by Nique Luarks
The Gangsta That Stole My Heart 2
Nique Luarks
Jessica Watkins Presents
Copyright © 2019 by Nique Luarks
Published by Jessica Watkins Presents
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Without limiting the right under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form by means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
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Contents
1. What a waste of love
True
2. You just lost one
True
3. When it hurts so bad…
True
4. Anybody wanna buy a heart?
True
5. What you want might make you cry
True
6. You let go, and I’ll let go, too
True
7. Universal scars
True
8. Riot
True
9. Why are we reckless when we care so much?
True
10. Substitution
True
11. We could do better…
True
12. You make it easy to love you
True
13. You only lose when you fight back
True
14. Timeless
True
15. That’s a low blow
True
16. All that history…all that’s history
True
17. You made a fool of me
True
18. Blind to the truth
True
To be continued…
1
What a waste of love
Chance
It was taking everything in me not to punch True in his lying-ass mouth. Rage I’d never felt engulfed me. Had me so ready to harm True—with my bare hands—I had to take a small step back. But even that didn’t seem like enough distance. He’d lied to my face, and more than once.
“Jelly…”
I held my shaky hand up. “Save it.” It wasn’t like I’d believe anything he’d have to say anyway. True was always the main one saying, “Keep it one hundred,” but he didn’t.
He sucked his teeth. “I didn’t tell you ’cause I knew you would trip.”
Really, True?
I wasn’t tripping that Nisha was pregnant. I was upset that he’d lied to me about it when I asked. But not wanting to waste my breath on what he should’ve already known, I started for the door. When I was within arm’s reach, True grabbed my forearm. My eyes stayed on the floor, too embarrassed to look up at him because he’d see the tears.
“Chance.” Gripping my chin, True made me look up at him.
“What, True?” My heart felt like it was beating 100 beats per second. Like at any moment, it was bound to explode right out of my chest. It had never hurt so bad just to look my best friend in the eyes.
“Why you cryin’, man?” His voice softened. “It ain’t even that deep.”
“Not that deep?” I pulled my face out of his grip. “Move out of my way, True.”
“So, you leaving over that petty shit?” He had the nerve to look mad.
Chuckling, I shoved past him. “You’re inconsiderate. And since my patience is wearing thin, I can’t be around you right now,” I said, calmly opening the door. “If I stay any longer, I can’t guarantee I can continue to be the bigger person.” Stepping outside, I pulled the hood to the jacket I was wearing, over my head.
“You for real right now?” The confusion in his voice sent me over the edge.
True was one of the smartest men I’d ever met. This baffled victim role he was playing was his way of finding time to think of what to say and do. He knew he was wrong, but it would be too much like right for True to admit it. So, since he wanted to keep testing me, I was about to check his ass.
I spun around. “What kind of question is that?!” Not caring that the rain had picked up, I pushed him hard in the chest. He stumbled back a little, and I shoved him again, harder. “True, why can’t you see how the selfish decisions you make affect other people?” I went to push him again, and he grabbed my arms.
“Keep your hands to yourself, Chance.” True’s grip tightened when I tried to snatch away.
Irritated at my failed attempt, I sucked my teeth. “I wish I never wasted so many years of my life being such a good friend to you.”
My words must’ve cut because he drew his head back and looked down at me in disbelief. “Like that?”
“Just like that.” His hold on me loosened. “Morgan was right. You ain’t shit. You only think about yourself.” His face dropped. “All these years, I’ve had your back, and this is how you play it? I hope Nisha makes your life a living hell and your dick shrivels up and falls the fuck off!” By now, I was crying my eyes out, not caring how ridiculous I looked or sounded. “I swear I hate you sometimes.”
I’d never been this hurt. Ever.
“I don’t know what in my right mind”—I swung my purse wildly—“would make me think I’m different from any other bitch you’re fuckin’.”
“Jelly, man, come in here, it’s raining.”
“Fuck you, True!” I yelled before spinning back around. “Selfish bitch.” I was mid-step when True wrapped his arms around my body and bear hugged me.
“You trippin’.” Lifting my body, he carried me back into the house.
Feeling defeated, I let him plant me on my feet. With my gaze trained on the shiny hardwood floor, I wept silently. This wasn’t my character. Cursing and carrying on was something I took pride in being able to control. I was taught to always conduct myself as a lady.
Even though I had been raised in the ghetto, my mother didn’t tolerate anything less. So, I never fought, never ran the streets, and never really went outside. But True brought the hood out of me…only True. He knew how to get under my skin like no other. However, things were about to change.
True shut the door and rested his back against it. Crossing his arms, he sighed. “When the rain slows down, I’ll let you leave.”
