Always Gonna Be My Baby: A Hood Love Story

by Charmanie Saquea

  “How far apart are you two?” she asked once Benji got in the car and started it up.

  “Clearly not far enough,” Choppa mumbled.

  Benji chuckled as he gave him the finger. “Two years, he was an accident.”

  “Imma accidently shoot you on purpose if you don’t shut the fuck up,” Choppa laughed as he fixed his clothes.

  Aries watched as he reached under his seat and came up with a three guns. She started to become a little uneasy as he handed one to Benji and he put it on the passenger’s seat. Choppa stared her in her eyes as he made sure the clips were full before stuffing them in the back of his pants.

  “You scared?” he asked as he put the jacket to his suit on while still staring her in her eyes.

  “I mean…I didn’t know you would need those where we’re going,” Aries said.

  “Are you scared?” Choppa repeated.

  Aries thought about for a minute and oddly, she really wasn’t scared. Even though she knew she should be because she really didn’t know what Benji and Choppa were into and she could take a wild guess, she really wasn’t scared. She actually felt a sense of security with the both of them.

  She shook her head. “No,” she finally answered.

  Choppa watched her eyes for any signs of dishonesty but there was none. “Good,” was all he said.

  ___

  Benji pulled up to a club where the line was literally wrapped around the building. She let out a sigh of relief because she knew nobody Kevin associated with or knew would be caught anywhere near a place like this because they swore they were too good. Benji pulled up to the valet and they all got out.

  After helping Aries out, Choppa turned to the valet but before he could even open his mouth, the man at the valet booth threw his arms up in surrender.

  “I already know. You better not see a scratch or dent unless I want you to put a dent in my ass,” he told Choppa.

  “At least you know,” Choppa said as they headed for the inside.

  Aries shook her head. “Why you gotta be so violent?” she asked.

  “That’s how you get shit done,” he told her.

  Choppa and Aries followed behind Benji as he led the way inside of the club. Choppa wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to his side as two big, grizzly looking men granted them entrance. To her surprise, the club wasn’t like any that Aries had been to. There weren’t any half-dressed or damn near naked women, nobody was standing over a banister making it rain. The atmosphere was very calm and relaxing.

  The trio walked to the back of the club where they went down a hallway before walking through a door, down another hallway and getting on an elevator. Getting off on the ground floor, Benji led the way to a door where he knocked twice before they were granted access.

  “It’s about damn time,” March said.

  “Shut up, the party don’t start til I show up any damn way,” Choppa said.

  Aries just stood back feeling awkward in a room full of people that she didn’t know and being the only woman. There was a big table in the middle of the room that all the men sat around and at the head of the table sat a man who looked just like Choppa and Benji. Everyone was laughing and joking so she just found a wall and played the background.

  Choppa looked up and realized Aries wasn’t by his side so he looked around the room and found her standing in a corner like she was a little kid or something. He watched her as she looked around like she was looking for something until their eyes connected. Chopped beckoned her to come to him with his finger.

  Aries walked over to him and Choppa scooted his chair back from the table so she could sit on his lap. Aries hesitated and he saw that so he grabbed her hand and gently pulled her down on his lap.

  “You good? Why you all the way over there and shit?” he asked her.

  “I’m fine, you just seemed busy and I just didn’t want to be all up in your business,” Aries told him.

  Choppa looked at her through squinted eyes, trying to read her. He didn’t know what it was about this woman but there was something about Aries that had him acting out of character. He hadn’t even known her a week and had done more for her than he had ever done for any woman that he’d ever known, outside of his mom. Someone clearing their throat broke up the intense moment between the two of them.

  Choppa looked past Aries and at his dad. “What’s wrong, Pops? You need some water?”

  “Nigga, if you don’t stop playing with me,” Solo said.

  Choppa laughed, “Pops, this is Aries, Aries this is my pops Solo, with his old ass.”

