"W-wait," I breathed into his mouth as I lightly pushed him away, tearing his lips away from mine.
He sat next to me on the couch looking at me like I was the young girl that I truly was.
"What? What's wrong?" he asked.
"I-I...I'm only seventeen," the liquor allowed me to blurt out.
He backed up so fast that you would have thought he was trying to get away from a monster.
"What the fuck?!" he barked.
"I'm sorryyy," I cringed. I immediately started reaching for the PINK hoodie he had taken off of me.
"You trying to get me locked up?! I'm thirty-one-"
I immediately froze, which made his rambling stop. I stared at him with bucked eyes. "Wait. What?!"
Now, he was staring at me; stuck.
My mouth dropped. "You told me you were twenty-five!" I spat.
He shrugged. "You told me you were twenty-one!"
For one second, we looked at each other with weird, questionable glances... until we broke out into uncontrollable giggles.
And, right then, at that very moment, I knew that no matter what, this man would be in my life forever.
PRESENT DAY…
2
Heaven
Me and Ross did not have sex that day, but that day is when we fell for each other. He was leery of getting sexually involved with someone my age. But destiny brought us together time after time. A connection was formed that he couldn't deny, and a few months later, we did have amazing sex that made me fall in love with him.
Now, three years later, I was his wife.
"Ross, you're trippin'! He was not flirtin' with me!"
And no one could have ever told me that day I ditched school to go to breakfast with him, would be one of the worst mistakes I had made in my life.
"That's bullshit!" Ross roared from the driver's seat of his Lexus truck. "Don't fucking play with me, Heaven! That nigga was all in your face!"
"He's your friend, Ross," Treasure cut in from the back seat. "Of course, he was in her face. He was in all of our faces. He was just talking to us."
I sucked my teeth and said, "Thank you, Treasure." Then I laughed and shook my head at how silly this argument was.
Why did I feel froggish enough to do that, though?
Bow! That was the sound his hand made as he backhanded me.
"Unt uh! Stop, Ross!" Treasure immediately spat.
"Fuck, here he go," his partner, Vegas, mumbled from the back seat next to Treasure.
Ross had hit me so fast and hard that my head smacked into the passenger's side window before I even saw that shit coming. Instantly, I tasted the saltiness of blood leaking from inside my lip.
My head was ringing over Ross' barking, "You laughin'?! You think this shit funny?! You think I'm a motherfucking joke?!"
I just sat there holding my face, feeling my head pounding violently. My face was on fire. Tears were stinging my eyes as I stared out of the window.
I had gone through this so many times before that I was numb to it. The first time he'd hit me three years ago, I was astonished. My heart was broken as I stared at my black eye in the mirror in his bedroom the next morning. But I was seventeen and in love with a guy who was rescuing me from my fucked up life. I didn't even think about leaving him then. And that was the first of many times that he had put his hands on me.
It didn't even make me mad anymore. This was Ross. This was how he showed his frustration and jealousy. This was how he expressed his anger and his insecurity of being married to a young, beautiful girl while being surrounded by friends and employees that he felt could take me away from him if they tried. No matter how much I tried to show and tell him I loved him, his insecurities were stronger than what I said and did. So, he tried to kick, punch, slap, and beat me into never looking at another man.
I didn't blame him. This was how he had been taught. He had told me so many stories of how his father used to beat his mother. It was like he was training a puppy to act right and be obedient. But the difference between his mother and me was that she was a hoe that stayed cheating on his father... God rest her soul.
I sat in that seat, Ross' barking being overshadowed by my thoughts. I hated that he put his hands on me sometimes, but to me, it was a small price to pay for what he had done for me and mine. Four months after the day he took me to breakfast, I turned eighteen and he moved me, Sunshine, and Divine into his home. I felt like fucking Cinderella, especially when he started to control me. But I rode with because, besides that, my life was lit. I had managed to bag "Caesar reincarnated," and he was in love with me. I was in love with him too. It wasn't just about the money. In the past three years, Ross and I had developed a connection that no one could deny. We finished each other's sentences. I knew what he was thinking before he said it. He was my king. I loved him so much, and he showed me that he loved me. Yet, he didn't love himself enough to realize that I wasn't going anywhere. He never realized that, no matter the next younger dude that came along with money, I wasn't fazed because I loved him. The moment he realized that, was the moment he'd stopped putting his hands on me. I knew it. Until then, I forced myself to look past the random moments when he acted out like this in order to keep this life for not only me, but Sunshine and Divine as well. I had dealt with the same from my mama for the same reasons. Now, it was like second nature.
