Nic
"Come on Six, I ain't asking for much man and I got the money." I scratched at my neck as I pulled money out of my wallet. "You can have my whole check, just give me what I need." I begged. "Please? I get paid every night and if you want more money I can bring it to you tomorrow."
Him and his boys were sitting outside on the block smoking. "Man I ain't messing with you no more Nic. You went to rehab and shit, you on the right track and I ain't bout to be the one that fuck that up by selling you Heroine again."
"But I need it!" I told him. "Come on, please." I had had a rough night at work and I felt like I needed an escape. On top of that, I felt like I was trapped in a box that was closing in on me. Reality had set in and I realized I wasn't the nigga I used to be. I didn't have the money I used to have, or the power. Yeah my sister had forgiven me and was helping me as much as she could but I was mentally fucked up. I could've easily smoked some weed but that wasn't enough for me. It wasn't anything compared to the feeling Heroine gave me.
He whispered something in one of his homeboy's ear before getting up and going around the corner. "Where he going?" I started to follow behind him but the guy pulled the back of my shirt.
"Relax nigga, he going to get it. Sit down"
He talked to me for a while until we seen a all black Rolls Royce pulling up. "That mothafucka clean, they a customer?"
"Ion know man"
I didn't think anything of it until Tae got out of the drivers seat. Our eyes met and he shook his head. I stared at him as he crossed the street. Six came back and they dapped each other up before Six started explaining something to him.
"He set me up!" I stood up. "And you did too!" I looked at his friend.
"Aye bro you better calm yo mad ass down. We tryna help your ass."
Tae and I didn't exchange words but I knew he was coming to get me so I followed him to his car like a child. We both were silent the whole way to him and Nicole's house.
"This shit gone break your sister heart so I hope you ready for that." He pulled into the garage and got out. "Nicole!" He yelled for her as soon as we walked in the house.
"Yeah?"
"Come here mama"
She soon came out of their room and looked shocked once she seen me. "Oh hey Nic, you just got here?" She asked as she turned the living room light on.
"Yeah.... with Tae." I glanced at him as he went to sit on the arm of the couch.
"Wha-"
"Tell her where I had to pick you up from."
My mouth felt dry as a damn desert. I wiped my sweaty hands on my shirt. "I went to see Six."
She looked at Tae to tell her who that was. "It's his story baby, not mine. Let him tell you."
"Nic why do I have a feeling I'm going to be disappointed once I hear this?"
"I'm sorry sis" I hung my head, not wanting to see her face. "Six was my dealer before I went to rehab."
My heart broke as she started crying, already knowing what I went to see him for. "I've been working so hard to make sure you're good. Am I not doing something right? I told you to come to me if you had the urge for drugs and you promised me you would Nicholas."
"I know sis, I know." I felt bad as fuck. "I'm sorry"
"Why Nic?"
I shrugged putting my hands in my pockets. "I- I'm having a hard time adjusting to my new life and I felt like I needed an escape. I should've called you or something."
"Yeah you should've, thank God the man turned you down and called Tae. I'm disappointed Nic and regardless of what you say, I'm getting you a Therapist." She sniffed, wiping her eyes. "Where's your car?"
"Back on the block"
"See that's exactly why I didn't wanna get you one. You understand now?"
I nodded
"I'll get my keys to take you home and I'm keeping your car here."
*******
Tae
I stood up once Nicole's walked back through the doors from taking Nic home. "You wanna talk about it?" Her eyes were red and her face was droopy, obviously she hadn't stopped crying since she found out.
She walked towards me "Just hold me" She cried. I could hear how hurt and disappointed she was in her cries. I walked us towards the couch and laid down, allowing her to lay on top of me. "I- I feel so stupid Tae. I really believed he-he could get back to himself and pick his life up without relying on fucking Heroine to do so." She swallowed "I don't get it."
I had my hand under the back of her shirt, rubbing her back. "I know you wanna believe shit that easy but it's not bae, that's just not realistic. Addicts have relapse and as family either you stand by and help or you let that addiction take over them."
