CHAPTER 2
BRYCE
When I dropped Brooklyn off at school, I headed straight to my ex-girlfriend Taylor’s house to pick up my daughters. Taylor was my high school sweetheart and together we have two daughters, Breanna, and Bailey. Unlike Tiffany, Taylor loves my baby sister and the feeling was mutual. Tiffany is jealous of Brooklyn and I can honestly see why. My baby sister is beautiful inside and out even though she doesn’t see it. Brook looks at herself as average, but she is far from that. She tries to keep her shape hidden under jeans and t-shirts and that’s fine with me. Her beautiful face and hair are all inherited from our mother, Pamela. They look exactly the same. My brothers and I are very protective of her, but none of them are as bad as me. Being a man I know exactly what we’re capable of and I don’t want anything to happen to her. It would kill me if someone broke her heart or did her wrong. I still look at her as the sweet innocent little girl that cried for me when I had to leave for work. Even though Brooklyn is my little sister, I look at her as my own. Since the day, my mother brought her home from the hospital she’s always held a special place in my heart. I love my brothers as well, but that’s my baby, which is exactly what we started calling her from day one.
I pulled up in front of Taylor’s apartments and sat in my car for a while. Taylor and I have been separated for over three years, but it stills feels like yesterday. I can’t deny that I’m still in love with her and she always tells me the same thing. It was just hard for us to get back on track because she doesn’t trust me. I messed up our relationship when I cheated on her with Tiffany. I met Tiffany at the loan company that assisted me with purchasing my building. She and her cousin Kennedi were both loan specialists. I found out later that Kennedi’s mother, Karen actually owned and operated the business. After being denied a loan at several other places, Tiffany pulled some strings and got her aunt to help me with the money that I needed. Tiffany even loaned me a few thousand dollars from her own pockets to get my place fully furnished. Months later when she approached me on a sexual level I felt like I owed her for all that she had done for me. I never intended for Taylor to find out, but Tiffany made sure she did. Taylor and I tried to work it out several times, but Tiffany made it too hard. After a while, Taylor got tired and gave up on me and our entire relationship. We still hook up sexually from time to time, but I really want more than that. Taylor is supposed to be the woman that carried my last name and I wasn’t giving up on that. We had our future all mapped out. Since she was a licensed hairstylist, the plan was for us to get a shop and work together, but all of that fell through when we broke up. She was the reason that I was renting a home instead of owning one. It wasn’t that I couldn’t afford it. I just didn’t want to own a home with anybody else, but her and my girls. It also didn’t help when she decided she wanted to start dating other people. Even though I had a girl, that just didn’t sit too well with me. Tiffany was cool, but she wasn’t the one for me and she knew it. Every time I said anything about us separating she made sure to remind me of everything she’s done for me, even though she’s been paid in full. Then the fact that she didn’t get along with my sister was the deciding factor.
I got out of my car and knocked on Taylor’s door. After a few minutes, she opened the door wearing a long pink bathrobe. Just like always, I went to give her a kiss before walking in. I got pissed off when she turned her head because I knew what that meant. For the past year, Taylor has been off and on with a dude named Larry. Since she was acting brand new, I had a feeling that they were back on and I was right. I stood in the middle of the living room and watched as he exited her bedroom fully dressed and ready to go.
“Hey Bryce, how are you?” Larry said extending his hand towards me. I looked at his hand and back at him like he was crazy. I wanted to punch his nerdy looking ass in the mouth. I couldn’t understand how Taylor went from a street nigga like me to what I saw standing in front of me.
“Where are my girls?” I asked looking at Taylor with a New Orleans boot in my mouth.
“They’re in their room,” she replied with a lowered head.
Without another word, I proceeded down the hall to go check on my daughters. I didn’t want to see or hear anything that would make me madder than I already was. When I opened the door, my girls were laying across the bed watching TV. They spoke briefly, but they were too into the movie they were watching to give me their full attention.
“Can we leave when the movie goes off daddy?” My daughter Breanna asked. She was the oldest at ten and Bailey was the youngest at seven. “It’s almost at the end.”
“Yeah, I need to talk to your mama so y’all can watch it,” I replied.