I sniffled. “Stop talking to me, please.”
Again, he sighed.
We stood quietly as the rain picked up, and thunder cracked loudly. I took a seat on the bottom of the staircase and sat my purse next to me. I couldn’t believe I had to share a baby daddy with Nisha. It was bad enough I was going to have to deal with Quindelle. What made it worse was, I was nothing like them, yet we shared one common denominator.
I glanced up at True, who was staring at me. I glared back before looking back down at my feet.
“You hate me, Jelly?” he asked lowly.
A knot formed in my stomach. Of course, I didn’t hate True, but that angry energy sure had me feeling like I did. Ignoring him, I went into my purse for my phone.
True pushed off the door. “You hate me?” he asked again, stopping in front of me. “After everything we been through, all the secrets and shit we shared.”
“And kept.” My head shot up, eyes daring him to try and cop-out and make an excuse for why he had lied.
“Why you really mad?” He went into a jailhouse squatting position so that we were at eye level. “’Cause I knocked Nisha up?”
I looked awa
y.
“I don’t love her, I don’t wanna be wit’ her, and on everything, I wish she wasn’t pregnant.” True licked his lips, then ran his palm down his mouth. “You know how I feel about you, Chance. You my A1. Nisha or none of these bitches could ever fill your shoes.”
I looked down at my phone. “Right.”
“So, now I don’t care about you? Put your phone down, I’m talking to you,” he demanded coolly.
“Well, I don’t feel like talking to you.”
True
Chance ignored me, still staring at her phone. Snatching it away from her, I held it in my hand. She was in the middle of texting Haze back. I had to stare at the phone for a minute to make sure I wasn’t tripping. Here we were, in the middle of talking, and she was texting another nigga. I chuckled.
“You can’t talk to me, but you can talk to him?” I glared down at her.
“True, I don’t feel like talking to you.”
She had me fucked up. “But you feel like talking to him?” When she shrugged, I had to remember Chance was my Jelly. She was only being disrespectful because I’d hurt her feelings.
“I’m just waiting for the rain to stop,” she said nonchalantly. “Can you give me my phone back? I was in the middle of a conversation.”
I was convinced that just like my other baby mamas, Chance’s ass was crazy, too. She had gone from crying to calling me a bitch, to hitting me, and now she was acting like I was bothering her. I couldn’t even front and act like her wanting to talk to Haze over me didn’t have me bothered. Not to mention, I’d told her not to fuck with him anymore. Call me selfish, but Chance was mine.
“I ain’t giving you shit back,” I frowned.
“Whatever.” She stared down at her nails. “I need a fill.”
The fuck?
“This rain needs to hurry up.” She stood up. “I need to go get in the shower.”
“Go take one.”
Chance chuckled quietly to herself but didn’t respond. I watched as she walked to the door. She stood in front of the glass screen and stared at the rain.
“Come take a shower,” I flexed.
“Go jump off a building,” she shot back.
“You lucky I fuckin’ love yo’ ass,” I chuckled. I wasn’t used to Chance talking reckless, so instead of disrespecting her, I just laughed it off.
“No…you’re lucky I love you,” she yawned nonchalantly. “It would be raining this hard when I’m trying to get away from you.” Chance crossed her arms.
Her phone pinged.
Haze: You need me to come back sooner?
I read through their text thread quickly. They’d been texting a lot. Most of their conversations were about her going out to Cali. I also noticed there were a few times where she almost did, but then something would come up. The nudes she’d sent him made me clutch the phone tight and clench my jaws.
“Can I have my phone back, nosey?”
“Nah…not till you stop trippin’.” I looked up at her.
“I’m not trippin’, though. I’m just waiting on the rain to slow down.”
Putting her phone in the pocket of my sweats, I approached her. “We need to talk.”
“We are talkin’. You have two women pregnant at the same time, True. Do you know how irresponsible and disgusting that is? You’re having unprotected sex with more than one person.”
“No, I ain’t.” I hadn’t run up in a bitch raw since her. Yeah, I smashed my other baby mamas here and there, but I always hit with a jimmy. The last thing I needed was for Quindelle or Jaliyah to be hollering that pregnant shit.
Chance gave me a look like she didn’t believe me. “So, you haven’t slept with Nisha lately?”
“Nah.” And I didn’t plan to any time soon. Fucking Nisha would cause more confusion.
She laughed. “You funny.” Shaking her head, Chance faced the door again. “Community dick… That’s what I’ma save your number under.”
I frowned. “Yo, Chance, chill wit’ the disrespect, shorty.” She was taking advantage of the passes I kept giving her.
“Or what?” She spun around, mugging me. “What the fuck can you do or say to hurt me any more than you already have, True?” Her glossy eyes dared me to say the wrong thing.
