You're My Little Secret 2 (15 page)

BRYCE

Dominic is my boy, but I swear I never seen a nigga whine so much in my life. It’s been four months since him, and Brooklyn broke up and he was still acting like it was yesterday. Me, Dominic, David, and DJ were at my shop while I put the finishing touches on David’s tat. I’d already done Dominic a tattoo of my nephews name on his upper forearm. I had a blanket on the floor for DJ to crawl around on. He was ten months old now, and he liked to be on the floor all the time. He was crawling and touching everything in sight.

“Aye Bryce, you think Brook be having somebody over there when my baby be with me?” Dominic asked for the hundredth time.

“Man, let that shit go. You are getting married in two months, and you worrying about who your baby mama is sleeping with,” David answered.

“Nigga, I didn’t say nothing about her sleeping with nobody. I asked if she be having somebody over there,” he clarified.

“If somebody is over there then you know they must be sleeping together,” David taunted.

I didn’t even open my mouth because I knew for a fact that somebody was over there. Kevin was at Brooklyn’s apartment more than I cared to admit. Brooklyn’s ass was slick though. She made Dominic stop using his key so she wouldn’t get busted. I told that nigga that he was crazy for doing that shit. He pays all the bills so he should be able to come and go as he pleases. He was so in love with Brooklyn that he did whatever she said.

“Don’t make me go over there and hurt Brooklyn man. I’m trying to give her some space, but this separation shit is not what’s up,” Dominic admitted.

“Bruh, you are getting married in two months,” David said slowly trying to make his brother understand clearly.

“You keep saying that shit like I don’t already know,” Dominic snapped.

“You damn sure don’t act like it. You sound stupid sitting here stressing over your baby mama. It’s not a separation dummy. She broke up with your stupid ass, but I know somebody better be getting married after I spent nine hundred dollars on a fucking tuxedo,” David shouted.

“What kind of tuxedos y’all wearing that cost nine hundred dollars?” I inquired.

“It’s getting tailored by somebody. That heifer charges twice as much as the stores,” Dominic complained. “As small as DJ is his shit still cost three hundred.”

“My boy about to be a year old already. That time passed too fast,” David commented.

“Y’all finished doing everything for his party?” I asked. Dominic’s parents had a huge lot that they owned right next to their house. DJ was having his first birthday party there and as usual, they were going all out.

“Yeah, it’s coming along. The only time your stubborn ass sister act right is when we talk about his birthday.”

“I have to see what to get him for his birthday. Y’all buy him everything, so that’s a hard one,” I admitted.

“Y’all just show up, don’t even worry about buying a present. He really doesn’t need anything,” Dominic replied. He wasn’t lying about that. My mama’s house looked like a playground. Her and my daddy couldn’t go anywhere without buying something for their grandkids. DJ was the only boy, so he was really spoiled.

I finished David’s tattoo at the same time the doorbell rang. I had a few other appointments, but the first one wasn’t for two hours. I went to the monitors and saw Vamp standing at the door. I opened the side door and yelled for him to come around.

“What’s up Bryce?” He said giving me a fist pound. He spoke to David and Dominic when he walked into the shop right before taking a seat.

“Nothing much, what’s up with you?” I replied.

“When’s the last time you talked to your boy Kyle?” He asked getting right to the point.

“I haven’t talked to Kyle in months. The last time I saw him was when me and Jaden beat his ass out front,” I said.

“Yeah, I heard about that. It’s bad enough that people were saying that he and his brother robbed me, but now I’m hearing that they got a few of us. Somebody followed my brother home and ran in his house a few days ago while his girl and kids were home. He said they had on masks, but he could have sworn he recognized Kyle’s voice. I tried to be cool and talk to him, but he must be guilty since he’s hiding out,” Vamp commented. This was the reason why I wanted Brooklyn’s hard headed ass to stay away from Kevin. That nigga wasn’t right, and neither was Kyle. As long as we’d been friends I never knew this side of him until now.

