by T. Styles
“You’re right. I just wish I knew where to start.”
“Try E.M. first. She’s been through a lot but she takes it on the head like a soldier. She’s the strongest person I know. Maybe talking to her will be a start.”
“Thank you…I’ll try.”
He stood up straight and walked toward her. “I’m glad Wyld has you. You’re a way better woman than the skank the wind blew my way.”
Her phone ringing incessantly awaked Amelia. When she picked it up and looked at the screen, she rolled her eyes when she saw it was Tawny. But after ignoring her call for days at a time she realized she couldn’t do it anymore. “Hey, cousin.” She yawned. “How are you?”
“Girl, I’ve been looking all over for you!” She said excitedly. “And before you say anything I’m not calling to ask for money. I’m hitting you up because I miss you.”
Amelia laughed. “Whenever you want to tell me what this is really about I’m ready to listen. Because I’ve known you too long not to know there’s more.”
Tawny sighed. “I’m serious. You’ve been so busy dodging me that you don’t know I’ve just got back from a 60-day in-house rehab program. And I know I’ve sounded like this before but it’s true this time. I haven’t felt this great in ages.”
Amelia sat up in bed. “Rehab program? Are you serious?”
“Amelia, I wouldn’t play around like this. And I’m not calling for anything but your friendship. You’re my cousin, come visit me and tell me if you can’t tell I’m clean by looking in my eyes.”
Amelia scratched her scalp with her index finger. “What sparked the change? Just a few months ago I saw you and you seemed the same.”
“That’s because I was. Still using and lying to everyone with ear holes. But I put Quay out because she was doing too much negative shit in the apartment and I need positive people around me. Now I’m here until 2:00pm everyday and after that I go to my meetings for NA and then the Red Gel Sushi Restaurant for work.” She paused. “But I would love to see you, Amelia. Please…please…please…come see me.”
Amelia looked around the room. There was an excitement in Tawny’s voice she wanted for herself. She tried to hide the secret animosity brewing in her heart but it was difficult. The fact that Tawny had finally escaped the cravings although she herself hadn’t, made her feel weaker. “O…okay. Maybe I’ll stop by later this week.”
“That would be nice.”
“Bye, Tawny,” Amelia paused before she ended the call. “And I want you to know that I’m proud of you.”
Tawny giggled. “I’m proud of you too. Goodbye, Amelia.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Ryan
“As Long As She Bought It I’m Cool.”
Tawny looked at Ryan after placing the phone on the glass table as she sat on the floor. She’d just finished talking to Amelia and repeating every word Ryan had given her in his verbal script. “Was that okay, Ryan?” She looked up at him.
Quaykiesha who was leaning against the wall was fearful that she’d missed one word.
“What did she say?” he asked standing over top of her, with clenched pulsating fists. “Tell me everything.”
“It was basic but she said okay.” She scooted away a little, so that her back was against the front of her couch, her jittery toes under the glass table.
“What does that mean?” His jaw twitched. “You not telling me enough. I need more.”
She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. “It sounded like she believes me but I’m not sure. I can call her back if you want but she may get mad. And catch on. It’s best not to push.”
He smiled as he imagined his plans for Wyld’s future working out just fine. Slowly he walked closer, lowered his body and gripped the top of her hair before yanking backwards. “If I find out you lying, or that you alerted her in any way I will do things to you they haven’t written about.” He paused. “Then I’ll watch you die while beating my dick to your flowing blood.”
Every hair on her scalp appeared to tremble. “I’m not lying, Ryan. I...I wouldn’t cross you that way.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.” Sprinkles of spit catapulted from his mouth and slapped on her face like dirty rain on pavement.
“Why are you doing this to her?”
He released her hair. “I have my reasons.” He paced the floor. “And if things work out the way I want them niggas are gonna finally realize I’m not a joke.”
Tawny rubbed her throbbing scalp. “But are you gonna hurt her?”
