Cartel Dreams 2: A Love Story

by Nicety

  Chapter 16

  The Next Evening

  Quince

  Thoughts of what just happened had me in my feelings like a motherfucka while I stared up at the ceiling with Bunny lying on my chest. I wasn’t the type of nigga to be all up in my feelings like that but I couldn’t help but feel some type of way about fucking around on Daisy with Bunny. Neither one of them were bad women and didn’t deserve the shit a nigga took them through. Each of them held attributes that had a nigga feeling both of them hard.

  “You leaving me so soon, baby?” Bunny asked as I slipped out of bed snatching up my clothes to get dressed.

  “I gotta go, B.”

  “You’re still calling me B and Bunny,” she laughed shaking her head. “Why won’t you call me Queenie?”

  “It’s no disrespect ma. I’m just used to calling you Bunny. Regardless of the name, the person is still the same, right? Your name doesn’t make you, even if you used it as a stripper name.” A smile crept across my face when I shot her a sly wink.

  “You’re absolutely correct babe. So until we meet again huh?” She sighed.

  “Don’t trip. You know I’m coming back here.” I playfully nudge her chin as she sighed even heavily. “And don’t call Montana arguing with him about shit no more. You need something you follow through with me. You got me? That nigga ain’t on shit. I’ve got see what’s up with that nigga.”

  She shook her in agreement. One thing I liked about her was that she followed directions without second guessing it. Bunny was far from a push over or a scary ass chick but she allowed a king to be a king and that was the end of it. She knew her place yet was still able to keep her head held high like a queen should. Her whole understanding of how to treat and please a man is what drew me into her more.

  As I drove down the street, I thought about Daisy and what she meant to me. I never meant to hurt her. She was too good for the shit that I as doing to her. When I proposed to her it was real. No other time in my life had I poured my heart out for any other chick. Daisy was special and she knew it. But Bunny was quickly becoming someone I wanted to be around more, someone I wanted to get to no on a deeper level. Shawty had my attention. I was damn near open for her.

  “What the fuck is up with you boi?” Montana blurted when I answered my phone without letting me even say hello.

  “Shit I can’t call it. You the one running around here acting like your shit don’t stank.” I took a hit of my freshly lit blunt as I pulled up in front of the house. “Why have you been slacking on Bunny’s spot man?”

  “Shit, what does it matter? She tells me you’re holding down the spot for her now. I’m a non-motherfucking-factor.”

  “Dude, what’s this bullshit ego trip shit you’ve been on bruh? I ain’t feeling it at all.” Anger cooked my blood over.

  “Fuck what you feeling. As far as I know you’ve been all up in bitches lately. You going soft like a motherfucka g.”

  “Montana, what the fuck I tell you about that soft shit boi?”

  “Aye, it’s a new ballgame playa. You can talk that shit if you want to but there’s new sheriff in town motherfucka.”

  The call went dead right after I heard some sounds of crashing through the phone. Sounded like the nigga threw the phone across the room. I was tired of his shit. Everybody kept telling me to cancel his ass but I wouldn’t, I couldn’t ‘cause he was my nigga.

  This wasn’t the first time we fought like this and it damn sure wouldn’t be the last. He just needed to get over that wanting to be in control shit and know how to play his motherfucking part. I wasn’t going to take his ass disrespecting me, calling me soft and shit any longer. So once he got out of his feelings about the shit, we’d shake up and move on with business as usual. The nigga needed to just fall in line and remain there.

  Dreading having to face this damn woman, I exited the car and headed up to the door. I didn’t know how to make Daisy understand and I couldn’t help but think that she never would. My lips released a deep exhale knowing exactly what was in store for me once I turned to the key. If I were to turn around, jump in the car, and pull off I would be a coward. Avoiding what was happening between us was only making shit with us worse. Naw, shawty and I needed to talk once and for all.

