Before he could get it out, she indeed hung up and because of that he wasn’t calling back but he damn sure was going to see about her. He slid his feet into a pair of Jordans and then pulled a red and black Karl Kani hoodie over his head. He tucked his Cuban link inside of his shirt and tucked his gun on his waist. Although a lot of people weren’t bold enough to fuck with him because of his family ties, he was still always taught to stay strapped just in case. The biggest misconception people got about him was that ‘college boy’ shit without knowing that he was really like that. Donnell was always cool for the most part but could be a hot head whenever he was tried the wrong way.

  He slipped away from the house unnoticed and hopped in his silver Lexus LS 400. When he heard the rappers rapping about it, particularly Notorious B.I.G, he knew he had to have one and it wasn’t a problem getting it either. All he had to do was make one phone call. He left Liberty City and headed to Broward until he reached Carver Ranches. He didn’t go to Broward often because he had no reason to, but he did hear that a lot of pretty girls lived in the neighborhood he was currently invading. He slowly crept up 18th Street and read the numbers on the house he was looking for.

  He knew he was at the right house when he saw Sharonda ease her way out of a red Acura Integra. He instantly got upset when he saw she was wearing an eye patch. She was so engulfed in retrieving her things, she didn’t even spot him walking up on her until it was too late. All of her belongings hit the ground when she jumped and let out a light gasp.

  “Shit! You scared me. What the fuck are you doing at my house?” She pressed her hand over her heart looking around in a panic, feeling herself becoming overwhelmed by the rapid pounding that thrummed through her chest.

  Donnell leaned down to scoop her things up. Holding it in one arm, he used the other to try to remove her eye patch. “Let me see.”

  She slapped his hand away and sneered. “I don’t even know you like that and your lil girlfriend jumps me, blacked my fucking eye, and then you pop up to my house without permission. Are you crazy!”

  Donnell gave her a look that wasn’t aggressive nor presumptuous. Instead, he took a moment and glared at her already knowing she was someone he wanted to deeply understand. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but when you knew, you just knew.

  “For one, I didn’t have shit to do with that but I’ma make sure I handle it though, I can promise you that. Second, that ain’t my girl and never will be. You can believe me or not but considering the fact that we never talked, fucked, or barely even know each other, I have nothing to lose nor hide from you.”

  Sharonda shifted her weight from one leg to the other. She’s had a long exhausting day. She’d been in her feelings all day and not only because of the fight, but because she had to suppress all of her emotions just to get through the day which was exhausting itself. Knowing that Tyrone had managed to get Tricia pregnant had her on edge. Donnell was right about everything he just said. She assumed he took her silence as a green light to try again.

  “See, makes sense, don’t it? Now let me see.” This time when he removed the patch, she allowed him to. She could tell by that flicker in his hazel eyes that it pissed him off. She didn’t even want to see how bad it looked right now. “I know you don’t like it, but you gon’ have to let it breathe. You got an ice pack?”

  He was right, she did hate it. “Unfortunately, I don’t. I forgot to stop and get one after class today.” She exclaimed through sucked teeth.

  He looked at her belongings in his arms and then at her again. “I’m really sorry about that shit for real, I mean that. Look, you can ride with me. Let’s go get that ice pack and some Tylenol.”

  Sharonda was hesitant about riding anywhere with him at all, but she really needed it, and she didn’t feel like driving anywhere. She knew it would be another few hours before her mama got back home so she decided to go. Fuck it.

  She grabbed her pocketknife from her car and slid it into her purse. “We can go, but I’m telling you right now if you try anything I’m cutting yo ass.” She then walked around his car and called Pinky. Donnell let her do whatever she wanted to do. After taking that hit to the eye for no reason, he could understand why she probably didn’t trust him. She flipped her phone open and made a call. “Pinky, write down this tag number. If I go missing, he did it.”

  Pinky sat in the hair salon getting her hair done over listening to all of the latest gossip. She’d been in the salon all damn day because that’s where the best gossip came from and of course they heard about the fight up in there. One thing about the hair salons is everyone knows the business. “Who did it bitch?”

  “I’m riding with Donnell.”

