Victoria
I folded my arms against my chest as Teddy pulled up into the parking lot of the apartment complex we were supposed to be meeting Hazel and Rob in. Theodore and I planned on ignoring them after we came home from our trip Valentine's weekend but somehow they got our numbers and started bugging us about meeting up with them to discuss them talking to Ava. I'm against it and Theodore is too but we just came to get out of the house and possibly get a free meal.
I could give less than two shits about what Hazel and Rob have to say honestly. It's just a load of shit. How can two people up and leave their home, family and friends and just disappear because they were afraid of a guy that was killed? That doesn't make sense and them coming back over twenty years later is just ridiculous too. If they were really hiding out from Rodney and Luther, they would have kept hiding out or they would have told us what was going on or they would have took Ava if they truly loved her. Obviously they didn't give a damn about her if they left her for me and Teddy to take care of.
They're both dead beats in my eyes. For somebody to up and leave their child is so cold and heartless. My kids get on my damn nerves 24/7 but I couldn't imagine just walking away from them for years on end. I'd feel so hurt if I was away from my kids for too long so I couldn't imagine being gone for twenty plus years. Ava is sad and upset that her parents were 'dead' for the majority of her life but she'll resent them if they pop back up in her life now. I know she'll be hurt.
"This place is dirty," I commented as I looked around at the old, dingy apartment that looked like it had been burned in a fire. The strong wind was blowing trash all around the back of the building while the trashcans over flowed with all types of trash but the animals were loving it. There were a few cats and dogs, and probably even mice and rats, climbing all through the trash that was surrounding the trashcan.
Teddy sighed as he parked his all black Mustang behind the apartment complex before he turned to me. "I know baby but aren't you hungry?"
I nodded my head. "Yeah bu--"
"Let's just pretend like we care about what they saying and let's just get some free food."
I scrunched up my face as I looked around at how dirty this apartment complex was. Looking at where they're living, I'm damn sure their food is gonna be just as dirty. "Whatever you say but if I get sick from this garbage they're gonna serve us, I'm blaming you."
He waved me off as he climbed out of his car. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever." He closed his door and walked around to my side of the car to help me out. He pulled my door open and helped me out of his car. "Damn you look so beautiful baby," he smiled as he eyed the boyfriend jeans I was wearing and the white t shirt that accentuated my small chest. He pushed me up against his car and stood close in front of me so we were chest to chest. He leaned down and kissed my cheeks, lips and down my jawline until he stopped at my ear. "If we didn't have to handle business today, I'd fuck you right here."
I wrapped my arms tighter around his body. "Right now baby?"
He nodded his head as he continued sucking on my earlobe. "Hell yeah. Get in the car with me. Please?"
I smiled. I love when he begs but we couldn't do anything right now. Hazel and Rob are waiting on us and we're already a half an hour later as is. If Teddy and I got to fucking in the back of his car, we wouldn't be able to stop. Hazel and Rob would have to come out here and pull us off of each other. "You know we can't Big Daddy," I stroked his ego. "Later, I promise."
He heavily sighed. "A'ight, fine. Gimme a kiss though."
I ran my hands up his chest before cupping his face in my hands. "Just one on my cheek. I don't want you to mess up my make up."
He shrugged his shoulders. "Who gives a damn? Just give Big Daddy a kiss since you ain't gon' let me hit."
"Just one but make it quick." He leaned down and pecked my lips once, twice then he finally pressed his lips up against mine. I'm sure he probably smudged my lipstick on purpose just to fuck with me but it's all right. He'll be the one to buy me more once I run out of this lipstick. I pulled away from him and shoved him. "You did that on purpose idiot!"
He laughed as he threw his arm around my shoulder. "Shut up big head," he laughed as he mushed my head. "You need to stop putting all that shit on your lips anyways. It doesn't taste good. Damn. Got me feeling like Drake when Madonna kissed him."
I laughed. "Well you kissed me first. I told you not to kiss me and mess up my lipstick but you just couldn't deny me. Am I that tempting Big Daddy?"
He shook his head. "Nope. Don't flatter yourself."