"He promised me he wouldn't do it anymore, that my money hadn't gone to waste, and that if he even thought about it he would call me. I wanted to get him a therapist as soon as he got out but he assured me he didn't need one. I felt her body shaking against mine. "He promised and I believed him Tae, I really did."
"Don't let his problems consume you Nicole. Know that praying for him, being in his corner, and helping him along the way is really all you can do."
"I wish I could just fast forward to the part where he's over whatever he's going through. Thank you for going to get him. I know that had to have been hard for you."
It honestly was and at first I wasn't going to go after I got off the phone with Six but I didn't wanna see my baby that fucked off and upset again because of her dumbass brother. It was a given she would be upset just knowing he was out there tryna buy the same drug that caused him to lose everything, but I refused to be the reason she had to go back down that same road simply because my pride and stand-offish ways didn't allow me to go pick her blood up.
"Only did it for you mama."
"Fuck a wedding, let's just elope."
I laughed "Yeah right, you know you want a extra ass wedding."
"I'm serious Taelor" She lifted her head. "Let's just go to Vegas or something and get married, just you, me, and our kids."
That sounded great to me but I knew Nicole; she was just talking. "Nah bae, let's stick to the wedding."
She smacked her lips "Here I am crying upset and shit, realizing that life is sooooo short and I'm telling you I wanna elope and you turning me down." She sat up. "Do you even wanna get married?"
"Duh I wanna marry you! How you just flip shit like that? You real life are insane!" I looked at her shocked that her twisted mind had snapped like that.
"No you don't" Her tears started back up and she got up. I grabbed her hand causing her to yank away from me. "Leave me alone Taelor, you don't wanna marry me and that's fine." She walked off to her closet room and closed the door behind her, locking it.
I sat on the couch in disbelief, not knowing what I should do for at least an hour until Mila opened the front door using the key we had gave her. "Hey, what you doing looking ugly and lost?" She laughed putting her purse and keys on the Island.
I pointed at Nicole's closet room "What you do to piss her off now?"
"Man I ain't do shit but console her since Nic had her in her feelings."
"What he do?" She asked concerned. "He quit his job already?"
"Nope, Six called and asked me to pick him up from his block."
"Whaaat? He buying Heroine again?"
"Tried to"
"Damn so you went and picked him up?"
"Duh nigga that's basically what I just told you."
"Proud of you my boy." She held her fist out to me. "I know you be bitching and acting like you can't forgive folks."
I laughed "Shut up Mila"
"She still upset about it?" She referred to Nicole. "Well I know she is but that's why she in her closet room?"
"She got mad cause I said I didn't wanna elope."
She bust out laughing "What the hell?"
"I know"
"Why you sitting out here and not in there trying to save yourself? You scared?"
We looked at each other "A lil bit" We laughed.
"I'm going to bed." She continued laughing. "See y'all in the morning."
"Wait, how was your date?"
Her and Marcus had been spending a lot more time together now and seemed to be getting pretty serious. I approved and Marcus was my nigga so they had my blessing.
"It was fun" She shrugged "We went rock climbing."
"Nothing wrong with trying something new."
"You're right, goodnight ugly ass fool."
"Rest up Norbit little sister."
I knocked on Nicole's closet room door "Mila?" She asked.
"No baby it's me."
"Go away Taelor!" Her tone changed.
I sighed "You know I wanna marry you baby, you tripping off of nothing. I would love to go ahead and tie the knot but I know that's not really what you want." I spoke. "You want a big extravagant wedding with all of our family and everybody else we send invitations too. You wanna go through all of the planning that leads to the big day, you want your dream dress and everything else that comes with it; and I'm looking forward to seeing you walking down that aisle." I told her.
"Confess your feelings boy!" I heard Mila yelling from her room. "I'm looking forward to it too and I know my Bridesmaid dress gone be bomb!"
I ignored her "Let me in bae."
I waited outside the door for what felt like forever before she clicked the locks. "I'm sorry, I'm just sad and on my period." She hugged me before I could even get through the door good. "I love you and I do want to have a huge extra wedding."
I hugged her back "I know baby" I picked her up.
"Can you rub my feet and watch Trolls with me?"
