Who Can I Trust: A Naptown Hood Drama (Trust Issues Book 1)

by Tamicka Higgins

  On that note, Marcus went full throttle. Soon enough, the back of the headboard was bumping against the wall with the constant rhythm of his deep stroke. At that moment, he could give two shits if the neighbors could hear his banging or Kayla’s squealing. With what he was packing, that was just what came with the territory.

  “Fuck, I’m bout to nut,” Marcus announced. Now, going as fast as he could, his pelvis slammed into Kayla’s over and over again before his body stiffened. Before either of them knew it, Marcus’ sweaty, toned chocolate body was jolting as he came deep inside of her. Without even thinking, Kayla gripped Marcus’ muscular back and smiled.

  “Damn, that felt good,” Kayla said.

  Marcus, trying to catch his breath, decided against saying anything. Instead, he pulled his head up from breathing deeply into the pillows and kissed Kayla passionately. “I love you girl,” Marcus said. “I love you. I really do.”

  There, on this cold Indiana morning, Marcus lay on top of Kayla’s body until his manhood softened and slid from the depths of her insides. Marcus slid his hand to the under part of Kayla’s thighs and slapped them. “Damn that pussy,” he said. “You feel better now?”

  Kayla, feeling what can only be described as bliss, pulled the sheets up over her quivering body as Marcus lay down next to her and held her body against his body. “Hmm, hmm,” she said.

  The two talked back and forth to one another about nothing in particular. Within fifteen to twenty minutes, Kayla was falling back to sleep. There, in the morning light in his bedroom, Marcus looked up at the ceiling. He could not help but to think about the one thing he needed to talk to Kayla about. He just did not know how he was going to bring it up.

  Chapter 2

  Next thing that either Marcus or Kayla knew, the two of them had fallen asleep in Marcus’ bed. Kayla felt so comfortable, at first in his arms then simply with her body pressed against his body. With the sound of trucks and traffic slushing down Shadeland Avenue not too far away, the two of them happened to wake up at the same time. Marcus smiled at his woman, knowing that he had decided before he went to sleep that he was going to have to go ahead and bring up what had been sitting at the back of his mind.

  “Hey,” Kayla said, looking into Marcus’ face. She knew deep down that she felt so much better than she did when she had first gotten over to Marcus’ place. “How you feelin?”

  “Shit,” Marcus said, turning over and looking at his patio door. “I’m good.”

  “Fuck,” Kayla said. “How long was we sleep for?” Her body was stiff, telling her that she had been sleep for some time.

  Marcus shrugged and smiled. “Fuck if I know,” he responded. “It don’t matter no way.”

  Just as Marcus was sliding his hand over to grab Kayla’s waist, he could hear the sound of a vehicle breaking just outside of his apartment. Like a dog, Marcus picked up on it. Without even thinking, his head snapped back toward his patio door. If there was one thing he hated about his apartment it would have to be how the patio door in his bedroom was on the ground level. Every so often, kids playing with a ball out in the parking lot would accidentally hit his window.

  “What?” Kayla asked, totally picking up on how alert Marcus suddenly had become. “What’s wrong?”

  Kayla’s voice was slowly sliding to the background for Marcus. Instead, he was too focused on whatever breaking vehicle was outside of his apartment. Quickly, Marcus slid out of bed. Kayla looked at the back of his tall, dark lean body as Marcus stepped over to the long white blinds that covered the patio door. Ever so slightly, Marcus approached the blinds and parted two to look out.

  “Marcus?” Kayla said, sounding more forceful this time. “What the fuck is up?”

  Without even thinking, Marcus held his hand back toward Kayla. “Wait a second,” he said as he looked out into the parking lot. Upon looking side to side, he saw the stopped vehicle was for his neighbors upstairs. Within seconds, he could hear a door upstairs shut then footsteps coming down the hallway steps. Instantly, his heart stopped beating so fast. He turned around.

  “Naw,” Marcus said, trying to quickly come up with something that would make sense to Kayla without giving too much away at the same time. His head shook as he spoke. “I thought it might be this nigga who was try’na meet up and get a QP. Somethin’ happen to dude’s phone so he just show up for now until he get himself another phone. I just thought it might be him, but it ain’t shit.”

