Nobody Can Love You Like Them Roughnecks Do 4

by Shvonne Latrice

  My mother rubbed my back before kissing my cheek.

  “Thanks, Manny.” Jasmine dabbed her eyes, as Siggy side-hugged her.

  “I wanna apologize to you too, Siggy. I was just on one, losing my girl and dealing with having to accept this shit with my son; it was just too much. It had me bitter as hell.” I looked to Siggy. With a smirk, he nodded, before reaching across the coffee table to slap hands with me.

  “It’s all good.”

  “Siggy? What kind of name is that?” My mama frowned, causing us all to laugh.

  We chopped it up for about half an hour longer, and by that time, Jasiel was awake, so he spent some time with my mom. We left twenty minutes later, going straight to Alivia’s place to pick her up for dinner.

  “Does she look the same in person as she does in her pictures?” my mom asked as we waited outside of Alivia’s apartment door.

  “Better.” I winked, making her chuckle.

  “Hi, please come in,” Alivia answered, wearing a sexy red dress that hugged her body. She’d gotten slightly thicker, which I didn’t know was possible.

  We kissed and then I stepped around her so she could hug my mother.

  “I’m sure you guessed, but I’m Alivia.” She cheesed.

  “Yes, very beautiful. Wow. Are you sure you like my son?”

  Laughing, Alivia nodded. “I do. I love him.”

  I hugged Alivia from behind, smiling hard as hell. I remembered when she wouldn’t even admit to liking my ass.

  “That’s great. I’m Marta by the way, and I can’t wait to get to know you more. Shall we go then?”

  “Yeah, but before we go, I wanted to tell you something. Well we wanted to tell you something.” I kissed Alivia’s jaw.

  “What?” My mom frowned.

  “Manny and I are having a baby.”

  “You know he trapped you, right?” my mom joked, prompting she and Alivia to cackle as I sucked my teeth, releasing Alivia from my grasp.

  “Ha ha. Shit ain’t funny. Come on.” I went to open the door.

  “Congrats to you both. Let’s go, I’m hungry, and Alivia, I know you’re hungry too.”

  “I am.” Alivia grabbed her jacket before both ladies walked out of the door.

  “Oh, and Alivia? Thank you for teaching my son how to open doors for a woman. Does he pull out chairs too?”

  “Yep. He does it all the time now.”

  I stayed behind as the ladies talked and talked bullshit. I didn’t know if I would like Alivia and my mama being cool, but it was better than them hating one another.

  I was coming out of the Audemars Piguet store because I’d just purchased Alivia a watch, when I saw my pops at the restaurant up top. I knew it was him because Belly told me he saw his ass there before too.

  Rushing up the hill, almost knocking the obvious tourists down, I stopped by his table. He was smiling at the woman across from him, but it wiped away as soon as he saw me. Thanks.

  “Hey, you got a minute?” I asked.

  “No. Don’t you see I am eating?” He continued cutting his steak.

  “Well, maybe we can exchange numbers or something and talk another time when you’re more available.”

  “Talk for what?” He dropped his utensils. The woman across from him stayed quiet, tearing her plate up like she was on death row.

  “About us, and possibly mending what we have. Look, I know it wasn’t all you, and that my mom wouldn’t let you see me.”

  “See you?” He laughed, wiping his mouth with the cloth napkin. “Look son, and please don’t take that literally, but I am not your father. Your mother and I had a fling, but she got pregnant by another man she was sleeping with. I have one son, you know him very well, and I haven’t had another since.”

  “How long you gon’ play this fucking game, man?”

  “Not a game. I’m not your father, and I want nothing to do with you. It’s not very… heterosexual of you to beg for another man’s attention the way you do. Get some help.”

  I almost responded, but I said fuck it. I wasn’t about to force anybody to be a part of my life. Shit, I wasn’t hurting for any new additions. I had my mama, Alivia, Jasiel, Belly, and even a new baby coming. Come to think of it, I was grateful that my mama kept this nigga away from me. And to think, I used to believe Belly had it good. Nigga’s mama and daddy were trash.