  Chapter 17

  Moments Later

  Daisy

  “Where the fuck have you been, Quince?” Without thinking, my arm launched an Ebony magazine towards his head as he walked through the door. “It’s been days motherfucka. Days!”

  “Man,” he exhaled deeply. “I had to get some air real quick.”

  “All these fucking days, nigga are you crazy? You didn’t even bother to call me to tell me you were okay or shit.” My chest rose up and down so fast it felt like I was having palpitations.

  “The phone works both ways, Daisy,” I replied calmly.

  “It sure fucking does and you didn’t use your end either. You wasn’t about to have me like one of those crazy bitches you fuck with, calling you back to back and leaving stupid messages only for you to ignore the shit. What’s the point?” Daisy paused her rant for a brief second. “You should’ve just brought your punk ass home.”

  What happened to us? For a moment in time we were living this happy perfect life and about to plan a wedding and the next moment we’re arguing, fighting, and not even recognizing each other anymore. He was disheveled. The look on his face read of great worry and concern. I couldn’t tell if it was something up with his work or if it was the shit that was going on with he and I. All that I knew was the empty feeling in my soul was not a great one at all. It was a hollow reaction, one that would warrant a heart attack or something. I needed him to breath air back into the happiness that once was.

  “I had to get my shit together to come at you correct.” Quince strolled sluggishly to the refrigerator snatching a bottle of water out of it, cracking it open and doming it quickly.

  “Well, I’m glad wherever you were that you were safe. Next time let somebody know where you are. I was worried about you.” Folding my arms as I stared at his clearly exhausted expression, I couldn’t help but feel nothing but love for him. I didn’t want to argue with him and scare him off again so instead I seceded from the heated discussion.

  “Daisy, I’m going through a lot of shit right now. I don’t got time for this petty shit with you. You getting attitudes over me not being able to do what you want and leave town to marry you at the drop of a hat when I’ve got other things that I need to do, ain’t helping me none either.”

  Quince wouldn’t even bring his eyes up to look at me when he spoke. Nervousness set in, as my underarms became dripping with sweat. It was all in his face. I had fucked up. The worst thing a woman could do to a man was put pressure on him to marry them and I knew that. But I was scared shitless about what would happen if he and I didn’t get out of town for a few weeks.

  Now with Morgan gone for good, we could afford to do so in peace without any worries for when we got back to the city. But since he felt overwhelmed by the suggestion, I’d dare not bring it up again anytime soon. I’ll just wait on him to whisk me off somewhere. At least now I didn’t have to ever tell him what I had done. That was at least until the same nigga who found her and Asian, found me as well. Although, once I sold the house, there would be nowhere they could look for me.

  It seemed like simple math for me to just open my damn lips and tell him that I was in trouble. Just like Montana helped me, Quince could easily take my troubles and wipe them clean never to bother me again. But my fear of the unknown was fucking with me. Being optimistic about the outcome was one thing but being realistic about it was completely another.

  This man was everything to me. He asked me after a short time of knowing each other to be his wife. No man in their right mind would do that if they weren’t head over heels in love with a female, especially one he hadn’t slept with yet. I felt honored and privileged that he had even extended that part of his heart to me. There was no way I could de
stroy his image of me with the bullshit of my past. No. In his eyes, I was a good girl and I would need to remain that to my soon to be husband.

  “Baby, I’m sorry,” sighing heavily, I headed over to him cuffing his cheeks in both of my hands bringing his eyes down to mine. “I don’t want to fight anymore. I need for us to be in newly engaged bliss again. I just needed to get away from it all and just relax without all of this drama. You know? I never meant to put any added pressure on you.”

  “I hear you.” He licked his sultry lips glaring down at me with his eyes nearly closed.

  “That’s it?”

  “I mean what else you need me to say, Daisy?”

  “Something. Anything. Wrap your arms around my waist, kiss me, hold me, and tell me everything will be okay between us.” I just wanted to slap the shit out of him for being vague with me.