  Kayla nodded. “Hmm, hmm,” she said, not really believing what she was being told. “You jumped up like you was about to have to lock this place down.”

  Marcus climbed back into the bed, scooting closer to Kayla. He shook his head. “Baby,” he said, sounding ever so sweet. “You ain’t gotta worry ‘bout no shit popping off over here. Just chill out.”

  “Oh, aight,” Kayla said. “I was about to say.”

  Just then, Kayla winced at the feeling of Marcus slapping her hip. “You wasn’t bout to say shit,” Marcus said to her, smiling.

  “Nigga, whatever,” Kayla said. “You betta stop.”

  Marcus looked into Kayla’s face. He generally did not consider himself to be the kind of dude who got emotional. However, in the last so many days he had been thinking about how much he connected with Kayla compared to other chicks he had dated in some way or another before he met her. When Kayla started talking, all he could do was focus on how pretty she was. On top of all that, Kayla was so well spoken and she had a body that made his day better any and every time he laid eyes on her. While he kept his alert up for a car coming to a stop outside of his place, Marcus decided that there was probably no better time than the present to bring it up.

  “What do you think about Atlanta?” Marcus came out and asked.

  Kayla, taken aback by such a strange and off topic question, clearly looked confused. “What you mean what do I think about Atlanta?” she asked then shrugged. “I mean,” she said, hesitantly. “It’s coo. I been down there a couple times when I was a teenager with my mama and auntie and shit, but I ain’t thought that much more about it all like that. Why you ask what I think about Atlanta?”

  “Cause,” Marcus answered, shrugging. “I been just thinking.”

  “Thinking what?” Kayla asked, always enjoying when she and Marcus talked about serious things.

  “Shit,” Marcus said, very laid back. “Just thinking about maybe moving down to Atlanta or something.”

  Kayla’s eyes bugged out of her face and she leaned up to be more focused on what she was hearing. “Oh, really?” Kayla asked, confused. “Where did all of this come from all of the sudden, Marcus? What got you wanting to move down south to Atlanta and shit? I mean…”

  “I just been thinking about it for a while,” Marcus said, knowing that he was lying. “I mean, don’t you get tired of living in Indianapolis. Sometimes I be just thinking and shit and for the last couple months I really been thinking about what if we move down to Atlanta?”

  “We?” Kayla asked. “I mean,” she said, trying to think. “Why are you just now bringing this up if you been thinking about it for a couple of months, Marcus?”

  Marcus could sense Kayla getting a little worked up over the topic. And in all honesty, it was to be expected.

  “I mean, I been thinking about it but not like that,” Marcus said. “What you was talkin’ bout when you came over in the morning when you dropped your brother and sister off at school just got me to thinking about it a little more.” He shrugged. “I mean, it could be like a fresh start and shit for us. Plus you know Atlanta got more of the scene and shit like what we like that Indianapolis would have.”

  “Yeah,” Kayla said, nodding. “I know, but still…I don’t know if I could move away right now. I mean, we don’t even live together.”

  “Kayla,” Marcus said. “Baby, you know that if we was to be moving out of town together, we definitely gon’ be stayin’ together and shit.”

  “I know, I know,” Kayla said. “But we ain’t never even
been to Atlanta or no shit like that.”

  “So?” Marcus said, shrugging and smiling as he looked into Kayla’s eyes. “Next weekend.”

  “Next weekend what?” Kayla asked.

  “Next weekend we can hop in the car and head down there,” Marcus said. “Not unless you gon’ be busy.”

  At that moment, Kayla could feel a little bit of embarrassment coming over her. She hated that she was at a point in her life where she was finally an adult. However, with what was going on with her mother and how she was basically just giving up on herself, Kayla knew what her moving away really meant. Her brother and sister would be left to basically fin for themselves with Mama. And that would definitely be something that would eat away at her soul.

  “I mean,” Kayla said, trying to find her thoughts. “We can take a trip down there, but I gotta think about movin’ down there.”

  “What you gotta think about?” Marcus asked.

