Alayziah II: When Loving Him is Complicated (8 page)

Rell

I handed her one of my t-shirts to put on. We’d made it back to my place and showered. Now it was time for part two of our date. Grabbing her hand, I led her into my den. I had about ten cans of spray paint lined against the wall.

“What’s this?” she asked as I handed her a can.

“I want to do some graffiti on the wall. I want you to help me.”

“That’s dope as fuck, Rell.”

“Alayziah…”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

I shook my head and slapped her on her ass as I picked up another can of spray paint. We were halfway into the mural, conversing and enjoying each other’s company when her phone rang.

“You not gone answer that?” I asked her.

“Really, I don’t want to. Somebody has been playing on my phone all night.”

“You want me to answer it?” I asked, walking towards her phone.

“Ion care.”

I went to her phone and the nigga Jabari’s name was flashing across the screen. “It’s Jabari.”

“What he want? Answer it,” she said, returning her attention to the wall.

I smiled at her. I was glad she trusted a nigga to answer her phone. It let me know she ain’t have shit to hide.

“Hello?”

“Um… may I speak with Alayziah?”

“She’s kind of busy right now. Is it important?”

“Yeah, tell her it’s about Jess.”

I heard the nervousness in his voice so I took Al the phone.

“Hello?” she said, handing me the spray paint.

“Hey… I’m sorry to bother you but it’s Jess.”

“What’s wrong with her, Bari?” Her brows wrinkled in concern.

“I don’t know. She came home crying, locked herself in her room. She won’t talk to me. I figured if it was some girl shit she might let you know. I don’t want to call my mom and worry her yet.”

“Um… okay. Let me get Rell to take me to my hotel to get my car and I’ll be on my way.”

“Cool. Thanks, Alayziah.”

She hung up her phone and looked at me. “I gotta see about her, baby.”

“It’s cool. Just take my car and come back when you’re done. You know I don’t want you staying at that hotel anyway.”

“Terrell, I am not moving in with you,” she replied, walking to my room.

“Why not? You let me inside so we practically married now. Might as well move in.”

She stopped walking and turned to face me. I didn’t mean to be smiling so hard because I knew she was tired of having this conversation, but I loved irritating her. She looked so good mad.

“I’m sorry… did you slide an invisible ring on my finger while you were inside me?” she asked, looking at her ring finger.

I mushed her ass in the head and walked back into the den. “Fuck you, Alayziah.”

“You already did and you fucked me good too. I can’t wait to get back so you can fuck me again.”

I stopped walking and turned around to face her. This time, she was the one smiling.

“Alayziah, stop fucking playing with me. I’ma start washing your mouth out with soap.”

She walked towards me and fell to her knees. “You know what I want in my mouth, Rell?”

My dick got hard immediately as I slid my fingers through her hair. “What baby?” I asked as she pulled my boxers down.

“You.”

I almost nutted when she said that shit. “I knew yo ass was a freak,” I said with a smile as I stepped back. “But, you need to go and check on that nigga sister before I have you calling me the King again.”

Her cheeks grew red in embarrassment and I swear I had never seen that happen before.

“Gone before I change my mind about letting you go,” I said, lifting her to her feet.

She was pouting but she turned around and went into my room to put her clothes back on.

“Damn,” I mumbled, heading for the shower in my guest room.

Alayziah

When I walked into Jabari’s home, I heard Jessica sobbing inside of her room. Caught me so off guard, I stopped walking and looked at Jabari. I could tell he’d shed a few tears as well. I held my hands out and motioned for him to come to me with my fingers. I held him and caressed his back for a few seconds before letting go.

“I’ll let you know if she tells me anything,” I said lightly.

He nodded and walked outside.

I walked to Jessica’s room and knocked. “Pretty girl?” I said.

She stopped sobbing immediately. “Allie cat?” She walked to the door. When she opened it, she almost ran into my arms. I smiled and wanted to cry at the same time. “Allie cat, I miss you so much,” she said into my ear. Her tears were wetting my neck and hair.

“I miss you too, pretty girl, but you know I’m always gone be here for you. I’m only a phone call away, baby girl. Talk to me. What’s going on?”

With her arms around my waist, she asked me, “Where’s RiRi?”

“He stepped outside.”

Releasing me, she walked back to her bed. “Close the door,” she instructed.

I did and walked over to her bed. After I sat next to her, she looked at me.

“What is it, Jessica?”

“I’m pregnant.”

“What?!” I yelled.

“Allie cat!”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered and looked at her door as if I could see Jabari through it. “What do you mean you’re pregnant? I thought you were a virgin. You told me you were a virgin.”

“I was.”

“Then, how are you pregnant, Jessica?”

“I didn’t want to say anything because I knew Jabari would flip but, you know my sister that died, Jasmine?”

“Yeah, what about her?”

“You know my mom has custody of her daughter?”

“Yeah, I remember Bari saying something about that. She stays with you and your mom, right?”

“Right. Her baby daddy Chris is such a bum. He doesn’t even take Christina out the house. He just comes over there to spend time with her every once in a while. I’ve never liked him but after what happened with Jasmine I really couldn’t stand him, really that’s why I started spending more time at Bari’s house. That’s why he set this room up for me.” Tears filled her eyes again. “One day Chris wanted to come over and see Christina but my mom wasn’t there. It was just Christina and me. I told her that I didn’t want to be around him but she said that he had every right to see his child and that I should just let what happened to Jasmine go and do what was best for Christina,” she began to sob. I took her into my arms. “He came over and… he raped me, Alayziah. He made me promise not to say anything. He said if I did, he would deny it and take Christina away from us, and I couldn’t let that happen. She’s the only thing we have left to remember Jasmine by. So, I just blocked it out of my head, but I missed my period this month. I’ve been throwing up all this week so I decided to take a pregnancy test. I’m pregnant, Al. I don’t want this baby. I can’t keep this baby. I’m only sixteen.”