She discovered that movie one night when I was watching it with Taejin and Troi and has been hooked ever since.
"Yeah"
**********
"Call me when you almost done." I leaned over the console and kissed her lips. "Love you" I handed her three hundred dollars.
I decided I wanted to do something for her to lift her spirits so I was treating her today and I had planned a date for us tonight along with renting out a room so we could spend time together with no distractions. Mila had agreed to watch our kids so we were covered in that area.
I had woke her up before the sun rose this morning and took her to her spa to get pampered, then to get her hair done and styled, and now I was dropping her off at the nail shop.
"Aw I thought you were coming in with me." She spoke against my lips. "You can get a pedicure."
"What's that?"
She giggled "It's the same thing as getting your nails done but it's for your feet. Your feet sit in warm water with powdery blue stuff and there's multiple steps to get your feet baby soft before they polish them."
"I'm not bout to get that shit."
"Tae why not?"
"That sound hella feminine and I don't want nobody messing with my feet."
"Men get pedicures all the time!" She stressed. "It's maintenance for your body and you could use a pedicure." She laughed at my facial expression. "Please just do it with me just this once."
I smacked my lips, pulling into a parking space as she messed with my face. "You'll like it, I promise." She took her seatbelt off, getting out of my car before me.
"Hey Annie" She hugged one of the ladies that was behind the reception desk.
"Hey Nicole, full set and pedicure for you today?" She asked her in her strong accent.
"Yes but my Fiancé wants a pedicure too."
The lady smiled at me "Ohhhh, first time?"
"Yes" I looked at Nicole, feeling forced.
"No worries" She pointed at me to tell her my name.
"Taelor"
"Really? My sister's name is Taylor but she not here today." She grinned. "Beautiful name, common too."
Nicole found that soooo funny since she used to always make fun of my name, calling it girly and shit.
Annie pat my back as she led us to two empty chairs. I didn't want her touching me since I had just met her but I kept my cool and let it slide; a lot of people were too fucking friendly. "We take good care of you, good care." She assured me. "No problems for you Mr. Taelor." She smiled again putting my arm rest down for me.
"She bout to piss me off with all that smiling and shit." I leaned over to Nicole once she walked away. "Ain't no way she that happy when she gotta be fucking with people feet and hands all day."
She laughed a little but tried to cover it up with a sniff. "Stop being so mean Taelor and she's always super friendly." She took her phone out of her purse. "That's just her personality."
"I hope she not the one doing our shit."
"No she's just one of the receptionist, I've never seen her do nails or toes." She handed me one of the menus. That shit looked so foreign to me. I never knew there were so many different types of pedicures and manicures.
I flipped it around, not sure what I was looking at. "Baby which one I'm supposed to pick?"
"Read the descriptions and pick the one that sounds like you'll like it."
I did what she said "Which one you normally get?"
"Well sometimes I go for the Lemon Extreme and sometimes I do the Melon Extreme."
"The fuck kinda names are those?"
"If you would just read it then you would know. The Lemon Extreme comes with everything you can get out of a Pedicure along with lemon exfoliater, a lemon hot oil, and like a lemon scented lotion. The melon one is the same thing but with melon."
I looked at each one she was talking about as well as the prices. "You pay $60 for that shit?"
"Yeah but it's worth it."
"Well I don't want none of that." I licked my lips. "Where the basic stuff?"
"At the very top in small print."
"Oh yeah here we go, and only $25 dollars."
Workers kept speaking to Nicole and trying to start conversations with me but I wasn't with the friendly shit today, especially since I was out of my comfort zone.
Two workers came out of the back and started towards us. "Oh fuck no" I shook my head. "No disrespect to you bro but you can't do my shit." I spoke as polite as I could to the dude that sat on the small chair in front of me.
Nicole put her hand on her forehead like she was embarrassed but I didn't give a damn, wasn't no way I was letting another man do my feet. It took a while but eventually an older lady came out and sat down. Nicole was almost done getting her toes down and another lady was working on her nails.
"You feel ok baby?" She asked.
"I'm straight, trying not to fall asleep. I couldn't lie, the way the lady was rubbing my feet had me bout to start snoring.
