J . a . h . ' . e . i . m
"I LOVE YOU SO MUCH..." HER HAIR WAS SOFT TO MY ROUGH hand, mimicking that of silk. It smelled like light shampoo, so dismissive, airy like. She was beautiful... Her well crafted body lies under mine, naked and exposed to whatever dirty sin I wanted to do to her but I didn't want to do anything dirty to her... I wanted to please her, let her body reach the peak of ecstacy that only I could make happen. I wanted her moans to cloud my ears and surround me, demanding and needing nothing but me and what I possessed in between my light colored thighs. I now sit directly in the middle of her legs that were spread open on the bed, waiting for me to take control.
"You do?" I ask of her, my fingers touching her soft skin. She was an enflamed specimen, completely at my disposal. Her body was lit like a flame, heated and ready for my penetration. Her eyes, those dark colored eyes... stared up at me, making my heart jump and jump. I was putty in her hands, spilling out through the cracks in between her small fingers. She could have me for the rest of her life if she wanted it that way. Only if she wanted it that way...
"I do... I love everything about you but..." She pauses and looks off to the side, the moon coming in from the window in beams, flashing across her smooth caramel colored face. This alone, makes me become confused by her sudden actions. She was always so vocal about her opinions... Never wanting me to feel left out of what she perceived. So, it's only right for me to become confused.
"But what?" I take my same right hand, this time caressing her lips. She turns back to me, eyes now filled with unexplainable tears. Although she had a big heart, she always found herself hurt and in bad situations. Sometimes, she masked herself with another persona but she could never mask herself from me... She never even attempted to because she and I both knew, she just... couldn't.
"I feel like," She darts her tongue outward, the wet and thick muscle finding its way to flick across the top of my thumb, making me let out an uneasy breath. She knew what she was doing, and she knew how much it turned me on, to no end. Her lips finally come down and she puckers them, just where she had previously licked. I push my hand up, letting my thumb enter through her tight knit lips, just as she had wanted it to. I watch, intrigued at how erotic she was making me feel and how... wonderful she looked.
"You deserve so much better than me..." She says.
Without warning, I found my thumb completely encased inside of her warm mouth. This makes my piece jump, springing up, more hard and erect than previously. Her mouth sucked my entire thumb into it, no teeth felt whatsoever but I did feel the base of my thumb being brought upon her tongue once more as she sucked, softer here, and harder there. Her eyes had now glossed over, lust taking her body as it's victim and never letting it go. I watch her hands drop from their position above her head, snaking downward and twords her midsection, or our midsection. I was too focused on the way she sucked my thumb to realise what she was reaching for.
When I feel the coldness of her hands touching my enlarged and throbbing tool, I almost buckle a little. The feeling of her erotically sucking my thumb is what she imitated perfectly with her hands. Her legs became more crimped at the knee, spreading wider and wider by the second. I looked down, her bald and beautiful pussy on display. I had always imagined seeing her completely naked, but I never imagined it to be like this. Her curves, bomb. Her smooth and clean skin, absolutely amazing. I can see her wetness, protruding all over her clit and folds.
She was taking control of me, she was making me feel powerless and quite honestly, I had no problem with that. I know that Lion's lose their Pride to a woman, and well... I'm losing my pride. Realizing this, I can't help the small moan that escapes my lips as she begins to stroke me, up and down. Electric shocks were going everywhere in my body, and I couldn't control it. By doing little things, she made me feel bigger things. I close my eyes for a brief second and let my ability to feel come in handy.
With every other stroke of her hand, she stopped sucking my thumb and licked it all the way over in a circular motion. My head leans completely back, neck bare and exposed to her. The friction she created with my dick in between both of her hands was too good to be true. A deep growl decides to come from my body as well, this making her satisfied that she was doing a damned well good job. She sucks harder, stroking me faster now than before. I finally bring my head back down, looking and watching as she worked her magic. The glistening of my pre-cum could be seen as it extrudes from the mushroom tip of my shaft. This began to intensify my sex drive even more than before as she spreads it down my dick erotically.