"Kiss my ass ugly." I roughly pushed him before I started walking ahead of him. I walked around tot he front of the apartment complex while he followed behind me like a lost puppy. I pulled the door open to the apartment complex and walked inside and made my way over to the steps when somebody grabbed me by my hips and pulled me back. I smirked. I knew it was just Teddy coming back to apologize since he took it too far like he always does. "Back so soon?"
He smacked his lips. "Man, shut up and gimme kiss, girl," he said, sounding like Stevie J.
I laughed as I turned around and pecked his lips. I grabbed his hand and the two of us walked up the steps to Hazel and Rob's apartment. The text Hazel sent me said they lived in apartment 3C. We walked down the long, filthy hallway and stopped right in front of their door. It was pitch black further down the hallway and we just walked through a swarm of bad ass kids, so I guess Hazel and Rob found an apartment in a nice little area. There aren't kids running around their apartment and they have a light in front of their door too.
Teddy knocked on the door and we stood back waiting on them to open up the door. Rob opened the door seconds later and looked the two of us up and down before he started laughing. I scrunched up my face as I turned to Theodore, who looked just as confused as I did. "What's so funny?" I asked Rob.
"Now I can see why y'all was so late. Nigga, since when did you and Victoria start sharing lipstick?"
I frowned. "We started sharing it when he stuck around and didn't leave his daughter for somebody else to take care of.."
"Still speaking for him, I see."
I frowned when I heard Hazel's voice. Where did that bitch even pop up from? I looked behind Rob and saw her sitting on the couch inside of their apartment with her hair tied up as if she just woke up. To think I wasted an outfit on these people and she's walking around in sweats and old, dingy t shirts with her hair tied up.
"Still butting into my business, I see," I replied. "Don't worry about me and Teddy we've been doing fine all of these years and we've raised our children without up and leaving them and dumping them off on somebody else. Me and Teddy are doing just fine."
Hazel smirked. "And that's good to hear."
I smirked just like her. "It sure is," I sarcastically replied. "Can we come in or what? I don't like standing out here."
"Scared rich girl?" Hazel asked.
I nodded my head. "Hell yeah I'm scared," I admitted. Who was I to lie about not being scared here?
"Yall gon' let us in?" Teddy spoke up.
Rob sighed as he stepped to the side. "Make yourselves at home."
My eyes widened once I saw how dirty their apartment was. I clutched on to Teddy's arm and spoke lowly, "How can I make myself at home when my basement is cleaner than this? This is disgusting."
Hazel smacked her lips. "If you got something to say, speak up."
I frowned. "I said this place is disgusting," I spat, pulling Teddy back from trying to sit on the couch with Hazel. If they have trash laying all around the floor there's no telling what species of lice or bed bugs are infesting that couch. I'm not trying to bring back any bugs to my house. "And I don't want to sit down."
"How about you guys come by our house?" Teddy asked, looking around their filthy apartment.
"Estate," I corrected him with a smile on my face. Teddy and I lived in a huge gated community with only a few homes. We sit on four acres of land and live miles away from our neighbors. We don't just live in a house, we live in a mansion that we spent years of our hard earned time and money trying to pay off and still are.
"Why the hell are you acting so bougie, bitch?" Hazel scrunched up her face. "All four of us came from the same hood and we to the same high school. Why you acting like you didn't grow up in the ghetto with the rest of us? You're acting like you were born with legal money. Your fuckin' Dad killed people and sold drugs to get all the money he had. Bitch, you aren't rich. You're a high school teacher and everybody knows teachers don't make that much money. You're just riding your husband's coat tail since he's rich."
I gasped. "But check this bitch unlike you and your husband, me and mine didn't sign a prenup. When we got married, everything of his became mine and everything of mine became his. We're married so that means we share. If he made a thousand dollars then I made a thousand dollars. We're married, we're a unit. We aren't single and making money on our own. Whatever we make is just as much one of our as it is the others'. And yeah I'm a high school teacher and yeah teachers don't make a lot but I think I make a lot more than your no job having ass. You and your husband both don't have jobs so how can you even manage to live in this joke of an apartment? Don't tell me you're doing something illegal," I laughed.
