by A'zayler
“I don’t know. It’s in my will. So if something ever happens to me, he would go with him.” Fallon held her head down. “I did what I thought was best, Summer. I really did. I don’t want to be penalized for that. Nor do I want to continue holding it in. He’s so much like Dakota.”
“Girl, hell yeah he is. He’s that nigga’s twin.” Summer laughed. She’d been saying that since she first saw Jazz. “What about Drake though? How does he fit into all of this? I thought you said he married you so you wouldn’t just be a baby mama.”
Fallon rolled her eyes. “Girl ain’t nobody thinking about Drake’s ass. I cared what he thought, but in a way I didn’t. After Tacara explained to me that this was my nephew there was no way I was letting him get put into foster care. So technically the nigga did marry me so I wouldn’t be a baby mama. I just wasn’t his baby mama.” Fallon snickered.
“You crazy, but I feel you. He couldn’t pass off as Drake’s son anyway as much as he looks like his daddy.”
He was small, but he was the exact replica of Love. He even walked like him. Everything about that baby said he was Love’s son.
“So you think I should tell him?” Fallon looked at her.
“I don’t damn know, girl.” Summer laughed again. “This is a difficult situation. There’s no telling how he might act, but you don’t want him to find out from somewhere else. Then it’s going to be even worse.”
Fallon sighed. “Uggghhhh.”
“You see why I asked you? I didn’t know either. I knew I wasn’t going to say anything until I talked to you about it because it ain’t my business, but that’s my sister, so you have to understand my position on this.”
“I do, and I’m sorry about my initial reaction.”
Summer leaned over and wrapped her arm around the top of Fallon’s shoulders. “I know, boo. It’s cool. I probably would have acted the same way.”
The girls sat in the park trying to figure out what was next for another hour before going their separate ways. Before they left, Summer had promised not to tell anything until Fallon did. Fallon hugged her to express her gratitude and now she was on her way home. Summer, on the other hand, was headed for Alex’s house.
He had gone to the doctor the day before and still hadn’t called to tell her what happened. Before driving all the way over there, she decided to call him first. She had intended to call him yesterday, but once she got with Jacorey she had totally forgotten.
“Heyyy sister,” he screamed through the phone.
“Hey, lil boy. Where you at? What’s all the noise?”
“Girl, I’m in Panama City with Troy. We at the beach.”
“Boy, what? When you went down there? You never called me yesterday to let me know what happened.”
Alex laughed. “I’m sorry, sis. I meant to, but I was so happy I couldn’t hold my excitement in. Don’t take it personal but the only person I wanted to be with or even talk to for that matter was Troy. I called him, he told me to pack my bag, and here I am, bitch!”
Summer laughed because not only was he dramatic, but she was happy. Alex had always told them that he protected himself during sex no matter what, and this time it had paid off for him. She was so happy it was like it was her who had gotten good news. Alex was her best friend; she wouldn’t have survived if his tests had come back positive. She knew he lived a dangerous lifestyle, but that didn’t change her love for him. If anything, it deepened it.
“Well, have fun, bitch, with your clean body ass.”
Alex laughed. It was jovial and full of life. Happiness flowed through every tone of his laughter. “Bye, sister. I loooooveee you!”
“Love you too, baby. Have fun and be safe.”
Summer hung up the phone with him and called Jacorey. His background was loud, which meant more than likely he was at the studio.
“What’s up, bae?”
Summer smiled because him calling her bae was still new. “Nothing. What you doing?”
“At the studio mixing beats. You coming through?”
“Yeah, I’ll be up there in a minute.”
“Bet.”
Summer hung the phone up and tossed it on the seat next to her. On the way to his studio she stopped by Walgreens and grabbed a pregnancy test. She had been feeling nauseous and her head had been hurting like crazy for about two weeks. Any other month she wouldn’t have thought anything of it, but being that she and Jacorey had been having unprotected sex for the longest, and her cycle was two days late, she felt the need to be worried.
She looked along the aisle trying to figure out which one was the best one to get. This was the one thing she had never done. She’d been on birth control since high school up until recently. The only reason she’d gotten off was because she didn’t have a steady man, so there was no real reason to have it.
It was so funny how life worked. She met Jacorey the very next weekend after stopping her birth control, so she took it as a sign. If she was pregnant then it was meant to be. All she hated was the fact that she all she would be was his baby mama. That title made her skin crawl.
Once she picked up the First Response, she took it to the counter and paid for it. While she waited in line, she saw the girl Unique that Rain told her about all the time. She was standing next to her in the other line. Summer looked at her hand and she too was holding a pregnancy test. Looked like they were both in the streets fucking like they ain’t have no sense.
Summer was laughing at her own self when she caught Unique’s eyes. Her gaze lingered momentarily before she turned her head and walked to the register. Summer knew she could tell she knew who she was by the way she had looked, but she kept it moving. When it was Summer’s turn, she paid for her things and left the store. Back in her car and in route to Jacorey’s studio, Summer called Rain.
“What’s up, Summer Time?”
“I don’t know why you and your gay best friend insist on calling me that. That’s off limits to y’all bitches. Jacorey only.”
