Theirs

Chapter 3

I was obsessed with Jiselle and didn’t mean that as a figure of speech.

I meant that shit for real. She didn’t know it yet but she would be my wife and the mother of my children.

I’d had a burning desire to take care of her since we’d met my first night on the job.

She’d gotten into a bar fight with a drunk man who had tried to slide his hand down her skirt, nut checked him, then hit him over the head with a bottle. I’d been hooked ever since.

I’d slapped a tracker on her car not even a month later and now I checked that shit like the morning paper to make sure she made it home safely and to each of the dots she visited frequently.

As nice as Jiselle was, I wasn’t confident she had the best street smarts and refused to let shit happen to her.

I wanted to know if she got stuck on the side of the road or at someone else’s spot.

Now that we’d actually fucked, Jiselle’s life had been decided for her. If she thought she could put pussy that good on me and get away with it, she was out of her fucking mind.

The longer I looked at her, the more I wanted to just hide her from the world.

I grabbed her ankle and massaged it since she frequently complained about her feet and the shoes she wore.

She lifted an eyebrow while she hit her bong and I grinned at the expression.

She was so fucking pretty, sitting in front of me in an oversized T-shirt and nothing else, her bright pink bong in hand and all of her hair on top of her head.

We’d taken a shower together after fucking, then she offered to let me hang out for a little bit and of course I agreed. I wasn’t in a rush to go home.

“I don’t want this to be a one night stand,” I said.

Selle lowered her bong, inhaled, blew the smoke out, and blinked at me.

“Uhm, Stone,” she said gently. “You realize I’m a hoe, right?”

“So? You can be my hoe,” I offered. She laughed and I couldn’t stop myself from joining her. “I don’t care about that stupid shit,” I said and switched to her other foot. “No matter how many times you say it, I won’t care.”

“I do sex work,” she clarified. “My entire asshole is on the internet somewhere.”

“And? I still don’t care.”

“Trust me. After a while, all men care.”

She took another hit from her bong then set it on her bedside table and leaned back on both hands. She let the smoke drift from her mouth.

“I keep telling you I’m not like all men.”

“Right.” She lifted her head to look at me. “So, why are you single?”

“Been waiting for you.” I shrugged.

“I hate how smooth you are,” she countered and pulled her foot from my grasp to kick me lightly.

“I’m serious. It’s just us in here. Show me yours and I’ll show you mine.

You’re hot and fuck like your life depends on it.

You do the whole door opening, sweatshirt giving shit women would fawn all over. Why don’t you have someone?”

“Before? I was in and out of jail. Now, I’ve been too busy to pursue shit.

You saw the car seat. I’ve been helping my brother raise his kid and handling more shit and I don’t know.

Nobody was worth trying to find a balance for until you.

” I licked my lips and watched her eyes flick toward them. “Now show me yours.”

“There’s nothing to show. It’s hard dating when you’re a sex worker and I refuse to delete my account and be financially dependent on a man which ends up being an issue when the whole dating thing starts to become serious.”

“I don’t blame you for not wanting to depend on a man. Shit. I respect it.”

“Sure you do.”

“I’m serious. My mom was one of those women who let a man leave her high and dry with multiple kids. I understand wanting to have your own.”

“But?”

“There’s no but. That’s it.”

“Did you know I did sex work when you decided to come home with me?”

“Nah, but it wouldn’t have changed anything.”

“I won’t look at you differently if it does.”

“It don’t.”

Selle stared at me and I held her gaze while she tried to read me.

Eventually, she just exhaled.

“Alright,” she said simply.

“So we have a date scheduled for next weekend, right?”

“What?”

“A date,” I reiterated. “That you told me I could pay for.”

Selle cut her eyes at me. “Stone—”

“I’ll let you know when it’s planned and I’ll pick you up.” I leaned in and kissed her mouth briefly. “I’m not arguing with you.”

Her eyes lifted to mine and she wrapped her arms around my neck. I let her kiss me harder before gripping her hips and tracing my thumb over her bare skin beneath her shirt.