He laughed loudly. “Oh so now you care about what I do to this bitch? Quay told me how she was ‘hating on you’ like this and ‘hating on you’ like that. Since when did you decide to care?”
“She’s the only family I have. The only person who calls and checks on me if it’s been over six months. We aren’t the closest and I know she doesn’t like spending time with me but if you kill her I’d be…all alone.” Tawny broke into a hysterical cry.
“You poor, poor baby.” He dug into his pocket, removed a small plastic sack and swung it back and forth between his fingertips like a pendulum. “Now do you want to talk about your worthless cousin? Or do you wanna get so high you’d forget the bitch’s name?” He dropped the package on the glass table.
Ass pressed against the carpet, Tawny scooted toward it like a dog trying to soothe an itchy asshole on grass. Her eyes grew as large as cathedral windows and she hadn’t blinked once. Licking her lips, suddenly she couldn’t remember Amelia, if she was male or female or how to spell planet Earth. Mouth watering she said, “I…I—”
“Wanna get high,” he said finishing her sentence.
She nodded. “Yes…please.”
“Then hit that shit.”
Hopping on all fours, she crawled a few feet over and looked under the couch. A few seconds later she appeared with a red shoebox, which she held closely to her bosom as if it were a newborn baby.
Quaykiesha peeled herself off the wall and observed the addict who was coming into full view before her eyes. “So you really gonna smoke that shit?”
Although she wasn’t high yet, Tawny was on another planet mentally. As Quaykiesha and Ryan observed her as she emptied the contents of the box on the table, which included a pipe and lighter. “Don’t judge me, bitch.” Tawny said biting into her bottom lip. “Even if you do I wouldn’t give a fuck.”
“I should’ve known,” she replied shaking her head. “You got junky eyes.”
Ryan laughed as his cell phone rang inside his pocket. He removed it and answered as he watched Tawny fire up, large white smoke pillows hovering over their heads as if a storm was coming. “What you want?” he said.
“That girl you told about me just called my job,” the caller said.
He sat on the sofa, removed his gun from his waist and placed it beside him. “What she say?”
“Nothing. Just wanted to know if Tawny worked with me at Red Gel and I told her she did. I even said she was my best employee.”
He shook his head at her insolence. “Ain’t nobody tell you to say all that extra shit. What if she didn’t believe you?”
“I just wanted to make sure I got my money. I know how you like to fake on a bitch if things don’t go your way. So if that meant adding a little cream to the bullshit coffee you serving than so be it.”
Ryan grinned and tapped his knee while looking seductively at Quaykiesha. “As long as she bought it I’m cool I guess. What did she say?”
Quaykiesha reluctantly got on her knees, pulled down the zipper of his jeans and freed his penis from bondage.
“Nothing really outside of thank you. She sounded like a square to me.”
As Quaykiesha’s warm mouth covered the length of his yellow dick his head dropped back. “Good, girl.”
“Excuse me? You can’t be talking to me.” The caller said.
“Nah, but you a good girl too.” He grinned.
She sighed. “Well show me how good I am by giving me my fucking money
. My rent late and my landlord had enough of my lies. I need that bread or they gonna throw my fat ass out.”
“I got you. Tonight. Give me a hour to finish up here and then I’ll hit you when I’m in route.”
He tossed the phone on the sofa and continued to pump into Quaykiesha mouth as Tawny filled the room with the sweet stank of crack cocaine.
Ryan walked down the steps in Tawny’s building and pushed the door open, the cool air greeted him happily. After getting a proper dick suck he felt on top of the world. If things continued to move like they were soon enough he would have his revenge against Wyld. Sure it took a little time for his plan to come into play but things were working out smoothly all the same.
He was almost to his car, a few blocks down the way and he reveled in his perceived power. That nigga should’ve never got me wrong. He said to himself as he bopped down. He think I was a menace then he really gonna fear me now.
