When You Know It's Real: Siah and Nonie (10 page)

They were loud as hell and causing a crowd to form. I was on the verge of shutting them down because I could see Nonie and Kizze heading our way, but shit changed real quick when I heard my name.

“Oh, you think that shit is funny? I bet it ain't funny when it happens to you. I bet your ass won't have shit to say about Siah fucking Nonie.”

“The fuck did you just say?” Royce yelled, shoving Jamar in the chest again, but this time causing him to hit the floor.

I was on my feet so damn fast that I dropped the bottle of Hennessy that I holding.

“Yo, Sims, Jock get this nigga out of here. Take him out back and I’ll be there in a minute.

Jock yanked him off the floor, damn near lifting Jamar in the air before he started pleading. “Wait, no, wait Siah, it just slipped out. I’m sorry man, please don't.”

My eyes immediately went to Nonie, who looked horrified. I didn't really care that Royce found out, in fact I was glad it was finally out, but I didn't like the look on her face.

Royce rushed her and grabbed her arm, which meant this nigga was playing with his life and didn't even know it.

“Is it true? You fucking him?” he yelled, inches away from her face, which caused her to take a step back.

My arm circled his neck, pulling him back toward me as I tried to choke the shit out of his ass. “Yo, don't get in her face like that, my nigga, and you need to watch how the fuck you talk to her.”

Now Royce’s attention was on me. His hands gripped my arm before he laughed sarcastically. “How long, Siah? How long you been fucking her? No, wait, let me guess, I bet since the day I brought her to your house. I can't believe this shit. Let me go, Siah. I’m good. I ain't got shit to say to her. I should have fucking known.”

I really wanted to fuck him up, but Nonie’s voice caught my attention.

“Siah, let him go please,” she begged.

I released the hold I had on him and he stepped back and fixed his clothes. He eyed me and then turned to leave, but not before stopping in front of Nonie. “You ain't shit,” he said.

I was on my way to snatch his ass up again until I felt her hand on my chest. “Siah, don't, let him go. He has the right to be mad.”

“Fuck him, Nonie. He can be mad all he wants, but that nigga don't have the right to talk to you like that.”

“Yeah, he does. So let him go.”

I looked at her, pissed the fuck off. She looked back at me, so broken, which had me even more pissed. She was worried about that nigga’s feelings more than mine, and that had me heated.

I stared at her for a few minutes more before I kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll see you later, and I’m sorry for fucking up your event,” I said before I held my hand up, signaling for my team to follow me.

I couldn't deal with Nonie right now, not while she was putting another nigga’s interest ahead of mine. But it was cool, though. I’d just get up with her later. Right now, I was about to go take a life, and probably with my bare hands. Jamar had just fucked up, and was about to pay for it in the worst way.

I called Royce over and over again, but he wouldn't answer, and eventually it started going straight to voicemail. I really needed to talk to him. We weren't together now, but we were when I first started dealing with Siah, and Royce had to know that. I felt like shit, and I at least owed him an explanation. It wouldn’t make it right, but I owed him that much.

“Let it go, Nonie. He’ll be alright,” Kizze said as she sat down next to me at the bar.

The party was over and it was almost time for us to leave. We eventually got things back on track after Siah and his crew left, but word got out that Jamar had been dealt with. No one cared because nobody was stupid enough to play with their lives by snitching on Siah, so it was just that simple.

“I should have told him, Kiz. A long time ago.”

“For what, baby? You think it would have made a difference then or now? Either way he still would have had the same reaction, but at least the fact that it happened this way means that he gets to live. If he had put his hands on you more than he did tonight, Siah would have killed his ass for sure. Hell, he might still do it.” Kizzie laughed to herself.

“That's not funny, Kiz.”

“Girl, I’m just playing. Relax. Bottom line is this, now you can stop hiding things and be with Siah the way you want to.”

“No, I can't. That changes my situation, but not his.”

“Girl, stop. The way Siah was up in here acting a fool about you, kissing on you and defending you didn't go unnoticed. You’d have to be blind not to notice it, Nonie. I wouldn't be surprised if Royce didn't already know and was too damn scary to say shit about it, so like it or not, you’re Siah’s girl. I mean you’ve been that for a long time, but now everybody knows.”

“Yeah, well it still doesn’t change who he is. You ready to get out of here, though?”

“I’m ready. Besides, Jock keeps blowing up my phone, telling me to hurry up.”

“You’re talking about me, what about you? You know that Jock knows Red is cheating on you. Siah told him, so he’s probably wondering why you haven’t said anything to him yet.”

“I know, but I’m not talking to him about that, so it doesn't matter. Until I figure out what I want to do, nothing's changing.”