I felt a soft pat on my shoulder and heard Treasure say, "C'mon, girl. Get out."
I finally focused on my surroundings and saw that Ross had pulled into our driveway. I waited for him and Vegas to get out before I grabbed my purse. Before I could open the door, Treasure had hopped out, opened it, and reached to help me out like I was helpless. I fought not to look into her eyes, but I couldn't help it. She was my best friend. I knew what she was thinking and saw it when I looked into her disappointing, exotic eyes.
"I'm okay," I told her as she looped her arm through mine.
"That eye isn't, though. C'mon. Let's get some ice on it."
As we walked towards the house, I noticed that Ross had already gone inside, not even waiting for me. I just shook my head. He was definitely in one of his moods tonight. Vegas was standing in the doorway waiting for us, however.
"Bae, why don't you talk to your motherfuckin' friend?" Treasure spat in a whisper. "I'm sick of him."
"Aye, man," Vegas whispered back and shrugged. He left it at that because we could all hear Ross nearby in the den at his bar. He was banging bottles and glasses around, still acting a fool.
Treasure eyed Vegas evilly. He just shook his head and went into the den after Ross.
Treasure blew her breath. Her nostrils flared with irritation. "Let me go check on Sunshine and Divine for you. Go put some ice on that eye. I'll be back."
I just nodded as I headed towards the kitchen and Treasure approached the staircase that led to the second floor.
Once inside of the kitchen, I cringed when my eyes met the nanny's. "Esperanza, what are you doing up?" I asked, trying to appear cool.
She obviously saw what Treasure had seen on my face, and her pale skin turned beet red. Her thin lips pressed together as she threw the kitchen towel down on the counter and folded her arms tightly across her large chest.
Esperanza was like a mother to me and Divine and a grandmother to Sunshine. Don't get it twisted. Ross wasn't so filthy rich that he could afford some highly paid nanny. Esperanza was the mother of a hype, Julio. He was the dude Ross used to have do odd jobs around the house when he needed the money to get high. That's how Ross had met Esperanza. She used to come around looking for her son. One day, she asked Ross for work, and he offered her a decent pay to watch after Sunshine when we needed her, which wasn't often since Ross didn't want me working. But she always made herself useful by cooking, cleaning, and doing any other chores to keep the money coming from Ross. Shit, she was a nanny to all of us in a sense, which had earned her the right to take over one of the two guest bedrooms in our five-bedroom, brick house on the south side of
the city on 73rd and Vernon.
I ignored Esperanza's chastising glare and opened the freezer. Just as I grabbed a pack of frozen vegetables, Vegas came into the kitchen with worry and sympathy flooding his baby blue, heavily and girlishly lashed eyes.
Reaching out to me, he said, "That motherfucka drunk. He trippin'. You okay, baby girl?"
I fell into his embrace, and he hugged me tightly.
"Yeah," I said weakly. I wasn't in physical pain. I was emotionally hurt. I just couldn't understand why Ross didn't trust me after all this time.
As Vegas gently rocked me from side to side, his Versace tee smothered me and his masculine, yet sweet, scent swam into my nostrils and soothed me. For a white dude, Vegas had so much swag. He stayed looking good, fresh as fuck, and smelling good. I swear.
His deep whispers roared into my ear, "You too pretty and good to him to let him hit on you like that."
"Yeah?" I asked sarcastically. "Did you tell him that?"
Vegas scoffed as he replied, "Hell yeah."
