Chapter 6
Charly
Dominic didn’t answer my calls or text messages all night long.
Karter wouldn’t go after him, and Tunisia backed him up.
They both stated that Karter’s going would only make matters worse and that Dominic would get to Ramon one way or the other.
Karter insisted that they needed to fight this out because Dominic had been holding things on his chest about his big brother for a while.
None of those explanations brought me a sense of peace.
It was only my safety that kept me parked on Tunisia’s couch and not running after my best friend.
I called out of work because there was no way that I would show up at the club looking like I had been dragged underneath Dominic’s car. I spent a sleepless night in the full-size bed in KJ’s nursery. The next morning, I watched him while she went grocery shopping and ran errands.
We spent the afternoon cooking lunch, prepping for dinner, and cleaning the house before we headed out onto her lanai to chill for a while. We started off talking about what happened, the ins and outs of the relationship I had with Ramon versus the feelings that I had for Dominic.
“I just don’t get it, Charly. You have loved that man since the day he saved your skinny behind. How did you ever become involved with his brother? It never made sense to me.”
“You know how. I was so embarrassed and hurt when he told me that we could never be a thing. He said he didn’t love me like that.”
“I remember. It was the day after your sixteenth birthday, and you cried like a baby.”
“Yeah, because you’d hyped me up to tell him the truth about my feelings for him.”
“And I stand by my decision, girl. All I’m saying is at least you’re clear on where you stand.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
“Ramon still makes no sense. I mean, he’s cute, fine, smart as hell, but he’s always had this intimidating vibe about him.”
“When Dom got locked up, he was the one who was there for me. He looked after me and protected me. Whenever I needed someone to talk to or was short on money or whatever, he came through just like Dom did. I don’t know . . . He made me feel safe and secure with him.”
“I feel safe and secure with my brothers, daddy, and uncle, but that doesn’t land me in their bed.”
I laughed and hit her shoulder. “Shut up. I can’t stand you.”
“You love me, boo, because I keep it real.”
I pulled my feet up into the papasan chair with me and hugged my knees to my chest. Looking out into the backyard where the rain created a soothing rhythm as it spattered the gold and rust-colored leaves on the ground, I sighed.
“I don’t know. That year when Mama died, it was so hard.
You were spending that year traveling all the time with Karter, my daddy had just started dating Adrian, and Dom was still rejecting my letters.
Losing Mama was the hardest thing I had ever gone through in my life.
I swear, I thought I wouldn’t make it most days.
But that day after burying her was the hardest because it was so final, you know? ”
I turned my head to face her as the tears brimmed in my eyes. Tunisia reached out a hand and rubbed my back. “I’m sorry, boo.”
I wiped the tears. “Anyway, I’d gone over to the Strongs’ house to hang out with Dom’s mom because she was always so sweet to me.
She was gone, Papa Strong was gone, and there was just Ramon.
I felt so alone, like everyone had abandoned me when I needed them the most. I cried my heart out, and he sat on the sofa beside me, whispering affirmations, holding me, and comforting me.
The next thing I knew, he was rocking me.
He promised that I wasn’t alone and that he and God would always be there.
He said if everyone else in the world left me, he wouldn’t.
“When I told him that he couldn’t promise that because he could die tomorrow, he smiled at me and said, ‘Well, I guess your ass had better have my body cremated so you can carry my ashes with you.’ I laughed so hard at his corniness that I forgot about my sorrow.
He wiped my tears, stared into my eyes, and told me that he meant that.
The next thing I knew, he kissed me, and I didn’t pull back.
“A part of me felt that it was wrong, but at that moment, he was what I needed.
We became inseparable like Dom and I used to be.
We started going places and doing things together.
I saw a different side of Ramon that I had never seen before.
I thought about how Dom said that he and I could never be.
“Then Ramon told me that before Dom went away, he said he wanted me to be with a guy who would settle into a good career, give me a home and a family, and keep me on the straight and narrow. He said that he was that guy. I believed him because Dom told me the same thing. It wasn’t until two months later, after I finally had sex with him, that I regretted it. ”
“Because you gave your virginity to the wrong man, and you knew it.”
