Rhodes to Love (The Henderson Family Saga #24)
Chapter 1
CHAPTER 1
KARIMA
I was sitting at Whataburger, enjoying my last burger before I had to leave for Nashville. I was in my feelings big time, because I really didn’t want to leave home, but I knew this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Even with all the drama with Jacob and that heifer, along with Cassie’s mom, Shayla, I knew I couldn’t be stagnant in my life because of what they had going on in theirs. My heart still wanted to stay.
Sometimes, I felt like my heart was way too soft, and then there were other times that I felt I was too tough and didn’t leave people wiggle room, especially in my love life. I could show compassion all day and pray for those I loved who were having a tough time. I’d even offer words of advice and encouragement. However, in my love life, I was the total opposite. I refused to deal with a nigga who didn’t have himself together or who didn’t make me their number one priority.
Jared didn’t stand a chance. The minute I found out he’d slept with someone else, I was done. I didn’t need to hear his explanation of how it happened. That woman showed up at my doorstep to tell me she’d fucked the man I loved. The audacity of her ass. She had better be glad I was home alone. I simply said, “Good for you,” and slammed the door in her face.
Had any of my cousins or siblings been at my house, it would have been open season on that ass. That was why I didn’t tell them my business. I kept my heartache and struggles to myself. Every now and then, I’d talk to my parents or KJ about them, but I didn’t need any of those rowdy niggas getting themselves in trouble because of something I’d said.
As I looked out the window, watching traffic on Calder Avenue and Dowlen Road, there was a tap on my shoulder. When I turned and looked up at who was trying to get my attention, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. “Rhodes!”
I hadn’t seen him since a little before I dated Jared. He’d transferred to Hardin Jefferson High School our senior year, and we’d become fast friends, although it started with him flirting with me. We were at a school dance, and he was C-walking. I watched him then went next to him for him to teach me. He held my hand and walked me through it. Once I’d gotten it down, he looked square in my eyes and said, “Let me find out you like Cali niggas.”
I giggled something fierce, but I never took him up on his many offers to be his. There was something thuggish about him, and while I was somewhat attracted to the bad boy swag, I refused to be worrying about a nigga doing foolish shit or being unhinged with me. That would be one time that I would get my family involved. Those niggas were cool in books, but in real life, I wanted no parts of that.
Rhodes, although sweet around me, had quickly developed a reputation at HJ for being a hard nigga that didn’t take nobody’s shit. He got into three fights in the six months he was there. It would have been more had I not been around to talk him down. It seemed I calmed all his demons. I knew he had plenty he was dealing with, and he’d enlightened me on some of them.
I quickly stood from my seat and embraced him. I heard the low rumble in his throat as he hugged me tightly, resting his head against mine. I pulled away and stared up at him with a huge smile.
“Hey, KD. How you doing, baby? I ain’t seen yo’ fine, pretty ass in years.”
I rolled my eyes playfully. He called me KD because my middle name was Denali. I swore he didn’t know how to talk to me without flirting. The man looked good as hell, though, so I didn’t mind. He was tall, milk chocolate, and sexy. He was a tad on the thin side, but he was bigger than he was in high school. There was some definition there as well. I could see it through his shirt.
“I’m good, Rosewood. How you doing? You looking all educated with these glasses on.”
I eased them off his face as he stared at me, tucking his bottom lip into his mouth. His nickname was Rosewood, because his name was Rhodes Woods. Whenever a teacher said his full name, that was what it sounded like. Plus, he earned a reputation for not really caring for the white kids at school. Knowing the history of the primarily black city of Rosewood, Florida, it fit perfectly.
Although Rosewood was known because of the massacre of black people by white men in 1923, Rhodes would have been like Ving Rhames in the movie Rosewood depicting the race riot. He didn’t play with those white boys at school. He defended everybody black… period. My dad liked him a lot, but I didn’t think he liked him for me. He just liked that Rhodes had my back, no matter the cost.