"See it feels good, doesn't it?
"Shit feel amazing"
I couldn't take it anymore and eventually drifted into a deep ass sleep. I only woke up once I felt Nicole hitting at my arm. "You done?" I sat up, rubbing my eye.
"I've been done, I payed and everything." She helped me up as I towered over her short ass. "You wanna come back with me in two weeks?"
"Fuck no" I told her making her laugh as we walked to the front. I made sure to thank the older woman who did my pedicure and give her a nice tip. She knew what she was doing and she was damn good at her job.
I smacked Nicole's ass on our way out, watching it jiggle. I bit my lip "Mm, gotdamn"
She leaned into my side, wrapping her arms around my torso. "Thank you daddy, you really know how to make me feel better."
"You're welcome love." I unlocked my car. "You hungry?"
"Yeah but I'm starting to cramp so I don't wanna go sit in a restaurant."
"Fine with me." I didn't feel like sitting down anywhere either, I was still sleepy. "I'm tired as hell."
"Honestly me too. You wanna just check into the room early and order room service?"
"I'm already ahead of you."
She called Nic and they talked the entire ride about the different Therapists she had looked into. Halfway to the hotel I tuned her out since I was more focused on getting to where we were going.
"I'm gonna go take a shower." She took her hat off and sat her purse of the dresser.
"Alright, what you want me to order you?"
"If they got shrimp pasta or something like that then get me that with a lemonade."
While she was in the shower I watched a cake making competition, shit was really interesting and held my attention. I had my hand behind my head and the other resting in my gray sweats. "Oh shit they making three different flavors." I spoke out loud to nobody. "They gone win." Of course I was rooting for the black people.
"Baby!"
I paused my show "What you need?"
"Can you bring me my towel?"
I groaned not feeling like getting up. For some reason Nicole didn't like using hotel towels and always brought her own. "Just walk out here naked!"
"No Tae! I'm on my period, I don't want my feet to get dirty, and it's too cold to do that, just bring me my towel!"
"Where is it?" I slowly rose to my feet.
"In my bag!"
I grabbed her overnight bag, putting it on the bed. I took her clothes and shoes out but stopped searching for the towel once I spotted a gold square shaped wrapper. "I know this ain't no Magnum." I grabbed it seeing that was exactly what it was. My blood started boiling. "What the fuck you doing with this?" I yanked the shower curtain back, throwing it at her.
"Tae I bought those a long time ago." She continued washing her body like I wasn't ready to kick her head off her neck.
"What the fuck for?"
"Because we have a lot of sex and I don't take my birth control like I'm suppose to all the time nor do you pull out all the time; so I just thought about us using condoms. Obviously I changed my mind since we never used them."
"I ain't taking you nowhere tonight, be sad, I don't don't give a fuck."
She kept calling my name but she had pissed me off and I wasn't trying to hear anything else she had to say.
I felt like condoms should only be used with mothafuckas you didn't give a fuck about, people you had one night stands with, and friends with benefits to avoid any mess ups. Not somebody you had been with for almost three years, had two kids with, and was engaged to. I didn't give a fuck if we were the two most busiest people in the world with eighty kids, I wasn't using no condoms.
She came out of the bathroom with a sad expression on her face. "You really mad at me over condoms?"
"You disrespectful as hell bro." I kept watching tv not glancing her way.
"Don't call me bro." She got on the bed causing me to move to the chair. "You really doing too much."
I shrugged "And?"
"I hate when you start being mean to me." She stuck her lip out. "Be nice"
I scoffed "You almost made me curse you out.... Bro."
"Don't call me that, I'm not your damn bro!"
"Well you must not be my woman either since you wanna use condoms." I gave her a fake closed mouth smile.
She came to where I was and straddled me before I could get up. "I'm sorry Tae, I didn't think it was that big of a deal."
"Don't apologize to me when you know how I feel about that shit."
"You being a big baby."
"You one to talk"
She folded her arms across her chest "And what the fuck is that suppose to mean?"
"Take it how you want, I don't give a damn." I politely moved her off of me.