“You think I did this shit on purpose?”
“I don’t give a fuck what your purpose was.” She blinked, and tears slid down her cheeks. “I love you so much, True Jones. Everything I do, I do with you in mind.” More tears dropped from her eyes. “You wanna talk about disrespect?” Chance wiped her face.
“Jelly…”
“No, True… let’s talk about disrespect,” she sniffled. “The first time we had sex, you ran to Nisha. You completely disregarded my feelings for weeks afterward. From sleeping with Quindelle, and Jaliyah, to calling me your ‘baby mama’. I don’t mean more than that to you?” When Chance’s voice cracked, I reached out for her. “Don’t touch me.”
“What the fuck you want me to do, Jelly?” She was starting to piss me off.
“I want you to not speak to me from this day forward unless it’s about our unborn child.”
My ears popped.
“I want you to tell Chase and Chasity it’s your fault they won’t be seeing me as much.” More tears trickled down her face.
My heart felt like it was about to explode.
Chance held her hand out. “I want you to give me my phone back.”
Staring at her, I went into my pocket. Our gaze lingered for a minute, then Chance roughly snatched her phone out of my hand.
“And I want you to go to a fuckin’ clinic and get a checkup.” She opened the door and stepped outside. “Keep on, you’re going to catch some shit you can’t get rid of.” Chance started down the stairs, shaking her head. “Dummy.”
I watched her make her way to her Jeep, still cursing me out. Once she was in the car, she slammed the door hard. It took everything in me not to chase after her and make her take all that shit back, but from the look in her eyes… Chance was tired.
My vision blurred when she leaned forward onto the steering wheel and cried. Her shoulders bounced for a few seconds, then she sat up straight and punched the steering wheel. Chance shook her head before she finally started her Jeep. Glancing at my house once more, she wiped her face, then pulled off.
2
You just lost one
Chance
“Hey, Chance, Melissa said she’s going to be running late.” Keri sighed on the other end of the phone. “This is her third time this week, and it’s only Thursday. I get that she’s been having a hard time finding a constant babysitter, but damn.”
I massaged my temple. “I helped her prep last night before I went home. There should be trays in the first refrigerator. Take two out and drop them into the fryer.”
“Okay. What if I overcook them?”
“You won’t,” I assured her. It wasn’t like she had to mix or prep anything. All she had to do was make sure she didn’t burn anything. “There’s a timer, but make sure you let the grease get hot, okay?”
“I swear I can’t stand her ass,” Keri cursed.
Chuckling, I started out of my office. “Then what sense would it make to let her ruin your day?” I quizzed. “It’s only five a.m. You still have over nine hours to turn your attitude around,” I reminded her. “No point in letting this moment define your entire day.”
“I guess...”
“I’ll talk to Melissa. Just help me out until she gets there. I’ll treat you to lunch.” I cut the lights in the shop on. “I’ll drop by around one.”
“Okay, later, Chance.”
“Later… And, Keri.”
“Mm-hm.”
“Smile, you’re off tomorrow… remember?” I giggled.
She laughed. “And I’m spending the whole day sleeping.”
“Thank you, Keri, for everything you do. All your hard work and help doesn’t go unnoticed.” Keri had started this journey with me over three years ago, and I
honestly didn’t know what I would do without her. She was always willing to come in early and stay late.
“I know. That’s why I’m not even trippin’, Chance. You go out of your way for me and everybody else all the time.”
I smiled.
“Let me do this so I can go start the coffee and shit,” she huffed.
“Okay, I’ll see you in a bit.” Hanging up the phone, I glanced around my finished shop. I was so proud.
The décor was perfect, and even though the space was larger than the shop in Lee’s Summit, the vibe was no different. The bean bag area was much larger, which meant the inner-city kids would have somewhere to hang out and not feel closed in. The only way True agreed to let me open this space was if I hired security, so the guard would be here in less than an hour. I, however, told him it wasn’t his job to make anybody feel uncomfortable or unwanted. Everyone was welcomed, and regardless of what hood or background they came from, everyone was loved.
When the bell rang, and Piper walked in, I smiled. “Well, good morning, sunshine,” I greeted, making my way towards her.
She grinned sluggishly. “Good morning.”
“You want some coffee?” I asked, making my way behind the counter.
“Yes, please. My son had me up all night. He’s teething.”
“Oh, no,” I sympathized as I grabbed the coffee pot and a coffee cup. “You have your own station in the back. The cashier should be here in twenty minutes.” I poured her a glass of hot joe. “Her name is Erica. She’s like a little sister to me. You’ll love her.” I slid the cup across the counter.