I remove my thumb from her mouth then, she looks into my eyes, locking with them, anticipating my next move closely. I lean back a little, examining the way she jacked off my shaft and rubbed my tip at the same time. As bad as I wanted to let her continue until I came all over those pretty DD cup titties she possessed, I was determined to let her be pleasured first. I push her hands back and away from my dick, earning a crying whimper that escaped her lips. I smile, moving around so that I was hovering over her, my hands now above her head and my blonde curls dangling in her face. She sniffed them, smelling the old spice shampoo I had used prior in the shower.
"Why do you feel that way? Why do you think I deserve so much better than you? I only want you." I ask her, finally playing off of what she had said prior. Her eyes flash to mine as she grips my face.
"Your such a good man Jah'eim and I'm... Just an average woman."
"Don't say that baby, your great. You were born to be great and quite frankly, baby you always gone be great in my eyes. When I first laid eyes on you at the bar, I knew you was gone be mine, through tough times and all. Time couldn't tell me when or where I was going to make you mine, but I for damned sure knew it was coming..." She just peered at me. In her mind, she knew I was right but in her broken heart, she was scared to love because of the past she came through to get into the future she has now.
"How can we build when I barely know what love is Jah'eim? I can't lead you into something I'm not so sure about. I haven't felt... Loved in a while it's now become a foreign emotion to me." She breathes a long breath. This makes me smile, but has her growing confused.
"Love... You see, is a powerful thing baby and we can discover it through one another. I may not be the best at all this relationship stuff, but you got my all." She gazed at my facial features. I watch as she drifts off into another state of mind, one that contained happiness. She felt at ease with Jah'eim, she felt... complete and as she stared at his lips, she was quite unsure of how to let him know how she really felt.
"What am I supposed to say? You know I'm not good with communicating... I wanna try this thing... This-"
"Just say yes, and the rest will follow baby." Not wanting to prolong my lust for the beautiful woman before me any more, I move my dominant right hand down her side. She hitches her breath, feeling my touch open her once more. I stare at her neck, wanting to leave my passion marks all over her skin, but... I wait.
"Jah'eim," she demands my gaze to meet her own and I do so, not without my hand stopping its journey by traveling down south and near her heated core. The throbbing between my legs intensifies, knowing that she was already ready for me.
"Hmm?" I ask. My fingers graze her center, touching the hairless lips that encased her thriving clitoris. Her focus looked like it was on me but it solely wasn't, she just wanted me to touch her... I knew her eyes and her emotions too well to ever think otherwise.
"Promise me you won't hurt me like everybody else?"
"I promise."
"Promise me you won't make me feel alone?"
"I promise," without a second between my words, I press the tips of my pointer and ring finger together and push them to come in contact with her juices. I groan, immediately finding my hand becoming coated with them. Even to my fingers, she felt amazing and unbelievable. I keep massaging her folds, getting a reward in the form of a horny filled moan. Her arms finally clamp around my neck, beckoning me to come closer as she rocked against my hand. I buckle down to her face and meet those succulent lips, kissing them and biting them here, sucking them there. I take my thumb and massage her clit back and forth before taking my other two fingers, and at the same time, driving them deep into her.
"Ooo," When she moans in my mouth, I still don't stop kissing her, I keep our lips intertwined as one. Just as I expected, her moans are music to my ears and I was clouded by them. I want to hear them all the time now. I gradually speed up my pace, coming closer to her body than I was before. We are so close to one another that the tip of my erection is just centimeters away from her honey pot, daring and wanting to explore it.
"Jah'eim," she moans once more, this time saying my name but that wasn't the right name I wanted her to call me. That was my government name, but I don't go by that when I'm in the sheets.