"I'm not about to kiss your ass about this and I'm not apologizing again when I was trying to help us." She stood in front of me. "I bought condoms, get over it."
"Don't tell me to get over shit." I looked up at her as I leaned my head on the arm of the chair. "I'll let it go when I feel like it."
"Are we going out tonight or not?"
"I told your ass no! Go out with them condoms."
She smacked her lips "You're a child"
"Again, you one to talk." I got up to open the door to get our food.
Before I ate I smoked a couple blunts and finished watching the cupcake show. She ate her shit and went straight into the bathroom but I didn't think anything of it until she came out.
"What you dressed for?"
"I don't need you to take me anywhere, I'll go by myself." She dug through her bag taking out her perfume.
"Bye then"
"Give me your keys."
"Nope, Uber or Lyft" I bit into my burger. "Take your pick."
********
Julio
"Shit" I hissed as I thrusted into the girl of my choice for the night mouth. I gripped her hair in my hand and went as deep as she could handle without chocking.
I had went to WalMart earlier in the day to get a money order for Cari's daycare payment and she was the one who helped me. She flirted a lil bit, we exchanged numbers, and now I was balls deep down her throat.
She was cute and she had a fat ass with thighs to match so I figured why not. I wasn't willing to fuck nobody but it wasn't shit to get my dick sucked a few times a week.
"Stick your tongue out, love." I coached her. I could tell she wasn't as old as I was nor was she experienced, but she knew what she was doing for the most part; I just needed a nut for the night.
She took me out of her mouth and spit on my dick before rotating her hands around my shaft and sucking on the tip. She was with the sloppy shit and I loved that. She had spit all on her chest and around her mouth.
I was dumb close until I peeped my phone vibrating. I glanced at her nightstand, where I had it on the charger, Korea's name flashed across it. I successfully ignored it until the third call. "Hold up ma" I stepped back from her.
"Hello?"
"Julio meet us at the emergency room by your house, Cali's running really high fever and can't keep her eyes open." Her voice shook letting me know she was shaken up.
"I'm on my way."
"You leaving?" The girl whose name I couldn't remember asked.
"Yeah, emergency" I pulled my briefs and shorts up, trying my best to ignore the stickiness on my dick.
She stood up off her knees "You'll come back later?"
"Yeah I gotcha" I lied, I probably would call her another day though.
She kissed my cheek "Bye Julio"
"Bye love"
"Where she at?" I asked as I walked towards Korea. She had Cari laid on her shoulder as she slept, it was almost one in the morning.
"They're examining her in the back." She pat Cari's back. "She had been complaining about her throat this morning but I just thought it was a cold so I gave her some medicine and she went to school. When she got home she was laying around and she barely ate her dinner. We had Chic-Fil-A and you know how she feels about Chic-Fil-A. She was burning up then so I gave her another dose of medicine and made her take a cold bath before she went to bed. Around eleven I went and checked on her and she was even hotter, when I woke her up she complained about her eyes being itchy and she couldn't open them."
I smacked my lips "Damn" My heart was sad for my baby. Cali got really bad colds every Winter but it had never been this bad on her.
We were only there for maybe thirty minutes before they told us what we knew it already was. The doctor told us to do and give her shit that we already knew to do and give her; keep her hydrated, doped on meds for her throat and eyes, and to monitor her.
"Daddy?" She mumbled as I carried her to my car. Korea and I didn't wanna risk her getting Cari sick so we agreed it'd be best for her to ride with me.
"Yeah baby?"
"I was just making sure it was you."
I laughed "I'm right here"
"You staying at the house tonight right?" I asked Korea once we reached our cars.
"No sir but you can stay at mine for the night." She the backseat door. "Who knows who's panties I'll find at your place." She snickered.
"Nobody's unless you left some."
"Well that's funny considering you have lipgloss on your cheek." She smirked at me as she buckled Cari in. "I'll see you at my place."
"Korea"
"Put my child in the car Julio, it's cold out here."
"I ain't been fucking bitches if that's what you thinking." I went into her room right after I put Cali in her bed. She had beat me to her place since I had to stop and pick up Cali some more medicine from the 24 hour CVS.
