Chace
"Fuck no, let me out up here." I told Carter.
"Chace, I didn't do that bad."
"You damn near went into the ditch three times. My heart ain't cut out for this. Let me out." I unlocked my door.
Damien was laughing. "Chace, he did okay, you are doing too much."
"Carter who issued you yo license in London? I need to petition to have them fired immediately. Ain't no fuckin way you twenty-five years old and can't drive."
"I'm twenty-four actually and you still don't know my birthday and we about to get married?"
"I know your birthday; I just fuck up on your age. I forget you a couple years younger than me, cause you act fifty sometimes."
"Chace not today."
"Why you think you have to slam your foot down on the gas and brakes?" Damien asked.
"You come over here and show me I don't see what I'm doing wrong."
"Shit everything." Carter turns around in his seat and reaches in the back to hit me.
"Shut up. Why did you even come?"
"Guess Im ready to earn my wings cause you bout to drive me right to the gates of heaven."
"Like you are going there, pfft." He laughs.
My phone rings. "It's Zhi."
"He's calling more than usual lately." Carter said.
Damien touched his face and shook his head. "Leave it alone Carter."
"I'm just saying I know they are friends, but Chace has a life and a family."
"He knows that Carter, just let him take the phone call."
"Sup Khi?" I answer trying to listen to Carter and Dame.
"He's gone." Is all I hear on the other end, but it's not Khi's voice.
"What? What you mean?" I tune them out. "Who is this?"
I hear him swallow. "Somebody just took him." I make out Cario's voice.
"What the fuck, so you mean somebody just took him?" I feel myself panicking. "Unless you fuckin with magicians, he didn't just disappear."
Damien and Carter stop talking and turn to look at me.
"This nigga I got into it with named Ton and his clique."
"Hold up. The same niggas that smoked yo partna?"
"Yeah."
I punch the back of Damien's seat. "How you let this happen and this betta not be no joke."
"They must have been staking out his apartment and saw that we were here, and I was in the bathroom. When I came out, they had him down on his knees with guns aimed at him."
I balled up my fist and Damien put his hand on top of my fist. I snatched away. "Guns aimed at him. Cario man when I see you it's on fuckin sight." I hang up the phone. I was going dead in his shit on arrival.
"What's going on?" Carter asks.
"Man take me home."
"Carter let's switch." Damien unbuckles his seatbelt.
***********
I'm packing my suitcase so fast I'm not sure what I'm even grabbing, some of my things fall to the floor. Damien kneels down and picks everything up. He folds my stuff, sticking it into my suitcase. I feel his hand on my back, so I turn to him. "Dame," my voice cracks.
"I know." He pulls me into him.
"These niggas might..."
I grab his face. "Hey, don't say that shit Chace, I know you. Stop, aaight? Let's get our everything packed and get on this road."
"Our?"
"You know you not going by yourself."
"You need to stay here with Carter and Camden, cause I might not make it..."
"Didn't I say stop? Don't talk like that because you know I won't hesitate to kill every last one of them niggas. I stay clam because my family, but I will quickly remind these muthafuckas who I am. Where you go, I go, til death...I meant that shit."
"Carter's upset?"
"He knows you would do this for anyone you love."
"There's a but there." I look at him.
"But that doesn't matter right now. Let's get on this road." He hugs me again.
***********
Carter sits down on the couch with Camden asleep on his lap. I walk over to him and kiss him. He's crying. "Carter we will be okay."
"What are my instructions if you aren't? I'm not prepared to raise him alone and lose both of you."
"Carter we gon be okay but I have to find Zhi." I wiped his face.
"Yes, you do, but I'm just worried."
"You and Camden are set up for life if anything every happens, our lawyer will see to it." We both sit beside him.
We lean in and kiss his face. He gently touches both of ours. "Leave if you can't save him, if it seems impossible because believe it or not, I'm not strong enough for this. I love you both so much and I don't wanna know life without you."
"We love you to." We both say.
"I texted Spence and he wanted me to say this prayer." I open my phone.
Lord, who are we to someone as profound as you? Nothing. I am scared, I fear the unknowing but in darkness you are my light and my guide. Please lord protect us as we search for Khi and Lord protect Khi and don't let him be harmed in such a way he cannot recover. Father, we need you, be with us. In Jesus name."
We all say. Amen."