“That’s messed up if he did that. We all grew up together, and he’s foul for even playing it like that,” I replied.

“That’s why I tried to talk to him first, but he’s basically admitting his guilt by running from me. I’m done trying to talk to him. As far as I’m concerned he’s guilty, and nobody can tell me different. My cousin used to know where he lived, but that house was empty when I checked a few weeks ago.”

“I don’t know anything about where he lives at now. That nigga told me and my brother that we were dead the last time I saw him,” I admitted.

“No, he’s dead whenever I see him,” Vamp said seriously. He said his goodbyes and left a few minutes later.

“That’s why I keep telling Brooklyn to stay away from Kevin,” Dominic said. If only he knew how much she was around that clown. He would really be going crazy. I had to have a talk with Brooklyn’s crazy ass about her so-called best friend. Just like his brother, he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

NADIA

“Kevin let her go!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. He was beating Shannon like she was a man on the streets. They had been arguing for the past few months because he had started staying away from home a lot. I didn’t know where Kyle was, but I needed his help right about now. If he wasn’t in my car, I would have left a long time ago and let Shannon fend for herself. Whenever he went near his old neighborhood, he took my car so no one would recognize him. He and Kevin now lived in Slidell, and that was a long drive from New Orleans.

“Mind your business Nadia,” he said shoving me. “I told this bitch to stop touching my phone.”

Shannon got her ass beat for the same shit all the time, but that never stopped her. She was just too stupid for me. She was sprawled out on the floor trying to cover her face, but she never even tried to fight back. I was putting myself in harm’s way just by trying to protect her.

“Look at how bad she’s bleeding. You’re going to kill her,” I warned. He must have thought about what I was saying because he backed off.

“Get your stupid ass up and go in the room,” Kevin yelled at Shannon. He grabbed his keys and cell phone and stormed out of the house.

“Come on so we can clean you up,” I said as I helped her up from the floor. I swear if I didn’t see it for myself, nobody could have made me believe that Kevin was like this. He was always so sweet and humble whenever I saw him. I never knew he had such a bad temper. I wet some rags with cold water and peroxide and started to help Shannon nurse her wounds.

“It’s not too bad,” she observed as she looked in the mirror.

“You must be crazy, look at your lip,” I hollered. Her bottom lip was split wide open and leaking blood like a faucet. She needed to pray that she wouldn’t need stitches.

“At least I don’t have a black eye this time,” she said sounding stupid. 

“What happened to set him off this time?” I asked.

“He’s pissed because I told him that I’m going to whip Brooklyn’s ass the next time I see her. He’s been spending nights at that bitch’s house like he doesn’t have a woman at home,” she replied angrily.

“I don’t know why you keep putting up with this shit. He’s beating on you behind the next bitch. You need to whip both of their asses.”

“I’m not like you Nadia. I don’t have any other friends or family to run to. Kevin is all I have. You’re the only female friend I’ve ever had,” she cried.

“I can’t believe he’s messing with Brooklyn. All these years they claimed to be just friends.”

“It seems like it means more to him than it does to her. I’ve been checking his phone for weeks, and she barely calls him. Sometimes she doesn’t even text his stupid ass back. If I didn’t think he would kill me or throw me out on the streets, I would have been sliced Brooklyn’s ass up. He loves her, and even I can see that,” Shannon admitted. “He’s the only thing that’s saving her though.”

“That’s messed up. He doesn’t even try to hide it,” I replied.

“I don’t want you to fool yourself into thinking that Kyle is any better. He’s even worse than Kevin is. The only difference is you’re not here every day to see it.”

“Don’t get it twisted. I don’t have a problem walking away.”

“If that’s the case then why are you still with him? He does the same thing to you that Kevin does to me. He cheats and hits on you too. You have other options, but I don’t. If my mama was still alive, I wouldn’t even be here.

