"Dada!" Naomi shouted disrupting me from my thoughts.
"Yes baby?" I said looking at her as she crawled to me. She started talking to me and spitting up bubbles as she used my shirt to help herself stand. I held on my hand on her back to help her keep her balance. "Go head ma ma. You got it." I said feeling proud. As I stared at my daughter I seen so much of her mother in her, so much beauty. She's 8 months now as of yesterday and she's growing hella fast.
"Promise Da Da you not gon get all googly eyes for no big head boy. Promise Da Da you gon be strong and independent and you ain't gon need no nigga." I said to Naomi as I fixed her onsie on her. She just looked at me and smile.
"I love you little girl." I said kissing her cheek and laying her on my chest. "I love mommy too, I just hope she loves me back after I tell her what I gotta tell her today.." I said lowly.
Naomi looked up at me. "Daddy messed up. But it's gonna be okay. I'm gonna tell her and she'll forgive me... right Ma Ma? She'll see that I'm a better person and how much we've progressed, and how we made such a beautiful baby and she'll forgive me right?"
Naomi just stared at me. I sighed and shook my head. "You'll still love Da Da right?" I said looking at her. She smiled. "That's my girl." I said kissing her forehead.
***
Jenae's P.O.V.
"Oooo that looks really good on you. You should buy it." I said to Nika. We're currently in Forever 21 trying on clothes. Well I'm watching Nika I already found something cute. I can't wait for my baby to see it.
"Really?" She asked looking herself over in the mirror.
"Yes your ass looks fat." I said sticking my tongue out.
"You been saying that about everything I've tried on." She said.
"I can't help my bestfriend has a colossal ass." I said smirking.
"You gay." She said rolling her eyes and laughing.
"Buy the shit and let's go. Ion have all day hoe. Dom wanna meet up at 7 it's 6:15." I said.
"What he got planned?" She asked from inside the dressing room as she got dressed.
"Ion know. Hopefully something spectacular. I feel being a thot tonight." I said sticking my tongue out and twerking while looking at myself in the mirror.
"I'm glad you've admitted to yourself that you are truly and fully a hoe." Shenika said coming out of the dressing room with her outfits.
"I'm a hoe for my man, what's your point?" I asked.
"Nothing, you've grown so much. It seems like yesterday I was just showing you how to arch ya back. " She said wiping away fake tears.
"Bitch shut up! And FYI I'm the one who showed you how to toot your ass up." I said a bit too loud. This group of young girls passed by us giving us a disgusted look.
"Sorry, we were just being grown ass women. Tag along." Shenika said sarcastically. I bust out laughing.
Shenika got her stuff rung up and we continued to roam the mall. We stopped by the ice cream shop before I had to leave. I ordered mines but Nika is waiting on hers to be made.
"This was me and Jayden favorite spot in the mall... his greedy ass." Shenika said rolling her eyes. She had a soft smile. I know she misses the fuck outta him, she's just hurting and I can understand why.
"He is a fat ass." I said shoving a spoon full of ice cream in my mouth.
"He must've been dumb as hell to let a good looking woman like you go." A deep velvety voice said.
We looked to our right and saw what had to be one of the finest dark skin niggas I've ever seen! We looked him up and down, this man was literally blessed from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. Good hair, waves on swim, olive green polo shirt, jeans, and some black timbs. Good Lord. Our heads snapped up when he cleared his throat.
"My brother got dropped on his head as a baby." I said in a sweet voice.
"Obviously." He said with a smirk. "Well um, if you ladies don't mind id love to buy you some ice cream." He said to us, his eyes not leaving Shenika tho.
"You're really sweet, but I've got mines covered..but Shenika here would not mind at all."
"One ice cream with Oreos and M&Ms?" The young girl said reaching her hand out to Shenika.
Shenika stepped forward. "That'll be $5.13"
"I got it." He said pulling out his wallet and giving her the money.
"Thanks." Nika said softly and we started to walk off.
"BITCH OMG!" I whisper yelled as we walked away.
"Excuse me." We heard him say from behind us.
We turned around and he was walking towards us with a bowl of ice cream in his hand as well. "I'd like to do a formal introduction. I'm Trent." He said.
"I'm Jenae'." I said.
"Nice to meet you Jenae'. And your name?" He said looking down at Shenika. I say looking down because he's tall as fuck!