"That ain't my name," I pump my hand more forcefully now, the sound of her wetness mimicking that of macaroni. I feel an orgasm dawning upon her. I groan, knowing that when she came, her walls would clamp around my fingers.
"Jah," she breathlessly says.
"Still ain't my name."
I kiss her harder now, pulling away for brief seconds just to bite her bottom lip. I take my tongue and flick it across her mouth, and when she opens it to moan for another time, I seize my opportunity to suck on her tongue. This makes her quiver, shaking in ecstacy. I stop sucking and my head travels down to her most heated spot, the neck. I smell her fragrance first, taking in it's sweet aroma. Temptation gets the best of me and I can no longer go without biting her flesh anymore. So, I forcefully bite down, sucking and definitely leaving my teeth marks that would soon turn into a hickie. I take my fingers out and just massage her clit alone, sending shocks of an orgasm through her body.
"Don't stop, I'm c-cumming..." She finally says, her stomach visibly clenching.
"Mmm," I smile against her skin, still nestled in her neck. My growling had thrown her over the edge, starting a quivering orgasm to finally protrude.
"Ahh," she sucks in a tight breath.
"You still ain't saying my name," I rub her bud faster.
"Jah'eim," her legs shake...
"Wrong," I bite her.
"Jahhhh..." Her walls tighten.
"Still wrong," I bite her again.
"Daddy..."
"That's it..." Without warning, her orgasm rocks her body. She follows my strokes, riding the wave of ecstacy I had provided for her.
"Aw, fuck." When I pull my fingers away from her throbbing vagina, I can't help but to suck them into my mouth, tasting her sweet juices. I look down at her while doing so. She was mentally gone now, turned freak from my actions. A smile graces her beautiful face, her hands coming into contact with my dick all over again. She guides it downward from being so erect, now making it touch her wetness. This makes me hitch my breath, knowing she wanted me to explore her some more. I don't hesitate, getting into missionary position. Rubbing my tip up and down her folds was like heaven to me. I wanted to fuck her senseless and in that moment, I couldn't.
"Promise me one thing," I say, mouth touching hers, ready for a kiss.
"Yes Jah'eim," she looks into my eyes and I become serious with a smile on my face.
"Never give daddy pussy away."
"I promise."
__________
"JAH'EIM!" MY EYES OPEN FROM THE SUDDEN LOUD VOICE, bugging out of their sockets. I was lying down in my bed now, my phone ringing and head partially banging. I look up at my ceiling, seeing the bright white color of it.
"Jah'eim!" Comes the yelling voice again. I bolt up, seeing my little sister Jasmine standing at the door. She was dressed and ready to go out somewhere, hair sleeked back into a nice ponytail and a Nike track suit covering her body with Yeezys on her feet. I glare at her, wondering why the hell she was bothering me when obviously I was at peace inside of my own dream. Jasmine just stands there, staring at me. I knew my little sister like the back of my hand. When she stuck around longer than needed, I know that she definitely wants something from me. I grow flustered and agitated that she decided to wake me up out of my sleep.
"What the fuck do you want, Jasmine?" I ask, not even attempting to move around in my bed to get up for whatever reason she needed me to.
"Uhm, who are you using that language with? You know momma raised you better than that Jah'eim." She smacks her gloss covered lips and rolls her thick lash covered eyes. For an 18 year old young adult, you could easily mistake Jasmine for a 13 year old with the way she acted sometimes.
"Jasmine... I don't have time to beat around the bush. You blatantly just disrespected my number one house rule and I'm almost all the way pissed. I'm gonna ask you again, what do you want?" I rub my temples together with one hand while closing my eyes. If it's one thing I would want to teach women in the world, it would be to leave any man in the house alone when they are sleeping. It's basically like your asking for a death penalty. So, to save Jasmine the risk of being in a head lock for disturbing me, I let her know immediately that waking me up in my own home was not tolerated.