  “I told your mom not to stand in front of the microwave when she was pregnant with you,” Solo told Choppa. “Anyway, nice to finally be able to put a face to the name, Aries.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mr.…”

  “Oh no, none of that Mr. stuff. I’m not that old. Call me Solo,” Solo said as he shook her hand.

  “Okay,” Aries smiled.

  She could definitely see where Benji and Choppa got their looks from. Solo definitely had some strong genes. He was a handsome older man that was aging very well. She wasn’t sure how old he was but he surely didn’t look like he was a day over thirty and that was scary. He looked damn near as young as his sons.

  “Alright, everyone gather around,” Solo said, getting everyone’s attention. He waited for a minute for everyone to take their seats before standing up. He grabbed the champagne bottle that was on the table and grabbed an extra glass before handing it to Aries. She didn’t know what it was for but she accepted anyways. Solo lifted his own glass before speaking. “I’m not going to be up here long because as you know, we have been planning for this night for a while now. So, as of right now, on this night, I, Solomon King, am stepping down and am out of the game. I am officially passing the crown to my sons, Benjamin and Brandon. All those in favor, say yay.”

  “Yay,” said everyone in the room.

  “I really wouldn’t give a fuck who said nay, so no need for that. Drinks up, cheers,” Solo said as everyone lifted their drinks.

  After everyone took their sips, the room erupted in congratulations and handclaps for Benji and Choppa. Aries got off his lap and everyone stood up to hug them and say how proud of him and Benji they were. Once again, she played the background because she was really lost as to what the hell had just taken place.

  Breaking away from everyone, Choppa went to go stand next to Aries. He knew she didn’t fully understand what that meant but he wanted to see how she felt because whether she knew it or not, this decision was going to ultimately going to affect her.

  “What’s on your mind?” he asked.

  “So what exactly does that mean, what your dad said?” she asked for clarification.

  “That means you are fucking with the new King of Miami,” he told her while rubbing his goatee.

  Now Aries understood what he was saying in not so many words. The part she didn’t understand was why he was so quick to let her in on some aspects of his life. She appreciated the fact that he wasn’t trying to hide anything from her but she wanted to know why. “So you knew that day you met me in the mall that this was going to be happening tonight. You barely even know me but yet you’re trusting me to know this. Why?” she asked.

  “You were going to find out either way it goes, so why not just hear the shit for yourself? I know that you got a nigga, which I don’t care about. So why not let you know what type of nigga I am upfront? Let you know who you’re dealing with,” Choppa said.

  Aries went to open her mouth to say something but Solo cut her off. He walked over and put his arm around his son’s shoulders.

  “Okay, you two, that’s enough of that for tonight. How about we go upstairs and have some fun now?” Solo suggested as he looked between the two of them.

  Aries just smiled and nodded her head as she allowed him to lead her out of the room. For the rest of the night, Aries spent time with Choppa and his friends getting to know him. At first she was skeptical abo
ut coming out with him but she was actual happy that she did. This was the most relaxed and carefree that she had been in a while and Choppa’s boys were definitely fun to be around.

  Six

  Aries sat in her in-law’s den as if she had somewhere else she would rather be. After walking in the house this morning from her wonderful night with Choppa and his people, she and Kevin got into an argument because she forgot that his mom wanted them to come over for brunch. Even though she really requested her children be there, Kevin just insisted on her being there for some reason.

  “Babe, at least act like you want to be here,” Kevin whispered in her ear.

  Aries plastered a fake smile on her face before turning to look at him. Kevin just laughed and shook his head at her. He couldn’t understand what it was that was keeping his mom and Aries from getting along with each other. From the day he brought her home and introduced the two to each other, it had been nothing but tension between them.

  “Have I ever told you how sexy you are when you’re frowned up?” Kevin asked.

  “Nope,” Aries said dryly.

  “Stop that, you know I hate when act like that for no reason.”

