Chapter 8 #2
Jose looked a bit taken aback. “Damn, what's this man's name?”
“Why?” I placed my hands on my hips.
“I wanna shake his hand. He got your ass trained.”
“Trained? Naw, never that. I just know how to handle myself in these streets. Now, you have a good day. Tiff, I'ma see you back in the apartments.” I walked off.
I heard the patter of foot steps coming after me. I turned to see Tiff trying to catch up with me. “Damn, bitch, slow down.” she huffed.
“Walk yo ass up, then.” I jawed, not appreciating her giving that nigga the window of opportunity.
“Girl, why is you tripping? Do you know who that nigga is? He got a fuckin' Benz parked around the corner.”
I pursed my lips sarcastically. “Good for him.”
She shook her head. “Hard headed ass.”
“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes.
“That nigga got your head all fucked up.” she sighed.
I shook my head, and didn't bother to reply. I could scream and shout that she didn't know what the hell she was talking about, but that would be a damn lie. Unfortunately, she'd witnessed Jahrein show his ass on several occasions. The last time was the absolute worst.
A couple of weeks earlier I'd made the mistake of trying to hang with some girls from the complex.
We'd been sitting on the stoop all day, smoking and laughing.
I figured that Jahrein wasn't gonna be home for a while, so I had on a pair of booty shorts.
It was hot outside, and I was trying to stay cool.
It was all good until Meagan's, a girl I knew from school, brother came and sat outside.
The nigga was on me tough. I mean, I liked him, but I wasn't on no grimy shit.
He was too close to home for my taste. Nevertheless, every chance Dante got he was in my face.
So, it was no surprise when he wanted to tag along when me and Meagan went on a weed run.
It was obvious since he had an Escalade parked right in front of his sister's apartment.
Then he just played around, claiming that he was gonna show us where the good weed house was.
Then the nigga ends up giving me a zip of weed.
Admittedly, he was doing his thing in the streets, but I wasn't seeing him like that.
The nigga was a bigger hoe than Jahrein.
Then with my bad luck having ass, I pulled up in the complex, and it had gotten back to Jahrein that me and Dante were riding together.
Jahrein was pacing back and forth like a damn pit bull, up and down the sidewalk. My heart sank to my stomach, realizing that something had to be wrong.
I grew butterflies in my belly, as I parked my car. Dante hopped out with a conniving grin on his face. That nigga knew exactly what he was doing.
“What the fuck is this nigga doing riding with you?” Jahrein wasted no time. He gave no regards to Dante being offended.
“I was just giving him a ride.” I sighed.
“The fuck is wrong with you?!” he lashed, as he moved in on me.
“Jahrein move.” I pushed him back.
He slammed me against my car. “I'll slap the shit outta you!”
Ordinarily, I would have let him have that, but there was a crowd outside. “Get your bitch ass off me!” I belted, shoving him back.
With pure rage in his eyes he reached back. I braced myself, thinking that he was about to hit me. I jumped back when his fist smashed into my window, shattering glass everywhere. Knowing I didn't have any win in the situation I ran for our apartment.
Needless to say, I was embarrassed. I mean, I knew exactly how the situation looked through his eyes, but he needed to trust me. Even if I did ever step out it wouldn't be with any nigga around there.
“You clownin'.” Jahrein claimed as he followed me into our apartment. He pulled his sagging shorts up. “You done straight lost your fuckin' mind.”
I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. “There you go with this accusing shit.”
He stepped to me, towering above me. “Keep talkin'.” he gritted.
I threw my hands on my hips. “Am I supposed to be scared?”
He gritted as he viciously slung me into the couch. “You think that I won't hurt you in this bitch?” he straddled me. “And what the fuck you got on? Your hot ass stay trying to be seen.”
I was tired of tussling with him, so I bit his ass with all my might. “Awww.” he howled as he rolled off me. I took that opportunity to dash for the door. As soon as I saw Tiff I ran over to her.
Knowing how Jahrein was she offered for me to hide out at her spot. His bitch ass had my keys, so I couldn't hop in my car. I gladly accepted. Thankfully, the kids were at his grandma's, which meant that I could stay out for a minute.
Around one that morning Jahrein figured out where I was. He came beating on that girl's door, showing no respect.