That was the million dollar question. Besides the sex, Kyle wasn’t good for much more. He gave me money, but that was only because I was taking all of the risks to get it. Shannon and I risked our freedom, but he and his brother reaped the benefits. Then to know that he was messing with Tiffany was another low blow. He could have had any other bitch in the world, but he chose her. I was getting sick and tired of men taking my kindness for weakness. I have a good heart, but I always managed to give it to the wrong men. I really thought that Dominic was different, but I was dead wrong. He’s a typical man just like all the others. Honestly, I was sick of being in Louisiana altogether. My mother and two little brothers had moved to Virginia two years ago, and she was begging me to move there with her. Most of our family lived there, and that’s where she was born and raised. At first, I was against it, but now it sounded like a damn good idea.

KENNEDI

Two weeks is all I have left before Dominic, and I walk down the aisle. I’m excited beyond words. If everything goes according to the plan, my day is going to be perfect. The black and champagne colors that I chose are beautiful and give off an elegant appearance. My bridesmaids’ dresses are beautiful, and so are the men’s tuxedos. I don’t have any friends, so Tiffany, my cousin Shelly, and Dominic’s sister Nyla are my only bridesmaids. Dominic chose Scott, his little brother Ivan, and David, of course, to be his groomsmen. Our mothers are wearing beautifully designed champagne colored dresses with black accessories. I didn’t know until a few days ago that Dominic even had DJ a tux made to match his. I was pissed when I found out, but I had to play it off. I had Dominic’s tux designed and tailored specifically for him. I didn’t want him to be dressed like the other men in the wedding party. He’s the groom, so he’s supposed to stand out. I would have been alright if DJ matched the groomsmen, but not the groom. Then he wanted him to walk down the aisle with his parents. I had everything planned out, but Dominic was changing things up to include his son in everything. He even had his son’s name included on our programs. He’s walking now, but there really wasn’t much that he could do. I wasn’t having a bridal shower because there really was nobody for me to invite. Bryce wasn’t coming to the wedding, but he and David are throwing Dominic a bachelor party the night before the ceremony. Since our wedding party is so small, my mother decided against having a rehearsal dinner and we would just practice a few days before. Aside from all of that, today was DJ’s first birthday party. He turned a year old yesterday. I really didn’t want to come, but that wouldn’t have been a good look seeing as how Dominic and I would be married two weeks from now. Dominic’s parents have a huge lot next door to their house, and that’s where the party is being held. The theme is superheroes and they went all out. I’ve never in my life seen a child’s party like the one he’s having. It was entirely too much for a one-year-old. I didn’t know how much Dominic spent, but it had to be a lot. I sat at a table under the tent in awe as I looked on at all of the festivities. They have a water slide and spacewalk as well as a craft table where a lady was doing face paintings. A photographer walked around taking pictures, and there was a superheroes photo backdrop set up in the corner. The cake table was to die for. They had a bunch of sweets and party favors surrounding the three tier cake and cupcakes. Then they had the superheroes rented characters there to entertain the many children that were in attendance. Dominic’s dad was on the grill while Brooklyn’s father boiled the seafood. Everyone had on a superheroes themed shirt or something that coincides with the party except for me. Dominic offered to get me something, but I refused. As usual, I was dressed to kill in a sleeveless Gucci bandage dress with the matching sandals. I was slightly overdressed for a child’s party, but I didn’t care. Nobody out here could touch me, including Brooklyn. She wore a fitted tank that matched the theme of the party with a pair of shorts that were entirely too short. That heifer has a bad ass shape, but she still didn’t intimidate me or so I tried to make myself believe. I noticed how Dominic kept checking her out, but I didn’t want to cause a scene in front of everyone. They were both running around playing with DJ like one big happy family. When they took pictures together, I was pissed. I knew that it was their son’s birthday party, but I felt completely disrespected. Dominic’s mother sat with me off and on throughout the party, and I appreciated her for making me feel welcomed. David was off with Brooklyn’s family having fun on the waterslide along with Nyla and Ivan. I didn’t plan on staying until the end since it was clearly evident that I was the outsider.