  “You have a good one,” was the last thing I would ever say to that nigga.

  Isabella

  Judd and I had been hanging out a lot, and when I say a lot, I meant almost every day. And if we couldn’t physically be together, which was mainly when he had his daughter, we texted or talked on the phone all day.

  I’d had a few boyfriends in the past, but it was obvious this type of relationship was new to me. I was used to questioning my man’s every move, and wondering what he meant by certain things he said, or certain things he did. With Judd, he was clear and concise. I didn’t wonder if he liked me, or if I’d upset him because he’d tell me straight up. It was nice, but still scary. Again, it was just so grown up, and I didn’t know if I was prepared.

  “Aight. Have a seat, queen,” Judd joked after lying a blanket on the sand at the beach. I’d been complaining since we got here about the sand being in between my toes. Hell, it was barely even summer anymore, but we were at the beach for some reason.

  “It’s cold, Judd.” I frowned, placing my sandals next to me.

  “Chill.” He removed his hoodie and handed it to me.

  It was a little after 7 p.m., so the wind was quite disrespectful. We’d just had dinner at one of the restaurants up the incline, and per usual after eating over here, Judd wanted to relax.

  “The water is so loud. It looks scary too because it’s such a deep blue,” I whispered, squinting my eyes and staring out.

  Completely changing the subject, Judd grabbed my hand to kiss it.

  “I really like you.”

  “I like you too.” I blushed.

  “Not as much as I like you though.” He gazed into my eyes as he leaned back, propping himself up on his elbow. His caramel skin was so pretty and blemish free. His hair was always freshly cut, and never rough looking.

  “How much do you like me?”

  “To the point where I think about you all the time when I’m not boxing. I get excited as hell when I’m about to see you or talk with you, and I can actually envision myself marrying you.”

  “Y—you can?” I stuttered. He nodded. “I still have to get my career together, and I also have to—”

  “I didn’t say let’s get married tomorrow. I said I can see it with you. Calm down.” He kissed my knee, but I still wasn’t at ease.

  “I know. I was just saying.” My voice was so low that the wind pretty much drowned me out.

  “Anyway, I brought you to dinner tonight because I wanted to celebrate. I got an increase in pay per fight. I’m making fifteen thousand dollars now, which is huge for me. That’s triple what I was making before.”

  “Wow, congrats!” I hugged him, and we both fell flat, so I was on top of him.

  “Thanks.”

  We started kissing slowly, which lasted for a few minutes before I pulled away to look into his eyes.

  “I always knew you would get big.”

  “I’m not big yet, but I surely hope to get there. I just have to keep shit interesting.”

  “I know.”

  “How you feel about meeting my daughter? I think we’re both pretty serious, so I’m okay with her knowing who you are.”

  I quickly got off of him, hugging my knees to my chest.

  “Don’t you have to be like engaged before you introduce someone to your child?”

  “Nah.” He chuckled. “I need to know if she even likes you before I take it that far. I was thinking maybe Friday.”

  “Umm, yeah, okay.”

  This was too much. This was way too much.

  Friday…

  Today I was supposed to meet Judd’s daughter around
2 p.m. We were gonna go to Chuck E. Cheese to play some games and eat. She was only two years old, so I didn’t see the point in bringing her to Chuck E. Cheese, but Judd said she loved it there. I thought that was cute, how good of a dad he was, but I wasn’t ready to be someone’s stepmom. I was still young.

  “Looking for a stripper fit?” Nichole stood in my doorway, carrying my niece Iliana in her carrier.

  “What do you want, and why are you here?” I continued sifting through the dresses I had out.

  Nichole and I hadn’t talked much since she gave birth. I was only there because I was excited to meet my baby niece; otherwise, she wouldn’t have even seen me then. Calling me a fan of Blaise’s really bothered me, and until she apologized, we would not be Tia and Tamera.

  “I thought you wanted to see Iliana.”

