Chapter 3
The Other Side
My nigga sense was goin’ off, waking me up out of my sleep before my alarm had the chance to. I reached for my phone and saw I had some messages from T. Before I opened them, I looked down at Islah draped across my chest, her leg over mine. She was at peace while I was anything but that.
I held my phone up in the air, outta eyesight of hers if she happened to wake up to see what the fuck I was sent. The message did put a smile on my face, but my alarm went off, making Islah move. I locked my phone quick and placed it on the nightstand before she opened her eyes, smiling at me.
“Good morning, baby,” she said low and soft.
I smiled at my baby. “Good morning, boo, how did you sleep?”
She sat up and stretched. “I slept good. What you gotta do today?”
“Remember, T wanted me to hit some licks for ‘em. I’ma slide through there.”
She had a look on her face that I didn’t like, but I wasn’t gonna question it. I just needed to make sure it wasn’t any extra shit on her mind when I left.
“But before I go…” I said low, getting up close behind her, kissing her neck and her shoulders while wrapping my arm around her waist, pulling her into me. “I need some of you.”
She left out a soft hum, nuzzling her head into me. “You always want some of me,” she teased, as she rubbed her soft hands over my arms.
My hand found its way up under her shirt and around her neck, pulling her back, making her look at me.
“You mine, I always need that.”
I took my time kissing all over her soft skin, pulling her back onto the bed. Islah held a special place in my heart. She was loyal, unbreakable. I knew that every ounce of her body was mine, and ain’t a nigga alive that could make her feel the way I do.
“Gio…” she breathed, looking at me. “Take your time, baby…I don’t give a fuck what you have to do.”
I smirked at her. In that moment, I didn’t give a fuck what I had to do either.
I climbed on top of her, lookin’ into her beautiful eyes, and slid deep in her.
She arched her back and moaned out like it was the first time she ever felt this dick.
I took my time with her as she asked. Slow, deep thrusts, her eyes rolling back, kissing her hard to where she can still feel the warmth from my lips once we separate.
Her legs were around my waist, pulling me into her deeper.
I wanted every inch of me in her. I loved hearing her call out my name, beggin’ me not to stop.
When that thought never crossed my mind.
We kissed, tossed, and turned all over the bed, nuttin’ over and over, all until she was on my chest, breathing hard, tracing her finger across my Thug Life tattoo.
“Babyyy…” she said slow. “You made me tired as hell.”
I chuckled. That’s what I wanted.
“Good, get you some rest while I handle this, baby,” I said, waiting for a response from her, but she was already knocked.
I moved her off me softly, got my shit together, and hopped in the shower. My phone was goin’ off on the counter. I knew it was T, and I wasn’t sweatin’ it.
After my shower, I checked in on Islah one more time, kissing her forehead and leaving out.
I was quiet on the drive to T’s house. My mind wasn’t on anything that had to do with the streets. My mind was on Islah, the shit we’ve been through, the years she put in to dealing with me and all my bullshit. I needed to stop playin’ games and do right by her, and seeing T was a start.
When I pulled up to her crib, she was sittin’ on her front porch, glass of wine in her hand early. I shook my head, looking at her through my tints. I hopped out, grabbed my duffel bag, and walked up her sidewalk.
“I know damn well you got my messages bright and early this morning!” she yelled out.
I laughed to keep myself from spazzin’ on her.
“Trina, chill the fuck out,” I said, steppin’ on her porch. “You know better than to be hitting my line like that anyway.”
She sighed and rolled her eyes as she stood up, swinging her storm door open and walking inside. I shook my head and lit my half of blunt that was in my duffel bag before I walked inside to deal with her shit.
“Can you tell me what the fuck is your problem?” I asked as I walked in.
She was sitting on her couch. lookin’ at me crazy.
“I wanted you yesterday—”
“And?” I said, cutting her off.
She sighed and rolled her eyes again. “And… You didn’t respond or come.”
“I have a girl…” I shot back, letting the words hang in the air.
“You’ve been having a girl this whole time you’ve been getting crack from me. That never stopped you from being in my house and lying in my bed.”
I nodded; she had me there.
“True,” I said, sitting down, getting comfortable. “You acting like me fuckin’ you from time to time was going to be a never-ending thing.”
“Oh, so you are sayin’ you got what you wanted from me?”
I chuckled a lil’ bit. “Girl, cut it out. I wanted your crack, and you wanted my dick.”
She tried to hide her laughter. “Well, you got what you wanted for free, I might add, plus some.”