  Aries rolled her eyes and waved him off. “Maybe if you would have left me at the house, you wouldn’t have to deal with it. How about that?”

  “Drop it, Aries. I already told you before we left the house that I wasn’t going to argue with you about this anymore. You are here now so you might as well just suck it up,” Kevin snapped.

  “Humph,” Carol, Kevin’s mother said as she walked into the den. “Let us eat.”

  She looked Aries up and down like she smelled something foul before walking out. Aries scoffed and shook her head. That old bitch just don’t know, she thought. She was tired of that old bat looking at her like she was better than her or acting as if her son was too good for her. Kevin looked at her as if to tell her to not to say anything and Aries just rolled her eyes at him.

  Aries sat at the table next to Kevin and across from his sister and brother. She got along with everyone else in the family just fine. It was just his hellion of a mother she couldn't stand.

  “Man, this looks good,” Kevin said before diving in.

  “Sure does,” his brother David cosigned.

  “So, Aries, I've heard you seem to have forgotten the duties that a wife is supposed to perform,” Carol said.

  “Dammit, Carol, can we eat without you starting shit with the girl?” Tobias, her husband asked.

  “I just want to know why my son hasn't been eating, that is all,” Carol said.

  “Seriously, mom? Right now?” Kevin asked.

  Aries turned in her seat and looked Kevin upside his head. It was taking everything in her not to punch the shit out of him for running to his mother like a little bitch and lying on her. She felt that whatever went on in their relationship should stay between them.

  “So we're lying now? You don't eat? I don’t cook for you? You don't have a home cooked meal damn near every day?” Aries said, getting pissed off.

  “See, Carol, you're always starting shit,” Tobias told her.

  Carol didn't even bother to respond to him, she just watched everything unfold with a smug look on her face. Ever since Kevin brought Aries to her, she had been trying to tell him that she wasn't the one for him. She damn near had a heart attack when she found out he went and proposed to Aries. She felt as if Kevin needed a woman of a better caliber, one that was born into money and not just trying to marry into it.

  “Baby, calm down. She’s just talking about the other day when you went to bed and didn't cook. No big deal.” Kevin shrugged to defuse the situation.

  “I damn sure did but since you like telling her so much, did you tell her you sat there for hours before I walked through the door then decided all of a sudden you were hungry? Did you tell her I got in late because I was working and had class? Tell her that since you like telling everything.”

  “Alright, Aries, damn! We're not about to sit here and argue about this again just because you like to let my mother get under your skin. We did enough of that arguing shit when you got in this morning, I'm not doing it anymore!” Kevin raised his voice.

  “Not only does she not like to cook but she stays out all night as well, doing only God knows what. Yea, she's the perfect wife. Kevin, you picked a fine one,” Carol said sarcastically.

  “I'm nobody's wife yet,” Aries corrected her.

  “At the rate you're going, you'll never be,” Carol said.

  “That's enough!” Tobias yelled.

  Just as Aries opened her mouth to cuss her out, her phone started ringing. This bitch just got saved by the bell, Aries thought as she answered it. She didn't even bother to excuse herself from the table.

  “Ceon, I'm going to have to call you right back, I'm in the middle of something right now,” She told her brother, hanging up before he could even respond.

  “Oh yes, the jailbird brother.”

  “Look, bitch, let me tell you something, I—”

  “Aries, watch how you speak to my mother!” Kevin yelled.

  “You can shut the fuck up! You let this fake Diahann Carol wannabe talk to me any kind of way but the moment I say something, hell just so happens to bust wide open? Fuck the both of you, especially her! She ain't better than no damn body. Kevin, until you can teach your mom to respect me, you can kiss my right cheek while she kisses the left because the both of you can kiss my ass!” Aries yelled as she jumped up from the table.

  Kevin tried to get up and go after her but his mom stopped him. “Let that trash go! How dare she talk to me like that in my own house?” Carol sneered.