When I was on my feet, Kizzie threw her arms around me and kissed me on my cheek. “You’ll be alright. This is just that push you needed. Siah makes you happy, and I know it's not perfect, but give it time and it could be.”

“Thanks, Kiz, and the same with you, Jock, and Red,” I said with a smirk, which made her shove me so hard I almost fell over.

“Here I am trying to be a good friend, and you got jokes.”

I was laughing but I hugged Kizzie around the waist as she tried to walk away. “I'm just playing, Kiz. You know I love you, boo.”

“Whatever, man.”

She shoved me away from her body and we both left the club. I hopped in my car while she got in hers, and we left the parking lot following each other.

When I pulled into my driveway I exhaled slowly, knowing that Siah was in my house because I could see my bedroom light on and I knew I had shut everything off before I left. I was a little OCD with things like that. As much as I wanted to see him, I knew he was going to have a problem with me defending Royce, so I got out and made my way to the door, prepared for a fight.

After I was in my house, I locked up and headed to my bedroom. My door was open, but the bathroom door was closed and I could hear that the shower was on. The clothes that Siah wore to the club were laying across my dresser and I noticed blood in the pale grey button up, which let me know that what everyone was whispering about Jamar was true.

I emptied his pockets and dumped his clothes into my hamper, not really moved by the fact that they were blood stained. It wasn't that I was okay with it, but knowledge of stuff like that came with having Yosiah in my life. It was a part of who he was, basically his life. I had experienced it before, and I had to accept it if I was accepting him.

Honestly, I couldn’t count the number of times that Siah had shown up at my house covered in blood, breaking down guns so that he could get rid of the pieces. Or the number of times that I’d heard him meet with Jock about setting up hits for someone who had crossed him. It was his life and I was in it, which meant that it was my life too.

I kicked off my shoes and unzipped my dress just as Siah stepped out the bathroom with a towel secured around his waist. My eyes roamed his body, but his stayed locked on mine.

“You just get here?” he asked over his shoulder after he walked over to the dresser, pulled open a drawer, and lifted a pair of grey boxer briefs. Once he had them in his hand, he let his towel hit the floor and then stepped into them.

“Yeah, how long you been here?” I asked, watching him from across the room.

“Not long. Sit down so we can talk,” he said calmly, but I could see the agitation in his expression.

I walked over to the bed and sat on the edge so that I was on one side and he was on the other.

“I apologize for fucking up your event. I know that’s important to you and it won't happen again, no matter what the circumstances.”

“It's fine, it wasn't a big deal.”

He stared at me for a moment and simply nodded before he spoke again. “You good, though?” he asked.

I shrugged but didn't answer.

“Nonie, I asked if you were good.”

“I’m fine.”

“Look, Pretty, I know that shit didn't happen the way you wanted it to, but you can't keep nursing that nigga’s feelings. He’s grown, and he’ll figure that shit out. Yeah, I get you feel bad because you cheated, but it's not like you loved that nigga or anything.”

Siah stopped abruptly like he was almost waiting for me to confirm that I didn't, and when I remained quiet, he kept going.

“So it is what it is, Nonie. Shit ain't fair sometimes, and if he can't get over that, it's on him, not on you. You can't keep trying to make shit right for something you didn't mean to do. It’s done and over with.”

He was right and I knew it, but it was still hard for me not to feel some sort of way about it. I guess a part of me still cared about Royce, but there was no point in trying to explain that to Siah. I knew I didn't love Royce, but I did care. Either way, it didn't matter anymore. What’s done is done.

“I’m about to take a shower. I have a long day tomorrow.”

I lied because I wanted to end the conversation, so I forced a smile as I stood and started toward the bathroom, but Siah stepped in front of me. Once I was still again, he placed one hand on each side of my face and pressed his lips against mine before he spoke into them.

“I’m not sorry, but I apologize for how it went down.”

His arms circled my body and he held me tight against him for a minute before he let me go and then stepped around me. I heard him leave the room while I entered the bathroom. Once I shut the door, I leaned against it for a moment to clear my head. After releasing a long frustrated sigh, I decided to let it go. Some things were out of my control, and this just happened to be one of them.

*****

“Get up and get dressed, we have something to do.”

“Siah, no. I don't have any appointments today, and it's too early to be up,” I whined and pulled the covers up over my head, which he yanked right back down to my shoulders.

I was tired because I really didn't sleep much last night. After my shower, I went to check on Siah and he was in the living room on the phone talking business, so I climbed in bed with my mind heavy. I dozed off at some point because I felt Siah climb in bed with me and wrap his body around mine.