"You promised me that we would go to the mall today at 1, and it's pass that time now," Jasmine looks at her watch on her right wrist that our mother gifted to her for Christmas last year. "3:16. You've been sleeping nearly all damn day."
"Oh shit," I realise that I indeed, did make a promise to her. I was never a man to break agreements so easily. Just last week, Jasmine practically begged me to take her to the downtown mall. I originally agreed after nearly making her kiss the very ground that I walk on. Besides, it had been a while since we both took time to ship by our lonesome. "I'm sorry Jazzy."
"Uh-huh," Jasmine makes a sheepish face. "As you always are Jah'eim."
"I'll make it up to you." I compromise.
"The only way you can make it up to me is by letting me invite my friends over so we all can go to the mall. Together." I scoff harshly at that idea before bubbling my lips and rubbing my head. Jasmine rarely brought friends around but when she finally decided to introduce two of them to me, I knew they held a lot of value to her. She only has those two main friends around that seemed off. When the girls would come around, they'd only seem to tolerate her just because she knows a retired, but soon returning to the game in his eyes, NFL player. They didn't like Jasmine for Jasmine and the amazing person that she is, they only see her as clout on their end and as many times as I tell her hardheaded behind to drop the two girls, she still continues to mess around with them. I didn't know if it was a personal thing to hold onto bad friendships or if she felt deeply about them but I hated seeing my baby sister getting used.
"You tripping," I lay my body back down after saying that. Flashes of my dream replay in my mind and I groan outwardly. If only I could have a chance to finish what I could, but the chances for that happening are extremely low.
"We got a deal?" Jasmine asks, dismissing what I had just said. I contemplate for a moment before answering.
"Man, aight. Whatever you want. Now, get ya' little spoiled ass on somewhere."
"Be ready by 4, love you lots." She blows me a subtle kiss, closing the large room door behind herself softly. I shake my head, remembering her briefly as a baby. She always had this attitude with a cute little face. Jasmine was my little roll dog. She listened, back then of course, and always ran around behind me. When I wasn't around, she came running looking for me. Her head had these curls flying all around that resembled those of beach curls but more distressed and dark. To anyone whom didn't know the little Jasmine, would never be as confused as I am now. How could such a sweet little girl turn out to be the pain in my ass I didn't know would come? Just when I thought the coast was clear and I could return back to my sleep, Jasmine pops up for a second time, her face now perplexed.
"Hey, I forgot to ask you something but it ain't none of my business nor do I care about who you like," she starts with sarcasm. She knew that what had just came out of her mouth, was a terrible lie. "Who is this Danielle girl? Isn't she the one that came to the hospital the first day we seen dad in there? The one with the cute bikini on?"
"Yea, why?" I furrow my eyebrows while looking at an amused Jasmine. She laughs, loud.
"She's really pretty, don't you think?" This makes me confused, so I question her.
"Why are you bringing Danielle up?"
"Because..." Jasmine looks like she wants to laugh again. "You kept saying her name in your sleep. Danielle this, and Danielle that."
"Stop lying. No I was not." I say incredulously.
"And on top of that, I think you might wanna go and uhm... handle yourself." With that, she exits my master bedroom, making motions of jacking off with her hand. I sit up immediately, the satin sheets of my bed pooling around me. My eyes look down with embarrassment filling my body. The pointy indent coming through the golden sheet is more than visible. I sling my head back and groan before moving the covers away with force. It's been a while since I've been relieved by a woman and the dream only made that feeling worse than what it already is. Swinging my feet down and into the soft carpet, I stand tall, beginning to strip out of my clothes. If Jasmine walked in again, she was gone see all my glory and honestly... That's why there is a thing called knocking and privacy. Unfortunately something that she didn't know about well enough. Taking baby steps to wake myself up, I enter the master bathroom.
I couldn't start the shower water fast enough.