  “You’re my heart. You make me feel like no other woman ever has before.” His facial expression never changed.

  “But…”

  “But, I feel like we’re—“

  “Oh my fucking gosh. Don’t say what I think you’re about to say, Quince. Don’t do this to me, to us. Don’t you dare do this shit to us when you know we belong together.” With every bit of strength inside of me, my hands formed a wrecking ball shoving him away from me sending him leaning back a bit but never really budging.

  “It’s just true shit, baby. I mean you are everything to me. You’re the shit and you should know that. But I need for you to understand that we just need a little bit more time. We need to be able to grow and breathe real quick before we both jump into something that we’ll both regret in the long run, you feel me?” Quince’s words crushed my soul.

  “So where does that leave us then? Is there no us?” I fought back tears, realizing this nigga seemed to be asking for a refund on the love he had given me. “You proposed to me you son of a bitch.”

  “It’s gonna forever be an us. You know what I’m saying? Just not, not right now at this moment.” He pressed his lips together shooting his puppy dog eyes my way.

  I raced away from him with tears already drenching my cheeks. I couldn’t let him see me so broken up, knowing that his words were no questions asked. He was blunt and matter of fact. He didn’t sugarcoat shit. Whatever happened while he was out those nights was enough for him to come to the conclusion that we were moving too fast. In the back of my mind, I always thought that but the butterfly feelings he gave me every time he touched me took those doubts away every time. Now my heart was beyond repair.

  I had allowed him to penetrate my emotion and there was no going back. The damage was done. Quince was supposed to be my knight in shining armor yet he was turning out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He wasn’t special or different. He was just like all the other men that dogged women and didn’t give a fuck about how much they meant in their lives. Every bit of me felt used and betrayed, destroyed and stomped all over, and plain old slapped in the face. The air in the room as I packed my bags felt cold and stale.

  “Aye man, what do you think you’re doing?” Quince pushed open the room door watching as I threw my clothes into a duffle bag in a crying fit.

  “What the fuck does it look like I’m doing? I’m leaving you alone. That’s what you wanted right?” Even if I wanted to stop the tears from spreading across my cheeks I couldn’t. They just kept pouring out uncontrollably.

  “Did I say I was putting you out? I never once said you had to leave, Daisy. Quit acting crazy now.” His big brown eyes were buck wide with a tiny look of distraught beaming from them.

  “You didn’t have to say it. I can’t possibly stay in the same fucking house with you knowing we’re not together.” I shoved a few more shirts into my bag zipping it up wishing like hell I was able to get everything in there so I wouldn’t have to come back for shit. “I’ll send for the rest of my things in a few days.”

  “What the fuck? What you mean, Daisy? Stop, where are you gonna go?” Quince grabbed me by the arm pulling me so close to him that my forehead bumped against his soft lips. “Stop this shit man. For real.”

  “I can’t do this, Quince. I can’t be your on and off switch. One minute you want me and the next minute I’m in your way. I can’t be your fucking rag doll. You either want me in your life or you don’t.” My fingers dried my eyes as quickly as the tears fell. “But this isn’t some ‘cancel me anytime’ type of shit either. I’m not a fucking yo-yo.”

  In an instant his lips were pressed firmly against mine. His stout hands gripped my shoulders forcing me to drop my bag and remain in his grasp unable to move. Not that I tried to move much anyway. His tongue made it’s way into my mouth and once again like every time before, I liquefied like ice in his hotter than fire hands. Wrapping my arms around his neck he picked me up cuffing his hands under my ass as we damn near mauled each other in the upstairs hallway.

  “Baby.” My words were lost upon him as he pushed my back into the wall burying his head in my tits licking away like a hungry dog.

  “Baby,” I whispered.

  “Shut up.”