The click-clack of heels could be heard nearing the kitchen. Vegas let me go and prepared for the tongue lashing from Treasure. She quickly appeared in the doorway with the same attitude that she'd had on her face when she went upstairs.
She fixed her face, though, when her eyes fell on Esperanza.
"Oh, hey, Esperanza," she said. "I didn't know you were here. Had I known, I wouldn't have gone to check on Sunshine."
"I'm always around somewhere, dear," she replied, her words laced with her Spanish accent. She then eyed me with the same chastising glare that she had when she first saw my face.
"Good night, Heaven. We'll talk in the morning."
I cringed with fear like she was my mother. "Good night, Esperanza."
"Good night," Treasure and Vegas said in unison.
As she disappeared from the kitchen, I kicked off my heels and padded towards the nearest stool at the island. I then plopped down on it and put the bag of vegetables on my face.
I could feel Treasure's attitude steering my way.
"Treasure, please..." I tried to stop her rant, but, as always, she gave zero fucks.
"Fuuuuuuck all 'lat!" she immediately started to fuss. I groaned, but she kept going in on my ass. "He always puttin' his fucking hands on you-"
"It's not always-"
"I don't give a fuck if it's once a year! It ain't right!"
I looked at Vegas for some sort of help to shut her up, but he just shook his head and walked out. He knew better than to fuck up his ride home and any potential pussy he would be getting that night by saying a word. My night had already gone to shit, however, so I just sat on that stool and let Treasure tell me for the umpteenth time that I was better than Ross putting his hands on me, all while a medley of broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower melted on my face.
Ross
I sighed when I saw the defeated look on Vegas' face as he came back into the den.
"She mad?" I asked.
Vegas blew his breath hard and the wrinkles in his forehead came out as he ran his hand over his disheveled ponytail that held up that stupid-ass man bun. "Fuck, I don't know. Treasure mad enough for her. She really won't let Heaven get a word in."
I groaned and clutched the glass of cognac in my hand tighter.
Vegas approached the bar as I leaned against it from the opposite side. He sat on the stool and grabbed the glass of cognac that he had abandoned when I sent him back into the kitchen to evaluate just how mad Heaven was at me.
Vegas shook his head slowly as he brought the glass to his lips. He stopped short to say, "You gotta stop that shit, man." He took a sip after he gave me his advice.
"I know," I immediately agreed with him.
"She didn't do shit."
"I know."
"Dub didn't really do shit either. He was just talking to all of us. It's been three years. When are you going to get used to your people being around your woman?"
Just the thought of these niggas eyeing my woman made my mouth tighten. "Never."
Vegas chuckled and shook his head. "You sound crazy as fuck. Yeah, you got a beautiful, young, woman on your arm-"
My eyebrow raised, and I cocked my head. "You sound like you wanna fuck her-"
Vegas' face balled up as he barked, "Don't fucking insult me."
But no matter how hard he tried to look with that beard and hella tattoos, that fucking man bun didn't put no fear in my heart at all.
But I quickly told him, "I was fucking with you." I was, for real. The only motherfucker I trusted my woman with was Vegas. He had been at my right hand for years and he had never crossed me.
"Yeah, but you gotta stop fucking with her. That girl loves you. She don't see no other man but you. It's been that way since the day y'all met. You know that. So, stop acting like an insecure bitch."
A smile slowly spread across my face. "I'mma let you get away with calling me that because I'm drunk and tired."
Vegas waved his hand, the diamonds accenting his white gold Gucci watch sparkling as he swatted my threat away. "Yeah, whatever. You gon' let me get away with that because you know I will drag your ass if you tried to backhand me.”
I waved his threat off. "Whatever."
Vegas threw back the shot of cognac left in his glass and stood up. "I'm out, motherfucka."
He reached his hand out to shake up with me, and mine met his. "Cool. Let yourself out. Tell Treasure don't be talking no shit on the way out either."
On his way out, Vegas chuckled and shot over his shoulder, "Doubt I'll be telling her that."
I laughed. I didn't give a fuck how big and tough his white ass was or how lethal his body count was, when it came to Treasure, that motherfucker was a punk.
