Me: Make your way to my crib. It’s 100.
She must’ve had the phone in her hand because she texted back before I could set the phone down.
Tiff: Don’t play, nigga. Pregnant pussy is the best pussy, and my hormones are raging. I want it with you. Don’t gas me up.
Me: No games. Nothing but porno-type fuckin’.
Tiff: OMW.
The thirst of some females didn’t amaze me. Tiff knew how I rolled and didn’t give a fuck. It was Jakia who needed a reminder of who was boss. When the doorbell rang ten minutes later, I jumped up and pulled my dick out—fired up and ready to get my dick glazed.
Jakia
I was quiet the whole way over to Xavier’s house because I didn’t know what to say, how to act, or even how to breathe. I was so used to Spade controlling every part of me, that I didn’t necessarily know how to be Jakia without him. Xavier kept asking me if I was okay, and I kept nodding that I was, but I knew the social worker in him sensed the truth.
Xavier’s condo was definitely a bachelor’s pad, but it was nice, nonetheless. It was furnished with oversized brown leather furniture in the living room, with a flat-screen television that had to have been seventy inches. It took up half the wall it was mounted to. I wasn’t judging, though. It felt good to be free from Spade and around a man that was gentle.
“Wow, you watch a lot of movies.” I tried making small talk about the large DVD collection that was lined up on a shelf underneath the television.
“Yup, I do. And I can’t wait to watch a few, or two, or all of them, with you.” He smiled and rubbed the center of my back. “I know you’re tense, Jakia, but I just want you to relax and make yourself comfortable. Are you hungry? My food is way better than that hospital garbage we were forcing you to eat.”
My stomach grumbled right on time. “Some food would be wonderful, as you heard,” I laughed. “And thank you again for welcoming me into your house. It’s very nice.”
“Don’t thank me, Jakia. You’re more than welcome, and I’m sure I’m going to enjoy having you around.”
“Okay, but, um, do you think I could take a shower or bath? Being stuck in that abandoned house made me feel icky and dirty.” I’d been feeling like my skin had been crawling since I first went into the uninhabited house.
“Of course; you can take a bath or shower. You can take both if it’ll make you feel better. Please don’t be shy about asking me for anything. Right this way—let’s get you settled in.”
I followed behind him and took in the few pictures he had hanging on his wall. None of them looked like ex-girlfriends, but family members, because he wasn’t cuddled up with any of them women. I figured they were probably his mom, grandmom, aunt, and favorite cousins. Some of them were even group photos.
Okay, Jakia, stop reading into this man’s personal life when you’ve barely got a life. I thought about my diagnosis and fought back the tears. I wished I would’ve met Xavier a very long time ago—when I had time to be treated right.
“Okay, here’s the bathroom. The towels and extra toothbrushes are in the linen closet in there, plus feel free to use my deodorant, soap, or anything else you need. I’ll be in the kitchen fixing us something to eat. Then, maybe we can crash in front of the TV and watch a movie?”
All the time I’d wasted fighting back my emotions had been for nothing. I couldn’t hold back the overwhelming feeling of relief anymore. I leaned in and hugged Xavier as tightly as I could. I could tell he was caught off guard, but he still put his arms around me and hugged back just as tightly. My body melded into his because it felt secure and trustworthy, a feeling I realized I’d never felt with Spade, even when we’d first started fuckin’ around, and I thought I loved him.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I kept my face pressed to his chest. “And I know you don’t want me to keep telling you, but thank you so much for everything that you’re doing for me. I don’t care how many classes you took to earn your degree. You have no idea how it feels to be abused or rescued. I won’t even say I can pay you back because I’m sure that I’ll never be able to at this magnitude.” My stomach fluttered as I opened up to him.
“Wow, you’re going to have me crying.” He pulled me in tighter. “I can’t imagine what you went through, but I know I’ll do my best to protect you from ever going through it again. And I promise I don’t need you to thank me again. People who truly do nice things from their heart don’t require residual cheers from a person. Everything is going to be fine, Jakia.” He gently kissed my forehead and wiped away my tears. “I know you’re worried and relieved at the same time, but trust me when I say that it’ll get easier by the day.”