  She’d baited me by setting the carrier on the chair, so I darted over to take a peek at my beautiful munchkin. She was the most perfect baby I’d ever seen. I just loved her so much. Unable to help it, I leaned down to peck her round cheek before cooing at her. When done, I turned away and got back to the work at hand.

  “You can go now so I can get dressed in peace.”

  “How long will you be upset?” Nichole plopped down onto my bed.

  “Until you apologize.”

  “Since when do I need to apologize for our sisterly spats?” She chuckled.

  “No, it was not a sisterly spat. It was rude and disrespectful. There are plenty of things that I could have said to you that day, but I didn’t because you’re my sister. Calling one another stupid, ugly, or anything else trivial is fine, but you go too far. We are related; we’re supposed to have boundaries when it comes to shit like that out of the love we have for one another.”

  “Oh please, Isabella. If you had anything as rude to say, you would have said it. Stop acting like you just love me so much that you held your tongue.” She waved me off and rolled her eyes.

  “I could have told you how I think you’re weak for letting Ian walk all over you, and then patch up the wounds with gifts. I could tell you how ignorant you are for knowing he was fucking Jessica, and pretending it wasn’t happening. I could say how pathetic you’ve become, just so you can keep your family together, and how you’re chasing a man who has no respect for you.”

  I didn’t want to say those things because I knew they would hurt her, but maybe she needed to hear them. Maybe it would make her wake up, and maybe she would see that I did in fact have rude shit to say, but kept it to myself out of respect for our relationship.

  I immediately regretted my words, as I watched two tears drop from each of Nichole’s eyes. It was rare that my sister cried, and I mean rare. I would even go as far as to say that if she got shot, she still wouldn’t cry. So to see her like this made my stomach churn, and I felt like shit.

  “Well, I guess I will go.” She got up.

  “Nichole, I’m sorry. I love you.” I walked toward her, but she slipped past me. “Don’t leave! Help me pick out something to wear! I’m meeting Judd’s daughter, and I need your help, please!” I pleaded at her back as she started out with Iliana’s carrier in hand, but finally, she stopped.

  “Okay.” Her voice was soft.

  She put Iliana back in the chair then sat back down on my bed. While she helped me, I updated her on Judd, making sure not to leave out his new salary. It wasn’t enough to appease Nichole, but it was better than the $4,500 Herman was getting back in the day. I wondered how much he got now.

  About an hour later, Nichole left after letting my mama, who was home from work, see Iliana.

  By the time I was dressed and ready, I still felt nervous and sick. I felt like throwing up, and really didn’t want to go.

  As I paced my bedroom, taking deep breaths, my phone rang. Turning to look down at the screen, I saw Herman’s name.

  Every so often, Herman texted or called me, and I never answered. I was happy with Judd, so I didn’t need him. But now, Judd’s life was hitting me like a ton of bricks, and I wasn’t so sure if he was what I wanted at this stage in my life. Not wanting to put all my eggs in one basket any longer, I answered.

  “Hey!”

  “’Sup, boo? You’ve been ignoring me all summer.”

  “No, it has not been that long.”

  “Seems like it. I miss you. I can’t stop thinking about you.”

  “How is that possible with Traci always around?” I sat at my vanity to view my makeup.

  “Talk what you know. Another fighter and I agreed to get a spot together so I could move out.”

  “Really?” I cheesed in the mirror.

  “Yeah. We just got everything settled in here, so I was wondering if you’d be down for a housewarming thing.”

  “Oh, I’m not in the mood for a party.”

  “Not a party. Just gonna be me and you. Chase has a fight in Utah, so he ain’t here. We can watch movies, chill, talk.”

  “Herman.” I stood back up to pace the room. Chilling with him for the night sounded so much easier than going to a kid’s arcade to impress Judd’s toddler. “I can’t. I have plans.”

  “With Judd? Nah, you got plans with me.”

  Again, I felt myself smiling.

  “Okay. Maybe I can come through after. What time were you thinking?”

  “Like 6 p.m.”

  “Okay. Text me your new address, and I will come.”

  “Bet.”

  Hanging up, I felt excited to hang out with Herman later.

