You Can't Help Who You Love Read online

  Anyways, Nardo was doing the damn thing on the grill. He had a young girl assisting him and we could all tell he was trying to knock the bottom out tonight. I chuckled before seeing Miracle and the little dude walking around holding hands. The shit infuriated me. But, I played it cool. If I was going to step to her about it, it definitely wouldn’t be here.

  *****

  Two hours later, the music was blasting, drinks were flowing, and card games were in the works. Shit, the broads that worked with us was twerking their asses to some song. Everything was kosher! I locked eyes with Miracle, who turned away from me and stared kissing ol boy. Again, I didn’t do a thing. She was trying to ruffle my feathers and it wouldn’t happen, today or tomorrow. I was letting shit slide for now. I would hit her up later on though. I wasn’t feeling this shit.

  “You can front like you don’t like my daughter; you know I’m the eyes and ears everywhere and I’ve been peeping y’all asses all night. Shit, you’re jealous as fuck because you’ve never flaunted Danielle’s hoe ass around since back then. Being that I know you and have known you since you was a child, I don’t mind YOU stepping to my daughter because you a real ass nigga, like self. But when you do step to her, promise me you won’t hurt her; she don’t need that shit if you’ll do that,” Nardo said, patting my back before walking away.

  What he said was real and I appreciated the gesture. Hell, I was happy someone knew I liked her. Still, I wasn’t going to make a move out here in front of all these niggas because you never know who in this bitch really don’t fuck with you, and I know for a fact that I would catch a case before I let someone fuck with her. She walked up to the fellas, finally wanting to talk.

  “Hey Jussy, Carter, Quis... Dallas.” She stopped at me and rolled her eyes. She nodded at everyone else; we were the only ones she fucked with on any level and I understood why.

  “What’s up baby sis, you see we over here handling business? What you want, need, what’s up?” Carter asked, rushing her off. I felt like if Nardo knew, they knew. But whatever.

  “Damn, I can’t come speak to my brothers and their friends?” she asked, eyeing me. I knew lil man that was with her had to feel some type of way; he just stood there while she eye fucked me and didn’t do shit.

  I chuckled and shook my head before I got up from my seat and headed to the bathroom. I was closing the door when a small foot stopped me from doing so. I opened it up, thinking it was Miracle. Instead, it was Danielle’s ass. She pushed me back into the bathroom and stared at me with lust filled eyes. I knew what she wanted and I wanted her to suck this dick too, yet, I didn’t want to disrespect these folks’ house, especially Miracle. I was trying to stop her, but the words wouldn’t form. She pulled my dick out of my trunks between the slits and went to work. Immediately, he rocked up harder than Chinese arithmetic. She spit all the saliva that she could muster on my dick, making him all shiny.

  “Ah, ffffuck,” I groaned out. Before I knew it, she had the top of my dick in the back of her fucking throat. She was making some crazy ass jaw movements and by God, I felt like she was trying to suck the soul out of my ass. “Damn M, suck-” I caught myself because I had done called her Miracle’s name. I wanted to feel like shit, but she was so into the dick sucking, she didn’t even peep when I said the shit. I felt the blood rush to the tip of my dick and I knew I was about to explode. I didn’t warn her or anything as I shot my load, SPLAT, right between her eyes. She was a nasty little hoe; she started rubbing that shit in, instead of getting mad.

  “Baby, can you fuck me?” she asked, playing in her pussy. I would’ve, but I felt like we had done enough, so I shook my head and told her we could later. Of course, I was lying, but she didn’t have to know that though. We straightened up, so we could head back outside. As soon as I swung the door open, I came face to face with Miracle. The look upon her face told me she was hurt. Danielle smirked and bumped her shoulder before heading out.

  “M!” I called out to her, but she ran upstairs to what I assumed was going to be her room. I knew I had probably fucked up, but how could she get mad when she had a man here?! I know y’all like NIGGA YOU IN HER HOUSE. Yes, I was, but like I said, the bitch caught me off guard. Being that I was caught up, I felt like shit and I no longer wanted to be here, so I went to tell the fellas I was dipping. After I dapped them up, I climbed inside my car. Danielle came running to stop me, but I pulled clean off on her ass. I wasn’t mad at her, but she knew we didn’t fuck with one another like that since we had been broken up.