“For your information, while you been letting that fuck boy string you along, I got my bachelor’s degree in agricultural science and a master’s degree in animal science. Don’t let this Oakland swag fool you. I had to adapt to my surroundings. Can’t beat ’em, might as well join ’em.”
I chuckled as my eyes widened. “I knew you could do it. You were so adamant about not going to college, and now you have a master’s degree. I’m so proud of you, Rhodes. Sit down so we can catch up.”
We sat in the booth, and I handed his glasses back to him. He never wore glasses, so I asked, “Are those prescription?”
“Naw. I wear them to throw people off a lil bit. They don’t realize I ain’t to be fucked with as long as I have these muthafuckas on. They reveal their true colors a lot quicker than they do if my dreads hanging and I have my chains on and my grill in.”
I slowly shook my head. “Well, I’m so happy to see you. It’s been at least five years.”
“Mm-hmm. You ignored that shit I said earlier. You still fucking around with Jared?”
I looked away for a moment. I chose to focus on the fact that he’d gone to school instead of how much of a fool I had been. When I started dating Jared, I stopped talking to Rhodes. Although we hadn’t seen one another in a while, we were sure to keep up with each other by phone. I knew he wanted me, no matter how much of a friend I considered him to be. That wouldn’t have been cool to keep him around when I had a man. Jared, or any other man, would have noticed his attraction to me. He never tried to hide it. He’d scanned my body unashamedly, just today, after I hugged him.
“No. We broke up almost a year ago. One of his women showed up at my house.”
“Tell me you fucked that bitch up.”
“No. I slammed the door on her.”
He slowly shook his head. “Always the soft one. I like that shit though. My country princess can’t be scrapping in them Nome streets. Leave that shit for your aunt and cousin. So, yo’ pretty ass on the market?”
I chuckled. I knew he was talking about Aunt Tiffany and Jessica. They were the fighters. I heard Aunt Jen was like that in her younger years also. I stared over at him as he licked his lips and reached for my hand. I slid it to him, and he lifted it and kissed it.
“Rhodes, I leave for Nashville tomorrow.”
He slowly allowed my hand to slide from his as his eyebrows lifted slightly. “For real? I never thought you would leave Nome. I mean… I know you can barrel race from anywhere, but with as close as you are to your family, that shit gut checked me. So, I reconnected to you only for you to leave me again.”
He lowered his head and stared at me. I could feel a stirring below, coaxing me to let him taste what he’d been wanting before I go. I closed my eyes briefly, trying to subdue my thoughts and subtle desires, then reopened them and stood. He followed my lead and stood as well. I molded my body into his, hugging him tightly. I’d missed his friendship, but in this moment, I realized I’d been running from him as well.
I was so attracted to Rhodes, but I hated that thug shit he was on in high school. He was a product of his environment and had succumbed to it for a moment. With his dad being a kingpin in Oakland, I knew the lifestyle was engrained in him. It was all he knew. However, it seemed being out here brought about a change in him. It was like he was showing me he could be everything I wanted, only for me to leave him behind once again.
He gently rubbed my back and kissed the top of my forehead near my hairline. Lifting my head from his chest, I stared up into his small, slanted eyes. When he lowered his face to mine, I couldn’t allow myself to pull away. He softly kissed my lips, and a low rumble vibrated his throat. He pulled away from me and said, “When you ready to travel the Rhodes to love, I’ll be here, KD.”
With that, he pulled away from me and walked away. I couldn’t move. There was something in his eyes that told me he was hurt. He wanted me just as badly as he did back in high school, and my desire for him seemed to grow stronger with this brief interaction. Rhodes had matured beyond even my hopes for him.
Dropping back to the bench, I stared at my food, noticing how its appeal had worn off. Gathering the leftovers, I balled it up in the paper wrapping it came in. My heart felt heavy, and I didn’t take that lightly. Rhodes didn’t share any contact information with me, so my only hope was that it hadn’t changed. My soul was craving him. I didn’t know how a long-distance relationship would work, but I was willing to figure it out if he was.