“What was that all about?” Taylor asked when she appeared in the doorway.
We never discussed anything in front of our girls, so I stepped out of the room and closed the door before I answered.
“What was what about?” I asked even though I already knew.
“I mean, I know you don’t like Larry, but you don’t have to be rude,” she said walking to her room.
“Fuck Larry, I don’t have to say shit to that nigga if I don’t want to,” I said following right behind her.
“I don’t like Tiffany’s ugly ass either, but at least I still speak to the bitch.”
“Fuck Tiffany too, I don’t care if you never speak to her.”
“You are so damned childish,” she said under her breath.
I leaned on the dresser and watched her while she rummaged through her closet for something to wear. I loved everything about her from her short petite frame to the cute pixie cut blonde hair on her head. Everything about her was natural and that turned me on. Tiffany was thicker than Taylor and wore a long brown weave. Without her lashes and heavy makeup, she was average at best. She and Kennedi had so much work done over the years. It was hard for me to tell what was real and what wasn’t.
When Taylor emerged from the closet, she no longer donned the pink robe that she wore a minute ago. My lower head stood at attention when I saw the black lace underwear and matching bra that she had on. She laid her clothes out on the bed and was about to get dressed. Before she had a chance to put anything on I pounced on her like a dog in heat.
“Stop it Bryce. Your daughters are right in the other room,” she said slapping my hands away.
“They’re watching a movie,” I said as I ran over and locked the bedroom door. I didn’t give her a chance to protest before I started taking off my clothes. When I was completely naked, I stripped off the few items of clothing that she had on as well. Even though her bed was fully made, I didn’t want to be somewhere that another man had possibly been only a few minutes ago. Instead of laying her down I picked her tiny frame up and lowered her down onto my erection. We both moaned in pleasure as Taylor started bouncing up and down in slow motion. I heard my daughters talking and I prayed they weren’t trying to come into the room. Besides their voices coming from across the hall, the only other sound I heard was the wetness that came from between her legs. Since we didn’t have that much time, I decided to speed up the process. I put Taylor down and bent her over the dresser. As soon as I reentered her, I pounded her insides like it was the last piece of pussy that I would ever come in contact with. I used one of my hands to cover her mouth and silence the screams that escaped. After a few minutes, Taylor’s legs started to shake and I knew the end was almost near. She held onto the dresser tightly as the huge orgasm took her to another world. Gladly, I wasn’t too far behind as I let off a huge load inside of her. I held onto her as I made my way down to the floor. We were both breathing hard and sweating profusely. It was a good thing that Taylor was a hairstylist because she didn’t have a curl left in her head.
“You didn’t have to be scared to get in the bed. Nothing happened with me and Larry,” Taylor said laughing.
“When you gon’ stop playing and make this official again?” I asked her in between breaths.
“I told you I’ll let you know when I’m
ready. I’m not trying to give you the chance to hurt me again.”
“I’m not going to hurt you Taylor. Messing with Tiffany is the worst thing I’ve ever done,” I said honestly.
“But you’re still with her Bryce. You claim you want us to be a family, but you’re still messing with the person that tore our family apart.”
“It’s nothing for me to leave her alone, so don’t use that as an excuse,” I said.
“If that’s what you really wanted to do you would have done it by now,” she said standing to her feet.
“And you’re still with the black Harry Potter too,” I said trying not to get upset at the thought.
“Larry and I are not in a relationship, so come with something better than that.”
Since I didn’t have anything better to say, I chose to remain quiet.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. The girls’ bags are already packed, lock the door on your way out,” Taylor said right before she went into the bathroom and slammed the door.
I never failed to piss her off every time I came over here. She was on point with everything she said and I couldn’t even try to deny it. I pulled myself up from the floor and went into the bathroom to clean up. Taylor was in the shower so I used the sink to wipe off. When I was done, I redressed and prepared to get my girls and head home. I had a few parting words for Taylor before I did.
“I love you and I promise that I’m going to make things right between us,” I said giving her a long deep kiss.
“I love you too,” she replied sadly.