She wiped her makeup off her face, sighing. "Julio I keep telling you that we are no longer together; you're free to mess around with whoever you choose."
"I'm just letting you know I'm not sticking my dick in these hoes out here."
"Well where you stick it then?" She faced me. "In the ass?"
"No"
"Well where? You keep trying to make that point so tell me."
"I've just been getting head, thats it."
She laughed "You're saying that like it's nothing. Either way I don't care, I'm just saying."
"Whatever you wanna know all you got to do is ask." I told her honestly. "Matter fact I'll tell you, since you left my ass I've been a gotdamn wreck. My head ain't in shit that I do and I call and text you all day the way I do just because I miss you. I let three bitches suck my dick including the Waffle House girl that always be commenting under your pictures. I ain't fucked nobody cause I'm not putting my dick in anybody that ain't you. I-"
"Okkkk Julio, I get it." She cut me off. "You can stop telling me about shit that ain't my business."
"Why must you get under my skin the way you do? You do that shit on purpose."
"I do not, you're just sensitive to every thing I say to you." She stood up and stripped out of her clothes, standing in only her panties and bra.
I bit down on my lip so hard I drew blood from it. My dick instantly got hard. "The fuck you doing man?"
"Well I am about to go to sleep and you are in my room." She had her back to me as she dug through her dresser for something to wear to bed.
My eyes were glued to her ass as I thought about how her pussy used to grip my dick. I could've damn near cried wishing I could feel her.
"Did you hear what I said?" She snapped her fingers at me.
"No, what you say ma?"
"I said you can sleep in Cali's bed with her or on the couch."
"Why I can't sleep in here?" I held my hands out as I smacked my lips. "I won't try anything, I swear."
"I know you won't because you're not sleeping in my bed Julio." She put her blonde hair in a bun on top of her head.
"So you gone make me sleep on that hard ass couch?"
Korea had a king size bed and her small ass only took up maybe one quarter of it, and she stayed in one spot all night. The rest was going to waste but yet I had to sleep on the couch.
"I offered Cali's bed as well."
"She's sick!"
"Well you can always go home and come back in the morning."
I flipped her off "Where the covers and shit at man?"
"In the hall closet" She got under her covers, pulling them up to her chin. "Goodnight, can you turn the light out please?"
"Night ma" I slowly walked towards the door hoping she would change her mind.
I grabbed two comforters from the closet as well as two extra pillows she had in there. "Fucking shame man, I'm a big man and I gotta sleep on the couch."
"Who are you talking to?" She yelled from her room.
"Nobody" I went into the living room and threw the pillows down out of frustration. I went into the kitchen and helped myself to the fresh bag of cherries she had in the refrigerator. I also got Cali's pint of Cookies and Creme ice-cream out of the freezer, she couldn't eat it anyway so I didn't feel bad. I turned on the TV and immediately went to Netflix so I could watch Bad Boys for the millionth time. It didn't matter how many times I watched it, shit was funny every time. Martin Lawerence and Will Smith were some fools.
I woke up mad as hell, hearing Korea vacuum. I sat up glaring at her. "What the fuck Korea?"
She turned it off "Sorry, it was crumbs on the ground and you know I can't stand having a dirty house." She grabbed the empty chip bags I had helped myself to last night. "How'd you sleep?"
"Hard ass couch got my back aching like I'm seventy years old."
"You gone stop talking about my couch."
I sat all the way up, throwing the cover off of me. "Whatever, they up?"
"I'm not sure, go check."
"Goodmorning baby" I spoke to Cali as she looked up at me from her bed.
She coughed "Morning daddy"
"You feeling better?"
Her swelling had fully went down. "Yes a little, you stayed at our house last night?"
"Yeah nosey"
Her face lit up "You and Mommy getting back together?" She tried her best to sit up but I had to help her. "I really really hope so! That'll make me soooo happy daddy!"
I sat down beside her "What goes on between me and your mama ain't your business and it shouldn't worry you because you know we both love you very much, right?"
"I know that but I wish we could all live in the same house again. I miss my room at your house but I like my room in this house too." She shrugged. "And you have a pool."
"I'm working on it baby."