“Is that what you need?” I asked. “For me to put my foot down and tell you what the fuck it’s going to be?”

“Mhm.” She nodded and I grinned against her mouth.

“Okay. I can do that.”

I kissed her again then groaned when my phone rang. I pulled back to grab it and she followed me, climbing onto my body while I snatched it up. I saw it was one of my younger brothers and picked up immediately.

“When are you coming home?” He skipped straight to the point and I chuckled.

“Let’s start with why the fuck are you up this late?”

“Man because Drake is in here playing music all loud with some bitch in his room.”

“Watch that bitch word,” I snapped. “I’ll handle it.”

“Thank you.” My second youngest brother, Xy, hung up and I immediately called the middle child.

Drake sent me to voicemail and I called him again.

“Hello?” he answered after several long rings.

“Lower that mothafuckin’ music before I drop you on yo’ neck,” I threatened. “Xy and J got school in the morning and Leann is probably trying to get our niece to sleep or get sleep herself. It’s damn near time for them to get up again. Have some fucking decorum, nigga.”

“The music ain’t even that loud.”

“It was loud enough for me to hear it through the phone when I called to check on Xy,” I lied. “If you want to be making all the noise, take yo’ ass to the Motel 6.”

“Yeah, alright.”

“Don’t just say alright and think shit sweet, D.”

“I hear you and I got the music down. Anything else?”

“You checked homework?”

“I checked homework and made sure everybody ate. We good?”

“Yeah. We good.” I paused and exhaled because I knew for a fact this wasn’t exactly how Drake wanted to spend his last year of high school, parenting kids who weren’t his. “I appreciate you,” I added.

“You good.”

“Alright.” I hung up and immediately went to my account and moved a hundred dollars to his.

He texted almost immediately.

Mini Me:

Thanks.

I liked the message but didn’t respond and tossed my phone back on the bed.

“Do you need to go?” Selle asked.

“Yeah, actually.” I sighed. “I—”

She cut me off. “You don’t owe me an explanation.”

“I know but I don’t want you to think I just wanted to fuck you and dip because that wasn’t what this was.”

“I know,” she said simply. She collapsed back onto her ass. “You don’t get far selling fantasy to men without knowing when they’re selling fantasy to you.” She shrugged. “I think you had every intention of staying until you got that phone call and it’s cool.”

“But we’re going out soon.” I pushed forward to kiss her. “I promise.”

“Promises, promises,” she sang as she pushed onto her back.

“You’ll see.” I hopped up, walked around her bed, and kissed her one more time just because it was still surreal that I had that ability now.

“We’ll see,” she corrected.

“Bet.”

I nodded and grabbed my shirt, quickly sliding it on while I collapsed at the foot of her bed and pulled my shoes on.

Selle walked me to the front door and I looked down at her once I was on the opposite side of the doorway.

“Call me after you get some sleep and I’ll get you to your car.”

“I’ll get an iDrive.”

“Selle—”

“Bye, Stone.”

She tiptoed, kissed me, then pushed me away with one hand. I took a step back, even though we both knew she couldn’t actually push me backward, and she slammed the door in my face. I listened to her slide the lock into place, shook my head, and headed out.

When I got home, the house was mostly dark except for one upstairs bedroom light I knew was Drake’s. I parked in the covered area beside a car I didn’t recognize and took my time hopping out of my truck.

The five-bedroom, two-story house I lived in with my entire family looked like a piece of fucking junk on the outside but the inside was well maintained thankfully.

The front door opened to the living room, the door right beside it leading to my bedroom.

I quietly shut the door behind me and locked it in place before doing my rounds.

There was one other bedroom on the first floor that belonged to the third oldest of the family, twenty-two year old Morocco.

Since he had a kid and his baby mama, Leann, staying with us, it made sense for them to have the biggest bedroom.

I knocked lightly then peered inside. Leann was sleeping sitting up with my niece laid on her chest and also sleeping, rainforest noises coming from the television.