  “I mean, this shit is just all of the sudden, Marcus,” Kayla said. “You can’t just drop something like this on me one night, all of the sudden, and expect me to make a decision. Atlanta is what? Like eight hours away or something.”

  “So?” Marcus said.

  “So?” Kayla said, rhetorically. “I mean…I gotta think about doing some stuff like that. What is the real reason you wanna move down south to Atlanta?”

  “What you mean what is the real reason I wanna move down to Atlanta?” Marcus asked. “What’s wrong with a change of scenery? Something different. Just some place new. Don’t you get tired of livin’ in Indianapolis?”

  Kayla hesitated. She supposed that she did get tired of living in Indianapolis from time to time. However, Indianapolis was all that she had ever known. She had been on a couple of trips to other places with her family and stuff, but she never stayed anywhere longer than a few days. In fact, Kayla did not even have that many members in her family who lived outside of the Midwest – outside of places like Indianapolis, Chicago, or Detroit.

  “I mean, yeah,” Kayla answered. “But I ain’t really think about moving away or nothing, and especially not all the way down to Atlanta.”

  “What is keeping you here?” Marcus asked. It was painfully obvious to his woman that there was something in Indianapolis that was pulling her to not even ever think about moving away. “Tell me, Kayla. What you got here?”

  Kayla looked away from Marcus, telling him that she did not really want to answer that question. After a few seconds of thought, Kayla decided she had nothing to lose my keeping it real and letting Marcus know how she was really feeling.

  “My brother and sister,” Kayla answered. “You know I been tellin’ you about what’s goin’ on with my mama and shit. And I swear Marcus, she is just getting worse.”

  “Yeah, I can see that,” Marcus said. “She’s the one bein’ a young chick again while you usin’ your young years to stay at home at night and shit and do whatever the fuck she want you to be doin’ so she ain’t got to do it her damn self.”

  Kayla squinted. “You not gettin’ angry over that shit, are you?” she asked Marcus.

  Marcus shook his head and smiled. “Naw, baby,” he answered, trying to sound as nice as possible. “I ain’t getting angry over what you doin’. Actually, the shit I don’t like is what it is doin’ to you, Kayla.”

  Kayla grinned. “I know, I know,” she said. “I mean, I know it’s affecting us and shit. I can’t even come over the same way I used to. But if I move away, what does that mean for Latrell and Linell?”

  Marcus cringed ever so silently. He had a feeling down in his soul that Kayla’s brother and sister were the real reason behind her not being all that keen on moving away.

  “So, what?” Marcus said, knowing that he had to watch what he said. “You gon’ stay around here until they grow up and shit and not live your life?”

  “I mean,” Kayla said, trying to find the words in her confusion. “Wait a second. Somethin’ don’t feel right, Marcus. Keep it real and shit with me. Why you really thinkin’ ‘bout moving down to Atlanta? Why you mentioning it just now?”

  “Cause,” Marcus said. “I’m bored here and I just been thinkin’ bout it more and more and I finally decided to bring it up if that’s okay.”

  “So, if I don’t go, you gon’ move away and leave me here?” Kayla asked. “Is that what you thinkin’ bout doin?”

  Marcus shook his head. “Hell naw,” he answered. Just then, Marcus leaned in and kissed Kayla softly. It was oh so obvious to him that what they were talking about made her tense, maybe even a little scared. “What kinda question is that?” he asked. “You know no matter what, I love you and I ain’t gon’ leave you here like that. Calm down, okay? I was just asking you and lettin’ you know what I be thinkin’ about and shit. Remember? You told me that you wanted me to start talking more about what be on my mind rather than just keeping the shit inside like I used to do.”

  Kayla smiled a little. “Yeah,” she said. “I mean, I’m not opposed to it. I don’t wanna say no and be totally closed to the idea. Maybe…maybe we can take a trip down there and see and stuff. I mean, like I said, I ain’t even been there in like years…like since I was a teenager or in middle school. I don’t even remember the city all that much like that to be up and deciding to move down there.”