It's like she was stuck. I nudged her because she was acting like a scary cat. She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, my name is Shenika." She said with a smile.
"Shenika." He said with a smile and a nod. "You ladies from around here?" He asked as he took a scoop of his ice cream and put it in his mouth. I almost melted right there.
"Not originally." I said.
"Yeah we decided to live here after graduating from Bethune-Cookman." Shenika chimed in.
"That's cool. I just moved here from Virginia." He said.
"Awww." We said in unison.
"Yeah I don't know nobody here." He said.
"I know exactly how you feel. When we moved here we only knew each other and our guys."
"That's amazing, y'all came as couples." He said with a smile. "I don't mean to hold y'all up, you just seem like nice women to be around."
"Thanks." We said in unison.
I seen the way he was looking at Shenika. He wanted her! "Um. It was really nice meeting you, but I have to go, but Shenika here can tell you anything you need to know about this city, and anything else." I said throwing my arm around Shenika.
He was blushing. I just shook my head with a smile at how Stella is fina get her damn groove back. "Okay, I gotta go. I'll see you later boo. And it's was very nice to meet you Trent." I said waving and walking away.
****
Dominic told me he wanted to meet up at the city park downtown, I just pulled up. I was feeling myself. I had on a short lavender flare out dress, jean jacket, and some silver heels. Not too much, I just felt like dressing up, I didn't think he'd wanna come to a park but it looked beautiful out here tonight.
I walked up to the table where he was and daddy was looking good. Moon was shining down on him, gahdamn. "Hey you." I said walking up to him giving him a kiss and sitting beside him.
"Hey you." He said looking me up and down impressed.
Dominic's P.O.V.
Jenae' walked up looking really beautiful. She was in such a good mood I felt horrible. "How was your day baby?" She asked me.
"It was straight." I said.
"That's good. Where's my baby?" She asked referring to Naomi.
"Home with Jayden and little Jay. John stopped by too, he got her all kinds of gifts."
"That's why she spoiled now." She said shaking her head. "But why we here?" She asked.
My heart sped up. "I wanted to get out of the house... so we can talk." I said trying not to sound nervous.
"Mmm. About what?" She asked looking me up and down.
"Umm--" I was beginning to say until Victoria walked up.
Jenae' looked at me and then chucked and uncrossed her legs and slid her hair in a ponytail and stood up real quick. "Hoe I been waiting for this moment right here, a good ass whooping with no one here to get me off yo ass!" Jenae' said as she began to go around the table until I grabbed her and pulled her to me.
"Baby chill!" I said holding her to me.
"Let me go Dominic." She said in a calm voice. She kills me with that calm shit. It's like a whole new level of crazy when her voice gets like that.
"I called her here baby. I called her." I was trying to explain.
"Fa what?" She yelled. Victoria was completely calm but kept her distance.
"She agreed to drop the charges if we agree to sit down and talk with her."
"Ha! Hoe you funny." Jenae' said as she began to laugh. "That was a good one bruh." She said. "The fuck we gotta talk about, I'm still gon beat yo ass."
"It's whatever Ma." Victoria said.
"Please. Just sit down." I said to Jenae'.
She looked at me and sat down. Me and Victoria just shared glances at each other. "SOMEONE SPEAK UP!" Jenae' said motioning her hand for us to hurry it up.
"You wanna tell her orrrrr?" Victoria said.
Jenae' rested her head on her hand as she shook her leg. "Jenae' baby I love you and I'm so sorry." I started off.
Her leg shook faster. "For what Dominic?" She said staring at me.
"I... I-I lied to you." I said not able to make eye contact with her.
"About what?" She asked.
"About me and her... it wasn't just head..." I said.
"What?" She said bringing her ear close to my mouth.
"It wasn't just head.." I said.
"Hmmm. So what it was? Y'all was fuckin too?" I nodded my head. I seen from the corner of my eye that she was nodding. "And why you ain't tell me that from the beginning?" She asked.
"I--" I was beginning to say until I was cut off.
"Because it wasn't just sex Jenae'. It was intimate. He used to stay over, all them nights he said he was with his boys, he was with me." Victoria said in a calm voice.
"And you proud of that huh? It was worth me beating your ass over?" She asked her.
"I thought it was, yes. I loved him... and I thought he felt that way about me, I guess I am dumb."