  Halee

  I didn’t like the way Quis was blowing me off at this cookout, but I understood, so I didn’t get mad. I had been sitting by myself, waiting on Miracle’s ass to come back. We didn’t fuck with no bitches, other than one another. I saw Dallas peel off, almost running over the hood hoe Danielle’s toe, and I knew then that some shit was wrong. So, I fled upstairs to find Miracle. I found her lying on her bed with her head down.

  “M, are you ok?” I asked her.

  She waited damn near five minutes before she answered me. “I saw Dallas heading to the bathroom, so I gets up to go up there to talk to him, to ask him why he haven’t been responding to me since the day all that shit jumped off at your house. Right when I was about to knock, Danielle opened the door. They were in there doing some freak shit; I already know. The look on both of their faces told me that,” she said.

  I wasn’t surprised because like I said, Danielle was the hood hoe. “Girl, she just a quick nut... to everybody. Don’t let that shit get you down, you keep pushing,” I told her, giving her a hug. That’s my bestie and I wouldn’t sugarcoat shit, sorry not sorry. I must admit, he had to have laid the pipe down because she normally didn’t act like this about anyone. Not even her ex. She was always nonchalant. Now, she in this bitch crumbling like a piece of paper. I held her for a minute before I headed back downstairs. We’ve known one another since she moved in the neighborhood years ago, so I knew when she wanted her space.

  As soon as I hit the bottom stairs, I ran smack dab into Carter. I tried walking past him, but today, for some reason, he wasn’t having it. He grabbed my hand and pulled me into the guest room before I had the chance to protest. I could tell he was drinking on something because I smelled the alcohol on his breath.

  “Carter, what the fuck?” I asked him. His hot breath on my neck sent me into overdrive. I let a small moan seep out of my mouth. Though he had taken my virginity, I didn’t really feel how I felt anymore because he pushed me away. “Lee, I missed you baby,” he grunted.

  I shook my head, backing into the door. “No, you don’t. You just want some pussy and think you’re about to get it. Think again though,” I told him, putting my hand on the knob. The minute it opened, he shut it right back. He threw me on the bed and dropped his baggy jeans. His anaconda fell out, hard as hell. I can’t even lie; the sight of it cause my pussy to pulsate. It was prettier than I remember. I shook my head; I had to get out of here.

  “Ever since that day, I missed you. I couldn’t act on it because of the age difference, but now, I can’t fight the shit anymore Lee. I want you in my life. Hell, I need you. I know damn well I ain’t gone be able to find another down ass white girl like you,” he said, staring in my eyes. If he would’ve said this shit two years ago, I would’ve fell for it. But he waited too late and now my eyes were on someone else, and that was Marquis.

  “CARTER!” I heard Justin yell his name. I was saved by the damn bell because I know that I probably would’ve fell victim to this shit. Don’t get me wrong. Carter was finer than a fool, but it took him two long ass years, seven hundred thirty plus days to tell me all the shit I had been waiting to hear. I wasn’t anything like the gullible bitches y’all read about these days. Plus, when my feelings changed, like they just did, I couldn’t go that route anymore.

  Carter stared at me before leaving. “I’m serious Lee. I miss you and we going to make this shit work. I’m sorry I was being a dick then; I regret the shit every day. These
hoes out here ain’t shit compared to you; you’re solid and I want you to be a part of my life.” I watched him leave out and let everything he said sink in. It didn’t matter what he said, I knew that I couldn’t do this shit anymore. I’ve waited too long. I figured I had had enough of the cookout and went back upstairs to tell Miracle that I was heading out.

  “M, baby girl, I’m out. I’ll come check on you in the morning.” The look she gave me told me she either wanted to go with me or she wanted me to stay. Being that I felt like being in my own home, I told her to grab some stuff and let’s go. We were having a girl’s night tonight. When she gathered all her stuff, she told her daddy that she would be across the street if he needed her. After he said it was cool, we headed out. But, not before getting stopped by Quis first.

