from the powerful session they had engaged in.
AD looked up at the ceiling, thinking back to everything that he had been through the last few months. He couldn’t believe that all that shit had transpired. It was enough to drive him insane but thanks to Icelynn and Dr. Reems he seemed to be doing a little better.
The two had actually just came from seeing Dr. Reems and she encouraged AD to tell his family what happened to him when he was younger. He was a little apprehensive, but he knew that it was something that he needed to do.
Isis was doing so much better too, she still had nightmares every once in a while, but she was more comfortable being in crowded spaces. Sometimes they had family sessions and sometimes Isis went alone so she could speak freely. All and all they were all getting over the things that held them back.
“I gotta go meet these fools at the hospital, I guess Ma up there showing her ass cause she ready to come home even though they want her to stay a little longer.” He chuckled but Icelynn was quiet. He leaned up and looked over at her. “What’s up baby?”
“Did you mean it?” her eyes danced around his while she waited for an answer. “When you said I love you did you mean it?”
“More than anything girl.” He climbed back on top of her and leaned down and crashed his lips against hers. “I don’t think I can live without you and Isis. Y’all got me through one of the toughest times of my life and I will never be able to thank you enough, so I’ll prove it every day of my life. I’m ready to spend forever with you.”
Tears formed in her eyes as she felt every word that came out of his mouth. She didn’t have to question it anymore, she knew, and she felt the same. Easing back in her AD slowly made love to his woman until he felt like there was no doubt left in her mind.
***
“Why you in here making all that noise ol’ lady?” AD said when he walked in the room with his family. Everyone was there and Siya was up fussing at all of them because they wouldn’t take her home.
“Where the hell you been? You were supposed to be here three hours ago,” Siya fussed the minute her baby boy was in her face.
She had been stuck in the hospital for over two weeks now and she was pissed about it. Her health was improving daily, and she could hold a conversation without coughing. Her arm was healing, she had even started physical therapy for her leg. She could do all of that at home, and that’s where she wanted to be.
“Me and Icelynn had therapy earlier today.”
“Okay that was earlier, you said that you were on your way three hours ago,” Siya pried. AD smirked and pulled out his phone and took a seat in the chair by her bed.
“I was making you another grandbaby.” He simply said making his brother and father laugh.
Siya smacked her lips because she knew that AD was only joking although she would love it if he did have a baby by Icelynn, she thought she was good for him. All of her boys were in successful relationships, all except for Cassidy which she had just got done fussing at.
“Whatever come here Adoreé.” She said and motioned for him to come closer to her. They hadn’t really talked since she told him what happened with Ziva and she needed to know how he felt about it because it wasn’t something that she just wanted to slide under the rug. “I know the last time we really talked I laid some heavy stuff on you and I want to make sure you were okay.”
“Yeah Ma I’m good, I never felt a connection to her. Like when I met with her all I felt was the need to slit her throat. There was nothing there, so I knew something was off.” AD shrugged his shoulders and sighed. “I really don’t care about anything other than the fact that you are my mother, you raised me and that’s good enough for me.”
Tears fell from Siya’s eyes, “Do you forgive me?” she asked him through her tears.
“Of course ma, stop all that crying. I thought you were a G.” AD joked and Siya slapped him in the head. “But I won’t feel better until that bitch is dead.” The coldness of his tone when he said that slithered its way into Siya’s heart. She knew the men in her life were out for blood and she wasn’t going to hold them back because Ziva’s head on a platter would more than satisfy her.
“I’m glad you’ve been going to counseling and I’m sorry all of this made you feel like you need to. I feel horrible about all of it.” Siya wiped the tears that were rolling down her face.
AD knew that it was now or never and even though he didn’t want to relive this situation again he knew in order for him to heal he needed to tell the people that he loved the most. Staring in the eyes of his family he was kicking himself for not letting Icelynn come with him.
She had done enough for him and she deserved a little time with her friends, and he wasn’t going to hold her back from that.
“That’s not the sole reason for me going to therapy ma.” He cleared his throat.
“Well why are you going? Adoreé tell me.”
AD took a deep breath as he rehashed the horrible things that he had to endure when he was a child. He told them everything, ever act, every feeling, he didn’t leave not one stone unturned and when he was done every man in the room had a stone face and Siya was s
obbing crying.
This was the first time that AD had talked about the traumatic event and not shed a tear and it felt good. That meant he was in the beginning stages of the healing process. Most black people didn’t believe in therapists and for a while he didn’t either, but he was thankful that Icelynn talked him into it.
“You should have told me,” Mega’s voice boomed in the room. He was so pissed that his son went through that alone. Even though he killed the sick bastard, he could have been there through that with him.
“I couldn’t.” AD shook his head. “I was ashamed, I was a boy. I felt like I should have fought harder. That maybe if I would have stood my ground it wouldn’t have happened. I blamed myself for a long time. That shit ate at me every day, but I just couldn’t tell you, I wanted to, but the words would never come out.
Siya didn’t know if there was an explanation for her feelings, but she couldn’t escape them. She wished that she could have taken that pain away from him, she hated that he had to live with that.
“You killed that nigga like that,” Cassidy said as he got up and walked over to his brother. He dapped him up and pulled him out of his seat into a brotherly hug. “I wish you would have told me I would have slit his fucking throat, and Senior too for being related to his bitch ass. I love you nigga.” They patted each other on the back.
Kahleno followed suit and then they all stood around Siya’s bed who wasn’t saying anything. She was thinking back to the attempted murder charge he almost caught when he was younger.
“When you got in that fight at the basketball court, when you beat that little boy up and you told us you were fighting for Menz. Did he know?”
“Ion no, I guess Menz must have said something about that nigga fucking with him. So we were playing ball and that nigga said something about Menz being gay and shit because his uncle was fucking him.” AD slipped his hands into his pockets nervously. “Then the nigga turned to me and said it must be me fucking his uncle too and I spazzed. I tried to break every bone in his face.”