“Chile, please. I’ll call you what I want. Listen, what you doing?”
“About to go to Jacorey’s studio why?”
“Go by the store and bring me a pregnancy test.”
“Bitchhhhhh.”
Rain laughed. “What, Summer?”
“How about I just give you one out of the box I just bought.”
Summer could hear Rain screaming. Apparently she had dropped her phone because she sounded far away. When she picked the phone back up she was still screaming.
“Girl, shut up all that noise.”
“You old heffa. Why you ain’t tell me?”
“It ain’t nothing to tell yet. I’m about to go take it now.”
“Come over here so we can take it together.”
“No ma’am. I’m about to go take it at Jacorey’s studio, so he can see. I don’t have time for no shit out of him. You know he’s the type to play crazy, and I would hate to have to fuck him up.”
“I feel you, girl. Just send me a picture of the test when you finish. I’m about to head to the store and grab me one.”
Rain told her she would send her a picture too before hanging up and going about her business. Summer pulled her car into the parking space next to Jacorey’s, killed the engine, and got out. When she walked into the studio all eyes were on her. It was a lot more packed than it normally was and she had never seen a few of the people there, which was saying a lot because she spent so much time there they all knew her.
Judging by the lustful stares she was getting they weren’t from there. They had no idea who she was, which was the only reason she was going to give them a pass this time. The form fitting purple zip up dress she was wearing hugged her body as she walked past the men.
“Hey y’all.” She waved as she passed by.
There was a group of hellos, heys, and what’s up as she walked toward Jacorey’s office. The only face she recognized was Ziggy’s. He was sitting at the booth reading a paper that looked to be music.
&nb
sp; “Ziggy, what’s up baby?”
He turned around and smiled then stood up and hugged her. “What’s up, lil chocolate mama?”
“Aye, that’s you, Zig?” some dude from behind her asked.
“Nah, this the boss right here. She run shit up in here.”
“Damn, this her studio?”
Ziggy nodded. “Shit it might as well be.” Ziggy looked back at Summer while still holding her hand. “He back in the back.”
“Thank you.” Summer pulled her hand free and walked to Jacorey’s office.
He was behind his desk on the phone. When she walked in he motioned for her to come to him. Summer walked across his office and behind his desk. He pulled her onto his lap when she was within reach. Summer turned to look at him and pulled the Walgreens bag out of her purse. She held the test up so that he could see it.
“Oh shit.” He cursed and bucked his eyes, realizing he was still on the phone. “I’m sorry about that, Charlie. Let me give you a call back.”
He said a few more things while Summer waited for him to end his call. When he hung up, he grabbed the test out of her hand.
“What you got this for?”
“What you think? I’m about to take it.”
“You think you pregnant?”
Summer got up from his lap. “I wouldn’t have wasted my twelve dollars if I didn’t. Come on.” She walked to the bathroom in his office.
Jacorey got up and followed her. They went into the bathroom and he closed the door. Once they had some privacy, Summer pulled her dress up and her panties down. She sat on the toilet while Jacorey opened the box. He handed her the plastic stick and balled up the rest of the paper. He tossed it into the trash and leaned against the wall.
“Eww, you gon get piss on your hand.” His face was all frowned up.
“No I am not, stupid. I know how to hold this damn stick.”
“You better.” He leaned forward as she stuck the stick between her legs and in her stream of urine. “You sure you know what you’re doing?”
“No, I don’t know. I’ve never done this before, but I think this is what you’re supposed to do.”
Jacorey grabbed a paper towel and handed it to her. “Put it in this so I can dry it off.”
Summer dropped the stick splattered with tiny drops of her pee into the paper towel and he dried it off. He then grabbed a fresh paper towel and laid it flat on the sink. He sat the stick on top of it while Summer flushed the toilet and got herself together.
“What if it says yeah?” Summer asked, as he stood guard over the stick. “It ain’t going nowhere, Jacorey. You can move back some.”
“Nah. I need to watch this shit.”
Summer was laughing at him when she opened the door to the bathroom. Jacorey grabbed her arm and pulled her back inside with him and kicked the door closed.
“Where you going? Stay in here with me.”
“Why?”
“Because I want you to. This boyfriend and girlfriend stuff, so we have to do this together.”
Summer smiled at him and leaned against his arm as they waited for the lines to appear. Jacorey rubbed her back absentmindedly.
“Ah hell,” Summer mumbled, as she noticed the second line appear.
Jacorey looked down at her and smiled. “Why you say it like that?” He grabbed her around her waist and pulled her to him. “We gon be all right.”
“This is not what I needed.”
“Oh well. It’s what we got. Shid, I’m happy.”
“I bet you are. You ain’t gon have people all in your business trying to figure out who your baby daddy is.”
Jacorey sat down on the sink still holding her. “Stop tripping. You gon be aight. I got you bae.”
Summer still didn’t say anything.
“This is boyfriend and girlfriend shit, Summer Time.”
Summer pushed his head playfully. “Nigga, no it ain’t. This is husband and wife stuff.”
He laughed before picking the stick up and sticking it in his pocket. Summer reached for it and took it back.