Hazel quickly hopped up off of the couch. "So I'm a bitch now? Was I a bitch when I helped you study to become a teacher when we were in college? Who helped you pass your teaching exam?"
I laughed as I folded my arms. "Bitch, you're delusional and you've always been a bitch. Why the hell would I need help from you? I'm the best."
"Bitch, where?" she asked.
I smiled as I twirled around as she could get a good look at me. "Well, just take a look at me. Aside from my dashing good looks and my sexy husband and beautiful family, I do believe I was Valedictorian in high school and college. Obviously I was the best and still am. What 50 year old looks as good as I do?" I asked, eyeing the belly she was beginning to form and how the front of her hair was starting to grey. And she was wrinkled!
"Well when you have as much illegal money as you do, you'll be able to afford to have plastic surgery to fix how ugly you look on the outside but you won't ever be able to fix how ugly you are on the inside."
I scrunched up my face. "Ugly? Bitch, where?"
"Under all that makeup," she pointed to my face.
I took my hand and slid it down the side of my face trying to see if I had on as much caked up makeup as she did but I knew I didn't. "Bitch, where?"
"Call me a bitch one more time."
I opened my mouth about to bless her ass out but Teddy covered my mouth. "Victoria, just drop it. She's not even worth it baby."
I rolled my eyes. I didn't give a damn about if she was worth it or not. The bitch was wasting my time with her nonsense so I was gonna waste her time with mine. "BIIIIIIIIIIIIIITCH," I spat as if I was Jackie from Basketball Wives.
Hazel tried jumping around Teddy to get her hands on me but as big as Teddy is and as small as she is, there's no way in hell she'll ever be able to get past him. I smiled as I watched her struggle to get around him, push him and even jump over him.
"I call you a bitch. You not gon' do nothing to me?" I smirked, just pushing her even more.
I wanted her to snap. I wanted her to feel just as angry and upset as Teddy and I were the day we saw them when we went out of town for Valentine's day. I was upset when I saw them but I was pissed when they told us that story about what happened to them. I just want her and Rob to feel how badly Teddy and I must have felt for over twenty years when we thought our best friends were dead. Teddy and I didn't deserve that kind of hurt where we felt guilty but they do. They were in control of the situation the entire time so they deserve to get even more hurt than we were.
"Move Theodore! I wanna beat her ass!" Hazel yelled still trying to get around Teddy but Rob finally stepped in and pulled her back.
"Ain't nobody kicking nobody's ass today. We got shit to handle so set aside y'all's differences for the moment," Teddy spoke up.
Rob sighed. "That's bull shit. If they wanna fight let 'em. You know they just gon' talk a whole but of shit all afternoon and me and you came from the same area. You know nobody's with all that talking. You back yourself up when you use your hands. So if fighting is what they wanna do then they can fight. I'm tired of y'all's shit."
"Wait a mother fucking second," Teddy began. "I think we all too old to be fighting and arguing like we still 20 years old. I mean, we're all 50 here people. We're all too old for this. Fighting isn't gonna solve shit and neither is talking so just ignore each other until we can finish taking care of this business. After business is handled, y'all can go back to hating each other but nobody's fighting or arguing. We got more important shit to handle right now."
I smiled as I grabbed on to Teddy's arm. He's so caring. "Exactly. You two could learn a few things from my baby. Y'all better listen to him, especially you ass wipe," I pointed to Hazel.
She frowned. "Cock vulture. Of course you'd be the first person to start d*ck riding Teddy."
"Stupid sp*rm burping bitch," I spat.
"Cum swallowing gutter slut."
"Fuck you whore."
She smirked. "No thanks, your husband wore me out."
I frowned. Now I was pissed to say the least. I wanted to jump over this coffee table and pin her to the ground and beat the living shit out of her. I tried getting around Teddy but he just pushed me back. "Chill Victoria. Just stop. I told you she ain't worth it."