________
"Cause ain't shit changed, ever since my nigga Pac got banged," I couldn't help but to sing the lyrics to one of my favorite August Alsina songs on his newest album titled, This Thing Called Life. The song 'Change' hit home for me on more levels than one. Out of the whole entire album, that song is always on repeat whether it's in my mind, car, or simply at home. I love August Alsina as an artist and as a person. He brought light and much needed truth to the music industry.
"Some of the players switched up but it's the same old game... I see no change, so I guess I gotta be that change." Ruffling my newly bleached curls from the other day in the wide brilliant white bathroom mirror, I look down and to my left, seeing the black bottle of my favorite cologne. I spray it in increments before setting the bottle back down. Whether one could believe me or not, but I have this great infatuation with smells. I loved my personal hygiene and I've always fell in love with finding new ways and products to enhance it.
The long sleeve t-shirt I wore hung low as I shook it gently, getting ridding it of the loose and small hairs that had escaped my head from above. When I was sure that the little curls were gone, I rub my chest and throw a gentle smile. There is always this rush of excitement when I finally put myself together. Even if it's just casual wear. The women loved it, I loved it, life is great. There were times like this where I wish I had a companion on my arm to match the fly that I had. If it was one thing about my ex, she always had style to match with my vibe. Shaking the dreaded thoughts of her away from my mind quickly, I exit out of the bathroom and back into my room. I find the wheat colored Timberlands next to the king sized bed and slip them on just before taking a seat on the bed. I loosen up the laces and let the emblem hang freely.
With just a little bit of time to kill before I headed down the spiral stairs to greet Jasmine and her friends, I grab my phone off of the nightstand, checking my messages quickly. I scroll through the endless threads before replying back to the more recent ones. I open Coach Ben's contact and read over the last sent message from him. He was only informing me of the upcoming game and new practice hours. I reply with a simple, 'okay' and close the thread. My eyes fall onto Danielle's name next. I inwardly smile.
Dani | How you holding up over there? I haven't seen you since the hospital visit and that was weeks ago. What's happened? 🤔
I'm... Alright. Nice to hear from you again on the other hand.
Dani | You put 3 periods after I'm and alright so how am I supposed to believe that your truly alright?
I pause for a second. My trust with Dani was strong, great even. If I needed somebody to vent to, I'm pretty sure that she would have no problems with letting me come and express my frustrations or whatever was on my mind at the moment. Danielle was a wholesome female, raised right and had very much knowledge. The only downfall to her was that temper of hers. I can see that it gets in the way of things but, I know she only gets mad cause she cares. Pulling at the hairs in my beard, I tuck in my lips and type an honest reply.
To keep it real with you, as far as I can tell, I'm not okay. It's definitely a lot of things on my mental state of mind for sure and it's eating me alive but I definitely believe I can push through it, I'm the goat.
Dani | You are so full of it sometimes, Jah. Leave it to you to make light of a serious situation.
Of course...
I laugh, seeing the little typing bubble pop up in the bottom left corner of my screen. It stays there for a while, until it finally disappears. Taking my opportunity and risking my chances, I ask her something.
Me and my little sister, Jasmine, going on this little mall journey game where she spends all my money up. She also invited her two little minion friends to tag along and... I don't know, I was wondering if you would like to come? I mean... Only if you want to Dani and have no other plans made for the day.
I bite on my thumb nail, seeing the same typing bubble pop up. For some reason, I was nervous. The thought of being rejected dawned upon me and I didn't like the feeling. At all. I always had women vying at my feet. So feeling like this, is new to me in every way. I close out my messages app, in fear of seeing the message way too soon and I stand back to my feet, breathing a long sigh. Whatever she decided, was obviously her decision. No need to be all nervous, right? Shaking the thoughts away, I tuck my phone into my back pocket, leaving it there and grabbing my favorite black SnapBack hat off of my black dresser. Turning off all the lights in my room, I exit it, going down the stairs.