"I love him." Carter says through tears.
"We all love Big Spence."
"Carter?" He turns to Damien. "We will be back, okay."
"You can't promise me that."
"I do promise."
Carter pushes his face into Damien's chest, balling his shirt up tightly in his hand. "Dame,"
"I promise baby." Dame holds him and caresses his arm.
"I will hold you to that and if you die, even in heaven I won't ever forgive you." Carter threatens him.
"Fair enough." they laugh and kiss.
"Don't make me a single parent, and we are getting married. I already have what I'm wearing, the venue is picked out."
"Finally," I said, knowing he would hit me.
"Chace," he rolls his eyes." Even as annoying as you are...I wanna be aggravated by you for the rest of my life." He begins to sob again. "I know it's our way of showing each other love and I do love you."
I pulled his hand to my mouth and kissed the ring."We are getting married, and I won't nothing more than to be your aggy ass husband, until we both old and can't hear or see." I assured him, but honestly, we may never see him again. We all stared into each other's eyes for a moment, and we all understood this. We all put our hands on Camden.
"You know about the video diary, you know if..." Damien says.
"Yeah, but I only show him that if..." his lips quiver as he fights his tears. "But it's not going to be needed because you both promised."
"Yes, and I meant that promise. Just taking precaution."
"It's time for us to go Carter, because every second counts. Khi is with some pretty bad people, and we need to start looking for him as soon as possible."
"I want you to find him, please don't think otherwise." Carter holds my face.
"You don't have an evil bone in your body, because if that was the case, you wouldn't have been able to love me."
"Bring him home, so you can come home."We kissed.
*************
Carter
I curled up on our bed with Camden that night. I was unable to sleep knowing I may never see them again. My fairy tales always seem to be a trial run, short lived. This four-bedroom house is quiet without them, even just in the hour since they departed from it. Dame chose to go with Chace, does he love him more? I don't want to allow the negative thoughts to poison my heart. I don't believe he does but my heart aches from muscle memory of being second to Chace. You can learn and heal from a heartbreak, but you never forget one.
It's different now. He went because he's that type of guy. If it were my situation, he would of went with me as well. Obviously, I don't do well alone, with so much time to just, think. I get out of bed and pace the room, I walk into our closet and run my fingers across their clothes. Every one of these shirts worn I could tell you a story of us all being together.
This blue one was from when Damien forgot my sauce from McDonald's and had to drive back at 2 am in morning. He didn't have to, but that's who he is, always willing do anything for our happiness. This black and yellow one, was when I threw up on Chace after they took me bar hopping and Chace thought it was a good idea to spin me around. These birthdays ones we had made when celebrating Camdens 3rd birthday and I cut mine into a crop top. I laugh to myself; we all had a quickie because they thought I looked sexy in it. Poor Spence had to find us as usual, to say it was time to cut the cake. Let's just say he was scarred from finding Chace inside of me and Damien on his knees blowing me. I blush every time I see him now, it's so embarrassing. These tuxedos from when they proposed and made me the happiest man on earth, but when do they slack in making me feel that way?
I'm upset with myself to question Damien, he has been nothing short of amazing.
****************
The following day Summer came over. "Cario and Khi fuckin doesn't sit right with me."
"Why cause you wish you could join them?"
"Fuck yes I do; they are so fine." She flipped between pictures of them spotted in California.
"You had Khi though,"
"Pre Cario though, I never got the chance to experience 2.0 Khion. This is mature Khi, I bet the dick game has improved also. Which is insane because it was already next level."
"Was he a good boyfriend?"
"Very good, why you ask?"
"Just wondering, what made Chace so crazy about him."
"You jealous of Khi?" She smiled.
"Sometimes."
She stopped smiling. "I wasn't expecting that answer."
"Not him as a person, just the hold he has on Chace, which is the same hold Chace has over Damien." I drink my coffee.
"My brother absolutely adores you. I may joke a lot, but he really was a mess when you and him ended things."
"When he ended things?" I corrected her. "Because of Chace."
"When the shit ended, how bout that?" She smacked her teeth. "He was happy to spin the block with Chace, but he was never completely content, and without you he never would be."
"He didn't even hesitate to go with Chace last night."
"I can see how that would bother you. Carter, he's doesn't love you less, please don't think that. When he visits all, he does is talk about you both, and I see his eyes sparkle the same way."
