“Lay! The fuck…down, Jayde. Since you so fucking hot…”
Her chest continued to heave up and down and her eyes rolled in the back of her head as she waited to feel his penetration.
“Yes! This pussy is hot for you too, daddy!”
His clasp around her neck became tighter as she heard him chuckle.
“Well maybe you should cool the fuck off, then.”
Jayde crinkled her brow in confusion and a second later felt wetness between her legs. But it wasn’t her own. She struggled out of Ree’s now lighter grasp and sat up, only to find her white $1,000 dress being soaked and stained yellow. Ree wore a smirk as he continued to piss on her entire lower body and as her jaw dropped, he aimed the remainder of his half-drunken relief wherever it would land on her body. Coming to an end, he shook the last of it on her and his face turned serious as Jayde for once was speechless. Never had she been so disrespected. She lifted her hands not knowing what to do with them and looked down at her crotch with her mouth agape.
“You so fucking hot Jayde, that you have no loyalty to your family…your friends. You disrespect my wife…in her home,” he spoke venomously as he picked up the new bottle of Hennessey. “Yeah I say you hot alright... you need to cool the fuck down.” He then began to splash the premium liquor all over her, bathing her in it with a grimace on his face in disgust. Jayde jumped up and guarded the liquor with her hands, wiping her drenched face and screaming at the top of her lungs.
“Ree! What the fuck! Do you know who I am?” She was furious. She was a murderer as well and would have dusted any nigga who dared do this to her. Not to mention who her father was.
“I know who you are Jayde,” he affirmed with a light laugh. “But as for myself. You obviously have no clue.”
“Argh!” She yelled hysterically now smelling the stench of piss on her. Crush came crashing through the door and was perplexed at the scene. Ree’s desk completely wet, his pants unbuckled. Jayde in a disarray, her short dress hiked but stained yellow and the smell of urine now perfuming the scene. Leroy came in right behind him.
“Sean, what de hell is going on!” Ree’s father barked, not liking what he saw, urine or no urine. “Where is my daughter? Where is Tatum! Aren’t you supposed to be looking for her? Crush, take this hussy out of here at once!”
Ree smirked and zipped up his pants, taking his seat as if nothing had happened.
“It’s okay, Pop. She was just leaving.”
Ree’s father retreated in anger back to his guest room, where he had been staying since Ree went to get him after the fire. Crush then reached for Jayde, but she snatched away.
“I can fucking walk.” She shot a glare at Ree and then him, and then made her way to the door storming out angry and defeated. Crush wanted to ask Ree what had happened but he was afraid to know. He hoped that Ree hadn’t fucked her.
“Close the door on your way out, Crush. I am not to be disturbed anymore this evening.” Ree placed the half-full, new bottle to his lips and swigged, eyes toward one of the walls with thoughts of Tatum now filling his head. He could care less about how angry Jayde was, anything that had occurred with her walked out of his office when she did. Crush took a deep breath and nodded, and then retreated, closing the door behind him. He was surprised to find Jayde leaning against the wall when he stepped out of the office.
“Fuck are you still doing here?” He asked sharply.
“What, you not happy to see me?” She studied the big man with the quiet demeanor as she tried to regroup. It was only a minor setback. She had come on too strong. She had to re-strategize. “You don’t like me, do you Crush?”
“I don’t know you. But from what I know…no, I don’t like you.”
Jayde sucked her teeth and shook her head from side to side.
“Well… see, that’s just too bad Crush. Because one day, you may be getting my tea and soup. And how are we going to get along then?”
Crush looked at her like she was crazy. Was she insinuating she’d be taking Tatum’s place? He nodded.
“Yeah, okay,” Crush spoke dismissively. “I’ll get your tea when Respect stops treating you like a fire hydrant.”
Jayde narrowed her eyes at him, knowing that was an insult at the peeing situation.
“You know who you remind me of, Crush?” She didn’t wait for an answer before finishing. “You remind me a lot of E.”
Crush looked at her long and hard. He knew she had played a part in E’s death and he wondered if she was implying something. He stepped up to her sternly.
“Well, that’s too bad,” he spoke evenly. “’Cause I ain’t no fucking E.” He spat the words so angrily that spit foamed on the sides of his mouth. He had gone from teddy bear to grizzly bear in 2.2 seconds. She saw why he was so close with Ree. Jayde ran her tongue along the inside of her cheek and then nodded. With little to no more words spoken, she turned on her heels and strutted down the hall and out of the mansion.
“Yeah…take your pissy ass out of here,” Crush mumbled. He then picked up his cell, still eyeing the front door and reflecting on Jayde’s hidden threat and the scene he had just busted in on. Shit was getting out of control. He dialed the number and waited for the person on the other line to answer. And when they did he only spoke seven simple words because that was all that was needed.
“Hello?”