  “I guess you didn't learn anything, huh?” Morgan, Kevin’s sister asked as she got up from the table.

  The moment her mom decided to open her mouth, she had lost her appetite. She hated the fact that her mom chose to pick on Aries for no reason. She didn't even have a real solid reason for not liking Aries, besides the fact that she was living a miserable life.

  Aries walked aimlessly throughout the unknown neighborhood. She was pissed that she even let the old bat get to her like that and even more that she even let Kevin talk her into coming when she knew it was going to be some shit. Now she was walking and the bastard didn't even have the consideration to call and check to see if she was alright. Even a simple text would have been alright. Pulling out her phone, she decided to call her brother back.

  “What up, Arie?”

  “Ceon, can you come get me? Kevin got me stuck in this white people neighborhood and I don’t have a way home,” Aries told her brother.

  “Fuck is going on, Aries? I was actually calling you because I needed you to pick me up. This crazy bitch just flat all my tires and busted my windows out and shit,” Ceon complained.

  Aries let out a frustrated sigh. Her brother and his girlfriend had been together longer than she could think back and were crazy as hell together. They had a few domestic assault charges under their belts regarding each other but they refused to leave each other alone.

  “Okay, never mind then. I'll call Treasure.”

  “Arie, you're my baby sister and I love you with everything in me but I’m fucking that nigga up on sight,” Ceon said then hug up before she could respond.

  Aries just shook her head and called her sister up. When Treasure answered, she told her the exact same thing she told their brother. Just like Ceon, Treasure promised to fuck Kevin up before she told Aries that she was on her on her way.

  Twenty minutes later, Treasure texted her and asked for a location. Aries told her where she was and the next thing she knew, there was car coming her way. The Audi stopped next to Aries with bass blasting from music playing. Just as she was about to keep walking, the door opened.

  Choppa didn't say anything as he opened the passenger’s door and held it open for her. Without hesitation, she got in the car. As soon as she got in, Aries was hit with the potent smell of weed. Choppa had his fitted hat low but she
could still tell by his eyes that he was high as hell.

  “Yo?” Choppa answered his phone. “Yea, I got her.”

  Aries watched as his muscles that were on full display flexed as he drove. The only thing he had on was a wife beater, basketball shorts and a pair of Jordans. As chocolate as he was, his body was still covered in tattoos. Choppa glanced over at her and noticed she was staring at him.

  “Fuck you staring at me for?” he asked.

  “Treasure told you to come get me?” she asked, ignoring him.

  “Nah, Benji did. Why?”

  “Benji?” Aries asked with her face scrunched up in confusion.

  Choppa didn't even try to help her figure it out. If she didn't know that her sister and his brother were spending a little time together then he wasn't going to be the one to tell it. Choppa drove until he got to some townhouses. Aries looked over at him like he was crazy.

  “Uhh—”

  “Shut the fuck up and come on,” he said as he threw his car in park.

  Aries snapped her mouth shut with a pout as she followed behind Choppa. He granted them access into the home and threw his keys down on the table as he walked through the house. Aries was impressed, she wouldn't expect for someone like Choppa to have his house so modest.

  “Nice house,” she said.

  “Thanks, come on, though,” he said as he walked up some stairs.

  “Where am I going?”

  Choppa groaned in agitation as he turned around and picked Aries up, throwing her over his shoulder.

  “Wait, Choppa, put me down!”

  Choppa ignored her as he continued to the bedroom. Once in there, he dropped her down on the bed like a rag doll. “If I wanted to drop this dick off in you, you barely would have made it through the front door without me being on your ass. When I feel like you're ready for all that, I'll bless you but until then, just chill the fuck out. Alright?” Choppa asked as he looked down at her.

  Aries just nodded her head.

  “Blowing my high and shit,” he mumbled as he tapped his sides like he was checking his pockets for something. “Lay yo ass down and take a nap or something,” he told her before leaving the room.