“Do you trust me?” Ke’yoko asked.
Ross looked into Ke’yoko’s beautiful face and studied it for a brief second before answering. “Yeah, I do trust you,” he replied with a serious look on his face; and he continued staring, feeling his manhood start to rise. Ross wanted to taste Ke’yoko’s lips so bad it was making him sick to his stomach that he couldn’t.
Ke’yoko began to feel uncomfortable. It felt like her and Ross’s eyes were literally making love. Ross could sense Ke’yoko’s uneasiness and decided to get out of the car while he still had a little sense of respect for the game.
“Well, I better get goin’. I’m sure Nadia gon’ be fussin’ if I’m late for my appointment,” she said, quickly turning her head.
Ross picked his sunglasses up off his lap. “A’iiiight, baby girl. If you come across anything else, hit me up.”
“You know I will,” Ke’yoko replied.
“Say no more. Enjoy your day.” He winked, put his sunglasses on his face, and opened the car door.
“You do the same,” Ke’yoko replied, smiling back.
“Oh, and, by the way, you do look nice today,” Ross said, getting out of the car and closing the door behind him.
Ke’yoko bit down on her bottom lip and shook her head as she watched Ross’s sexy-ass head back to his car. It had been a long time since she’d gotten a compliment from a man. She couldn’t remember the last time Ja’Rel had given her one. Actually the day of Bo’s funeral had been the last time. A woman shouldn’t be able to pinpoint the last time her husband had given her a compliment. Ross stopped and looked back over at Ke’yoko with a smile on his face. She threw her hand up and waved.
Ross nodded his head in an upward motion, got in his car, and pulled off. “Ummmmp ummmmp ummmmm.”
Chapter Nine
Ross couldn’t get Ke’yoko off of his mind as he weaved in and out of traffic. He knew her worth and wanted nothing more than for her to be happy. He knew Ja’Rel was dogging her and had been since they’d been together. Who was he to hate on how another nigga treated his bitch? He knew she deserved better though. She deserved him. Even though he couldn’t stand the ground Ja’Rel walked on and didn’t care if he lived or died, messing around with his ex–best friend’s wife was a line he definitely wouldn’t cross. Ross still respected the game enough not to cross that same line. He knew in the end he’d be getting the last laugh.
Ross pulled up in front of his house and had one of the biggest smiles on his face as he looked at Sharae and Rayna standing in the front yard talking to their freaky white neighbor, Holly.
“Look at Daddy’s baby girl,” he said, getting out of the car.
Both Sharae and Holly had huge smiles on their faces as Ross made his way up the walk.
“Dada,” Rayna babbled with a smile as Sharae held her in her arms.
“Hey, baby.” Ross smiled, making his way over to them.
“Hey, baby.” Sharae smiled, leaning in for a kiss.
“Come here, baby,” he said, holding out his hands and waiting for Rayna to come to him. Without hesitation she leaned over toward her daddy’s arms.
“I said hey,” Sharae said with an attitude.
Ross shot Sharae a dirty look and continued playing with his daughter. “What ya doin’? You happy to see Daddy?” Ross asked in a baby’s voice before giving Rayna two big, sloppy kisses on the cheek.
“Hi, Ross,” Holly spoke.
“What’s up, Holly,” Ross spoke back before turning to walk away.
“He’s so fuckin’ rude.” Sharae frowned as she and Holly watched him walk up the front porch stairs.
Ross walked into the house with his daughter in hand and headed straight to the kitchen. “You want a Popsicle?” he asked his baby girl, walking over to the freezer and grabbing her one.
“Why you give her that? She gon’ be sticky and I just got her outta the tub,” Sharae fussed as she walked into the kitchen.
Ross ignored Sharae while opening up the Popsicle, placing it in Rayna’s hand.
“You didn’t hear me?”
“Yeah, I heard you.” Ross frowned. “All you gotta do is wipe her off when she’s done eatin’ it. How hard can that be? You don’t do shit else ’round here,” he said, handing the baby back to Sharae.
Sharae hesitated a little before taking the baby from Ross’s hands. She didn’t want to get that sticky red Popsicle all over her white sundress. Ross peeped the hesitation and shook his head in disgust.
“What?” she snapped. “I’m wearin’ white.”