“Hold on, I have to send Rain a picture of it.”
“You told her?”
“What you mean did I tell her? Yeah, I told her.”
“I’m just saying she still be acting up about them losing their baby. This may not be good for her.”
“Nah, it’s cool. She may be pregnant too. She was going to the store when I was on my way over here.”
Shock spread across his face before his smile. “This shit is crazy.”
“Who you telling?” Summer handed him the stick back as she sent Rain the picture of it.
She watched him stick it back in his pocket as she anticipated her phone ringing. A few seconds later it rang. She knew Rain was going to call once she got the picture. Rain’s screams burst through the phone as soon as Summer answered.
“Oh my goodness, I’m so happy. We’re going to be pregnant together. I’m knocked up too, bitch.”
“Lord have mercy.” Summer sat down in Jacorey’s desk chair.
She was smiling because of how exciting everything was. She and her baby sister were going to be pregnant at the same time, by best friends. How ironic. Their parents were going to love this. They had nearly jumped over the moon when they found out about Rain’s marriage.
Chapter 12: I Give Up
How did he end up here? The stares and whispers were starting to become too much. Everywhere he went he felt like there was someone looking at him or saying things behind his back. It had been almost a month since his secret had been exposed, and he was slowly falling apart. From one moment to the next, it had been like the domino effect.
One thing after another. Everything found a way to go wrong. First his niggas found out he was on the down low, then Iesha got locked up, and now he was another black man in the world that had tested positive for HIV. He’d found out two days ago and it had been weighing on him ever since. Beating Drake’s ass until he was damn near lifeless hadn’t helped, neither had snorting the cocaine he’d purchased the night before.
Damien had been trying to do everything he could to keep his mind off of his reality, but nothing was working. He hadn’t seen his kids in nearly a month, and the one person he wanted the most didn’t want him back. When he’d first met Alex, he figured he’d get his dick sucked a few times and call it quits, but it hadn’t gone that way.
He eventually began hanging out with him more and more until the feelings grew. He tried talking himself out of being gay, but he couldn’t, and he recognized that now. For pretty much their whole relationship he had made himself feel better by saying that as long as he was the dominant one, and never allowed Alex to penetrate him, that he wasn’t gay.
That had worked long enough until he eventually began dealing with Drake. They had both gotten drunk one night at his loft and he mentioned getting his dick sucked. Alex was the person on his mind, but once he saw Drake kneeling before him, that quickly changed. He allowed him to not only perform oral sex on him, but that night he became the bottom.
It wasn’t something he liked at first, but the more he and Drake did it, the easier and more enjoyable it became. Sex with Alex made him feel like a man and that’s what drew him in. He dealt with Drake sparingly, but had he known it would turn out like it had, he would have never gone that route.
Damien couldn’t say that about Alex though. He had grown to love him just as much as he loved Iesha, if not more. After nearly killing Drake, and finding out that he wasn’t really into men, just wanted to infect as many people as he could before dying, Damien really lost it. He had been so careful with everyone except the one person who wanted to kill him.
The sound of the gavel pounding throughout the courtroom jarred him from his thoughts. He jumped in his seat and looked up ahead of him. Iesha was being taken to the back and her public defender was walking toward him. He stopped near his chair and touched Damien’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry. They denied bail. She’s got to
stay in jail until she goes to court for all of this.”
“How long could that take?”
“I’m not sure, anywhere from a few months, to a few years. It all depends.” He patted Damien’s shoulder again and walked away.
Damien sat in the hard wooden chair for a few more seconds before standing to his feet and leaving the courthouse. He walked to his car, still a tad bit dazed from the drugs he’d done the night before. While walking to his car, he saw Love walking up the sidewalk. He wanted so badly to walk past him without speaking, but he knew he couldn’t.
Love had been his boy for a while now. He stuck his hand out for a dap and surprisingly Love returned the gesture. “What’s good, man?”
“Ain’t shit. What you doing down here?”
“Iesha.” Damien was somewhat embarrassed to tell him because of the reason she was in jail.
Love nodded. “Me too.” He looked past him and toward the courthouse doors. “Nigga, you need to go get some sleep or something. You looking bad, my boy.”
Damien rubbed his hand over the scruffy beard growing on his face. “Ain’t been feeling up to it.”
He could tell Love was being as nice as he could, but was still very guarded. It wasn’t like the way it used to be when they were around each other. In turn, this only made him more uncomfortable. Shit would never be the same no more.
“Well, aight then, boy. You go ahead. Let me get on up out of here.” Damien walked past Love without saying anything else.
When he finally reached his car, he pulled out of the parking lot and drove down the street. He drove until he was pulling up in the parking lot of the Chattahoochee River. He parked and got out. With nothing but his phone in his hand, he walked until he was near the water and took a seat in front of it. He kicked off his shoes and scrolled through his contacts.
When he came across Fallon’s number he dialed it. She answered on the first ring. “Hello.”
“Hey.” He cleared his throat. “Where are the kids?”
“They’re right here. How are you, Damien?”
“I’ll be aight. Let me holla at Little Damien.”
He heard movement in the background before his son’s voice came over the phone.