"Jazzy!"I hadn't even made it to the final step before I could hear the girls talking amongst themselves. The voice of Jasmine's friend, Candice shrieks aloud the house. I'm pretty sure the other friend is not too far behind to follow suit.
"Hey girl hey! Hey Jazmine!" See? I knew it. Phara, the second friend, shrieks just as loud as Candice does. My timberlands meet the final step of the long spiral case just as I peek around the corner to the right of the front door. The only one that had a considerable amount of skin showing was Jasmine. Candice and Phara wore matching white, skin tight dresses and red bottom heels. The shining golden jewels in the also matching necklaces shine under the open sunlight. I shake my head, use to their behavior from previous encounters. I say a quick prayer, making my way around the thick wall.
"Why are you guys matching? And why are y'all wearing dresses? It's supposed to be a cold wind chill today." Jasmine fusses. She had way more consideration than Phara and Candice. Jasmine also knew their true intentions behind the way that they had come dressed. The sisters were vying for her brothers attention, something that Jasmine knew the two would never get. She often noticed how much they asked about him, and how fond they were over him. Personally, it made her sick too, not just her obnoxious brother.
"Why so many questions, mom?" Remarks Phara. She was the more disrespectful one out of the three. Phara is the type of person who carries herself with the mentality of a go getter. She never stopped at absolutely nothing in the world for what she wanted. On the other hand though, Candice was the one with the energy. She typically saw nothing wrong with the bad situations involving her or around her but often praised the good. I shake my head while entering the room fully where the talking girls still hadn't even noticed me.
"I'm not acting like your mom-" Jazmine is quick to defend herself before Candice cuts her short. The irritation in my sisters face is the same irritating look that she gives me. It's the only way that I know the girls that she called friends were really getting under her caramel colored skin.
"Yes, you are Jazzy." Says Candice. I note the attitude in her tone. She is more of the subtle but mean type when she wanted to be. She argued on simple things, and tended to have a bad habit of fighting. She was definitely the one to watch out for when it came to sneaky things going on in my eyes.
"Whatever." Jasmine rolls her eyes which makes them come my way. She eyes me for a split second, her arms coming across her chest. Phara and Candice follow her gaze and their mouths hang slightly agape. The two sets of eyes look at me, raking my physique in its whole. I could tell that my clothing was being stripped away from my body in their little pubescent glares. I could hurl a good one right about now but refrain. Phara and Candice will be able to mop the entire ocean before they ever get their hands on me, let alone near me.
"Hey Mr. Santiago," Candice is the first to speak, her feet moving towards me as she switches her hips a little bit too hard to go unnoticed. I sigh.
"Hey and for the last time, my name is Jah'eim, not Mr. Santiago." I correct while waving a hand. Her feet come to a dead halt when we are face to face with one another. She is shorter than me by some inches but still held the stare. Her eyes gloss over, melting right before me. I had forgotten that she was the one who had a kink for being put in their place. Shaking my head, I go about my routine and grab the set of car keys on a small table next to the tall front door. I fix the black hat on my head, flipping it backwards and letting a couple curls hang loose. Turning to look at the trio once more, I noticed that Phara was still eyeing me. She hadn't said a word and I was relieved.
"We going now?" Jasmine asks, grabbing her Beats headphones off of the glass coffee table from the living room.
"Your chariot awaits my dear," I mutter with the large gesture of opening the front door. Jazmine rolls her eyes at me. Phara and Candice are the first to make their way out of the opened door and into the brightly lit day. It was indeed a bit chilly outside, not ideal weather to wear a summer dress in. I now agreed with Jasmine on her argument. She trails behind the two girls, rolling her eyes for the second time.
"Did you really have to say that?" She pauses.
"At your service my lord," I continue character with a smile, earning a groan from Jasmine. She flips a bird at me before the both of us exit the home.