"She insulted me," I whispered.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Who gives a damn? She's only saying it 'cause she knows it's getting to you. Don't even let what she's saying get to you. And you're forgetting the plan. Eat, talk about Ava and leave. So far, we haven't done any of that so please control yourself."
"Yeah, control your wife," Rob instructed Teddy but Teddy just sighed as he turned around.
"Look my nigga, I can't control my wife. She's not a dog or any other kind of animal so I can't control her. How about you train your wife to stop talking like she lost her damn mind all the time? Y'all mother fuckers invited us over here for dinner and to talk about Ava and this wedding coming up in the summer but we haven't gotten shit done since we been here. All y'all idiots been doing is fighting when there's more important shit to worry about going on around here. So can we please put aside the petty bullshit and talk about my daughter?"
"My daughter," Rob corrected him.
"I raised her," Teddy defended himself.
"But I made her."
"It takes a lot more than just making a child for you to be considered a father. You gotta take care of a child in order to be a father and you haven't done that. You haven't done shit for Ava for you to even consider yourself as her father. I bet you don't know shit about her."
"Give it a try," Rob sat back in his seat, waiting on Teddy to continue.
"What's her favorite color?"
"Clear," Rob smiled.
I rolled my eyes. What an idiot. Who's favorite color is clear? Clear isn't even a color. "You're a dumb ass," I chuckled.
"Watch who you're calling a dumb ass, tramp," Hazel spoke up just trying to start some more unnecessary shit with me.
I just gave her the finger before turning back to Rob and Teddy to see where their conversation was going. I didn't have time for Hazel right now. I just wanted to see Teddy kick Rob's ass for being such a dead beat to Ava for so many years.
Teddy shook his head. "Right, and clear is my favorite color too," he sarcastically replied. "Her favorite color is purple. Can you tell me what college she went to? Who she's marrying? What she likes to do for fun?"
"How the hell am I supposed to know any of that when I haven't even been around most of her life? I assumed since you guys came here that you finally decided that you'd let me walk my own daughter down the aisle and enlighten me on a few things about her before me and her actually get a chance to meet each other. I want you to tell me everything there is to know about my daughter," Rob smiled.
"Ava is my daughter and I know everything about her because I've raised her all of her life, unlike you. And the only reason we came over here was because y'all kept blowing up our phones. We didn't come over here to discuss any details of the wedding y'all aren't invited to. Nobody invited you or your crazy ass wife and nobody said you could walk my daughter down the aisle. I'm the one that's going to give her away because I'm the one that's raised her."
Rob shook his head as he looked over at Hazel, who was just disgusted. "This nigga done changed up on me Hazel."
Hazel shrugged her shoulders. "What can you really expect from them two? They're both sell outs. They left Compton and moved to a big ass house and some expensive ass neighborhood in Los Angeles and completely forgot about Compton and everything they come from."
"You move on from things in order to grow as a person. We couldn't stay down in Compton all of our lives and I damn sure didn't wanna raise my children down there," Theodore explained but I was just confused.
How did this crazy bitch even know where we lived? Out of the two times I've seen her, I haven't told her where we lived. "And how the hell do you know where we live? I haven't said a damn thing about the two of us staying in Los Angeles."
Hazel quickly looked over at me. "O-Oh I-I-I was just making an assumption," she replied.
"Who are you, Porky Pig? Stop all that damn stuttering and tell me the truth. How do you know where we live?"
"She looked y'all up," Rob butted in.
"I doubt it," Teddy jumped into the conversation. "Are y'all stalking us or something? I mean, y'all know where we live and randomly got our numbers and we ain't even tell y'all."
"We just looked y'all up, that's all," Rob replied but I just rolled my eyes.
This is too weird here with them. They're both acting strange and now they know where we live and our numbers. There's no telling what else they know about us but I knew I wasn't going to sit up here in this filthy apartment with them and be creeped out. I stood up and grabbed my Gucci bag off of the couch. I wasn't going to stay here and neither is Teddy. "Come on Teddy we're going to leave. They're up to some shady shit that I don't want to be apart of."
Teddy stood up. "Yeah, I'm wit'chu on that one Victoria. I don't know what'chall doing over here but y'all acting really suspect. If i ain't know any better, I would've thought y'all was Five-O."