“The last man I trusted tried killing me.”
“And the next man you trust will save your life.” He lifted my chin and made me look him in the eyes.
“Meet me in the kitchen when you’re ready, but please take your time. You can feel completely at ease to move at your own speed around here. My guest room is down the hall on the left. I’ll leave the door open.” He left me alone but feeling extremely secure.
I stripped down naked and was forced to remember I hadn’t finished bleeding. I didn’t know if Xavier smelled it or not, but the amount of old, dried up baby blood was kind of funky to me. The doctor said my body should be back to normal within a couple of weeks, which was too damn long for this nastiness, but it was normal for a woman’s body to take this much time to heal completely. I took the sanitary napkin off, wrapped it up in a bunch of toilet tissue, and then put it in my clothes to help mask the smell. I was going to ask Xavier for one of his tee shirts and some jogging pants so I could get rid of the clothes anyway. They’d be too big, but that would be better than wearing some dirty clothes that smelled of trash.
I remembered reading about stress creating more blood and clots, so I climbed in the shower and spent a full forty-five minutes scouring my head and body. In my mind, I was trying to wash away the sins I’d committed with Spade. Xavier was promising to help me start a new life and save me, and I wanted that dream to come true more than ever. His words made me feel stable, while his touch made me feel secure. He was giving me a reason to smile, and when I thought about it, I hadn’t ever had a reason before to smile. I was way too vulnerable.
Once I was done with my shower, I cleaned the bathroom back up the way I found it. I then tiptoed down the hallway to the bedroom Xavier said I’d be staying in and found total tranquility inside. A few candles were burning that smelled like they were vanilla scented, light jazz playing through the television, and a note on the pillow saying his house was my house. I had a grin plastered on my face that was a mile long. So this is what it feels like to have a man cater to me. . . .
Knock-Knock!
“Are you okay in there, Jakia? There’s no rush—I’m just checking on you,” Xavier continued to be a gentleman.
“I’m more than okay. You set it up in here so nice.” I was careful not to say thank you again. “I’ll be out in a few more minutes,” I responded, then put a little pep in my step. I smiled, knowing he was truly concerned about me. Xavier was something new, and I liked it—a lot.
“Okay, think about what type of movie you want to watch. I have everything from comedies, to dramas, to documentaries, to horror flicks.” I could tell he was eager to spend time with me too.
I had some Bath & Body Works lotion in my purse that I rubbed over as much of my body as I could; then I finished the rest with a bottle I’d found in Xavier’s cabinet. I was happy he didn’t have a funky men’s lotion, but some Cetaphil. Xavier already knew I’d need something to put on, so he’d laid out a few pair of jogging pants and shirts on the bed, along with socks. I swear this man was more thoughtful than I think I’d be if I were in his shoes. After I swooped my hair back in a ponytail, I put on some concealer to help mask the dark circles underneath my eyes and some lip gloss on my crusty lips. Damn, I’ve gotta get to someone’s spa. I hadn’t felt like a bad
bitch since going to see Robert Taylor. Once I was done throwing my woe-is-me party, I finally made my way to the front room where Xavier was returning to the kitchen.
Seeing him with his back slightly turned, I admired his side profile and became attracted to the idea of having him as my man. Everything about him was appealing to me. As he prepared a meal for us, I stood in the shadows and watched him move in the kitchen with precision. Never in my relationship with Spade had he cooked for me. It was always me slaving over the hot stove, then getting slapped up over juice. Xavier was surpassing every desire of a man I’d ever imagined. Spencer only kept me locked up in a nightmare.
“Whatever you’re cooking up smells delicious.” I finally walked into the kitchen to join him.
“And you’re looking radiant,” he said, looking up, making me blush.
