I Can't Let Go

by Chenell Parker

  “I’ll see you later cousin. I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Autumn replied before she hung up. She ignored Prince just like she always did.

  “My cousin ain’t fucking with you no more nigga,” Kimora laughed.

  “She’ll be back. I just gotta make sure I have all these other hoes out of my system before then,” Prince replied.

  “I’m leaving my gifts here until later. I’m coming back over here after the party to stay the night,” Kimora said as she got up from his bed.

  “You got a key. I don’t need to be here for you to come back,” Prince replied.

  “Come drop me off by Miko’s house. I’m gonna ride with her and Dirty,” Kimora said as she grabbed her purse and bag of changing clothes.

  Val wasn’t doing the traditional Halloween party with costumes and stuff. She was doing a foam party in her huge backyard and she had a company coming out with the foam trucks. It was still warm outside, even though they were in the fall months. Kimora had a bad ass Fendi two-piece bathing suit with the matching slides that Tino got for her. They were supposed to match since it was their birthday, but she didn’t even want to be around him. She planned to avoid him as much as she could, and she hoped her cousin wouldn’t be too late.

  When they pulled up to Miko’s house, Kimora rolled her eyes when she saw Tino’s car parked behind Dirty’s in their driveway. That was nothing new though. He did business with Dirty and every other male in his family. Kimora rang the doorbell and Dirty came to the door a few minutes later.

  “Happy Birthday lil sis,” he said while pulling her into a hug.

  “Thanks Dirty.” Kimora smiled.

  “Me and Miko got a lil something for you,” he said as she followed him into the kitchen. When she walked into the room, her heart dropped when she saw Venus sitting on Tino’s lap at her sister’s kitchen table. Granted, she knew that he had a girl, but she’d never seem them in such an intimate position before.

  “Hey y’all,” Kimora spoke as she tried to hide her anger. She had no right to be upset and she had to check herself. Bryson was standing there with a smirk on his face while Tino looked guilty. Venus had a look of disgust on her face but that was nothing new. It was no secret that she didn’t like Kimora very much. She never told that to anyone but she and Tino argued about her all the time. Kimora had been on the phone with him a few times, so she heard it for herself.

  “Happy birthday baby,” Kimiko said as she walked over and gave her a tight hug.

  “Thanks sis. Autumn is gonna be late, so I came over here to ride to the party with you and Dirty,” Kimora replied.

  “Happy birthday wifey. I got a gift for you too but I can’t give it to you in front of everybody.” Bryson winked as Tino’s jaw ticked in anger.

  “Raise up,” he said as he tapped Venus on the thigh.

  “Why?” she asked, ready to pop off. He had no problem with her sitting on his lap before Kimora came in there. Venus was annoyed every time she had to be in Kimora’s presence. She wasn’t blind and she knew that her man was attracted to her. Tino swore that he’d never had sex with her before and she believed him. He wasn’t a liar and he’d admitted to cheating on her in the past. Still, there was something in his eyes when he looked at Kimora and that drove Venus crazy. He had feelings for that young bitch and it was hard for him to hide it. It’s like Kimora appeared out of thin air and was always around now.

  “We’re about to dip. I’ll get at you about that business tomorrow Dirty,” Tino said as he stood to his feet. He tried not to but his eyes drifted over to Kimora. He had been calling her like crazy since he left her house and she never answered for him once. He hated when she was mad with him and he had to find a way to make it right.

  “I’m going lay down sis. Let me know whenever y’all are ready,” Kimora said as she walked down the hall to the bedroom. Tino couldn’t help it and his eyes followed her until she was out of sight. The dress that Kimora had on was hugging her perfect curves and he had to fight the sudden urge to kiss her. He had never been in love before but he was falling hard for Kimora. He didn’t know what it was about her but he couldn’t shake it, no matter how hard he tried.

  “You done? Disrespectful ass,” Venus snapped angrily.

  “Let’s go,” Tino said as he walked away. He knew that he and Venus were about to be arguing all the way home but he didn’t give a fuck.

  Kimora kicked off her slides and laid down in the bed that she usually slept in when she went to her sister’s house. She wasn’t sleepy, so she flipped through the channels on the tv for a few minutes until there was a light knock on the door.

  “Here, that’s from me and Dirty,” Miko said as she handed her a card filled with money.

  “Thanks sis.” Kimora smiled as she took the card from her.

  “We’re about to make a run right quick. They got chicken and rice in the kitchen if you get hungry,” Miko said before she left.

  A few minutes later, Kimora heard the front door slam right as her phone rang. When she saw Tino’s number, she ignored the call and focused on what she was watching. When the bedroom door opened a short time later, Bryson entered the room and closed it behind him.

  “What do you want boy?” Kimora asked.

  “See, that’s your whole problem now. You don’t recognize a man when you see one,” Bryson said as he sat at the foot of the bed.

  “Why are you in here Bryson?” Kimora questioned.