__________
"This one would be so cute on you, girl!" An excited Phara speaks to Candice. The mall was more than packed with pedestrians today and I didn't know if I should be happy for upset about it. The four of us had been walking around for more than two hours now, visiting nearly each store inside of the mall. Of course, I wasn't paying any attention to them as I stared aimlessly around the place. I had been stopped more times than I would have liked by fans who only wanted to take a picture. I loved the people who love me but sometimes the life of fame gets a hold of me. I wanted to be normal again and live a normal life besides the fame. Jasmine walks peacefully behind me, too busy listening to her music and tapping away at the clean screen of her phone to pay attention to her friends. Scoffing, I keep walking behind Candice and Phara.
"Are you sure girl? You know I got a wide foot for them high as-, I mean high heels." Candice instantly corrects herself as she halts speaking. I didn't particularly like when teenagers, typically young adults, got a mind of their own. The disrespectful things I have heard some of Jasmine's friends talk about and the obscenity filled sentences were something I had to put a stop to.
"Mmm," I give a half smile, looking to the side. From the corner of my eye, I spot Candice mouthing something to Phara. Something tells me to listen as I snap my head toward her direction and read her much covered glossed lips. I try my best to eavesdrop into the conversation as her mouth says the word, 'daddy'. Inwardly groaning, I face palm myself twice. Deciding to focus elsewhere, I keep glancing back at Jasmine, wondering why she was so distant from them and next to me. She sees my eyes glued to her and rolls her own which is expected. I laugh, pulling the beats headphones off of her head. We stop walking, a rack of clothing that happened to be on sale behind us.
"What do you want? You just ruined my Bryson Tiller vibe and you know how I feel about him." Jasmine exclaims. I shake my head.
"Why you ain't talking to Candice and Phara?" I ask of her. "These your friends remember?"
"I don't... I don't know." Jasmine replies. I raise my eyebrows, gazing at her and waiting for an explanation. Seeing what I'm getting at, she huffs and throws her arms into the sky with much felt defeat.
"Your really gonna make me say it? Of course you are. You love when people say that your right all the time." Jasmine rolls her eyes again.
"Huh? And you keep rolling them eyes of yours and they ain't gone roll back into place one day." I say with a firm tone. She sighs.
"They only want to use me, Jah'eim." It was then that Jasmine drops her head. I look at my little sister for who she is, examining her features closely. There were times where she didn't look anything like our mother at all but, there were bits and pieces of our father in her though. She had a full head of black curls, unlike the dark brown I have. Her light colored eyes are much different from the darker ones a lot of other Santiago's posses. The thing about her that gets me the most is her small and wide nose. No one had one like it in our family that I have seen.
"What? Use you for..." I urge.
"You." Jasmine waves a hand in the air which gestures to me. After flailing up and down twice, she folds her hands outside of her chest.
"Me?" I hadn't known that Jasmine noticed what I noticed when it came to her peers. She is very hard and stern but at heart, she is as gullible as can be. When it came to Jasmine and who she thought she wanted to have close, I played the back burner role. I could sniff a snake from a mile away but Jasmine on the other hand, has to see it for herself before she took the time to believe it. There are many instances where I have given my opinion on things like that and have gotten shut down repeatedly. At this point, who she keeps close is who she keeps close. It hurts me to see her hurt but, some people can only learn things through their hurt.
Jasmine is one of those people
"Yes... Don't act dumb. Your a smart man." She looks away from me in shame.
"So, you invited them along to the mall so they could see me?" I pressure her.
"Yea... I know how you feel about them but they begged me for weeks and now they here." Jasmine nods her head in the direction of the two girls who were still too busy shopping and looking at dresses to even acknowledge us. I turn back to Jasmine.
"So... the outfits... they wore that for me? To get my attention and not because they always look like that huh?" I fold my arms close to my chest, the hat on my head shifting upwards.
"I think so." She half lies before committing the truth. "Well okay, yes, they wore that for you. It's obvious Jah'eim."