I nodded. “And he knew that I felt that way. He could see it in my eyes, no matter how hard I tried to hide it. I promised him that I had strong feelings for him, too, and then I allowed myself to let my guilt trap me in a relationship that I didn’t want.
All to prove that I wasn’t using him to get over Dom. ”
“Damn. When did he start hitting you?”
“Three months before Dom got out. It’s like he knew things wouldn’t be the same between us anymore. He changed on me completely.”
“You ain’t gotta worry ’bout that shit no more.”
I swiveled so fast in the chair at the sound of Dominic’s voice that I almost fell out of the papasan chair. My heart stopped in my chest when I saw his face.
“Dominic,” I whispered. It took mere seconds for me to hop out of the chair and rush to him in the doorway.
I threw my arms around him and squeezed him tight. He stood still for several seconds before he finally lifted his arms and held me to him.
“How long have you been here?” Tunisia asked, getting up and walking to where we stood.
“About ten minutes. I was in there talking to your husband before I came to check on Charly,” he stated in a thick voice filled with emotion.
“I’ll let you two chat while I go check on Karter and KJ.”
“Little K, not the big one, is knocked out. Big K is watching TV.”
Tunisia bobbed her head and walked by us. I grabbed Dominic’s hand and tugged him toward the papasan chair. I pushed him down in it before I climbed inside with him to sit on his lap. He wrapped his arms around me in a hug that spoke of warmth, protection, stability, and memories long past.
The amber and cedarwood notes in his cologne awakened my senses and caused me to melt against him. Every time I smelled Dominic, I wanted him, yearned for him, and he made my arousal grow, even throughout the time that I had been with Ramon.
I had fought hard to keep my attraction for him at bay.
But one whiff of his natural masculine scent and his bold cologne caused my nipples to harden and my core to tighten.
I was sure that Ramon had noticed more than once, but whenever he made mention of it, I would blame it on the air or that time of the month being close, and that my nipples were just sensitive.
And although I knew he wasn’t a fool, I couldn’t help that my body reacted to something beyond my control.
“What happened?” I asked softly, rubbing my thumb underneath his eye.
“We fought. You know what happened.” His tone was solemn.
“Did you at least peace it out after you two got that out of your system?”
“There can be no peace, Charly. There hasn’t been peace in a long time.”
“I don’t want this to be all about me though. I remember how your father drilled into y’all growing up the importance of your brotherhood and how you should never let a woman come between y’all. When he finds out, he’s going to kick both of your asses.”
Dominic shook his head and shrugged as he pulled his finger through his beard with one hand while he rubbed slow circles on my back with his other. “No, he won’t. It wasn’t just about a girl. It was about promises broken and lies told. It was about upholding his word.”
“About me?”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it, Charly.”
I grabbed his face and held it in my hands. “You do realize that you can talk to me about anything, don’t you?”
His gaze narrowed, and he replied softly, “Yeah.”
“Good. I’ll be here whenever you’re ready.”
Dominic reached up and placed his hands over mine.
He removed my hands from his face and sighed.
“I’m glad you know that, because if I can talk to you about anything, then the same goes for you.
I don’t ever wanna hear about you being in a relationship and some nigga has put his hands on you and you don’t tell me. ”
“I didn’t want you to get in trouble, Dom. Just like you feel the need to protect me, I feel the same way.”
Disappointment filled me with his words though.
The thought of being with any other man other than him caused me anguish.
Hadn’t he realized after all this that I was the one for him?
I was hoping he would break down and acknowledge the feelings he had for me.
I felt them whenever he looked into my eyes, held me, or told me that he loved me.
Then there were all the things Ramon had shared with me about how Dom felt about me.
Was Ramon lying? Or was Dominic determined to uphold appearances?
Yes, he tried to keep a distance from me emotionally and physically since he learned that I was involved with Ramon, but that could only go so far.
“You’re coming to stay with me.”
“What?” I asked, pulling back to stare at him.
“There’s only you and me in this room, and there ain’t no noise. You heard me.”