  Panting heavily, I submitted to him. I gave him all of me. All sorts of emotions were running through me as I ripped his shirt off his head and he lowered me to the floor ripping mine off as well. We weren’t thinking about anything, nothing mattered that we had talked about before and I was close to slipping back into the blissful clasp of this relationship again. He didn’t mean what he said before. My baby was just feeling some type of way but he obviously got his shit together and realized he couldn’t live without the one thing that kept his heart beating. Me.

  “I love you, Quince.”

  His motions slowed as he brought his face up from my chest locking his gaze on mine. I rubbed his bald fade gently patiently awaiting the reciprocal of love to erupt from his lips. The blank stare in his eye spoke volume. It told me everything I needed to know and nothing of what I wanted to hear. Water filled the ducts of my eyes while my mouth grew dry and the skin on my lips brittle. Three simple words forced the both of us back into the reality of our situation making it forbidden once more.

  “You know what you are?” I shoved him away hard as fuck sending him stumbling backward as I snatched my bag and shirt up off the floor. “You’re a bad fucking idea and I for one am done continuing to think about you, Quince. I’m so fucking done.”

  Chapter 18

  One Week Later

  Embry

  “What is this about Embry?” Daisy took a sip from her bottled Ice Mountain water glaring at me with her squinting beady eyes.

  “Nothing bitch. I can’t just call you over here to see what’s good with my girl?” My eyes rolled to the back of my head before returning back to her.

  “Oh now I’m your girl huh? Just the other day you were telling me to get off this imaginary high horse you thought I was sitting on and telling me to go to hell. But all of a sudden, I’m your girl now.”

  “Listen, people fight. That’s the shit that happens. But we’ve been friends for too long to let some bullshit come in between us like that right?”

  “Hmm…” Daisy sized me up still squinting as if she was suspicious of the reason I called her to visit. “I guess so. Shit, it’s been a minute. I thought you were too busy tending to your man. But anyway, I felt like a criminal sneaking in the back door.”

  “Oh yeah, about that, Montana only likes for people to come in around back. He’s just private that way. But everything else with us is great,” I leaned on the counter actually not so sure of my words myself.

  “So, being with one man is working out for you huh?”

  “Things are moving just as fast as you and Q’s relationship is. I think I might finally have found the one.” My excitement dashed fuel on the fire.

  The smile on my lips was wide and genuine. Every time I thought of Montana and the potential he possessed it made me think of how great we could be together. I wanted to be able to sit on the throne next to him and watch as our kingdom th
rived and flourished. We could rule the world; he and I. Everything would be for the taking. Nothing would be off limits and then I would be able to shove my success in my parents’ faces. A big fat ‘I told you so’ would definitely be in order. Nonetheless, every bad bitch always had a back up plan. With me not knowing just exactly where I stood with Montana, I had been plotting one I could put in motion just in case.

  “Hmm. Me and Q are through. We've been done for about a week now.” Daisy looked away so as not to see the ample amount of shock in my eyes.

  “Oh my gosh! For real?” I tried to refrain from showing my delight. “What the hell happened?”

  “He ended it. Said he didn’t want to rush into anything we both might regret.” Daisy’s words almost made her tear up. She was taking the breakup extremely hard.

  “Well did you at least get the dick first?”

  “Embry?”

  “What? All I’m saying is, ain’t no way I can be laid up with a nigga that fine, get engaged to him, and still not get the damn dick. I mean damn bitch that nigga probably sitting on blue balls and shit,” I laughed trying to keep from being obnoxious though.

  “What we had was so much more than that. We connected on a deeper plane than the physical. Our shit was real. It was perfect.” She was trying so hard to have a heartfelt moment.

  “Couldn’t have been too perfect or you wouldn’t be here talking about he ended it, g.” I pretended to console her.

  “I just don’t think we were doing the right thing by rushing into this thing anyway. He was right. It was all happening too fast.”

  “So where have you been staying, Daisy? I could ask Montana if you can stay here if you want.” I extended the invitation, but I really hoped she didn’t take me up on the offer. All I needed was another pussy scrambling around in front of my man.