"Yeah you a dumb hoe. But it's not your fault, cause this man right here--" she grabbed my face and turned it towards Victoria. "-- he a dog ass nigga. Ain't shit. A liar. A cheater... you want a nigga like this?" She looked at me and chuckled. "Maybe it's the way he talks that got you huh? What he told you? Lemme guess, you was beautiful and you deserve a happy ending and allat other sweet shit to help you feel like you just the luckiest girl in the world right?" She chuckled. "I know cause that's how he got me." She said pushing my face away and moving away from me.
"Baby I--" I tried to say until she put her hand in my face.
She looked to the sky as she tried to get her emotions under control. "I.." she cleared her throat. "Here I am... about to go to jail, beating bitches up, just doing everything in my power to make sure we straight and you been lying to me this whole time... wow that's crazy. Here I AM thinking Nae' this man made a simple mistake, she just a confused hoe who don't know her place. Maybe just MAYBE he didn't really give a fuck about her and I don't have to worry about another woman taking my place. And for a split second... I was confident because I knew you wouldn't do anything to hurt me this bad... but nah Dom. You had a whole nother girlfriend. A whole nother bitch taking care of you, right up under my nose." She wiped away the tears that slid down her eyes.
"Baby I'm sorry." I said sliding close to her putting my hands on each side of her face staring into her eyes.
She put her hands over mine. "I know you are." She stood up and stared at her left hand staring at the engagement ring I got her. "I was so proud to be wearing this... because I just knew I was going to marry a man that I knew I could trust, and I knew id be secure.." she took it off and just stared at it.
"Jenae' don't do this!" I said jumping up.
She sat the ring on the table. I got down on my knees and put my arms around her. "Jenae' I'm begging you baby PLEASE."
She tried to pull my arms from around her but I tightened them. "Jenae' please, please I'll never betray your trust again baby please!" I said with tears streaming down my face.
She managed to get my arms from around her and backed up. She looked at Victoria. "Do what you want with the charges. I'm done." She said and she walked away.
"JENAE'!!!!" I called after her. She kept walking, got in her car and drove away.
Victoria came by my side and put her hand on my back. "I'm going to drop the charges, but I don't want to see you anymore Dominic." She said and she walked away.
I sat down at the table with the ring in my hand. I stared at the ring and just broke down. Every memory that I shared with Jenae' flashed before my eyes. I really think I lost her this time. "Naomi!" I said getting up and rushing to my car.
***
I got to my crib just in time to walk in on Jenae' putting her and my daughters things in the living room. John was sitting on the couch with Naomi, and Jayden was at the kitchen table feeding his son. "Jenae' we can work this out. You don't have to leave." I said.
She walked in Naomi's room to get her stuff. "Bruh gimme my baby." I said walking over to John and grabbing my daughter.
Jenae' walked out with a basket of Naomi's clothes and her baby bag on her arm. She seen me with Naomi and shook her head. "Jayden get my daughter." She said calmly.
Jayden got up. "Jayden bruh don't involve yourself in this. This between me and your sister." I said getting pissed.
"Okay Jayden, put my stuff in the car. I'll get my child myself." She said putting stuff down. Jayden got up grabbed her stuff and went to put them in her car. Jenae' stepped to me.
"Give me my baby." She said calmly.
"She's my baby too." I said looking down at her.
"Unfortunately yes." She said nonchalantly.
"You don't mean that." I said.
"Oh yes I do. It's very unfortunate that my child has a father who chases after dumb hoes and repeatedly betrays the trust of the woman he claims to love so much, don't you think that's unfortunate?" She asked.
"You speaking out of hurt, Jenae' you love me." I said trying to convince her. She really was a different person right now.
"I did. Now it's over. Now give me my damn child." She said looking at me as if I was nothing.
"Baby I know you mad but we can get passed this. We can start over. Just you, me and Mook. It'll be different baby I promise." I said bouncing up and down as Naomi began to cry reaching for Jenae'.
Jenae' shook her head and grabbed Naomi. Naomi stopped crying immediately and rested her head on Jenae's shoulder. It broke my heart, not even my own daughter wants to be around me. "I'll let you know in a few days what we gon do about custody." She said.
My eyes got wide. "The fuck you mean custody?"
"I don't mean to jump in y'all business but is that really necessary Nae? I mean that's my God daughter right dea man." John said.
"I'm sorry, but it's necessary. I didn't do this to us, your brother did." Jenae' said.
"Please Jenae', don't do this, don't break up our family." I begged her.