Now that his car was so far away he wondered if it was smart. He kept it somewhat hidden because he didn’t like people to know where he was entering and leaving. He was almost at his ride when suddenly he heard someone yell, “DEAD MAN WALKING!”
His heart rocked but when he looked around and didn’t see anybody he thought his mind had developed a sense of humor. Maybe he caught a contact from the crack Tawny was smoking. That is until another person yelled, “DEAD MAN WALKING! DEAD MAN WALKING!”
The voices appeared to come from at least three different men and it was apparent that he was spotted and was in danger. Reaching for the gun in his belt he was angry when he realized he left it on the couch in Quay’s crib.
Trying to save himself he ran toward his car, tennis shoes to butt cheeks, as the chants of his possible fate chased behind him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Emilio
“I Was Hawking But Today Wasn’t One Of Them.”
Emilio Palmer stepped outside of his apartment building and rubbed his protruding belly. His mother, Diane, just made a killer lunch, which included a fried chicken sandwich, potato salad and chocolate cake. He would’ve caught a nap directly after but she wanted her favorite soda so he had to make the trip. And since she looked out for him with the delicious meal he figured he owed her the medium favor.
Exhausted, he bopped slowly down the street and almost lost his mind when he saw a dark skin female, bending down, ass pointed in his direction as if saying, Hello Emilio.
The jeans shorts she wore dipped smoothly up the middle enough for him to imagine the shape of her pussy lips. She was so thick his tongue felt loose in his mouth and he forgot where he was or where he was going.
When he blinked a few times it was apparent that she was reaching for her keys so like a vulture he swooped in to help. It didn’t matter that she was holding the keys when he snatched them away and handed them back. “I got it, sexy.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, her pretty face caught in a frown like smile. “Uh…you do know I had them already right?”
“I’m sorry. You looked like you were having a hard time so I figured I’d help you out.” he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “My bad for taking them out your hand though.”
She giggled. “Why is it that every time I’m outside you’re outside, Emilio? I get the impression you have your eyes on me at all times. Is it true or nah?”
“You could look at it like that but if you have a few minutes to let me give you my version you would see things my way.”
“And how is that?”
“To me it looks like we’re magnetically drawn to each other.” He winked and she giggled hard, exposing her pretty white teeth. “On everything I just ate and was about to go to the store when I saw you. I will admit, there have been a few times when I was hawking but today wasn’t one of them.”
She giggled again. “Move out the way, Emilio. I got somewhere to be.”
He jumped in front of her once more. “Just five minutes, Georgia. That’s all I need to convince you to go on a date. If I get on your nerves too soon I promise I won’t ever bother you again.”
He saw slight disappointment when he said those words and figured she liked him even if she gave him consistent rejection slips. “But we’ve done that already and it didn’t work in your favor remember?”
“Please, G. Just five minutes.”
“You do know five minutes is forever when you’re in a rush right? And weren’t you about to go somewhere?”
“Not if you gonna give me the time.”
She shook her head and flopped on a nearby porch. “What’s up?”
He walked over to her but far enough to respect her space. “I know I fucked up when I got with your friend that night but it wasn’t like that. If I had—”
She held her hand out, palm in his direction. “Let me stop you right there.” She dropped it. “You don’t owe me anything not even an explanation. She was my friend and she knew I was feeling you so that made her wrong not you. And that was over 2 years ago so who cares?” She shrugged. “Besides, if she wanted to suck your dick in the bathroom with 50 people outside the door at a party that’s on her reputation not mine.”
“Hold up, did you just say you liked me?” He asked with raised eyebrows. “Why am I just finding this out now?”
Embarrassed she’d been caught she looked away. “Cut it out.”
“I’m for real. You about to make me go find that chick and steal her in the face for ruining my life.”
“Emilio!”
“Seriously. Had I the slightest idea you were feeling me I would’ve never gave her the time. I didn’t even know she knew you until I saw your face.” She paused when he noticed her frown. “But based on what you just said it’s no reason why we shouldn’t get to know each other more.”