"We aren't snitches," Rob explained.
I folded my arms. "It sure feels like it."
"Well, we aren't. Even if we were, what would y'all have to hide? Y'all are the perfect family and have nothing to hide so it shouldn't matter," Hazel replied.
"And I don't have time for this shit. Let's go Theodore."
I grabbed Teddy's hand and began dragging him out of the apartment. I knew he just wanted to stay to get the food but I wouldn't eat a damn thing from this dirty ass apartment. I'd eat out of my toilet before I ate from them. They're filthy and this is what they deserve for up and walking away from Ava. They're gonna live their lives in this filthy apartment with just the two of them.
"Bye bitches! Y'all will be back!" Hazel yelled to us as I slammed their door close.
"I can't stand that bitch!" I yelled as soon as Teddy and I got out to the parking lot.
He unlocked the doors and pulled my door open for me. "I know. They're up to something but we're not coming back over here. I don't like the vibe I was getting from them. They had some sneaky shit going on."
I nodded my head. "I know but where are we gonna go to get free food now?"
He closed my door as soon as I got inside of the car before he climbed in on the driver's side and pulled out of the parking lot. "Actually, Charlotte wanted me to come over to discuss some things about Isaiah this afternoon."
I rolled my eyes. "That bitch is back? I thought we finally got rid of her when she started dating that guy who owns that taco place on Crenshaw."
"I know I did too but she wants to talk about Isaiah. You know, he's supposed to be graduating this April and she wanted to talk to me about a graduation party and seeing what we can do for him."
"Do for him as in what?"
"Like set him up in an apartment, help him with finding a job, you know, stuff like that."
I nodded my head. "Oh. Are you taking me home before you go over there?"
"No. I want you to come with me. I know you and Charlotte don't get along but I think you guys should just be cordial for the hour we're over there. You don't have to say anything to her but I just need you to ignore any of the stupid shit she says to you. Don't let her dumb shit get to you because she's not worth it."
"You said the same thing about Hazel," I replied.
"I know 'cause fighting with Hazel isn't worth it either. Damn. I don't like seeing you argue with these bitches because they're only trying to hurt you and break you down. You know all these bitches want me that's why the fuck with you so heavy."
I smirked. "Oh. And Hazel's crazy ass wants you?"
He nodded his head. "Yeah. You saw the way she was looking at me. Rob probably wants you too. That's why he was fucking with you so much. You know me and you fine as a motha fucka."
I laughed. "Of course we are but I don't want Rob, Hazel or Charlotte."
"I know you don't. You only want me, right?"
I smiled. "Yes."
Teddy pulled up in front of Charlotte's house in Los Angeles and parked his car. We both climbed out of his car and made our way up to the front door. I can't stand Charlotte but she lived in a nice little house but I figured she would since Teddy's dumb ass paid for everything. He set her up in a nice house and even got her crazy ass a car in order for her to leave us alone but that didn't work. She's still an annoying pest. Before Teddy could even extend his hand to knock on the door, Charlotte pulled it open as if she was waiting on us.
"You two are late."
"We had business to handle," Teddy replied as he pushed past her and pulled me inside of her house that was surprisingly clean and neat.
"Yeah, whatever. That's always your excuse. How are you doing Vicky?"
I scrunched up my face as I looked her up and down. "I go by Victoria," I replied, "but I'm doing all right. How about you?"
"Just peachy up until Teddy pulled up and you climbed out of the car with him. I invited Theodore over here, not you."
I bit my lip, trying to hold back what I really wanted to say since Teddy wanted me to shut my mouth and just take her shit.
"Well, she's my wife and I wanted her to come too. Look, we're all family. Y'all might not want to be but I got kids with the both of y'all and me and Victoria are married. You want me to pay for this graduation party but the money I'm putting forward is coming from me and Victoria. She has a reason to be here so please sit down and shut the hell up trying to start shit with her. You still haven't got over me yet?"
Charlotte waved him off. "Of course I'm over you."
"You sure?" I asked.