“You need to get yourself together.”
“I am together,” Sharae snapped angrily, hating when Ross told her that.
“Yeah, okay,” he replied sarcastically and chuckled, getting deeper under Sharae’s skin.
“You get on my fuckin’ nerves!” She frowned.
“Get the fuck out then,” Ross snapped. “What’s keepin’ you here? I ain’t gon’ be around a nigga who gets on my nerves.”
“Gimme the money and we’ll get the fuck on!” Sharae walked over and placed Rayna inside the Pack ’n Play that sat beside the kitchen table.
“We? Bitch, please, Rayna ain’t goin’ nowhere! You can take yo’ raggedy-ass on, though.” He grimaced.
“Shit, I ain’t goin’ nowhere without my daughter,” Sharae said, knowing damn well she couldn’t have cared less about Rayna for real, because she knew she would be well taken care of. Sharae’s biggest fear was Ross moving another bitch up in the house after she was gone and then he wouldn’t give her no more money if she didn’t have their daughter.
“Rayna gon’ be straight.”
“How can I afford to move out anyway?”
“I give yo’ money-hungry ass a thousand dollars a month for you and Rayna’s needs. You think you slick. You shop at Walmart for her clothes while you all up at Saks and them little boutiques for yourself.”
Sharae had been caught. “No, I don’t,” she lied.
“Bitch, you pitiful.” Ross frowned. “All I can tell you is you better start savin’ some of that money that I give you.”
“Where I’ma go, Ross?”
“I don’t know and I don’t give a fuck. You betta ask one of them niggas you fuckin’ if you can move in wit’ them,” he said calmly.
“Why you always accusin’ me of fuckin’ somebody?” Sharae asked, confused.
“Go wipe Rayna off and get the fuck outta my face! You act like somebody stupid,” Ross fussed as he turned and walked out of the kitchen.
Sharae grabbed the baby out of the Pack ’n Play and followed Ross out of the kitchen. “Let’s talk about the bitches you fuckin’,” Sharae fussed.
“Let’s talk about ’em,” he said as he headed up the stairs.
“You a fuckin’ asshole!”
“Now you know it’s a written rule that what’s good for the goose is without a doubt good for the gander,” he said as he walked into their bedroom and lay across the bed.
“Whatever, Ross,” Sharae said, waving him off as she headed into the en suite bathroom to wipe off Rayna.
“Good comeback,” he replied facetiously.
Sharae was so worked up over Ross’s accusations she could barely contain herself. Sharae finished wiping the baby off, walked back into the room, and looked over at Ross, who was on his cell phone texting someone. She instantly got an attitude. Sharae wanted to make their relationship work so bad, truth be told, but she didn’t know how. It seemed like every time she was breaking Ross down he would throw something up in her face and put his wall back up. Sharae wasn’t squeaky clean. She had messed around on Ross a few times and it wasn’t because she didn’t love him or wasn’t satisfied; she couldn’t help it. She was a cum freak. And, plus, why shouldn’t she be allowed to fuck around on him when he was clearly messing around on her every chance he got?
Ross stood up from the bed and kissed his daughter on the cheek. “I’m out. Don’t wait up,” he said, putting his cell phone in his pocket.
“Where you ’bouta go?” Sharae asked.
“Who pays the bills around here? That’s what I thought.” Ross laughed as he headed out of the bedroom.
“Bitch-ass nigga,” Sharae said quietly, while sitting down on the bed with the baby still in her arms.
Chapter Ten
Ke’yoko hit the button on the garage door opener before pulling in. She shut the engine off and hit the close button before getting out of the car. She looked around as if somebody could have been watching. She then walked over to an old box of clothes and dug all the way to the bottom, pulling out about ten pictures. She flipped through the photos as if she hadn’t seen them a million times. Tears fell from her eyes as she slowly studied the flicks, studying everyone’s faces. She shook her head, lifted the clothes up, and placed the pictures back into their hiding place.
Ke’yoko wiped her eyes before walking into the house. She walked straight upstairs, removing her clothes at the same time. She walked into the en suite and turned the shower on. She finished removing the remainder of her clothes, reached into the linen closet, and grabbed a washcloth before stepping into the walk-in shower. She continued to cry as the water beat down on her weary body. She cried so hard she could barely breathe. Ke’yoko was tired, her nigga had finally risen, meaning she was sick and tired of everything. She thought about her life and how she wished it was different.