I said it and I meant every word. It was time for me to get my life right and that included getting my family back. I wasn’t prepared to lose Taylor to Larry or anybody else for that matter. Once this celebration for my brother Jaden was over with, it was time for me to give Tiffany’s ass the boot. I didn’t love her so I wouldn’t be missing out on anything.
CHAPTER 3
KENNEDI
I didn’t need anyone else to tell me that I was a bad bitch. The mirror that I stood in front of didn’t lie. My breasts sat up high and firm and so did my huge pulp ass. My thirty inch weave was colored and curled to perfection. Add to that my flat stomach and flawless makeup and another bitch couldn’t touch me. I spent thousands of dollars perfecting my body and I was more than pleased with the end results. Being an only child, I was afforded with many things that other twenty-four year olds could only dream of. My mother, Karen, was the owner of a very successful finance and loan company where Tiffany and I worked as senior loan specialists. Since my mother and my man Dominic made sure I had everything I wanted, working was just something I did for the hell of it. I blew most of the money on clothes and shoes or it just stayed in my account until more was added. Right now, I was about to blow some of it on this dress that I was currently trying on at Saks. Tiffany’s man, Bryce, was hosting a celebration at their house for his brother. Since I knew some of my enemies were going to be there I had to bring my A-game. Bryce’s cousin, Candace, and I didn’t have the best relationship. Her best friend Nadia and I once shared the same man and they couldn’t get over the fact that the best woman won.
My man, Dominic, is a twenty-two year old stallion that every woman dreams of. He was the true definition of tall, dark and handsome. He had a little street swag that I hated, but it wasn’t anything that I couldn’t deal with. We’ve been dating for two years now and were set to be married in two more. We could have been married sooner, but I wanted my wedding to be a fairytale and that didn’t come cheap. I met Dominic at Tiffany and Bryce’s house when he and Nadia were still together. For me, it was love at first sight and I didn’t stop until I officially made him mine. It just so happened that Dominic and his brother David were in the process of getting their trucking business off the ground at the time. I stepped in and offered my financial expertise and it was all over from there. Unfortunately, Nadia was expecting their first child at the time of our affair. The stress from the love of her life cheating on her with me caused her to miscarry at only four months. I can’t say that I felt bad. Dominic wanted children more than anything and I was happy to be the first to give him some.
“Girl lets go. I’m not paying nine hundred dollars for a damn sun dress,” Tiffany complained.
She was too cheap and I hated shopping with her. If she thought, I was going to Macy’s or Dillard’s she was out of her damn mind. I refused to be less than my best whenever I went anywhere.
“Well, I’m getting this one. I don’t care how much it cost,” I said referring to the coral and tan Chanel dress I had on.
Tiffany picked up the price tag and almost passed out when she saw how much it cost.
“Twelve hundred dollars Kennedi!” She yelled shaking her head. “It’s not that serious.”
“Maybe not to you, but it is to me. You know Candace is going to bring that bitch Nadia with her. I’m not trying to have Dominic looking at nobody, but me,” I replied confidently.
I took the dress off and made my way to the sales counter. After letting the sales lady help me find the perfect shoes to match, I paid my tab and we were on our way out.
“So I have something to tell you,” I said smiling at Tiffany while we were stopped at a red light.
“What has you smiling so damn hard?” She asked laughing at me.
“I’m pregnant!” I yelled with excitement.
“What! Kennedi I’m so happy for you. Did you tell Dominic yet?”
“No, you’re the first person I’ve told so far. I just hate to keep getting his hopes up high only to let him down again. I know how much Dominic wants kids,” I replied.
“You can’t think like that Kennedi. You have to stay positive. Y’all are going to have a healthy baby and you have to believe that,” Tiffany replied.
I wanted to believe it, but it was hard. This was my third time getting pregnant, but I still didn’t have a baby. It was ironic that I was never able to carry a baby for longer than four months. The exact amount of months Nadia was when she miscarried. I always felt that was my punishment for stressing her out when she was with child.
“I guess you’re right,” I replied to my cousin.
“I know I’m right. Everything is going to work out just fine. But on another note, what time are you and Dominic coming over today?” She asked.
“I don’t know, what time does it start?”