Heaven
"Treasure, let's roll."
I got so sad as soon as I heard Vegas' voice in the foyer. Treasure was my voice when I was too busy appreciating this rent-free house and the father figure for Divine and Sunshine to tell Ross that he was acting like a stupid, insecure bitch.
Treasure saw my sadness and asked me, "Want me to spend the night with you?"
I sucked my teeth and looked at her like she was stupid. "Hell no."
"I will if you want me to," she swore.
"I know. But, no, I don't want my bullshit to fuck up y'all night no more than it already has. I think he's calmed down now anyway."
"You sure? I will stay. Fuck Vegas. That motherfucka can jack his dick," she insisted.
I laughed, and she finally cracked a smile for the first time since Ross had smacked the shit outta me with his big-ass hand.
"Yes, Treasure," I said with a giggle. "Go home and give your man some pussy."
She smiled at the sound of that. Then she gave me a quick hug before leaving out of the kitchen and meeting Vegas in the foyer. I watched as they walked through the foyer and toward the door. Treasure was fussing at him in whispers that I couldn't hear. But, since we had been friends for so long, I knew she was fussing at him about Ross. I shook my head, embarrassed that my man's insecurities were even fucking with my best friend's relationship.
I stayed seated on the stool at the island with the veggies melting on my face. I wondered if I even wanted to bother going into the den to talk to Ross about what had just happened. I wanted to fix it, but I for damn sure wasn't trying to get in another fight.
Earlier that night, we had been at a club partying for one of his homeboy's birthday. Everything was all good at first. The club was crackin'. Even though Treasure and I were only twenty, Ross and Vegas had gotten us fake ID's years ago. That night, we had been at V75. All of the dope boys, card crackers, and hustlers were in the building. A good time was being had by all until Dub's drunk ass held a conversation with me a minute too long for Ross' taste. Ross was all the way across the bar, but as Dub talked to me, I could feel his eyes on me. The moment I looked up and across the bar, my eyes met the fire in his. I knew it was gonna be one of those nights.
Just thinking back on
the bullshit had me irritated. I was ready to go into the den and snap on his ass. However, my face was hurt enough. I wasn't about to make my head hurt as well by having the same conversation with Ross. Besides, those conversations always only led to him still forgetting how loyal I was to him as soon as the next man looked at me or spoke to me too long. So, I opted to just leave him in the den and tiptoe upstairs to snuggle up with Sunshine.
With a long, deep, sigh, I looked around the kitchen before I stood up. It was beautiful. In fact, this whole house was perfect. That day, three years ago, when Ross picked me up from school and I saw this house, I thought it was a mansion. And it was compared to the tiny box I had been living in. That day, Ross told me he had bought this house for forty-five thousand dollars cash and renovated it with his own money. It had an open floor plan, high-end wood trim, and rich, dark hardwood floors throughout the first and second levels. Custom white cabinetry was in the modern kitchen with chrome light fixtures, quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a sunroom off of the kitchen, leading to a private fenced-in backyard and garage. The finished basement was tiled with beautiful wood grain like tile. Soft grey colors painted the walls throughout the entire house. Each bathroom had marble tile with custom white cabinets. No detail had been overlooked in the five bedrooms and three bathrooms of the tons of living space on all three levels of the home. Now, his forty-five-thousand-dollar investment was worth well over two hundred thousand dollars.
I loved Ross and could never see a reason to leave him. But this house was another reason why I stayed with him. It was another reason why I looked past his temper tantrums. This house that I paid no bills in and the 2016 Acura truck that I didn't have to pay a note for were reasons why I was so submissive and loyal, despite the bullshit. Ross' hustle hadn't earned him millionaire status, but he definitely had enough money to take care of me, Sunshine, and Divine without either of us lifting a finger except to get it manicured. That was something I was not willing to take for granted. So, I was willing to go to bed without arguing with Ross about it, without telling him how I felt, or how his insecurities hurt me.
When the Side Nigga Catch Feelings 1 Page 3