She was fed up. She couldn’t take it no more. She couldn’t take not being happy. The pictures flashing back into Ke’yoko’s mind, along with all the women she’d caught Ja’Rel cheating with, and especially her not being able to have children, was all coming out in her cry.
“Baby, you a’iiiight’?” Ja’Rel stuck his head in the bathroom and asked.
Ke’yoko quickly wiped her tears away. “Yeah, I’m good. Why you ask me that?” she asked, sounding all clogged up from crying.
“It sounded like you were in here cryin’,” he said.
“Naw, I was singin’,” she said, playing it off.
“Oh, shit. You might wanna keep ya day job,” Ja’Rel joked as he walked out of the bathroom.
“Forget you, nigga.” Ke’yoko laughed too, even though there was nothing to laugh about.
Ke’yoko finished washing up, got out of the shower, and walked into the bedroom. She looked at Ja’Rel. He was sitting up against the headboard, completely naked. The sight of him made her sick.
“Come sit on it,” he said, lifting his member up and stroking it.
“I’m kinda tired, Ja’Rel,” she said, not wanting to be bothered with him at all; and she continued finding something to put on.
“So you mean to tell me you gon’ pass up a chance to get some of this good dick?” he asked as he continued stroking until it became brick hard.
Even though Ke’yoko was mad at her husband, she wasn’t about to pass up a chance to bust a much-needed nut. She opened her bath towel and let it hit the floor.
“Oooooh, damn, baby,” Ja’Rel said, admiring his wife’s body. “Come here.”
Ke’yoko walked over to the bed, climbed in, and sat on her throne. She rode Ja’Rel as if her life depended on it, driving him wild. It didn’t take long for her to work her magic before Ja’Rel was about to bust.
“I’m ’bouta cum,” he moaned loudly.
“Let me get up,” Ke’yoko said, trying to get off of her husband’s manhood. She was at the point that having a child with Ja’Rel was the last thing she wanted.
“Nooooo,” he replied, holding her hips down, not allowing her to get off as he pumped vigorously.
“Let me up, Ja’Rel,” Ke’yoko said, fighting to get up.
“Not yet, ahhhhhh,” he said, busting all up inside of his wife’s wet cave.
“I told you to let me up,” Ke’yoko fussed, quickly climbing off her husband with an attitude. She hadn’t thought she would ever get to a point where she didn’t even want to have a baby by her husband. Sex was good with Ja’Rel, but she’d never been with anyone other than him to compare it. She was quite sure there had to be better out there and just maybe she should find out.
“Man, you was feelin’ too good,” he said as he jacked the remaining semen out of his member. “And, plus, I thought you was tryin’ to get pregnant.”
“I was, but I changed my mind,” she said, walking into the bathroom to wash up.
“Bring me a towel,” Ja’Rel yelled from the bedroom, too worn out to get out of bed. “And what made you change your mind?”
“I thought about what you said and I agree, it is too soon,” she said, walking back into the bedroom with a warm, soapy towel and handing it to Ja’Rel.
“It’s up to you, baby,” he said, laying the towel on his Johnson. “I wanna make you happy and if you’re not ready I can’t do nothin’ but respect it.” Ja’Rel finished wiping himself off and threw the wet towel on the nightstand.
“Thanks, but I’m good. It’ll happen when it’s supposed to,” Ke’yoko said as she slipped into some pajama bottoms and a T-shirt.
“Whatever makes you happy, baby,” Ja’Rel said, lying down. “Hand me my cell phone.”
As Ke’yoko picked the phone up off the dresser it began to ring. Ka’yah’s name popped up on the screen, and Ke’yoko got one of the biggest attitudes. Nadia’s and Ross’s comments popped into her head again. She wanted to split Ja’Rel’s head wide open with the phone but she tossed it on the bed instead.
“I’m goin’ to cook dinner,” Ke’yoko said.
“A’iiight, well, I’m about to take a nap,” Ja’Rel said while yawning and looking at the caller ID.