  “I wanted to give you your birthday present,” he said as he ran his hand up her exposed leg. Kimora’s sundress stopped right above her knees, giving him a perfect view of her toned legs.

  “Are you on crack?” Kimora asked as she slapped his hand away.

  “Come on Kimora. Just let me try,” Bryson begged.

  “I hope you got a gun. The only way I’m fucking you is if you kill me first,” Kimora swore.

  “I’m not trying to fuck you,” Bryson said as he caressed her leg again.

  “Stop touching me!” Kimora yelled.

  “I hope you ain’t holding out for Tino. That nigga ain’t never leaving Venus, so I hope that’s not what you think. That’s his partner in crime in this dope shit. You’re not even built for the life that he lives. That nigga will cheat all day but he’s not going nowhere. He goes home to Venus every night,” Bryson said as her heart rate increased.

  “Fuck Tino!” Kimora spat angrily.

  “Just lay back and let me show you something. I swear I’m not trying to fuck you. I won’t even take off my clothes,” Bryson swore.

  Kimora was conflicted. On one hand, she did want to wait it out and see where things with her and Tino would go. Then, what Bryson had just said made a lot of sense to her too. She was turning niggas down left and right over a nigga who was already taken. Although Bryson was handsome in his own way, she could never see herself being with him. Since she would probably never be with his cousin either, she decided to go with the flow and see just what he had in mind.

  “What are you doing?” Kimora asked when he reached up under her sundress and removed her underwear.

  “Just relax,” Bryson said as he spread her legs wider.

  When he positioned his face in between her legs, Kimora was shocked. She didn’t see that coming and she didn’t know that Bryson was the type. When he dipped his head lower, Kimora jumped when she felt the first flick of his tongue. She grabbed the back of his head as it moved from side to side slowly. Bryson had never gone down on anyone before, so he didn’t know if he was even doing it right. He’d seen tons of pornos and it didn’t look that hard. He didn’t know what he was expecting it to taste like but, to him, it really didn’t have a taste at all. Kimora smelled good and that made the experience a little better. He was really feeling her and he wanted her to be his girl. Hopefully, after that, she would finally agree.

  “How does it feel?” Bryson lifted his head up to ask.

  “Okay, I guess,” Kimora replied. No one had ever gone down on her before, so she
had nothing to compare him to.

  “Just okay?” he questioned skeptically.

  “It feels good Bryson,” Kimora said, trying to stroke his ego a little.

  “Good,” he smiled as he continued his mission. When Kimora started moaning, that gave him a boost of confidence. He started going harder until she was trying to scoot away. Kimora’s body shook as he continued to lick her middle. After a while, she’d had enough and she sat up and pushed him away.

  “That’s enough Bryson,” Kimora said as she panted heavily.

  “See, if you would stop waiting on that nigga Tino to act right and be my girl, you could get that every day,” he smirked as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

  “You better leave before Miko and Dirty comes back,” Kimora said.

  “Just think about it Kimora. If you give me a chance, I promise to do everything in my power to make you happy,” Bryson swore. When Kimora didn’t answer, he assumed that she was giving it some thought. He smiled triumphantly before walking out of the bedroom.

  “I need a shower,” Kimora said as she got up from the bed. There was a huge wet spot on the sheets that was hard to miss. She grabbed a fresh sheet set from the closet and changed the bed clothes before putting the soiled ones in the washing machine. After taking a shower, Kimora put her bathing suit on and put another sundress on top of it. Once Miko and Dirty came back, they changed their clothes and were off to Val’s house for the party soon after.

  “You must think I’m stupid. Ain’t no way in hell you can convince me that that bullshit was a coincidence,” Venus fumed as she watched Kimora walking around the yard. She was pissed when she saw that she had on a Fendi bathing suit that matched the trunks that Tino had on. He brushed it off like it was nothing, but she was far from being stupid.

  “If you trying to argue, you can bring your ass back home. I’m trying to enjoy my birthday and I don’t have time for no drama,” Tino replied.

  “I’m trying to see why she’s always around all of a sudden,” Venus said.

  “The fuck you mean? She’s Miko’s sister,” Tino pointed out.

  “Okay and she didn’t just start being Miko’s sister at your father’s party. Before then, none of us had never even seen her. Now, she’s at every function given,” Venus noted.

  “That’s because my mama likes her.” Tino shrugged.

  “Yeah and she’s not the only one,” Venus replied.

  “What’s good cuz? When are we meeting up to handle that business? I’m missing out on money,” Ramon, Tino’s cousin, asked.

  “Damn bruh, at least let a nigga enjoy his birthday. We can talk business once I wake up from my hangover tomorrow,” Tino laughed before walking off with Venus following right behind him.

  Ramon was pissed as he walked over to where his brother, Ronald, and some of their other cousins and uncle were sitting.

  “What’s good lil brother?” Ronald asked when he saw the annoyed look on his brother’s face.

  “It’s always some shit with that dude bruh. I hate having to wait for another nigga before I can make a move. Nigga let that money and power go to his head,” Ramon complained.