“Hey…,” he started looking from the door Jayde had just left out of to the closed office door where Ree was inside sulking. He shook his head in disbelief. “Look… you gotta come home, now!”
“So that’s why you believe in fate?” Sasha smiled wide, soaking up the last part of G’s story.
“Yeah…I mean…I don’t know about fate. But I definitely think everything happens for a reason. Like I said, me and my girl, we got a hell of a story. One for the books, you know? But we were meant to end up together... I’m sure you and C got a story of your own.”
Sasha swallowed hard and dashed her eyes around the car.
They were both reclined, talking for the past forty minutes about any and everything. The conversation seemed to flow so easy. She was a little relieved when she found out that he had a girlfriend, that way her fantasies of Chauncey’s friend, especially while they had just broken up, could be put on hold. What is wrong with me? I love Chauncey to death. Maybe I always have to get over one man by getting under another? Sasha broke her own thoughts.
“Well…yeah, we have a story. But it’s no fairytale like yours. Chauncey and I are no longer together,” she admitted, once again feeling the sadness. She could see the dismal look in G’s eyes. He felt bad for her.
“Sorry to hear that.” There was an awkward silence that followed. G began to drum his fingertips on the wood grain steering wheel and Sasha bit the inside of her cheeks. That’s when the two noticed bright lights from the tow truck approaching.
“They’re here,” Sasha announced with relief. G looked over at her and gave a half smile and she returned it, and then they both exited the vehicle.
“Thank you for waiting…and for, I don’t know…saving my life. Sounds like from your story you like to do that a lot,” she quipped.
G chuckled.
“Yeah, maybe I’ve got that broken bird syndrome or something. You know, always wanna play Superman or some shit. Anyway, it was my pleasure.”
Sasha smiled and as the tow truck driver approached, she spoke to him and G stood on the sidelines. He stepped closer when he heard the conversation raise a pitch.
“How can you not take debit?” She asked perplexed.
“Lady…do I look like I have a damn ATM machine in my truck cab? You called me out here for this shit and you ain’t got no money?”
G stepped up.
“Whoa, whoa calm down on the language, my man. It can all be resolved.” He dug in his pocket and peeled off hundred dollar bill after hundred dollar bill.
Sasha sighed and ran her hands through her hair.
“I can’t let you…I can’t let y
ou do that. You’ve already done too much.”
G laughed smoothly.
“You ain’t got no choice, ma. Maybe in some ill twist of fate you’ll pay me back one day.”
He shot her a wink and paid the tow driver.
As the man began to hook up Sasha’s car to the truck, Sasha went inside and retrieved Aubrey. G walked them both to the tow truck and helped them inside, closing the passenger door behind him. Sasha sat in the passenger seat with Aubrey on her lap and the tow driver then hopped in the driver’s seat.
G smiled again and threw up his hand, bidding her farewell.
“Hey! Gavin!” Sasha called to him after he started off.
He turned and looked at her curiously.
“I was wondering…you know, I’m thinking of moving back to Jersey…and…I don’t know…maybe you know some places, or some houses for sale? I’m really not going to have too many friends up here.” Sasha knew she was stretching. Why did she want to see him again, even after knowing he had a girlfriend? She convinced herself that maybe she really did want to know someone if she moved back to Jersey…for friendly stuff.
G stood still for a moment as if thinking about something and then he walked back to her. He pulled out a card and handed it to Sasha.
Reading it, she lifted an eyebrow.
“In case I get hungry?” She joked. The card read ‘Madeline’s Southern Cuisine Restaurant’. G laughed.
“Nah, that’s my spot. Call me there…if you move back. And I’ll hook you up. I’m actually selling my house and my loft.”
Sasha rubbed the card between her fingers like it was money and wondered why he was selling his house and loft. Then she thought of the fact that he had a house and a loft. Where was he going?
She smiled.
“Thank you.” He nodded and grinned, and this time she let him walk away. And the minute he did, the pain from losing Chauncey returned.
“I can’t let you go Tatum. I know I should. And you should let me go, too.” – Respect, Thicker than Water
-16-
The house felt cold. Icy. Even with it being mid-summer, and the air conditioning running low, Tatum still sensed a chill from the high, stone made mansion walls. It was even colder than when she had left. She closed the front door behind her slowly and took a deep breath. She was more nervous than she could have ever imagined. She felt like a stranger to the place, as if she didn’t belong. And she wondered if she did. She wasn’t sure what she was doing there either? The eerie silence as the house slept seemed to ask her the same question. After Tatum received the phone call from Crush, she wondered if she was returning to get her things and finalize their separation, to get closure. Or was she being drawn back to him? All she did know was that she had to come back, that was for sure. Tatum crept across the dimness of her vast living room. It was open, huge with two sets of spiral staircases with wide steps that led up the stairs. The rubber soled Tod’s flats she wore made little to no noise on the mahogany floors. She had borrowed them from Terri, along with her drawstring linen pants and plain white tank being that she had come to her in a silk robe and nothing more. Tatum started for the stairs guessing Ree had to be in bed at this time, but then heard a noise coming from his office. It was a thud sound, as if something had dropped onto the floor.