I shut the door quietly then headed upstairs. The door nearest to the stairs belonged to my older brother Elijah who was currently doing a ten-year bid behind some stupid shit. I checked his room anyway just to make sure it was empty and everything was still where he’d left it.

Light music came from seventeen year old Drake’s room so I didn’t bother checking on him.

Instead, I peeked in on fourteen-year-old Xy and twelve-year-old Joss who had the second biggest room in the house since they still shared.

They were both knocked out cold, their television playing and Joss laid on his back snoring like he had a full time job he’d just gotten off.

I closed their door then made my way to the kitchen.

It was already after six in the morning.

It looked like Leann had packed lunches for Xy, Joss, and herself thankfully.

We all had our roles to play in the family and I appreciated when everyone did their part.

I put coffee on for her, and even though Drake had told me he’d gone over Xy and Joss’s homework, I still sat down with their bags, pulled their work out, and looked it over before I climbed up and stretched.

I looked over as the front door opened and Morocco walked in, home from his graveyard shift at the warehouse. He yawned and walked over. I dapped him up.

“How was work?”

“It was cool.” He shrugged, walked to the pantry, grabbed a box of cereal, and poured some right into his mouth.

I chuckled as he did his best to chew and I turned toward the stairs when I heard feet hitting them.

“Good morning.” I looked over at Xy and Joss.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning.”

I made sure they looked presentable and ready for school before climbing to my feet.

“Y’all good on breakfast?”

“Yeah.” Joss walked over to the freezer and grabbed frozen breakfast burritos and I nodded.

“Then, I’m going to sleep.” I yawned but paused when Morocco’s door opened.

Leann walked out in her scrubs, closed the space between her and my brother, kissed him deeply, then maneuvered around him. She gave him the update on how their daughter, two-year-old Junie, had done overnight.

“If I were you, I’d get sleep now, while you still can,” she offered.

He nodded. “You ain’t got to tell me twice.” He kissed her cheek then mouth again. “Goodnight, y’all.”

“Night,” me and the boys echoed.

Morocco headed into his bedroom and shut the door.

Leann poured her coffee.

“I’m down to take everyone to school but I can’t be late because Drake wants to sleep in,” she warned.

“Nah. I feel that. Give me a second.”

I pivoted toward the stairs and jogged up.

“If you want this ride you better fucking act like it.” I banged on his door.

“Come on, man,” Drake groaned.

I pushed the door open and he yanked his blanket over his bare chest like I gave a fuck.

“Ain’t nobody looking at yo’ bird chest, bitch,” I snipped.

“Fuck you.” He chuckled and I grinned.

“Leann is gon’ leave yo’ ass.”

“I’ve got a ride.” He gestured to the girl beside him in bed.

“Yeah, okay. If you don’t get your ass to school on time and I find out about it, I’m gon’ have Morocco beat yo’ ass.”

“Man, I’m going to make it.”

“Good. You’ve got one year left, and if you don’t graduate, you can’t stay here.”

“I know.”

“And—”

Drake cut me off. “I’ve gotta go to college or to work.”

“That’s right.” I exhaled. “Look, you’re smart as fuck, Drake. I think you can be the first one of us to go to college but you’ve got to apply yourself and actually show up to class for starters.”

“Alright. I hear you.” Drake pushed up. “I’m up. I’ll be ready and out the door on time. I promise.”

“Alright. Cool. You can take care of your own lunch, right?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Thanks again for the deposit,” he added.

“I’ve got you.” I dapped him and walked out while he nudged the girl beside him awake.

When I got back downstairs, Leann had her work bag on her shoulder, double checking the lunch she’d packed for the boys.

“He’s got a ride,” I announced.

“Alright.”

I nodded and yawned again before making a beeline for my bedroom. I set my alarm for eleven even though it was already eight in the morning, collapsed into my bed, and was asleep in seconds.

When my alarm went off, I groaned but got my ass up to get to my part-time gig at the mechanic shop.

I unlocked my phone immediately to check my tracker and see if Selle had already gone to get her car.