  “Nah, cuz ain’t even on it like that,” Ronald replied.

  “The fuck you mean he ain’t on it like that? I’ve been waiting on that nigga to get me right for days. He knows he got the upper hand and he use that shit to his advantage. That nigga ain’t no real hustler. His uncles only put him in charge because he’s their blood,” Ramon argued.

  “That’s how it goes lil nigga. How the fuck you think we got put on? Val was only trying to make sure that her husband and son were straight. She wasn’t obligated to do nothing for us. Ced didn’t have to bring us in on this shit with him. You’re sounding mad ungrateful right now and I’m not feeling that hating shit,” their uncle Corey snapped.

  Before meeting Val, Ced used to work as a janitor at a local high school. Corey worked for the sanitation department, along with their other brothers. Val was the one with all the connections. Her oldest brother in Miami was the man to see and she made sure that he put her husband on. Ced was all about family, so he made sure that his brothers got put on and ate good too. Val never wanted Tino to fuck with the dope game but that was something that she couldn’t stop. With the help of his uncles, Tino became the local plug and they had to go through him for whatever they wanted. He still never distributed the dope. He had one of his cousins in place for that. All he did was collect the money and chill. Corey didn’t have a problem with that though. Val was doing what any mother would do for their child. She was making sure that Tino was good while securing the bag. Corey had more money now than he’d ever seen in his life and he was forever grateful to his brother and sister-in-law.

  “I ain’t hating on no nigga. I’m just stating facts. Everybody out here taking risks and losses while he’s calling all the shots. Dirty and Bryson’s pops is locked up and ours is in the dirt,” Ramon pointed out.

  “And whose fault is that? The opportunity was presented to us but nobody forced us to take it. We all know the risk that comes with the dope game. If you ain’t feeling this shit no more, then you need to bail out now,” Corey suggested.

  “I’m good on my end. I’m not the one with the big ego,” Ramon noted.

  He didn’t give a fuck what nobody said. He felt how he felt and that would never change. Tino was handed everything that he got while everybody else busted their asses for it. He was getting rich and all he really had to do was go to college. Val was setting him up for life. She had three hair salons and two restaurants and his name was on everything. Tino even got a percentage from the businesses that his father owned because that’s how Val had it set up. Her only child would never want for anything and she meant that. Ced had other kids that she loved but not nearly as much as she loved her own.

  “I’m done with this conversation bruh because I don’t like the direction it’s going in. But, on God, if I feel like you on some snake shit, nephew or not, it’s lights out for that ass,” Corey warned.

  “I can be called a lot of things but a snake ain’t one of them. Don’t get mad with me for keeping it real. That nigga ain’t nothing but a pretty boy who was lucky enough to be born into a Dominican family,” Ramon snapped angrily.

  “You sounding like a bitter bitch right now fam. Just remember what I said. We don’t have no room for snakes in this game,” Corey replied as he walked away. He had mad love for his nephew but he was big on loyalty. Corey was the youngest out of his brothers, so he hung around their kids more than anything. Ramon was always on some bullshit and he wasn’t feeling it.

  “Fuck that nigga too,” Ramon hissed as he sipped from his beer.

  “You need to chill out with all that bruh. The nigga gon’ get you right. Just be patient. You need to be mindful of the shit that you say. I told you a long time ago that you don’t always have to speak up on everything,” Ronald said to his little brother.

  Ramon’s mouth was going to be the death of him and he was tired of telling him that. He was too bothered by Tino and that wasn’t a good look.

  “I say what the fuck I want. Anybody got a problem with it can come see me,” Ramon snapped as his brother shook his head.

  They were all silent for a while until the party really got started. They had foam all over the yard and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Tino kept noticing how Bryson and some of the other men in attendance kept focusing on Kimora and that was pissing him off. What pissed him off even more was how she kept ignoring him. Venus was on his back and he had been trying to shake her for the longest. Some nigga who he’d never seen before had been crowding Kimora too hard and she seemed to be enjoying the attention. She was smiling all in his face as they talked and flirted with each other. Tino hated to do it but he had to get his mother involved if he wanted to get away from Venus and get Kimora alone.

  “Where are you going?” Venus asked him.

  “I need to holla at my mama right quic
k,” Tino replied, making her stop in her tracks and stop following him. Venus went to talk to Zoe and some of his cousins and that’s exactly what he wanted her to do.

  “What’s wrong baby?” Val asked when her son walked over to her. She smirked when Tino whispered in her ear. Val nodded her head in understanding before she watched him walk away. She waited for a few minutes before she walked over to Kimora and grabbed her arm.

  “What’s up Val?” Kimora asked.

  “Come here for a minute,” Val requested as she led her into the house. Kimora didn’t ask any questions as she followed Val upstairs and down the hall. When she opened one of the bedroom doors, Kimora frowned when she saw Tino standing there. He looked sexy as hell standing there shirtless in his swimming trunks. His arms look like a coloring book with all the tattoos that were covering them. The colors showed up perfectly on his light colored skin.