I didn’t feel sexy, pretty, or the least bit attractive; but the way his eyes danced across my body made me feel beautiful. The only experience I had with men was when it came to me setting them up. Without my makeup, game plan, or my mentality set to rob him in mind, I’d morphed back into the innocent girl who once lived under Phoebe’s roof. “The room was set up very nice, Xavier. Thank you so much.” I tried breaking the ice.
“No worries, you’re more than welcome. I insist that you make yourself at home.”
“Why are you being so nice to me? I mean, as a social worker, I’m sure you run into women who need help all the time. Do you help them all?” I noticed that at first, I sounded ungrateful, which was the furthest thing from the truth. And even though I called myself cleaning it up, I still stumbled upon a good question.
He laughed, then walked around the kitchen counter to stand beside me. My breathing intensified the closer he got. “I help everyone that crosses my path, Jakia. It’s my job, yes—and one I love. However, I don’t invite just anyone into my house. I figured you’d be a beautiful touch.” He leaned over, kissing me on the forehead. Shivers went up and down my spine. “You’ve been trained to doubt your worth for too long.”
The rest of the night, we watched movies, told jokes, and even played one of his video games, Call of Duty. It was true what he said about how killing the bad guys would make me feel better. I didn’t want the night to end, but his eyes were getting heavy, and so were mine.
Spade
“Welcome home, daddy. I know you feel how juicy this grapefruit is for you,” Tiff panted.
She was right. This pregnant pussy of hers had me busting nuts back-to-back. “If you got room to talk, I ain’t fucking you right.”
“Then I guess you better get to fucking me better.”
Tiffany had no idea how damaged my ego actually was. For a split second, my mind went blank; then it filled up with images of Jakia and ole boy from the hotel room. Then images of Jakia taking it from the back like Tiff was now doing made me snap. With my wife gone, that meant I couldn’t have my cake and eat it too. And that’s all a nigga ever wanted. Running my hand down Tiff’s face, my intentions with her got colder. “Take your hands and spread those phat-ass cheeks,” I commanded, about to give it to her rough and raw. Since she was already pregnant, there was no need to use a rubber.
“Hmm, you know how I like it, daddy,” she purred, then followed my orders like a true freak would.
You might think you know. I wrapped my hand around her flowing ponytail, envisioned she was Jakia, and pounded my meat damn near into her womb. “Is this better? Huh? You want it harder? Fuck you how?” I was dogging her pussy like she was a stretched-out streetwalker. The more she moaned, the more I ripped off into her relentlessly until she flooded Jakia’s and my bed with an orgasm.
“Get up and clean yo’self up,” I ordered her. “And help yourself to whatever’s in the closet that’s Jakia’s. I’m about to roll me up a fat one.”
Her eyes lit up like they should have. Jakia’s wardrobe was grade-A, top-of-the-line. From all the money we got from setups, she stayed in the latest gear. I walked out of the room and heard movement downstairs. Until I saw it was Rocko, I thought it was those Ramos cats, and I was ready to bust shots.
Rocko
As messed up as it was for Jakia to dip out on Spade right after I helped her nickel-slick ass out of a hard spot, I couldn’t blame her. My cousin didn’t have the good sense God gave him. Matter of fact, within the last couple of months, I’ve wondered if he was even blessed with common sense. Yeah, I had my wild-out moments and could bash a nigga’s head in with no remorse. But Spade was turning into a lost cause. I didn’t know what smoke and mirrors game he thought he was playing with me, but I knew about him snorting. Spade thought his newfound love addiction for the white horse wasn’t gonna be his downfall, but I knew better.
A few miles from where Spade and Kia lived, I bent a few more blocks and kept my eyes close to the lit-up buses that rode up and down the street. Since Spade and I pulled back up from a dummy mission to Tiff’s, my gut feeling was telling me our search was in vain. Shit was crazy. With these Ramos cats on our head and Jakia blowing in the wind, ain’t no telling what was about to hit the fan next.