“That doesn’t matter. I need you around, so I don’t have to deal with Bryce’s stupid ass family. Especially that flip ass Brooklyn,” Tiffany said frowning.
“You are so wrong for that. That little girl didn’t do a damn thing to you for you not to like her. You better not let me find out you’re jealous,” I said laughing.
“I can’t stand her ass and Bryce doesn’t make it any better. He caters to her like she’s the one he’s fucking. I’m tired of hearing Baby this and Baby that,” Tiffany vented.
“That’s his baby sister Tiffany. She’s the only girl and she’s the youngest, so, of course, she’s spoiled. I don’t blame him though. As pretty and fine as she is I’d keep an eye on her too,” I said honestly.
“Well damn, it sounds like they have you on the payroll or some shit. Are you Brooklyn’s spokesperson or something?” Tiffany spat angrily.
“No, I’m just stating the facts, but I better shut up. I think I’m striking a nerve,” I laughed.
I knew for a fact that I was striking a nerve. Bryce and his brothers catered to their little sister, but Tiffany’s man was the worst of them all. He loved Brooklyn more than life itself. My cousin knew just like I did that she was no competition when it came to her sister-in-law. Bryce would drop her in a minute if it came down to it.
“So when are you going to tell your fiancé the good news?” Tiffany asked.
“I guess we’ll talk about it when I get home. He’s leaving the office early so we can come to your house. I just hope he doesn’t invite David’s ghetto ass.” My fiancé’s brother was as hood as they came. He and Dominic ran a six-fig
ure a month trucking company with over twenty employees, but that didn’t mean a thing to him. He would still be posted up on the corner shooting dice or playing spades outside with his friends. He could afford the finer things in life, but he chose to stay in the gutter.
“I like David with his cute self. He’s not as hot as Dominic, but he can still get it,” Tiffany laughed.
“Nobody is as hot as Dominic Roberts boo,” I replied with a snap of my fingers.
“He gets you together, that’s why you don’t like him.”
“He has to get himself together before he can come for me. He’s just always in our business,” I replied.
“Enough about him, you just make sure you get to my house early,” Tiffany said changing the subject.
“I’ll be there. I just need to go shower and change. I also want to make sure my fiancé is dressed appropriately. You know he dresses like a walking hip hop billboard.”
I loved Dominic to death, but it was hard to break some of the habits he’s had for so long. He was from the projects and he wanted everybody to know it.
After dropping Tiffany off at home, I made my way over to me and Dominic’s townhouse. We were waiting until a few months before we got married to buy a house. He didn’t know it yet, but he was about to be spending a grip on that as well. The subdivision I wanted to live in didn’t have anything on the market that cost less than three hundred thousand. He made that in two to three months so it shouldn’t be a problem.
I saw Dominic’s truck in one of our reserved parking spots as soon as I pulled up. I was relieved he made it home early enough for me to help him find something to wear. My outfit was on point and his had to be just as hot. I grabbed my bags from the back seat of my champagne colored Benz and headed inside.
“Dominic where are you?” I yelled when I walked through the front door.
He didn’t answer so I walked upstairs to see if he was in our bedroom. I heard that ratchet ass rap music that he loved to listen to before I even made it all the way up. The shower was on so that answered my question about where he was. I froze when I looked on our bed and saw the clothes that he was planning to wear. The box that contained his brand new Jordan’s was on the floor while the matching shirt and hat rested on top of the bed covers. It only got worse when I opened the Dillard’s bag and saw a brand new pair of Levi’s that I’m sure he planned to wear with it. I went inside of our walk in closet and dropped my bags. I went over to Dominic’s side and began to remove some items of clothing from the hangers. He had so many nice clothes, but he always chose to wear the most ghetto shit. I kept telling him that he was a business man and he needed to dress the part. If a person didn’t know him, it was easy to assume that he was a drug dealer instead of a thriving business owner. I laid out three more suitable outfits on the bed. When he got out of the shower, I would let him choose which one he liked best. There was absolutely no way in hell that he was walking out of here looking like a rapper. I just hope he didn’t piss me off before I had a chance to tell him my good news.
You're My Little Secret Page 2
