Chasing Chase 2 (Urban Fiction)

V

"So how long we talking?" Cell looked around as he spoke in a hush tone. "A year? Three?" Parker shook his head and sighed. He stared at me intently, our eyes locked for a few seconds before I had to look away. Tears burned my eyes but I dare not let them fall. I had to be strong, this moment was for Parker, he needed me now more than ever and though we had our problems, I was still his rider and I was more than willing to prove it.

"Man, when they took us in they said some shit like five years, then when we got booked they was talkin 'bout eight or nine.. so I don't really know Cell, but you gotta get us out for real. We got real information, and we ain't doing no good sitting in this damn jail" Parker spoke with epic determination. He had a real purpose behind his words and Cell knew it. I surveyed the two as they shared a moment of intense eye contact. "Say less" Cell responded to him and rose up, exiting the visitation center.

Parker looked to me and reached for my hand. Initially I was not going to allow the contact but then I realized that I didn't know when I would be able to feel his touch again. I didn't know whether or not this would be the last contact I would have with him for a while. Everything before now seemed so trivial. Nothing was important to this moment but Parker and I. He stared at me and I gazed back into his eyes with pure passion and sincere pain. "How-how am I supposed to.." I began. He cut me off by wiping away my single tear and hushing my soft cries. "Don't you worry baby girl, Ima be out of here before you know it. Save them tears for our wedding day" he smiled.

"Wedding day?!" I questioned and almost attacked him as the thought came to my head. A white dress, flowers, a ring, saying I Do, it all hit me like a freight train. A feeling I yearned for so badly but never received from Parker, but my mind couldn't help but wonder 'why now?' "Parker you're just saying that."

"No Chase, I'm not.. look at me.. I know I been treating you like .. like you ain't matter to me for real and I knew you was getting tired of it but I ain't know that you would walk away from me baby and that's the last thing I want.. It hurt me to my soul seeing you walk out that door. Ima change all of that, I told Cell before I got booked that I was gonna propose. You pick out your ring, wear that ring everyday until I get out, go ahead and plan the best wedding of your dreams baby, I don't care.. and when I get out.. I'll make you mine, legally." The words poured from the most sincerest piece of Parker's emotions. He meant every word he spoke to me, and because I know he meant every word, my tears flowed down my cheeks. Tears of joy and relief. He wanted to marry me. I waited so long to be Chase Avery. The time had finally come.

"I will.. I'll come visit you and tell you all about what I'm planning.. I'm gonna hold you down while you're in here baby, and I'm gonna do my best to get you out. Just know that the niggas that put you in here won't be on the outside for too long. They'll either be six feet under, or behind bars. Whatever needs to be done to make it right I-"

"Five minutes remaining!" a guard yelled to the visitation center, stopping me dead in my tracks.

"Don't get yourself hurt out here tryna right my wrongs Chassia, you listen to Cell and stay safe. Take care of yourself and plan that wedding. Leave the rest to Cell" he spoke to me while looking deep in my eyes, allowing me to recognize that this wasn't a game. "Understood?"

"Understood." He leaned in to kiss me and we locked lips for the sweetest five seconds of my life before he was rushed away by the same interrupting guard.

"I love you Chase!" he yelled before being taken back.

"I love you Parker!" I yelled after him, yet it was too late and he was gone. I looked to my left seeing Cell, Britt, Sammy, and Jenn all waiting for me. I grabbed my bag and walked toward them. "We gotta make this shit right"

***

'Girl where you been? I ain't seen your car outside in like three days' Nya spoke into the phone. Her voice boomed over the speaker with her country accent, making Cell adjust in his seat a bit. It was obvious there was still something there with the two, yet it was also obvious that neither would act on it.

'I been working girl, Cell and I had some stuff to do back home and I really just needed a break' I couldn't tell her the truth, but part of me knew that she already knew the lifestyle that Marcell & Parker lived.

'Mhhmm, we'll keep in touch girl, I'm headed back to work now. I'll call you tonight' we shared a quick goodbye and ended our call. I heard Cell sigh slightly and switch hands on the steering wheel.

"I really don't understand what happened with you two" I said to him. We were alone in the car and he gave off a vibe of annoyance yet I wasn't going to stop until I knew all the details.

"I know I said ask Parker, didn't I?" Cell said annoyed.

"Yeah well Park is a little preoccupied in prison right now, so I decided to go straight to the source" I shot back. He snickered.

"This stays between us.." he began, and I nodded my head in complete understanding. "Ok, back in Compton, I was in High School, back when I first started workin' with some niggas from around south side, I met this girl named Nya.. she was everything man, banging ass body, beautiful personality, smart, funny, had a lot going for herself and she wasn't like none of them lil heffas in Compton at the time cus she's from South Carolina.. so anyway, I bagged her, we started talking and hit it off, dated all through high school, and when we graduated I was ready to marry her.. then shit got real bad, real fast.. there was a deal that went really bad. She wasn't even supposed to be in the car with me that night but she was.. I told her 'sit here, I be back' and you know that protective side of females when y'all just know shit is bad? I guess that kicked in cus ten minutes into the deal, the nigga had a gun on me and I turned to run but Nya was there, holding a piece to his head. Now mind you, she ain't know shit about the game. She just supporting me, going off of what I've told her, and how I handle myself. A lil ole country girl with a big boy gun, ain't even know how to use it but ain't nobody know that but us... anyway she had him good, he backed off and we were about to leave but that nigga was slick, instead of shooting at me, he shot Nya twice in her stomach.. I grabbed the gun and bodied that nigga. She was out cold for about a week, she had some other shit going on in her body at the time and the shooting just amped it.. that week without her was the hardest shit I ever went through.. worrying, crying, praying, hoping shit would be alright.. then she opened her eyes and the first thing she asked me was 'Is the baby okay?'... Chase I had never cried so hard in my damn life, the girl I loved with all my heart and soul was carrying my child and because of my lifestyle, we lost it all.. I didn't even know she was pregnant.. after that shit, I knew I had to leave. I wasn't no good for her, she deserved better. She deserved stability, and to feel safe at night. I couldn't give her that. I was too deep into the game. So I disappeared. She was released from the hospital on a Monday and I was on my way to New York on Friday... I did what was best for her because I love her.." he stopped for a minute at a light and looked out his window "loved her.." he corrected himself.

"Cell I-"

"Come on, this is it" he said pulling into a parking lot of a shopping center and pointing to a jewelry shop. "He said whichever one you want, so I say choose the most expensive one" he solemnly laughed and handed me a black card with Parker's name on it. "I'll be here when you get back" he said to me. I looked to him and smiled softly before climbing out of the Escalade and walking toward the store. I turned back to see Marcell looking out of the window and wiping a tear from his cheek.

It was clear that Nya meant more to him than life itself. I hadn't seen him smile like that since.. well ever. There was something about when he spoke of Nya, his whole aura changed. She was it for him. So why was he married to Jenn?

"Hello ma'am, how may we help you today?"

"Hi, I'm looking for an engagement ring"