Chapter 15
Shyann was on her knees, her back to Tasha, her head bobbing in a rhythm that made Tasha’s stomach drop.
Juelz was sitting on the edge of the bed, his head thrown back, with his face twisted in pleasure and pain.
He was in a zone, staring at the ceiling, his hands fisted in the sheets like he was holding on for dear life.
Tasha wanted to scream, to burst in and tear them apart, but her feet were cemented to the floor.
All she could do was watch as the tears ran down her face.
Watch the man she loved, the man who was supposed to be her rock, give himself to the one person he had no business with.
The muscles in Juelz's thigh tense, the guttural sound he was making in the back of his throat sent chills down Tasha's spine.
“You like that shit, baby?” Shyann moaned as she slobbed up and down Juelz's shaft. She was sucking him so good his toes were curling. The way Shyann's mouth felt had him thinking, “Tasha, who?”
He gripped her hair tighter, rolling his eyes in the back of his head. “Fuck yeah! Suck that shit, Shy. That’s it. Make that muthafucka hit the back of that throat.”
Tasha was fuming, her heart was beating so hard she thought it’d jump through her ribs.
She burst through the door, grabbed Shyann by the hair, and proceeded to punch her over and over again.
Shyann was scrambling on the floor, trying to dodge the hits.
She was bleeding everywhere. Tasha was fighting as if she were in the boxing ring.
Right hook, left hook, right again….
“TASHA! Tasha! Wake your crazy ass up, girl,” shaking her shoulders, Juelz yelled. “You in here fightin’ the shit outta somebody. You good?”
Tasha wiped her eyes, looking around, trying to see what had happened. “Shit!”
She took one glance at Juelz and started punching him like a madwoman. “Nigga. I. Know. You. Not. Fuckin’ around on me.” The punch landed after every word she spat. She was seeing red.
“Stop! Fool, I’m not doin’ shit. Stop hittin’ me, Tash,” Juelz spat as he dodged her licks. “Yo ass dreamin’.
She was breathing irregularly now. Her fist was still balled up at him. “Juelz! Dreams don’t lie,” she bucked at him, drawing her fist back more. “Lemme find out some shit goin’ on behind my back and watch how I tear yo yellow ass up. Try me nigg—”
She was cut off by her phone ringing on the nightstand. She leaned over the bed to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Hi, is this Tasha Hayes?” A calm, professional female voice on the other end.
“This is she.”
“Hi, Ms. Hayes. My name is Ashley, and I’m one of Dr. Madison's nurses here at the office. I’m calling because we have the results back from your exams and also the labs. Dr. Madison would like you to come into the office at your earliest convenience, or could you come in today?”
The world around Tasha tilted. Being a nurse herself, she knew that meant something bad. Her heart dropped.
She sat up straighter in bed. “Yea… yeah. I can come in.”
Juelz was in the background, looking confused, trying to figure out what had her looking puzzled. “Tasha, who that? Put that shit on speaker.”
Tasha wasn’t focused on what he was saying, all she could hear was the words spilling out of the nurse's mouth.
“Alright. I have you down for this morning at 11 a.m. We will see you then. Have a nice day, Ms. Hayes.”
Tasha ended the call and stared into the distance. Her thoughts were all over the place, and she couldn’t process what the results could possibly say. Juelz was watching her, trying to see what had happened on the other end of the call.
“Tash,” he called her name, but she didn’t answer. He waved his hand in front of her face. “Hellooo! Earth to Tasha. Helloo.”
She snapped out of her haze. “What! What is it?”
“Tasha? Who was that? You a’ight?”
She placed her phone back on the nightstand, exhaling out loud. “It was the doctor, Jue. I just have to go in for the follow-up. Are you able to take me today?”
He stood up, stretching, throwing his dreads out of his face.
“Damn, bae. I gotta meet with the fuckin’ connect today to pay back that shit them niggas took.
You think your sister or Niyah can take you for me?
” Tasha threw the pillow on the bed, stacking them on top of each other.
“I guess I can ask them.” She threw the last pillow with an attitude, startling him.
“You can’t do that shit another day, Juelz? This is important to us.”
He came across her side of the bed, standing behind her.
He wrapped his arm around her small waist, kissing her neck.
“I know, Tash. I wanna be there too,” he kissed her again.
“I—I just gotta meet this nigga and handle that lil’ business.
Oh, shit!” He snapped his finger, remembering.
“I gotta drop the Chevelle off at the shop, too. I’ll make it up to you, bae. ”
She shook her head, removing his arms. “Whatever, Jue. Do you, okay? Don’t even worry about it,” she clapped her hands, tilting her head. “Go do the fuck you.”
“C’mon, Tasha, don’t be like that. I gotta go pay this nigga his money back,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “K, and Lil’ Rico really fuck me up letting them niggas steal that work.” He tried to chase after her, but she went into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. “Come’ere.”
She ignored him. She was sick of Juelz's shit and wished he would let the street business go. Inside the bathroom, she felt as if the walls were closing in on her. Her eyes watered, but she didn’t let the tears fall.
She grabbed a towel from the rack and turned on the shower, letting the steam fill the room.
Juelz came inside, undressing to join her in the shower, and she stared him down.
“Get the fuck out, Juelz. You not gettin’ in here.
Wait til I get done or use the one downstairs. ”
Juelz wasn’t trying to hear shit Tasha was saying.
He ignored her, wrapping his dreads into a high man bun, and grabbed a wash towel from the closet.
Tasha flicked him off, rolling her eyes, and stepped inside the shower.
Seconds later, Juelz followed right behind her, but he instantly jumped back, with a frown on his face.
“Got damn, Tasha, you ‘gon burn a nigga skin off, fuck.” He rubbed his burning arm. “Turn that muthafuckin’ knob down some.”
Her nostrils flared while she was still lathering up. “Jue, really? It’s not even that hot.”
He shook his head, “Shitin’ me, look at the damn steam in this bitch. Got it lookin’ like I‘m ‘bout to enter the pits of hell. Turn the shit down, girl.”
When they came out, she wrapped herself in her robe and moved through the room quietly.
She pulled on her jeans and a crop top, slid her sneakers on, and tied her hair back.
Not once did she glance in his direction as she scooped up her purse and keys from the counter and headed to her sister’s house.