  “Bet,” Marcus said. “Look here. Next weekend, no matter how much snow there is or if there’s no snow at all, we gon head down to the A-T-L and check it out. Even if you not feelin’ it for movin’ there and shit, we can just go there and check it out. I’m ready to get out of Nap so bad. I’m so bored with this shit… I mean damn.”

  “Yeah,” Kayla said. “That would be cool. We prolly just need to get away.”

  At that moment, Marcus climbed out of bed again. He grabbed his cell phone off of the little table next to his bed and scrolled through his text messages. “Shit, it’s like one o’clock.”

  “Damn, already?” Kayla asked.

  “Yeah,” Marcus said. “You gotta go pick up your brother and sister?”

  “Naw,” Kayla answered. “But I’mma be home when they get home from school and shit. You know how my mama is.”

  “Prolly be passed out and shit when you get there,” Marcus said.

  “Exactly,” Kayla said, rolling her eyes. “That’s why I just don’t know about moving away cause my brother and sister really would have nobody at that point.”

  “I feel you, I feel you,” Marcus said, setting his I-phone back down onto the little table. He then walked back over to his patio door and peered through the blinds.

  Something was definitely up in Kayla’s eyes. More and more, she was wanting to know what it was. Something just did not seem right to her. It almost seemed as if Marcus was trying to hide something. Why was he looking out of his blinds so much? He didn’t do this all the time, and Kayla knew that for a fact. There she lay, spread out across the bed while looking at the back of Marcus’ naked body as he stood at his patio door, parting two blinds ever so slightly and looking side to side.

  Kayla took this as her opportunity to slide out of the bed.

  “I gotta pee,” Kayla said, walking out of the room and into the little hallway that connected Marcus’ bedroom to the living room and kitchenette. Within seconds, she was sitting on the toilet with the bathroom door pushed closed and her face in the palms of her hands. While she was not crying – not the least bit – she was indeed thinking about how different her life would be if Marcus did decide to go on and do him and move to Atlanta. Marcus was really the first long-term dude that she had ever had who she felt she could really trust. The odds of her finding that again were next to none in Kayla’s eyes. Still, however, she wondered why he was suddenly talking about moving away. Ever since they woke up and he started to look out of the patio door when there was that braking sound, something just did not sit well with Kayla about it all. Maybe it was her woman’s intuition kicking in, or just the fact that she was a strong, intelligent woman. However, Kayla jus
t could not help but to think that Marcus was hiding something. In so many ways, it looked like he was looking out of his window because he was watching for someone.

  Once Kayla had finally relaxed enough to where she started to pee, she knew what she had to do. She and Marcus were so close that the only way she could not see how he would ever feel like he would have to keep anything from her. When she finished peeing, she stood up, flushed and then started washing her hands.

  “Oh shit,” Marcus said, from the other room. The tone in his voice made it very clear that he was alarmed.

  No sooner than Kayla could open her mouth to yell to him, asking what he had said that for, gun shots rang out – gun shots that were clearly coming at Marcus’ apartment building or very close. Without even thinking, screams and shrills slipped out of Kayla’s mouth. First, out of reflex, her body jerked back to where her back was flush against the bathroom door. As the gunshots continued, with pinging noises and noises that sounded as if the bullets were colliding with the walls of the apartment building, Kayla dropped to the floor. Never in her life had she been oh so close to gunshots. It was so scary and surreal at the same time. For the sake of her own life, Kayla ducked as low as she possibly could to the bathroom floor. The sound of the running bathroom sink practically seemed like the background noise that is a clock ticking as what must have been a dozen bullets sprayed into the building, each with a boom that made Kayla’s heart practically jump. Still, she screamed as she wished that she could get even lower than the floor.

  A window shattered.

  Another window shattered.

  Within seconds, the bullets stopped. A car door slammed on the back of what sounded like a couple of guys yelling curse words back and forth to one another. Within seconds, Kayla could hear screeching brakes. Whatever vehicle it was had pulled off, zooming away.

  Breathing heavily, with her body practically balled up into a corner next to the toilet and cattycorner to the bathtub, Kayla finally opened her eyes. She looked around the bathroom, seeing that there were no holes in the wall. Slowly but confidently, Kayla reached up and turned the running bathroom sink water off.