  “Yo, what y’all up to tonight?” he asked me.

  “Having a girl’s night, just chilling, smoking and probably sipping,” I told him.

  “Me and Dallas gone scroll through. Maybe we can go out for a little date,” he told me. My mind wandered back to Toya bringing her ass over here and it slightly pissed me off. If she was near right now, I probably would’ve thrown a brick and busted her ass in her shit.

  “Nah, let’s just meet up somewhere. Or we can come chill with y’all. I’m not trying to have no episode of the last time you were at my house,” I told him, keeping shit real.

  “Ok, cool,” he said before walking off. I caught Carter giving me the death stare and it kind of made me cringe a little. It looked threatening. But, I kept it moving right across the street. Cash came running up to Miracle, stopping her. I giggled because I had completely forgotten his ass was here, and obviously, she did too. I continued to the house and when she walked in, I figured she had shrugged his ass off or either asked one of the guys to take his riderless ass home.

  “Get your mind off Dallas. let’s get cute and go show him what he is missing,” I told her. She looked at me and smiled. I knew she was always with the little childish shit. I didn’t blame her though. I jumped in the shower and started cleansing my body when I heard Boosie’s Set it off blasting through the stereo. I laughed, knowing she was with the fuckery tonight and I was right along with her. Nobody was home, so we didn’t have to worry about someone whining about how loud the music was.

  I jumped out of the shower and walked into my room, rapping right along with his ass. After the song went off, she headed in the shower next. When she came out, I was dressed in a blue jean romper that hugged my body just right, with some gladiator sandals. I started beating my face over again before straighten my hot tamale bob. I looked just like a little firecracker. But, I was cute, nonetheless. Miracle was dressed in a romper sort of similar to mine with some J’s on. We were cute! Since she had the blowout, she straightened her real hair bone straight and let it fall down her back. Baby girl definitely was going to have Dallas feeling some type of way tonight!

  Carter

  Halee think she slick. I saw her and Marquis talking, and I was planning on pulling him to the side to let him no she was off limits. I headed to the bathroom because those beers I was tossing back with my dad and the team had me pissing like a muthafucka. After I let loose the beast and washed my hands, I headed back to the yard. Just as I was thinking I was going to pull Quis to the side, I saw his car pulling off.

  “Damn! I’ll catch his ass later though,” I said to myself.

  “Son, leave her alone; you’ve waited too late to get her. Now, had you gotten her when you bust her open, you wouldn’t be having these problems, but you are. She is over it now. I can tell by the way she glows up when He talks to her. I used to see that look on your mom when we first started kicking it. Leave it alone and don’t cause problems because right now, the team is in a good place. We eating with no problems and I don’t want any friction because you wasn’t man enough to make her yours,” my dad told me, walking off. His ass knew everything, didn’t shit get by him. In his occupation, I know you had to have eyes and ears everywhere. He was known to be dropping knowledge on our asses and I appreciated him for that. But whether him or anyone else liked it or not, Halee was mine and I was getting her ass, rather sooner than later. I was tired as fuck and as much as I wanted to run up in something wet, I knew that my dad wouldn’t allow me to drive tipsy, drunk or not. He wasn’t having it. So, I went into the guest room and laid there until my eyes closed. Tomorrow was a new day and I was getting my girl by any means necessary.

  Danielle

  I hated the way Dallas tried playing me. I knew what I was doing. I peeped how him and Miracle’s little spoiled ass was watching one another all day. I was surprised he pulled me in his lap and I thought he was just showing her that he was fucking with me and vice versa. But when I saw the look on her face when she stood at the bathroom door, I knew it was some deep shit going on within them that I was going to indeed get the scoop on. After he pulled off on me at the cookout, I got in my Impala and peeled out too. He told me that we could fuck later, so I was going to my section 8 apartment to get prepared for it. I pulled up and walked into the house. My three-year-old son, Dalvin, came running to me. “Mommy! I missed you,” he cooed at me. I had him when I was seventeen. At the time, I was fucking so many niggas that I didn’t know who he belonged to

  So, I kept him a secret, letting my grandma watch him while I was out. She thought I had a real nine to five. But she didn’t know that I was cooking, weighing, and bagging dope. That was something she didn’t need to know. But, anyways, I scooped him up and gave him kisses. Though I was considered a hoe, I loved my son and the moment I found out I was pregnant, I knew I couldn’t get rid of him. It wasn’t in me to take a life away from someone who never had the chance to live at least some of it. I wanted a dad in his life, but honestly, I didn’t know where to start to find his real father.

