Chapter 25 #2
“Girl, please." Red waved off. “That only makes sense in your head. I keep telling you that my son goes above and beyond. And that’s why Ion be wanting to hear it when you get in them feelings, and act like he’s the worst thing to happen to you.”
“Red, don’t go there,” Raven warned, never needing my help to straighten my mama out.
I didn’t speak up, because Red would cross several boundaries, especially when Ray-Ray wasn’t around, or he'd pissed her off. I was keen enough not to take my mama’s advice or let her impart her world views on me.
Because they were skewed and was probably the biggest reason that she was constantly unhappy in her own situation.
According to Red, Raven had unrealistic expectations and that was the root of our problems. As a man, I showed up for my kids and provided financially in ways that Red had never experienced.
So, she couldn’t identify with Raven always taking issue with the other bitches bothering us.
Nor did she get why Raven had all these boundaries and things that weren’t acceptable to her.
Regardless of me being heavy in the streets, she still wanted me to be at home by a certain hour.
I had to answer my phone whenever I was away from home.
And I definitely had to help with the kids.
And that didn’t mean being a part of the superficial part of parenting.
Nah. I had to help with it all, down to homework and potty training.
And Raven would clown my ass whenever I fell short.
Most people didn’t know this about us, but me and Raven didn’t just fuck and fight.
We literally talked about what we wanted and planned shit accordingly.
We were super aware of our parents’ flaws, and were actively trying to break generational curses.
Because my sons were going to be better versions of me.
Our daughters were going to have the daddy and mama that Raven never had.
And that all started with the foundation.
Now, naturally, with me and Raven being so young, we were bound to fuck up.
And sometimes the world and its chaos would seep into our home.
But we were still trying, and I never adapted that ‘at least’ mentality that Red was wielding.
She was preaching for Raven to accept anything because at least I was a good daddy.
At least I was involved. At least I cared.
Raven called that the bare minimum, and I agreed.
So, even when me and Raven were at odds, I didn’t allow outsiders to get in my head, and convince me that Raven was being ungrateful.
Because I’d seen enough of the world to know that if I hadn’t been willing to do all those things for her, then somebody else would’ve, gladly.
Baby was special and unfortunately my own mama didn’t possess that aura, so she couldn’t relate. Nor did she understand the concept of some women having higher standards.
“Cause I don’t go to your house, trying to tell you how to run things. We’re the king and queen of this castle. So, just come through, visit, and observe. Otherwise, I got this,” Raven established.
Red lifted her hands in surrender. “Okay, it’s your world, Queen Raven. I’ma mind my business.”
Smirking, I scooped up Jahrae to take him to the bathroom, deciding that I’d let the women have that conversation.
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“Okay, now, you’re over doing it, Jah,” Raven claimed, as we stepped into our hotel suite.
“Why you say that?” I lightly chuckled, while ensuring that the doors were locked behind us.
“Cause. You already had them decorate the house. And now this.” She glanced around the room, as it was professionally decorated in red, white, and silver.
“This is light work, girl. I keep telling you, get adjusted to the elevation. We gon do everything big, and I’ma always do the most ‘bout you.”
She turned around and gazed up at me. “So, you saying that I can have anything I want?”
“Anything.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “Then I want your undying love. No matter what we go through. I want you to love me.”
I gulped. “That was random. But you got it.”
“It really wasn’t random. I just want you to know that all these extravagant gifts are nice, but what I need from you is something that money can’t buy. I feel the best when I don’t have to question you. When I can say and feel that you’re mine. And not for the world.”
“I am yours, and always will be,” I swore.
“But these bitches always swear otherwise,” she reminded me.
I sighed, trying not to become frustrated, knowing that I’d played a part in those hoes having something to gossip about. I had cheated…a lot. In the past. Especially when we was still living with Red and Ray-Ray. Mostly because I thought that I could.
Shit, her own daddy was my mentor, and he never tripped about me cheating on his daughter.
We’d fucked hoes together. But I was young and dumb then.
I think that my first wakeup call was when Raven disappeared when she was big pregnant with Jhyrah.