"This is... weird as hell. I'm a grown ass man. I don't play kid games. Let alone do I hook up with kids themselves. I don't care if it's young adult or whatever." I glance around the room before calming my voice. My hands were clammy and moist. I didn't mind women coming after me, that's something I've dealt with almost my entire life but women younger than me by almost ten years? Who do they think I am?
"I've also heard both of them talking about you in a way that I would like to never speak of. They have some reasoning that whenever I have my headphones on, I magically can't hear. That's how I find out the dirt with them... put my headphones on and don't play any music." I snap my vision back to Jasmine and she shakes her head up and down. "They say that whatever is between your legs has to be a gift from god... they also talk about you being inside-"
"Jasmine, I get it. That's enough." I can't stop my hand from covering her mouth before she said anything else. After a couple seconds of holding my hand in place, sure that she isn't going to speak, I release her mouth. Taking a deep breath, Jasmine rolls her eyes dramatically. "I get the picture already."
"Sometimes, there are instances where I want to distance myself but I can't bring myself to. That's not in my character Jah'eim. My heart is too big. I'm obviously being too nice." A solemn look covers her small face. She rarely ever let her emotions show unless Jasmine is comfortable where she is. It fills my heart to capacity to know that she could still come to me and let loose when she needed to. The girl has been through a lot, and then some. I'm her safe space, a home where no one else can seek refuge. I smile knowing this now.
"I got an idea kid," I lean down a bit to adjust myself to her height. The smile still plasters itself into my face. Jasmine notices this before unwrapping her hands away from her chest. She raises an eyebrow that nearly touches her forehead. "When I say go, we run like hell out of this mall, away from them, and back home. After that, you block their number and whatever other socials you have of them. When it's all said and done, you don't look back Jasmine. Never. You picking up what I'm laying down?"
"What about if they see me at school? The both of them feel-" Jasmine doesn't agree with my plan and it makes me frown. I cut her off from speaking by shaking a finger in her confusion strewn face.
"Jasmine! Wake the fuck up! It's more than obvious that they don't give a shit about your feelings so why should you care about what the fuck they feel?" I say with an attitude, feeling my anger levels rise again. "Don't make me tell them some shit they don't want hear about they self? You know how I can get when it comes to you. All football and game aside."
"Can we just run now?" Jasmine fidgets with her fingers. She knew her older brother like no one else did. It was best for her to abort the situation now before he acted out of character. I look into her eyes with love, realizing this is the first time she let me lead in one of her situations.
"Hold on," The vibrating phone in my pocket comes to life as the mid tone marimba sound makes itself known. I grab for the device quickly before Phara and Candice could hear it and see where Jasmine and I stood. I swiftly answer before looking at the caller ID. Tank couldn't even get a word out to greet me before I start talking.
"Wassup pussy?" I chuckle lightly expecting Tank's answer to come with the same energy. When it doesn't, I pause and become serious. Jasmine gazes behind me at Phara and Candice. The girls had found their way around the store quite quickly, checking out different pairs of jeans.
"On a regular day, you know I would get on yo' ass but today not one of those days." His stern tone doesn't go unnoticed as I listen. I bite my bottom lip, observing my surroundings.
"What's wrong?"
"Juno just woke up, he has requested to see you before anybody else. I know how you are and how you get down so I trust that you'll make your way to the hospital quick? Like your feet should be moving right now." My heart drops nearly to my stomach as my lips purse themselves together. The veins in my arms pulse as a light twitch takes over my left eye. He said that my father... my father... is awake? Jasmine sees my uncomfortable state, asking what was wrong with her eyes. I absentmindedly ignore the stare, finally answering Tank.
"I'll be there." With that, I press to end the call before a response from Tank could come through. I look at Jasmine directly after that. "You ready to go?"
She takes a peek at Phara and Candice, for the last time. Quickly, she nods her head.
"Go."