“I can’t stay with you, Dom, especially not after all this. What will your family think? What will mine say?”
“I don’t give a shit, and you know this. You can’t stay holed up in that baby’s room, and you ain’t going back to that nigga.”
“I wouldn’t dream of going back there. And as far as that room is concerned, Tunisia and Karter told me that I can stay here for as long as I need to.”
“And you did. You don’t need to anymore.”
“Dom.”
“Charly.”
He widened his eyes and stretched his neck forward, mimicking my actions. I giggled but shook my head again.
“No, I can’t stay with you.”
“Why not?” His voice was low, smooth, and warm like a nice bourbon.
“I just can’t. Okay?” I hated that my voice was whiny with him. When had I become that girl?
“Not okay. Tell me why. You just said that I could talk to you about anything and vice versa.”
“Not about this.”
“There are no limitations, Charly. That’s what got ya li’l ass in this situation in the first place.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and huffed out my frustration. “Fine. I don’t want to be in a house watching all of your hos running in and out of your bedroom.”
The smug smile that came across his cocky ass expression and the way his eyes assessed me had me deep in my feelings.
The man was beautiful on a good day, sexy on a great day, but even with the bruises he had around his eye and jaw, it didn’t detract from his good looks.
Today, he looked better than ever to me, and maybe it was because I was single again. I wasn’t sure.
“You jealous?”
“Of skanks? Hell no!”
He chuckled and then dragged the backs of his fingers down the curve of my jaw.
Part of me wanted to tell him never to do that again.
Then the other part wanted to lean in and savor his touch.
It was simple things like feeling the backs of his fingers against my skin that turned me on and made me want to bask in the essence of Dominic.
“I promise not to have skanks and any other females running in and out of my bedroom. I promise to take them to their homes and hotels.”
I rolled my eyes, hating the image that came to mind of him between another woman’s legs and thrusting inside of her.
“You ain’t said nothing,” he stated after I remained silent.
“I just don’t know that it’s a good idea.”
“What was your plan?”
“I was going to talk to Chopper and see if he’d let me on the team. He knows that I’m good.”
Dominic dropped his head and rubbed the back of his neck.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I don’t know. He’s hard and standing firm on the line about not bringing anyone else into the crew.”
“But it’s me,” I argued, pressing my hand against my chest.
“Even more of a reason not to do it.”
“What?” I inhaled and held my breath. “Why not?”
“You’re a hot head, Charly, and everyone knows this.”
“But I’ll follow the rules. I promise to behave myself. Would you please talk to Chopper for me? Please,” I pleaded.
“I don’t know. How’s that gonna change your situation?”
“I’ve got some money stacked. I just need a few races to put me over the top.”
“I don’t know. I don’t like the idea of you out there racing, baby girl.”
“I don’t see why not. I already do it, and I’ve been doing it almost as long as you have. The only difference is that I haven’t been picked up by a team. Most of those assholes don’t want a girl on their team.”
“And you know why. Niggas start hitting on ’em, girlfriends get jealous, and fights break out, members get involved with each other, and quiet inner beefs start, skills and competition become impacted. Don’t nobody want that shit. It’s best if we keep it among the niggas.”
“That’s how you feel?”
“That’s how most guys feel. I ain’t got no problem with it personally. If you can drive and win, that’s all that matters to me. Put some dollars in my pocket, and I ain’t having no problem.”
“My point exactly. Would you just talk to him for me, Dom, please? He’ll listen to you. He respects you. You know this. Some might even say he’s afraid of you.”
“Nah. He’s not afraid of me. Besides, I don’t want any man to be afraid of me,” he replied.
“Just please ask him.”
“What am I getting out of this?”
“I promise not to sleep in my car and come home to stay with you instead.”
He chuckled. “Oh, that benefits me?”
“Yeah. It keeps you from having to fight.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “You’re a mess, girl. But I love ya.” He kissed my forehead, and something deep inside of me awakened.
Lord, if only his words and kiss were meant in a different way than he intended them to. That kiss and declaration of love this evening hit differently than I was sure he meant them to.