Realizing that all while I was out hustling and fucking Melissa for the hell of it, Khalil’s bitch ass had slid in, and fucked my gal.
Talk about being sick. Even after Raven was back at home safely, I couldn’t eat or sleep for days. I was stressing and paranoid, thinking that everybody was fucking my bitch.
Every day, I wanted to smell her pussy, if she’d leave the house. If she’d talk on the phone, then I’d listen in on another phone in the house. I was checking my boys for looking at her too long. Then when niggas confirmed that Raven was seen getting out of Khalil’s car, I lost it.
I honestly don’t think that Raven understood how deep the rabbit hole went with my beef with Khalil, and I hated the muthafuckas thought that it started with Melissa.
Although I’d fucked with Melissa after Khalil, or maybe sometimes we were fucking her at the same time, I don’t think that either of us cared, for real.
We were actually rather cool, despite having a few bitches in common.
It wasn’t until Shell came and told me that Khalil literally paid her to hook him up with Raven.
Only Raven didn’t bend or she brushed Shell off whenever she brought it to her.
Knowing that me and Raven was together and literally had a baby, I felt like Khalil was out of line. So, I stepped to him, and ended up skiing his bitch ass across the pavement. Raven was none the wiser, becauseI didn’t willingly admit to how often I was literally fighting to prove my love.
So, when it was confirmed that Raven had spent that time with Khalil, he became my arch nemesis, and there were no bounds to the levels I’d stoop.
Not giving a fuck, I’d robbed Khalil’s trap house, and personally stole his car, having it stripped down, before selling the parts.
I thought about taking Khalil’s main bitch, but I honestly didn’t think that she was fine enough to bother with.
I mean…she was cool, but she was definitely no Raven.
Nevertheless, that whole ordeal introduced something new to me.
Until that moment, I didn’t think that Raven was capable of breaking my heart, only to realize that she had the power to break me down like nobody else.
The thought of her cheating while she was pregnant with my baby haunted me.
And awakened insecurities so deep that I couldn’t tell a soul.
I said all that to say that bitches went out of their way to tell Raven anything that remotely seemed like tea, because they were jealous of the way that I loved her.
The way that I protected her name. The way that I was quick to remind them that she’d always come first, and I didn’t see them how I saw her.
Not to say that there weren’t some girls who brought her information simply because they were her friends.
But that still didn’t matter, because they were moving based off what they’d heard.
Never from what they’d seen. Because despite how those hoes talked, I never moved like I didn’t have a woman at home.
I proudly wore my wedding ring. So, nobody was confused about my relationship status or ever misled.
They just wanted Raven to believe that she wasn’t special, because they weren’t.
“Bae, how many times I gotta tell you that them hoes just be hating? They swear that I’m fucking with this broad or that one.
Meanwhile, those bitches be living in the projects, barely making it.
There’s no way in the world that I’d take interest in a woman, and don’t naturally do for her.
Change her life. And none of them hoes can say that.
I take care of what’s mine. So, you gotta stop letting muthafuckas feel so comfortable coming at you with gossip.
It drives me crazy, because we be good, until you allow people to get in your head. ”
She huffed, as she sauntered over to the bed, and sat down. “You say that, because you aint in my position. You’d lose your mind if niggas were going around saying that they’d fucked me.”
I shrugged. “I really can’t relate, cause these niggas understand that it’s consequences for that type of shit. I’ll lay a nigga down, have his fucking face on a t-shirt.”
She smirked. “That’s that ignorant shit, right there.”
I approached her. “It is what it is.”
She licked her lips. “Why did you get this room, when we have that big ass house?”
“Cause.” I reached down and nicked her chin.
“Cause what?”
“Cause. I wanted to give you a break from the norm. No house. No kids. Just us. Plus, I aint gotta worry about them hearing you scream.”
“Me scream?” She pointed at her chest. “Nigga, that be you, most of the time.”
I chuckled, knowing that she was telling the truth. “Okay.” I nodded. “But it’s your turn tonight.”
She smirked confidently. “Yeah, Ion know ‘bout all that.”
Twenty minutes later, I had her butt naked, on her back, ass at the edge of the bed, legs spread eagle, while I fluttered my tongue over her clit.