“Shit.” I panicked, as I tried to figure out an escape through one of the back windows.
“Bitch, chill out.” Tiff tried to calm me down. “Aint nah nigga over here crazy enough to kick Big Herk's door in.”
I gave her a look. She didn't know who I was dealing with. Jahrein didn't bar her man or any other nigga.
“Open this fuckin door!” Jahrein barked as he kicked it.
It felt like we were in some kind of horror movie. We both stood there watching him pummel into her front door. The frame was getting weaker and weaker. After a few more kicks the door-frame cracked, and the door crashed open.
Without thinking I ran to the kitchen and grabbed a knife. I was tired of fighting. It wasn't long before he was dragging me out of the apartment. I didn't kick and scream, but the moment I saw the opportunity I lifted the sharp blade and sliced his arm.
That calmed his ass down, but he still pulled me back into our apartment. He was bleeding all over the floor. After a few minutes I began to feel guilty, so I helped him wrap a towel around his arm.
“I think you might need stitches.” I cringed as I took in all the blood leaking from his arm.
He glared at me, as I nursed his wound. I didn't give him any eye contact, because I was feeling guilty.
He didn't say a word as I drove us to the emergency room in his car.
We stayed up all night as the doctor had to give him eleven stitches.
Jahrein got sleepy, and rested his head on my shoulder.
His arms were wrapped around my waist, while I shook my head.
This was so us. We would fight like cats and dogs, but we loved each other to a fault.
Still, we had trust issues like a muthafucka, and him hearing about me chatting with some well-known D boy wasn't going to help matters. I had enough problems as it was.
Outside of the petty drama Jahrein’s hustling day and night had paid off.
He came home one morning excited about meeting a new connect.
He said that he’d known these Colombian cats for quite a while.
He knew that they were getting money but didn’t like fucking with most of the black hustlers around there.
The Colombians didn’t like how most of the niggas handled their business, but after witnessing Jahrein in action they were impressed.
So, they approached him with an offer that he couldn’t refuse.
They wanted to be his supplier exclusively.
Jahrein was cool with that, because they had some of the purest cocaine around.
I later found out that his connect was Jose's ass. That made me glad that I hadn't given him the time of the day.
I was happy for my man, but really didn’t grasp what that truly meant, until he started bringing home those racks.
He’d sit and count every penny by hand with his boy Tony.
Soon, there was trash bags filled with money sitting around the apartment.
Before I could even think about having sticky fingers Jahrein would throw plenty of cash my way.
Then he really stepped his game up when he came in one day and told me to get the kids together. We were going shopping.
I thought that I had style, but I guess that I’d been swimming in the low budget end of things.
Cause every time I picked something up in the Galleria Mall Jahrein would tell me to think higher.
I was trying to grab some Hilfiger or Ralph Lauren, but he said that I needed to think outside the box.
So, we went to a few high end boutiques and I racked up.
I had Iceberg, Coogi, and Gucci for days.
He convinced me to buy heels even though I was a Nike’s type of chick.
He was spoiling me and the kids rotten. He bought them too many toys, and I didn’t know where to put it all.
Our apartment had no more room. Lack of space didn’t stop Jahrein from buying them clothes and shoes on top of more clothes and shoes.
And then he had us take family portraits while all wearing Iceberg from head to toe just to give the haters a visual of how we were getting it.
Things between Jahrein and me became better than ever.
He was taking care of home in a way men twice his age couldn't. In my eyes he was King and he treated me like his Queen. Even at my school he was well respected, so much so that all the guys were scared to talk to me. They’d all play that brotherly roll before openly flirting with Jahrein’s girl.
The situation with Delvin was still infamous around the school, so niggas my age were petrified to even look my way.
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One day after I got out of school, Jahrein was at home waiting on me. He was sitting on the couch with a serious look on his face. The expression he wore was not that of anger, but something else that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
“What’s wrong, Jah?” I asked as I put Jhyrah down on the couch, while Junior grabbed a toy and sat in front of the TV.
“I need to talk to you right quick.” He told me as he picked Jhyrah up and placed her in his lap.
“About what?” I asked as I sat right next to him.
“Jose wants me to meet him in Miami.”
I’m like oh shit, he’s about to go out of town and be around all those half naked chickens while I stayed at home with our babies.