Ke’yoko looked at Ja’Rel and felt disgusted. She forced a fake smile and headed down to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
* * *
“I’m tellin’ you, Nadia, I’m starting to believe what you and Ross are sayin’ about Ka’yah and Ja’Rel,” Ke’yoko said, literally feeling sick to her stomach as she paced the kitchen floor.
“Girl, stop it! I keep tellin’ you I was sayin’ that bullshit outta anger. I don’t really think . . .” Nadia stopped in midsentence. “Hold up! Did you just say Ross?”
“Yes.” Ke’yoko smiled as she opened up the refrigerator to find something to cook. She was starving.
“Are you smilin’, bitch?” Nadia asked, hearing it in Ke’yoko’s voice.
“No,” Ke’yoko lied, while grabbing the ham and Miracle Whip out, and closing the refrigerator. She needed a quick snack before cooking dinner.
“Ummmm huh. And just when did you talk to Ross?” Nadia inquired.
“Damn, is this an interrogation?” Ke’yoko joked.
“You damn right it is!” Nadia laughed.
“Well, if you really must know, I ran into him about two weeks ago.” Ke’yoko continued to smile as she grabbed the bread and fixed herself two sandwiches.
“Bitch, you still smilin’?” Nadia asked, smiling as well.
“No.” Ke’yoko giggled.
“Okay, sis, all I gotta say is be careful, ’cause if Ja’Rel finds out you communicatin’ with that nigga, it’s gon’ be curtains for both of y’all’s asses.”
“Anyway,” Ke’yoko said, twisting her lips and rolling her eyes. “You know what, I’m to the point where I’m startin’ not to give a fuck no more. I can’t half stomach Ja’Rel.”
“What he do now?”
“The usual. Stayin’ out all night, laid up with this bitch and that bitch,” Ke’yoko replied angrily.
Nadia just shook her head. She had been listening to her best friend complain about the same shit for the past seven years and had yet to do anything about it.
“Then the nigga gon’ hold me down on his dick so he could cum inside of me,” Ke’yoko continued to fuss.
“I thought you wanted to try for another baby.”
“I do, but I don’t want one by his ass. I gotta get away from him.”
Nadia was shocked. She’d never heard Ke’yoko talk about leaving Ja’Rel before today and she was in e
ven more shock that as bad as she wanted a baby, she didn’t want one by her husband.
“Just know, whatever you decide to do, I gotcha back,” Nadia assured her.
“I know you do. Hang on, I got another call comin’ in,” Ke’yoko said, clicking over to the other line.
“Hello, sis?”
“Oh, wassup, baby brother?” Ke’yoko asked.
“Hey.”
“Hang on, let me get off the other line.” Ke’yoko clicked back over before Kailo could respond. “Let me call you back. This my brother.”
“A’iiiight. Don’t forget, ’cause I wanna know what all you and Ross talked about,” Nadia said.
“Okay, nosey.” Ke’yoko clicked back over to her brother. “Okay, I’m back,” Ke’yoko said to Kailo. “Wassup?”
“I was just calling to let you know that it’s almost summer break and I told you I wanted to come see you and Ka’yah,” he said.
“Okay, and?”
“And I was calling to see if it was still okay,” Kailo replied.
“Of course it’s still okay! Why wouldn’t it be?” Ke’yoko asked while taking a bite of one of her sandwiches.
“Okay, I was just making sure, that’s all.”
“When are you comin’?” Ke’yoko asked, anxious to see her baby brother.
“I’m flying out next Tuesday.”
“Okay, great. Do you need me to pick you up from the airport?”
“No, thank you. I’ll have a rental car while I’m in town,” Kailo said.
“Look at you all grown up, you drivin’ and shit,” Ke’yoko said, happy and sad at the same time because she was robbed of the chance to watch her baby brother grow up. “Okay, well, since you not comin’ until Tuesday, that’ll give me enough time to get the guest room together.”
“Okay, great.”
“I can’t wait to see you,” Ke’yoko said as she continued to smack on her food.
“I can’t wait to see you either, sis. Oh, before I go I need to ask a favor.”
“Wassup?” Ke’yoko asked.
“Is it okay if I bring a friend with me? He doesn’t want to go home for the summer either so I told him it would be okay to come to my favorite sister’s house with me,” Kailo said, laying it on thick.
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