She took in a deep breath and nervously detoured, making her way to him in there. Tatum didn’t know why she was so scared to face him. Maybe because of what he had done, maybe because she was scared of the love that would surface when she saw him. And she didn’t want to feel that. She didn’t want to betray her brother like that.
Stepping to the door, she knocked lightly.
“Crush…,” he spoke with a slight slur. “No disturbance.”
The sound of his voice made Tatum’s heart rate speed up and tears instantly came to her eyes. She loved him so much. She wanted nothing more than to run and hug him and hold onto him forever and ever. But how could she? Tatum brought her fist from the door and took a step back, turning to walk away. She couldn’t do this. She had to leave, leave while she still had a chance, before she could connect eyes with him, leave this man, this monster, leave this life. She looked to the front door and now saw Crush standing there. He simply shook his head no and pointed toward the office. Tatum sighed and rolled her eyes, knowing he was right. She wanted to go in there as bad as Crush wanted her to go in there. She put her hand on the knob and as she twisted it and pushed the door open, an image of her brother laughing entered her head.
“Crush…seriously…” Ree sat with his feet kicked up on the desk, his head thrown back and his eyelids closed. Two empty bottles now lay on the floor and the windows were wide opened. Music played in the background, now Al Green was the one to greet Tatum.
…But it seems to me…that I’m wrapped up in your love…
…Don’t you know that I’m still in love with you…Sure ‘nough in love with you…
Tatum stared on at him, her tears now becoming denser. His breathing was that of him being asleep, but he wasn’t. She could feel his pain, and although he was the one that hurt her, she wanted to console him. Tatum sniffed and gasped at the overwhelm of emotion she felt, her sweet breath filling the room and seeming to awake Ree. She hadn’t spoken, but that gasp held the softest most acute hint of her light vocal cord that he was in tune with and picked up on. He thought he dreamt it and closed his eyes again until she spoke… “You look like shit.”
Ree took a deep breath, his heart immediately felt heavy. He couldn’t open his eyes at first because he couldn’t fathom. How could she come back? She was even more perfect than he had thought she was. He really didn’t deserve her.
Ree opened his eyes slowly but still didn’t turn his head.
How could she come back?
“Tatum…” He spoke her name low in his deep baritone, but that word held so much emotion, as if he had put all of his love into saying her name. He had put every ‘I’m sorry’, every ‘I missed you’, and every ‘I can’t live without you’ into that one word. And Tatum felt it.
He finally looked at her, and she stood before him, just as natural, beautiful, broken, and devastated as she was when he had last saw her. It hurt him because he wondered if this would be the last time he saw her.
“I…I never meant to hurt you, Tatum. I swear. Back then… I was only…”
“Ssshhhh.” Tatum placed her finger lightly to her lips and silenced him. She closed her eyes and tears dropped onto her brown cheeks like sun showers hitting the desert sands. She had made her choice. A decision that was never hers to make, only her heart’s.
“I don’t want to know, Ree. Do you understand?” She opened her eyes and stared at him with sentiment. “It was…it was so much better when I didn’t know.” Her voice cracked and she cried, and he stared at her feeling like his chest had caved in seeing her like this.
She slowly stepped over to him. Her legs wobbly with every step, her brother’s memory fading with every step, her heart breaking for one reason and coming together for another simultaneously…with every step. Finally reaching him, standing in front of him, her breathing became deeper and her tears continued to fall. How could she be with him? She knew her mind was asking. How could she not? Her soul replied. Ree looked up at her, really looked. Her wet face wearing her inner struggle, her small frame shaking in fear, her mouth was opened but she couldn’t speak. She couldn’t even look at him. Ree closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing his body forward and burying his face in her stomach. He breathed in deep, soaking her in and holding her tighter than he ever had. “Tatum.”
He squeezed her even tighter and Tatum felt his love. She broke down and cried even harder.
“I love you so much,” he revealed so truthfully. “I couldn’t live without you if I tried…I’d go insane, Tatum. I’d go insane,” he repeated, still holding her close and nestling his face in her.
“Ah,” a faint sigh of emotion escaped Tatum’s lips. She grabb
ed his head, her fingers holding his dreads tight as her tears continued to pour and fall on his head.
“I…I love you, Ree,” she cried hard. “I can’t….I can’t leave you…I love you too much.”
He kissed her stomach through her shirt and held her for what seemed like forever. Finally, he stood up, still holding her as close as humanly possible. Reaching his height potential, more than a head above her, he ran his fingers through her hair and looked down at her. Their bodies pressed against each other with no space allotted, Tatum could now feel the wetness of the fabric on her midsection.
TTW 3 ( Thicker Than Water 3 ) Page 32