Tears had begun to flow from my own eyes. My legs were shaking. My anger rising. I stood and began to pace.

“I’ll tell Bari.”

“No!” She jumped up and grabbed my arms. “Al, he will kill Chris. Please. Don’t tell him. I don’t want him to go to jail because of me. Just, take me to get an abortion.”

“Jessica, I can’t ignore this. What if he’s done something or will do something to your niece? We have to tell him, baby.”

“What if I get him to leave? What if I tell him that I’m pregnant and if I have the baby, everyone will know that he raped me? What if I get him to promise to… to… just… leave. Please, Allie cat. Don’t tell Jabari.”

“Jessica…”

“Please, Alayziah. My brother will kill him. Please.”

“Jessica…”

Jabari knocked on the door lightly and Jessica jumped.

“Y’all okay in there?” he asked.

Jessica stared at me with pleading eyes.

“I’ll make you a deal. You have to tell him that you were raped, but I will not tell him by who if you don’t want me to. I’ll get someone else to take care of Chris.”

She nodded and hugged me tightly. “Okay, Allie cat. Thank you. I love you.”

“I love you too, Pretty girl. I promise I do.”

Rell

“You want me to handle it?” I asked as I wiped her tears from her eyes.

Alayziah had just finished telling me about Jessica. Not only was she raped, but the bastard took her virginity. Even though I didn’t know her, I knew that she meant a lot to Alayziah. So, whatever she wanted me to do, I’d handle the situation. Wasn’t nothing for a nigga to go back to his old street ways.

“No, baby, I don’t want you getting caught up in this. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Don’t worry about that. If you want me to handle it, I will, even if I don’t touch the nigga personally I’ll get somebody who will.”

She looked at me and smiled. “I just wish she’d tell her brother. He’s over there sick right now.”

“I bet he is. If a nigga violated my sister, I’d be on a fucking killing spree right now. I know it’s eating him up not knowing who did it. I know you said you wouldn’t tell him but you need to tell that man before this shit drives him crazy.”

She nodded and looked away from me. “I want to tell him but she’s just scared that he’s going to go to jail.”

“Mane, I’ll make sure that nigga don’t go to jail. I’ll have some niggas to handle it for him, but he needs to know, Alayziah.”

“I’m sorry for ruining our night. You want to finish your mural?” she asked standing.

I pulled her into me and kissed her stomach. “You don’t have to be so strong in front of me, Ziah. I can see it in your eyes that this is bothering you. I’m here for you, baby.”

Before I could get the words out, she was falling into my arms.

“I failed her, Rell. Why didn’t she call me? I told her she could come to me for anything, and she’s been walking around holding this weight on her shoulders alone.”

“At least, she told you tonight, babe. We gone take care of it. I promise you that.”

“I feel like I need to be with her.”

“Absolutely. You want me to drop you off and pick you up in the morning? You know we got that session with the new chick I was telling you about.”

“That’ll work. Thank you so much, Terrell.”

“You don’t have to thank me. This is what I’m here for.”

Caressing my cheeks, she pushed my head back slightly and stared into my eyes.

“You’re my Adam. You know that?”

I blushed as her fingers stroked my lips.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Recite it to me.”

She inhaled deeply as I pulled her closer. “I wrote something just for you.”

“Oh, yeah? Let me hear it,” I said, picking her up and wrapping her legs around my waist.

“You said the sun rises in my eyes but it sets as you stare into mine.

And, when you speak it’s like music seeps from the crease between your top and bottom lip.

You don’t have to demand respect because your character commands it.

You know the power you could release into this world with the seeds between your thighs if you ever implanted them between mine what a problem that would be if your seed brought forth life inside of me.

But, the problem would be the solution.

The cause would be the cure.

And, the combination of us would lead to a line of royalty that would reign forever more.

Your scent is just as sweet as the taste of your skin.

You love me so good it makes me want you so bad it feels as if this should be a sin to be so satisfied.

I never thought I was capable of loving this way.

You make it so easy to love you.

Because of the way you love me.

And, your love is like the light of Christ shining on me.

I hope I bring out the God in you because you bring out the woman in me.

You make me want to respect, love, and serve until my heart no longer beats.

Some might think we’re moving too fast.

But, I’ve moved slower in the past.

Obviously, those relationships didn’t last even though I thought the pain would.

But, you’ve loved on me more in a matter of weeks than any other man ever has.

And, you have me for as long as you desire.

And, I pray you choose to have me until we both expire.

But, if for some reason, you end up leaving and break my heart in two

It wouldn’t matter because I love you so much I still wouldn’t mind sharing it with you.”

Tears were welling up in my eyes. I didn’t want to be a punk ass nigga and cry, but no woman had written anything so beautiful for me before. Sensing my emotions were on the rise, she placed kisses all over my face as I held her close.

“That was beautiful, Alayziah. That’s how you really feel?” I finally managed to get out.

“Yes, baby. That’s how I really feel. I’m so grateful to have you.”

After wiping away the tear that had fallen from my eye, she kissed me deeply.

“Let’s go,” I said, pushing her off me while I stood.

“Go where?” she asked, following behind me.

“To the studio. We gotta build on this vibe. Then, I’ll take you to her.”

With no protest, she wrapped her arm around mine and we walked down to my home studio in silence, but I was confident that what we were about to create was going to speak volumes.