  At the time, when I was 17, I was dating Dallas, some boys off their team, and this old man I gathered money from. Being that I was a hoe back then, I knew nobody would claim him. Call me crazy, but he was favoring Dallas’ ass more and more every day. I wanted to bring it to his attention, but hell, who would believe me. Like I said, in the beginning, Dallas and I was fucking with one another hard. He ended up cutting me off because they hood was talking and he claimed I just wanted to spend his money. The day he left, a few weeks later, I found out I was with child. I stayed off the scene for nine whole months until I had my son. After that, I went to De’Nardo about working in a trap. I claimed to want more for myself but that wasn’t it. I knew working under him, I was bound to be near Dallas. Just my luck, they placed me in the trap him and Quis ran. Even if it meant just sucking his dick, I was all for it. Because I loved him, I wanted to be near him. He didn’t think I knew but I caught when he called me M and, in all honesty, the shit made my blood boil. I wasn’t feeling it and they would know that one day. He was mine before her little spoiled ass came along, and he would be mine after she was gone as well.

  De’Nardo

  I hate when people think you’re not hip to the games they play. I knew everything from Dallas and Miracle to Halee and Marquis. Hell, even when little Halee let my son take her virginity. I knew it all, including the fact that Danielle was back trying to win Dallas over. I could see the look in her eyes that she wanted my daughter out of the picture and I would have that bitch’s head if she considered hurting a single strand of hair on my daughter. I played stupid and oblivious to everything. I had ears and eyes everywhere; I could be elsewhere, but I had my people on GO! Didn’t shit move and they didn’t think I knew about it. If they did, they were sadly mistaken because I knew. I been in this game since I was a Jit; all my workers I put on because I done been through the struggle as well.

  I saw so much potential in both Dallas and Marquis, which was why I told my son not to bring any unnecessary drama into the squad. When it’s business, ain’t none of that father son shit; it was strictly business and he knew it. I would hate to have to fire my own son. But I would if it meant keeping
shit leveled out. Some would consider me coldhearted while others wouldn’t. I just didn’t like shit fucking with my money. Though I had more money than I knew what to do with it, sometimes it was never enough. That’s how I knew it was time for me to exit the game; I was beginning to get greedy and anything could happen when you get greedy. I don’t know about most drug dealers, but I liked my freedom. Shit, I wasn’t looking to be on anyone else’s time but my own.

  My mind went to my wife. Lord knows I missed her. She died on the operating table while giving birth to Miracle. When she came out, we hadn’t had a name, which is why I named her Miracle. That’s why I cherished my pumpkin so much; my wife made me promise to save Miracle over her and I respected it. She always told me she had lived a great life; now, all she wanted was for her daughter to do the same. You can’t hear too many people say some shit like that. She wasn’t selfish and even in death, I was in love with her because of it.

  My time in the game was winding down, which was why I had the cookout. I was observing everyone, figuring out who I should hand shit down to. I had both of my sons. They went hard in the paint, but so did Dallas and Marquis. I was proud of both of my boys; I had been training them as long as they could talk. Most people give their empire down to their sons. But, I was thinking otherwise. Justin, he put that work in. So, his name was on the table right beside Dallas. I didn’t know who to choose. I knew my decision would fuck with Carter, but I didn’t think he was ready to be handling an entire empire. Not yet anyway. Help run it, yeah, but the entire thing? No. He was the hotheaded one who would no doubt destroy everything we worked so hard for and I didn’t want to see my empire going down the drain like that.