She stood up and touched the side of his face. “I need more time, Emilio. And I’m not beefing with you. I just need to work on some things at home before meeting a new friend.” Suddenly rain began to pour on their heads heavily. She used her hand to look up into the dark grey sky. “I gotta go before it gets worse out here.”
“Where were you going?”
“Now you’re being pesty. Besides your five minutes are up. I’ll talk to you—”
“Georgia, let me take you, look how bad it is out here. Please. My car is over there and it will give us time to work things out.” He pointed to a blue Mercedes on the curb.
She looked into his eyes. “Okay…I guess it’ll be fine.”
He placed his hand on the small of her back and escorted her to his car like the perfect gentle-thug. Opening the passenger side door, he waited until she was safe and dry before closing it softly. Dodging back to the other side to prevent getting wetter, he was shocked when he saw Bosh in the seat instead of Georgia.
Emilio blinked a few times thinking he was losing his mind.
“No need to bat your eyes at me, nigga. You seeing right.” Bosh stole him in the face with a close fist three times, opening the soft tissue surrounding his nostrils. Without notice Emilio was yanked out of the car by two men and thrown in the backseat of his own ride like luggage.
Stuffed in the middle of two men who hit him repeatedly for sport, he was able to get a brief view of Georgia being shoved forcefully in a car ahead of his and felt badly for her. “The girl will be safe. We only want you.”
He was somewhat relieved.
“What the fuck is this about?” Emilio yelled. “I ain’t no block nigga. I’m a working man and the only money I got on me is in my pockets.”
Bosh eased over to the driver’s seat. “Don’t worry what it’s about right now. Just sit back because you in for a bloody ride.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Ryan
You’re An addict. And That’s Okay.
Tawny was lying on the floor soaked in her own urine when there was a soft knock at the door. She made an attempt to stand to answer it but failed miserably when she slammed face down into the same position. Having smoked too much crack she
couldn’t find her equilibrium and gave up on it and life. All she wanted to do was die and she hoped the knocking would stop but it grew incessant.
“Tawny, are you in there? It’s me. Amelia.”
After a few more bangs, Amelia took a chance and twisted the knob and to her surprise it was unlocked. But she gasped when she smelled the apartment and saw the condition her cousin was in. “Oh my God! Why, Tawny! What’s wrong?”
She tossed her purse on the floor and rushed to her aide. “Why is your door unlocked? I could’ve been someone else.”
“Leave me…leave me…lone…alone.” Tawny’s speech was all over the place just like her life.
“I’m not going nowhere, girl. What is wrong with you?” Urine soaked Amelia’s knees and pants but she didn’t care. She’d been in enough horrid conditions due to her habit in the past and didn’t consider herself above it in the moment.
Helping Tawny to her feet, she walked her to the bathroom and propped her against the wall while she ran the tub full of hot water. While it was filling up she removed Tawny’s grungy white shirt and filthy blue bra.
But she hadn’t gotten to the worst part yet.
When it was time to remove her bottoms Amelia eased off Tawny’s jeans and almost threw up when she got a whiff of the odor stemming from her vagina and anus. Pinching her nostrils with one hand, Amelia picked up the soiled gear and walked them to the kitchen, tossing them into the trashcan.
When Amelia returned Tawny was inside the tub, forehead on her knees weeping softly. At least she had gotten inside herself. Although Amelia was saddened that her cousin was crying she was pleased to see that she was coming around, and was aware that the condition she was in was less than perfect, evident by her painful grieving.
Squeezing warm water over Tawny’s back using the pink washcloth Amelia asked, “What happened, Tawny? I don’t understand. I thought we were past all this shit.”
She’d snuck the 4 Carat engagement ring she hadn’t officially accepted out of the house to floss and it glistened as the water washed over it. Wyld didn’t know she had it on. She wore it to fake the good life but after seeing the condition Tawny was in she felt foolish.