  Grabbing my purse, I said goodbye to my mother, then left to meet Judd at Chuck E. Cheese. After parking, I entered, getting a stamp. I texted Judd to let him know I was by the front where they redeemed the tickets for prizes, and a couple minutes later he was meeting me, carrying his baby.

  “Jessie, say hi to Isabella.”

  Jessie was super cute, with beautiful brown hair and deep dimples. She smiled shyly before waving her small hand.

  “Hi, pretty girl!” I beamed.

  Judd kissed me then said, “We’re about to play some games. If you wanna eat now, we can though.”

  “Nope. I can wait.”

  For the next two hours, we played games, ate pizza, and then played some more. It was so cute seeing Judd with his baby, and she was super smart. Once it got to be about 5:30, I pretended to yawn.

  “You tired?” Judd asked.

  “Yeah. I think I’m going to head home and get some rest. I have a shoot tomorrow,” I lied.

  “Oh, aight. I can call you tonight once I put her to bed.”

  “I’m most likely gonna be asleep, so it’s okay. Enjoy your time with her.” Looking at Jessie, I said, “It was nice meeting you, cutie.”

  She just sipped her juice out of her cup, staring at me. Judd and I both snickered at her.

  “Hey, you good?” He grabbed my hand as I was about to walk off.

  “Yes, of course. Today was fun. Thank you for inviting me.” I kissed his lips. I meant what I’d said. Today was fun, and I enjoyed watching him with his child, but I didn’t know if this lifestyle was for me.

  I couldn’t get out of there fast enough, so once I texted Herman that I was on my way, I sped out of that parking lot. It didn’t take long to get to Herman’s new place, and like a gentleman, he came out and got me.

  “Damn. You look good.” He hugged me up against my car before taking my hand and walking me to his apartment. Upon reaching the door, he opened it to allow me in.

  “This is actually not bad.” I looked around as we walked to the couch.

  “Yeah, Chase and I had been saving up so we could get the basic furniture.”

  “Oh. So did you get an increase in money per fight recently?”

  “Nah, why?”

  “Nothing, no reason. I just thought that after a certain time, everyone got a raise in pay,” I lied. I thought since Judd got one, he had too.

  “Nah, this ain’t no nine to five. You get a raise in pay when the demand to see you fight goes up.”

  “
Makes sense.”

  Herman’s hand caressed my thigh before he leaned over to kiss me. It felt wrong, but I knew it was because I needed to get Judd out of my mind.

  “I want you to be my girl, Izzy.” He pulled me into his lap so that I was straddling him.

  We continued kissing, until his hands started to go up my dress.

  “Wait. Let’s get a feel for things before we go there.”

  “I’m trying to get a feel for things right now.”

  “Not like that, Herman.” I got out of his lap. “I just got here. Let’s watch some movies, maybe have a drink.”

  “You right. I got a bottle of wine, no hard liquor. I can pop some popcorn.”

  “Sounds great! Where is the bathroom?”

  “Down the hall and to your right.”

  I grabbed my purse and went to the bathroom so I could spruce myself up. After peeing, I used one of my fresh wipes, even though I knew I wasn’t fucking tonight. I liked Herman, but it would be easy for me to hold off on sleeping with him.

  Sex with Herman was alright at best, but I knew he had it in him to be better. Hell, that girl he was fucking in the dressing room that night was proof. I could tell she was getting good dick. Judd was great in bed, always giving me more than one orgasm. I was happy I’d finally given in and let him smash.

  As I washed my hands, my phone began buzzing in my purse. I reached in, thinking it was my friend Grace, but it was Judd. Was something wrong?

  “Hey, is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I just wanted to tell you that you left your rings.”

  “Oh shit.” I’d taken them off to play one of the games with Jessie. “Keep them for me.”

  “I will. I also wanted to make sure you’re okay. You seemed like you were rushing to get out.”

  “Did I? I actually didn’t even want to leave. But I know how I am when I’m with you. I’ll look up thinking it’s only been ten minutes, but it’s really 3 a.m.”