He just held me, no sex, just laid there with his arms around me and went to sleep. Problem was, I was up at that point and couldn't go back to sleep to save my life, so I laid there listening to him breathe, thinking about my life. My mixed up, crazy life. With no answers to be found I eventually fell asleep again, and now this dummy was kissing on my face and neck trying to make me get up, and I was sure I had just fallen asleep.

“Come on, Pretty, get up. I need you to make a run with me.”

“To do what?”

“Just get up. It's a surprise, but I promise you’ll love it. Now get your lazy ass up so we can go.”

At this point, I still hadn't really opened my eyes, so when I finally did, I realized this idiot was already fully dressed. I should have known when I inhaled his cologne.

Siah moved his body from mine and smacked the shit out of my butt, making me jump and yell. “Damn, Yosiah, that hurt. You better stop playing.”

He laughed and moved to the door. “Get up then, and I won't have to do it again.”

An hour later I was dressed and we were in Siah’s G Wagon on our way to God knows where. He wouldn't tell me, so I stopped asking. It was pointless because it was like some kind of high for him to keep it a secret. When we reached our destination, it was this cute little house out in the middle of nowhere. It was painted blue, with nothing else around it, but a sign out front that said,
Welcome, Leave Your Worries Behind
.

Siah jumped out and opened my door, and when I was on my feet, he took my hand and led the way, grinning like a damn child. This was one of the things I loved about this man. When it came to business, he was always serious and on point, but really he was a big ass kid, well with me at least. We had so much fun sometimes that I got lost in who he was and forgot the other side of him, the Siah that people feared and hated.

The second we entered, I fell in love and couldn't hide my smile. The place was some sort of restaurant and it was rustic and quaint, but my smile was because I laid eyes on Senior. He was on his feet with his arms open, so I took off and ran to him, falling into his embrace.

“There she is. I missed you, Nonie. You really need to stop hiding from me, Pretty.”

I smiled when he called me that. He and Siah were the only ones, well and Jock, but Jock only did it because of Siah, it was sort of their thing. I remember telling Siah once that if I ever heard him calling anyone else that, there would be hell to pay and he promised me the name was mine. I later found out that it was what Senior had called Siah’s mother, so it meant something to me, just like his promise that it belonged to only me. How true it was I didn't know, but I believed him.

“Break that shit up. Damn, he’s not all that,” Siah said, waiting for me to break my embrace with Senior, who chuckled and kissed me on the cheek.

“I not hiding from you, Senior, I’m just busy and he never brings me.” I made sure to place the blame on Siah because it was actually true.

“You don’t need him to come see me. You know where I live, Nonie.”

“I told her that same thing, Pops. She just be acting funny and shit,” Siah said, trying to be pay me back, before he pulled my chair out and waited for me to sit. Once I did, he scooted his chair close to mine and sat down, while Senior took a seat across from us.

“I promise I’ll come see you more,” I said, making sure to roll my eyes at Siah.

“I'm going to hold you to that. Don't make me come looking for you, Pretty,” Senior said with a sly sexy grin that reminded me of his son. They both had a way with women, which I loved and hated. The two of them were so much alike that it was scary sometimes.

“I promise.”

“So how have you been? This one treating you good?”

I glanced at Siah, who was looking down at his menu.

He spoke without looking at me. “Don’t even fix your face to say some foul shit.”

Senior laughed. “You can tell the truth. Don’t worry about him.”

“He does alright, I guess.” I leaned into Siah’s shoulder just a little, which made him place his hand on my leg and let it move up and down my thigh.

“If you have any problems, just let me know. I’ll straighten him out for you.” Senior winked at me.

“I will.”

Siah didn't bother addressing his father’s statement, he just leaned back in his chair and smiled before placing his arm across the back of mine.

“So, business is good, I hear. Siah told me that you’ve been working a lot lately.”

I smiled at the fact that he discussed me with his father. I knew he did, but it still felt good when I heard Senior talk about it.

“Yes, sir. Hopefully we can get it out of the hood soon and on a bigger stage.”

“Money is money, Pretty. Doesn't matter where it comes from. It all spends the same.”

“I know, I just want more than what we’re doing.” I shrugged.

Senior was a hustler, just like Siah, in fact, he was the reason why Siah had his empire. It all started with Senior, and when he retired, he passed it down. Years later, Siah had changed things to suit his needs and was doing much more than his father ever had.

“I get it, and there’s nothing wrong with that. You can make it happen, just stay at it.”

“Soon, Pretty, real soon. Trust me, you’ll get there.” Siah leaned in and kissed my cheek.

Senior glanced at his son and then me, he didn't say anything though, he simply smiled before he held his hand in the air to summon the waitress. She came right over, showing all thirty twos, which I was sure was due to Senior.