She walked over to me and sat in my lap, kissing my neck like that was gonna change something.
“Well, now I don’t need your crack. Shit ain’t been hittin’ for a lil’ bit anyway, and as for fuckin’ you… I’m done with that shit too.”
She pulled back and looked at me with an attitude. “Why the fuck is it always your way? I’ve been craving you for a lil’ minute, you gonna leave me dry like this?”
I sighed. “Look, did you need me to make a drop or something?”
Trina rolled her eyes and started to unbutton my pants.
“You pull my dick out and suck it right now, you gonna taste all my girl juices.”
Trina stood up quick, pushing me in my chest.
“You gonna come to my house after you fucked that bitch! Gio, I’m so sick of your shit! Get the fuck outta my house!”
Before I could get a word out, she went on about how it had been two years, how I helped her, how she thought I would end up with her.
I let her talk until her heart was content, rolling up and damn near ignoring her.
She must have noticed because she finally stopped, and I made eye contact with her.
“You done?” I asked.
She sighed and didn’t say shit else.
“Well, let me use your bathroom real quick.”
Trina sucked her teeth. “You know where it’s at.”
I nodded, and with my duffel bag, I walked down her hallway, but instead of going to her bathroom, I went to where she kept her bricks: in her room, stacked up in a box at the bottom of her closet.
I took all the bricks of crack she had, but then I felt bad and left the bitch two since I wouldn’t be payin’ her rent anymore.
I slid out of her room like I was never there, quickly went into the bathroom to flush the toilet, and headed back out to her sitting on the couch with a stank ass attitude on her face like it was gonna bother me.
“Are you ready to hear me out?” I asked as I sat back down.
I could tell she didn’t want to, but she nodded slow, standing in front of me.
“I want you to stop me if I’m wrong,” I said before I continued.
“I got my crack from you because your daddy had some good shit. I fucked you so I could get my shit for free. Now, it ain’t my fault you fell in love with the dick.
It is my fault that I kept giving it to you and spending some bread on you here and there.
But baby girl, the day has to end. I was never leaving my girl for you.
” I paused, thinking she was going to fire some comment back, but she just gave me a blank stare.
“I have a new plug, and my girl is asking for some things that I should have been given her—”
“What is that? A house? A baby?”
I laughed. “Actually, yeah, that is what she wants. And I be damned if I did that, still fuckin’ with you.”
I stood up, knowing there was nothing else for us to talk about. As I reached for her storm door, I felt her tug on my arm, and I looked back.
“I want the same,” she said softly. “I always thought you would choose me and give me the same.”
I smirked at her, cuffing her face in my hand, planting a soft kiss on her forehead.
“Oh, damn baby, I chose, it just wasn’t you. Now, make sure you keep your head up and take care of your bills. I’m done with that shit, too.”
“Get the fuck out, Gio!” she yelled, pointing her finger toward her front door.
I pushed the door open and walked out to my car. As I hopped in, I pulled my phone out, about to check on Islah to see if she was away, when outta my peripheral, I saw Trina running out screaming.
“Nigga, you stole my fuckin’ crack! You stole my fuckin’ shit.”
I couldn’t believe she was blasting that shit through her neighborhood.
I started my car while laughing at her, and by this time she was bangin’ on my window.
“Nigga. you hear me! You fuckin’ hear me!”
I never responded. My Hell Cat just took off with her chasing behind me, knowing damn well she was never gonna catch me.
After stopping to get some green juice, I pulled back up to my hood and hopped out with my drink in my duffel bag.
“Where the fuck you been, nigga?” Big Bully asked me.
I handed him the duffel bag. He quickly looked inside, and his head shot back up at me.
“You went and fucked that dumb bitch again?”
I laughed, but that nigga had a straight face.
“Nah, I went over there to get on her for sending pictures and shit to my phone and to let her know our lil’ arrangement is over with.”
He handed me back the bag.
“Oh shit! Did Islah find out?”
I shook my head fast.
“Hell nah, nigga, don’t eva put some shit like that out in the world. Islah is just asking for more, kid, a house, the normal shit.”
Bully agreed.
“It’s about damn time; it’s been some years. I’m surprised she ain’t put pressure on your ass before this.”
“Yeahh…she deserves all that tho, and if I’ma do it, I’ma do it right. Trina had to go.”
“I’m proud of you, my nigga. I’m ready to step out on the block in a suit,” Bully said, dappin’ me up. “But that still don’t tell me how you got all this crack, nigga!”