This whole life I was living was starting to get played out. The thrill of setting fools up was still there, but being twisted up with Spade’s messiness was getting to be too big of a risk. Now that Jakia was out in the world with a chip on her shoulder, I couldn’t settle ’cause I had a feeling some more trouble was about to come our way. Stopping traffic, I crossed over two lanes, made a Michigan-left, then sped over to Spades. It was time to either tighten up our camp or for me to make a solo move out of Detroit.
I whipped up in his driveway. Spade’s car was pulled halfway on the grass with Tiff’s put-put parked closely behind his—but my manz wasn’t answering any of my calls. This was the exact messiness I was talking about. We hadn’t dealt with one situation before he was stepping foot into another one. True enough, Spade never stopped dipping off in Tiff, but this wasn’t the time—most certainly not the place—to be getting down. I kept calling his cell but wasn’t getting an answer, but when I finally turned the radio down, I heard loud screaming and moaning coming through the cracked window of a room.
“Damn, where’s this nigga’s spare key at?” I mumbled and rambled through my middle console for the key he’d given me when I was temporarily living at his crib.
Once I finally found it, I casually let myself in—and walked straight into a mess. There was broken glass splattered all across the living room, plus the pungent smells of weed, crack, and sex. It must have been from another drag-down fight between him and Tiff because the glass wasn’t there when we first realized Jakia had disappeared.
“What up, cuz?” Spade nonchalantly came down the stairs and stepped over the broken glass to get to where I was standing.
“Shit, I can’t call it. I guess Tiff ain’t the one who sent them clowns after us,” I openly assumed.
“Naw, I think we’re good on that. There’s some more shit on the floor, though.” He handed me a couple of sheets of paper, and when I opened them, I saw it was a letter from Juan.
21
Jakia
“Stop! Spade, please, let me go,” I yelled.
“I’ll kill you even in your sleep, bitch.” He stood over me with a pillow.
I woke up screaming at the top of my lungs with sweat pouring from my face. I could barely breathe as my eyes fluttered around the room, trying to figure out where I was.
“Jakia, what’s going on in here? Are you good?” Bursting through the door, Xavier had a pistol in his hand and was waving it around the room. “Do I need to peel a cap off into a fucker?”
“I was having a nightmare.” I finally sat up clenching the covers. “I don’t think I made the right decision. If Spade finds me, he’ll kill me—no questions asked.”
“Shh,” he tried calming me down while lowering his weapon. “I won’t let anything happen to you. As long as you’re here, you’re safe—trust and believe that.”
When I woke up a few hours
later, the sun was shining in the room, and Xavier was asleep in the chair across the room sitting straight up. I remembered why he was here in the first place and felt bad for having him be uncomfortable for even one second on account of me.
The more I watched him sleep, the more attracted to him I became. His chiseled muscles bulged from inside the wife beater he was wearing, and by the way his Hanes lightweight pajama pants were laying, I saw he was working with a large load. I bit down on my lip and gasped, totally intrigued with his morning hard-on. Whenever I was done bleeding, if he was still around, I was gonna enjoy his dick down, I’m sure.
“Good morning, beautiful.” He opened his eyes at me, staring.
“Good morning. I guess I’ve just been busted,” I blushed.
“Indeed you are,” he smiled, then moved to the side of my bed. “But that just means I don’t have to hide my full-blown interest in you.”
Leaning over kissing me on the forehead, the light moans I’d been holding in escaped my mouth, then were trapped again but by his tongue. What seemed like a lifetime of happiness but was only a few moments, we kissed like reunited soul mates. When things started getting hot and heavy, I pushed him back and reminded him of why I was in the hospital in the first place.
“Stupid me,” he rose up. “It’s okay because there’ll be plenty of time to make you come after you heal.” He shocked me by his bluntness. “But listen, that reminds me of something we need to talk about. The doctor you saw in the emergency was very concerned about you leaving. She needs to speak with you about some of the test results. I’m about to call in so I can spend the day with you . . . Maybe you should speak with Dr. Wang.”
“Sure, I might as well know all the things hanging over my head.” I got up and followed him to his phone.
Graveyard Love Page 19