“You want something to eat Kennedi?” Dominic asked taking a seat next to me. He was holding his son who was soaking wet from being on the water slide. I was baby whenever we were at home, but I was Kennedi when were anywhere else. I was trying not to nag, but it was proving to be a hard task.

“I’m surprised you even remembered that I was here,” I snapped.

“You can miss me with your nasty ass attitude. It’s my son’s party, and I’m not even going there with you today,” he replied. “Now do you want something to eat or not?”

“No, I’m fine. I’m about to be going home anyway,” I answered.

“Alright cool, I’ll see you later,” he said as he stood up and walked away. I couldn’t believe how he dismissed me like that. Then to make matters worse he was standing by the cake table laughing and smiling with Brooklyn and her family. I grabbed my clutch and stood to my feet.

“Are you leaving Kennedi?” Mrs. Liz asked me. She was walking over to me just as I was preparing to go.

“Yeah, I have to meet with the wedding planner to discuss some last minute things,” I lied.

“It’s almost that time. I know you’re excited,” she said smiling.

“I can’t wait,” I smiled back even though I felt like crying. It dawned on me that no matter how I felt about it, Brooklyn would always be a part of our lives. Mrs. Liz walked me outside and hugged me right before I got in my car and pulled off. My phone rang as soon as I turned the corner. I was hoping that it was Dominic calling to apologize, but I had no such luck.

“What’s up Scott?” I said as I pushed the talk button on my steering wheel.

“Nothing much, I’m just calling to check on you. I know DJ’s party is today, and I wanted to make sure that you were alright,” he answered.

“Aww, you are so sweet. I just left from the party though. It’s not like I’ll be missed anyway since my man is smiling all up in his baby mama’s face,” I complained.

“I’m on my way to get me something to eat. You are more than welcomed to join me. It’s my treat, of course.”

“Just tell me where and I’m on my way,” I replied happily. At least somebody wanted to be bothered with me since Dominic didn’t. I was surprised that Scott wasn’t at the party, but I never asked him why. When he gave me the name of the restaurant, I made a detour and was on my way.

****

Two weeks later, Dominic and I stood before God and all of our family and friends and recited our wedding vows. I was finally Mrs. Dominic Omari Roberts, and I couldn’t be happier. Our wedding day turned out to be beautiful, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Thanks to Dominic, my father came to the wedding, but my uncle Thomas still walked me down the aisle. Dominic had been talking to him in the weeks leading up to our wedding, and he felt sorry for him. I almost felt sorry for him too until he did the unthinkable. He told Dominic about why I was unable to successfully hold a baby. I was crushed when Dominic asked me about it after one of our wedding rehearsals. I spent the eve of my wedding day telling my husband how my mother forced me to get three abortions before I was even old enough to drive. If he didn’t hate my mother before, he damn sure hated her now.

Then my dad had the audacity to bring his wife and his other kids to my wedding. I was heated when Dominic called him over to take pictures with us at the reception. To save face, I smiled and pretended like everything was all good. I’m sure people were wondering why he didn’t walk me down the aisle or have on the same colors as my wedding party. He was now sitting at the table eating and drinking like he was the father of the year. Even though he paid for most of the wedding, I could have done without seeing him here. My mother was being her usual self and showing off for all of the guests. After we took pictures and had our first dance as husband and wife, I changed my dress and sat down at the table that was reserved for us. Dominic grabbed DJ and started mingling with the crowd. He wanted me to walk around with him, but I wasn’t in the mood. He was more of a people person than I was, so that was more of his thing. His entire family was there, and he seemed to be enjoying himself without me anyway. He was currently knocking back shots with his cousins and David. It was my wedding day, but his son was the center of his universe just like always. Everybody was so busy admiring how cute he looked dressed like his daddy in his little tux that I ended up fading into the background. I couldn’t wait until we left to go to Hawaii in the morning. At least we would be by ourselves for an entire week.