Charlotte scowled at me. "I said I was over him."
"Well stop acting so jealous," Teddy replied.
"Whatever. I am over you though. There's no strings attached and if it wasn't for our son I wouldn't be having any interactions with you. If I could change this situation, I would."
"Well you can't change shit around here so suck it up and deal with it," he replied. "So, what's up with Isaiah?"
"Well I thought you would've known since he only talks to you. I haven't talked to my baby in over three months thanks to you and your family."
I rolled my eyes. "Why don't you try calling him sometimes? He's really busy with school, you know? He doesn't always have the time to call but if you call he'll answer. I just talked to him last night," I smiled. "He said he can't wait to graduate and move in with his girlfriend."
Charlotte turned her nose up. "My son is not moving in with that girl. I don't like her."
"I don't care if they move in together," Teddy said.
"I know I'm not his mother but I think it would be good for him to move in with her to ease into living on his own. I've known his girlfriend, Asia, for years and she's a really sweet girl."
"Well, like you said, you're not his mother so you really don't have a say in what I decide I want my son to do."
"Well your son's a grown man so he can make his own decisions," I replied.
Teddy nodded his head. "Exactly. Let Isaiah make his own decisions. We were making our own when we were his age. I was living on my own when I was his age and you were engaged when you were his age. What's the big deal about him finding a place to stay and living with his girlfriend? She's cool and she's been around all of us for years to know what we expect out of her."
"Well I don't think she's good for my son. I've told y'all that before."
"We've known her for years and she's best friends with my daughter. She's a really good person, serious," I replied but Charlotte just scoffed.
"Right. Like I want my son to be hanging out with a girl that's friends with your daughter. Your daughter is 24 and has a seven year old son. That says a lot about your daughter, the way y'all raise her and who she hangs out with."
I frowned. Part of me wanted to blurt out what happened to Lindsey when she was younger but I didn't need everybody knowing my family's business. Charlotte has no right judging my daughter off of something that happened in the past that she had absolutely no control over. "Fuck you bitch. My daughter's son has nothing to do with you so you don't need to speak on what happened to her. You don't know anything about my daughter, my grandson and you barely know a thing about me so fuck you and learn how to mind your own business."
Charlotte smirked as she leaned back in her seat, looking me up and down. "You're a sad, sorry excuse for a mother. You let your daughter sleep around with grown men and get pregnant when she was 17. I'm sure she doesn't even know who her baby daddy is and if your daughter acts like that then there's no telling what kind of friends she has."
Teddy sighed. "Man, you always on some bullshit Charlotte. We came over here to talk about Isaiah not my daughter. Leave my daughter out of this because she has nothing to do with Isaiah. And stop always saying shit to my wife."
Charlotte frowned. "Whatever. You and your wife can both get out of my house. I'm tired of your bitch ass wife always disrespecting me and I'm tired of you constantly taking her side."
I rolled my eyes as I climbed off of her couch and grabbed my bag. She didn't have to tell me twice to leave. I didn't want to come here in the first place. Teddy just dragged me here for some strange reason. "Let's go Theodore. We don't have time for this bitch."
Teddy sighed as he stood up from the couch too. "Don't even worry about throwing Isaiah a graduation party. I'll handle it on my own but don't even think about coming either. You always showing your ass every time Isaiah's involved because you're petty as hell. You did this same shit when he graduated from high school. You just wanna act a fool and have all the attention on you. Crazy bitch."
"Fuck you and your wife. The two of you are gonna regret the day y'all started fucking with me! As much shit as I have on you, your wife and y'all's family, I could send all of y'all to jail for the rest of y'all's lives. Keep playing with me bitches!" Charlotte yelled to us.
~~~
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How was this chapter? How did you guys like the chapter in Victoria's POV? How do you guys feel about Victoria and Teddy meeting up with Hazel and Rob? Should Rob walk Ava down the aisle? Should Ava even find out about her parents being alive? Is Victoria a shit starter? How do you guys feel about Charlotte? Do you guys think you know who unknown is now or do you guys still need some more information?
Victoria's on the side.