"Khi is in danger, I'm a insecure asshole." I sip some more of my coffee. "
The doorbell rings. "I'll get it." Summer hops off the couch.
"You stole my shorts you whore." I called out to her.
"I have more ass to feel them out, you bitch." She yelled back. I just laugh.
I check my phone and still no message form either of them. I just wanted to know they made it and everything was okay.
"Um Carter, this man is claiming to be Chace dad.
I stand up and make my way to the door. There was certainly no mistaking this was indeed his father. Just an older, rougher around the edges, version. "Hello,"
"Charles," he stuck out his hand and I shook it. "My son lives here, right?"
"Yes, unfortunately he went out of town last night."
"For how long?" He put his hands in his pockets, looking around.
"Hard to say, maybe a few days."
"Well, I don't have anything to do. Mind if I stay here until he returns?"
"Um, I should probably call him."
"He isn't gonna turn his old man away. Don't bother him if he's taking care of business." He walks more into the house. "Chace has really done well for himself."
I look over at Summer. "Could I get you something to drink?" I ask.
"Water is fine."
I recall the night Chace opened up about his dad and he never said if they were able to rebuild a relationship since what happened. It caused him to suffer panic attacks and have anxiety even now in his adulthood life. I wasn't sure if informing him he's here, with him already dealing with so much was best. I'll just text Dame, he'll know what to do.
**************
"You want him gone, I'll up the Draco on his old ass." Summer stood by me as we watched him roam the house.
"I don't think we should pull a gun out on my future father-in-law."
"It's just to scare him, just until they come back."
"Well, Chace never said he was violent, just addicted to gambling." I palmed my face.
"He doesn't give me violent vibes, but he does seem like he's itching to get his hands on something. You okay with me staying over tonight?" She pulled me close.
"That would be great actually, you can sleep in room with me and Camden."
"Say I can fee on yo booty, and we got a deal."
"Summer, you do out anyways." I shook my head smiling.
"But I like consent. I don't need a documentary about me in ten years, like how they are doing Diddy them. Be clear on what I can do."
"You were a pimp in your last life because why are you talking to me like that?" I laugh.
"Like what?"
"All demanding and aggressive. Summer, I don't have to let you touch on me."
"What about lick on you?" She sticks out her tongue. "You could just sit on it."
"Wow, you might need to sleep on the couch, I'm scared." I cover my chest.
"Whatever,"
************
Camden gto along with Charles, he was actually really good with him, he helped cook and clean the kitchen afterwards. We all sat down in the living room after putting Camden to bed. Summer was so close to me I thought she crawl onto my lap. "Scoot over."
"No," she started flipping through the channels.
I throw my leg over hers and she starts rubbing my thigh. I slap her hand. Then I feel eyes on me, and look up to see Charles looking at us crazy. "You are my sons fiancé right?"
"Yes sir,"
"Is she part of the um,"
"Oh no, Chace's husband is her brother."
"Hmm, and you and her are friends?" He is obviously confused.
"Yes, Summer is just, friendly."
"I have a huge crush on Carter Mr. Charles, sorry if that makes you uncomfortable."
"No, guess I'm just old school." He smiled. "You kids are so um, free spirited now." He stands up, "I'm gonna call it a night."
"Good night." We both say.
Once he's in the guess room and we hear the door close, Summer jumps on my lap straddling me. I push her off. "Girl get the hell on."
"It was worth a try." She laughs. "I will never give up."
**********
1:05 am
Daddy Dame: We about to go get him baby. I love you and Camden so much
I'm scared but I have to be here for Chace
I have to make sure he comes back
I'm just thinking about your face right now & the way you talk lol it's helping me get through this
Wish I was laying next to you, safe and warm
I didn't ask you how you felt about any of this
That's kind of what's eating at me
Hope you get this, in case...
I just love you. Thank you for coming back to me.
This world is yours baby, you the smartest person I know. You can do anything.
***************
Okay my loves. I couldn't make my faithful readers suffer because of ignorance.
Chace teasing Carter about Driving?
Carter not liking Khi calling so much?
Carter feeling like Damien may love Chace more? Do you feel where he's coming from or he's too much in his head?
Charles showing up?
Sumner 😂😂
The Text Damien sent 🥰🥰🥰
Like and comment 😫
Thank you my loves.