"Oh so now I'm the one whose breaking up this family?" She scoffed. "Hug your daughter so we can go." She said passing Naomi to me.
I just stared at my baby and she stared back at me cluelessly. I kissed her and just rocked us from side to side. She laid her head on my chest and put her fingers in her mouth. I rested my head on top of hers. I looked to Jenae' she had her arms crossed on her chest staring at Naomi.
Jayden came back inside. "It's all in the car. I got this blanket out her basket because it's chilly out there." He said handing Naomi's blanket to Jenae'.
She held her arms out for Naomi. I kissed her one last time and slowly passed her over. Jenae' laid Naomi's head down on her shoulder and put the blanket over her head. John stood up and walked over to them. He lifted the blanket up and peeked at Naomi. "Peek-a-boo. I see you in there you little munchkin." He said smiling. I heard Naomi giggle. "I'll see you later princess." He said and then put the blanket down and hugged Jenae'. "Drive safely, don't get on that road with all this hostility in you. Make it safe sis you hear me?" He said firmly.
She nodded. She brushed passed me, not even looking at me, it's like I no longer existed to her.
The room was now quiet. Eyes were on me. "You wanna explain why I just put my sister and my nieces belongings in her car?" Jayden asked me.
"Because he dumb as fuck." John said sitting back on the couch. "I know one thing, Ma gon get in yo ass when she hear about this custody shit." He said chuckling. I just walked to my room and slammed the door behind me.
Jenae's P.O.V.
I drove all the way to Shenika's apartment feeling empty inside. As if something inside me had died. I can't cry because it feels as though I don't have it in me right now.
I pulled up. Got out. Got Naomi out of the backseat. She was sleep so I just put the blanket over her car seat and carried her inside. When I put the key in the door and walked in Shenika was on the couch on the phone. "Hold on Trent." She said pulling the phone from her ear. "What you doing here?" She asked me.
I placed Naomi down on the couch beside her. "Watch her for like 2 seconds please." I said walking out the door. I grabbed our bags and headed back inside.
Shenika noticed all the bags and her eyes got wide. "Trent I'ma have to talk to you later... ok bye." She said as she hurried and hung up the phone. "What the hell happened?"
"We need somewhere to stay. She doesn't cry a lot through the night so you don't have to worry about missing any sleep, and I'll start looking for a job tomorrow to help with the bills." I said having a seat on the couch pulling Naomi's car seat to me so I could get her out.
"I don't care about any of that, what happened with you and Dominic??" She asked repositioning herself on the couch to listen.
I pulled Naomi out of the car seat and smiled at how deep she was into her sleep. I just held her and admired how perfect and innocent she was. "Is it wrong I don't want my daughter to fall in love?" I said finally looking at Shenika.
She looked at me with sorrowful eyes. "With love comes heartache. You feel a pain you never thought could exist."
"Nae', what happened?" Shenika said lowly.
"The man I love, let his hoe tell me that he was emotionally attached to her, and that she was taking care of him when I wasn't." I said trying to smile through the tears forming in my eyes.
She put her hand to her mouth. "Jenae'."
"Yep. Told me they were intimate, and it wasn't just head." I said shaking my head.
She looked like she felt so bad for me. "Jenae' I'm so sorry." She said.
"It's fine. Did I hear you say Trent when you were on the phone?" I said changing the subject.
"Yeah but we don't have to talk about that right now." She said trying to assure me.
"No it's fine, I wanted to know anyways. That conversation must've gotten really good after I left for him to ask for your number." I said wiggling my eye brows.
"Girl." She giggled. "He seems like a nice guy. He's so funny, he was making me laugh non stop."
"I'm glad he was able to do that. Just don't rush anything okay?" I said.
"I won't." She said.
"Good. At least one of us are happy right now. I'm okay with that." I said getting up with Naomi in my arms. "It's getting late I'm gonna head to bed." I said.
She nodded. "I'm fine. I just need sleep." I said peeping the worried look in her eyes.
"You know I'm here when you're ready to talk." She said.
I nodded and headed in the room and closed the door behind me turning the light on. I pulled the cover back and moved the pillow and laid Naomi down. I took my shoes off and my jacket and just sat in the bed and played in her hair watching her sleep.
Eventually tears were streaming down my face. I tried my best to be silent because I really didn't feel like pouring my heart out tonight. I just wish I could stop crying.
So much for a Happily Ever After.