“This is your wedding day. You should be turning up,” Tiffany said as she took a seat next to me. “I’ve been posting pictures on Facebook and Instagram all day.”

“Girl please, thanks to that ugly ass lil boy of his, I don’t even feel like the bride,” I complained.

“You are wrong for calling that baby ugly,” Tiffany laughed. “If he’s ugly then so is your husband. They look just alike.”

“I can’t wait to have my own damn baby. I guarantee he’s going to forget all about him,” I swore.

“Well, you better make it happen. You have a whole week in Hawaii to get knocked up. Have you been taking the fertility drugs?” She asked.

“Nope, Dominic didn’t want me to start seeing the doctor until after the wedding. He said it was too expensive at the time,” I admitted. “With all of the money that he spent on DJ’s party, he wants to complain about me seeing a fertility doctor for us to have a baby.”

“Don’t try to compete with that man’s son Kennedi. I promise you’ll lose every time if you do,” Tiffany warned me.

“That’s just it Tiffany I shouldn’t have to compete with a one-year old for my husband’s attention. I should know that I come first at all times.”

“Kennedi, you will never come before his child. It’s not that he doesn’t love you. It’s just different when it comes to a parent and their children. I went through the exact same thing when I was with Bryce. He made sure I knew that his daughters came first. Hell, even their mama came first with him. That’s why he went back to that bitch,” Tiffany acknowledged. “I’m glad my new boo is child-free.”

Without even knowing it, my cousin had just given me a lot to think about. Dominic never verbally expressed it, but his actions showed me that his son came first. That also made me wonder how he felt about Brooklyn. She was the mother of his first and only child so there has to be some kind of feelings involved.

“What’s wrong baby?” Dominic asked as he sat down next to me. He ignored Tiffany just like he always does. He couldn’t stand my cousin for a number of reasons.

“Nothing is wrong I’m just tired. What’s wrong with him?” I asked referring to his son who was whining.

“He’s tripping and don’t want anybody to hold him. He wants to walk around on his own,” he replied.

“How is he getting home?” I asked. We were staying at a hotel, and there was no way in hell I was spending my wedding night with his son.

“He’s spending the night with my mama and daddy,” he answered. That figures since Brooklyn never had her own child.

“I can’t wait to go to Hawaii,” I said smiling at my husband.

“I know me too. This is the first time that I’ll be away from my baby,” he said while looking down at DJ. He couldn’t even have a tender moment with me without making it about his son.

****

A few hours later, our guests were leaving, and we were wrapping things up. David and Scott loaded all of our gifts onto their father’s truck and took them to our house. Most of our gifts were cash and gift cards so there weren’t that many. Once Dominic said his goodbyes to his family and DJ, we headed to our hotel room. One of his cousins drove us there, and David was picking us up in the morning to take us to the airport. Dominic was drunk, so his cousin had to help me get him to the room. He was all over me as soon as the door closed.

“Wait a minute Dominic,” I yelled. He was so impatient that he was actually trying to rip my dress off. I pushed him off of me and proceeded to take my dress off slowly. By the time I was done, he was lying across the bed naked. I walked over, and he pulled me in right along with him.

It was our wedding night, so I didn’t complain when he positioned me on all fours and started pounding me from behind like a mad man. I could do without the hair pulling, but it wasn’t too bad. As usual, I held on tight while he did all the work. I was actually starting to enjoy it, but that was short lived.

“Damn Brook,” he breathed heavily into the back of my neck while he continued to thrust into me.

My entire body froze up when I heard him call me her name. I couldn’t believe that he was actually thinking about another bitch while he was having sex with me on our wedding day. He was so intoxicated that he just kept going without a care in the world. He never even noticed the change in my demeanor from his slip of the tongue.

Once he was done, he collapsed on the bed and was knocked out in a matter of minutes. I hurriedly jumped up from the bed and ran into the bathroom. I slid down to the floor and cried my heart out on what was supposed to be the happiest day of my life.