  The one you don’t like?” Pinky asked through a smirk. “Tell that nigga he owes me a hairdo and a rib sandwich too.”

  “Just take the damn number.” She called off the tag number and flipped her phone back down. “We can go.” She told Donnell.

  He walked around to her side of the car and opened the door for her, causing her to hesitate. She never had a dude open the door for her and Donnell didn’t even look like that type. He caught on to her look and smiled, showing a mouth full of gold teeth.

  “You ain’t gotta say it. It’s cool, I’ma show you what real niggas do.”

  He closed the door and then coolly walked around the front giving her a good glimpse of his side shot. She couldn’t find not one thing wrong with him, not one single flaw. When he sat in the driver’s seat, his cologne filled the car. She’d never been inside of the LS 400, but it was extremely nice and still had the new car smell.

  They eased off from her house and everyone who was outside on the block stared while pretending as if they weren’t wondering who the hell Sharonda’s young ass had managed to bag this time. Even Mrs. Ulatha pretended like she was watering her grass, but she couldn’t wait to go across the street and tell Ms. Tiny that Sharonda had been cheating on Tyrone although that was far from the truth.

  When they pulled up to the grocery store, she was confused as to why he chose a grocery store to get an ice pack, but he told her he’d be right back. When he returned, he had one plastic bag in his hand. He tossed it on the backseat and left. Instead of talking to her, he bopped his head to ‘Juicy’ and used the tip of his fingers to lightly tap to the beat.

  He briefly glanced at her admiring her side view although her eye was black and swollen it didn’t take away from her beauty. “You hungry?”

  “I ate already.” She lied.

  She wasn’t trying to stop and get food; she wanted to get home and relax. The sun was finally setting and to Sharonda wasn’t nothing prettier. As a matter of fact, it was her favorite time of the day. It was the simplicity of it for her. The sky was painted with vibrant hues of orange and pink. Down the street from her house right on the corner of Pembroke and 441 a little Cuban guy was selling flowers. Donnell stopped in the middle of traffic and had the guy to bring him one. He paid him and pulled off.

  “Here, these for you baby, that’s the least I can do.”

  Sharonda liked him already although she knew she was going against her better judgment being around him. Donnell parked in her driveway as the sounds of Mariah Carey’s soothing voice hummed from the speakers. He reached back and retrieved the bag off the back seat before pulling out a thick slab of steak.

  “They didn’t have no ice packs, but this works just as good. Trust me, I watched my grandma put this on plenty of people.” He explained leaving Sharonda speechless at first.

  “I know damn well you don’t want me to put that meat on my eye Donnell. Not gon’ happen.” She refused, shaking her head.

  He was adamant and insisted. He used his finger and placed it underneath her chin to look at him. “Trust me, it’s gon’ feel better. Fuck it, you wanna see me put it on my eye first?” Donnell looked like a damn fool which caused her to slightly chuckle.

  “Okay, fuck it. I’ll let you do it but I’m not touching that meat.”

  He shrugged. He removed his gun from his waist so he could get more comfort in leaning over to assist her. Her eyeballs scanned the gun. She knew Tyrone carried one, but he never showed it around her. “Am I safe with you?”

  “You don’t ever have to question that. I wanna get to know you baby, I asked you once and I’ll ask you again. Can I do that?”

  Donnell gently placed the meat pack against her eye which did bring immediate relief. She now stared at him through one eyeball. She was surprised at how relaxed she felt around him so soon, but it was something about him. The closer he was to her face, she wanted to slip a kiss on his full lips, but she contained herself. Sharonda never expected it, but she and Donnell sat in his car talking for hours about everything. She learned more about him than expected and the more he learned about her, he knew he was definitely trying to see her again.

  “You never answered my question earlier.”

  “You’re too risky, Donnell. Let me think about it. I have the number.” She placed the meat back in the bag and proceeded to let herself out.

  He stopped her. “Don’t ever touch another door when you around me.”

  Donnell got out and walked around to open the door for her. Since he was a little boy that’s something his grandma never played about when it came to him, his wild ass cousins, and uncles. They could never allow none of them women in their lives to touch or do or else they’d get their asses whooped.

  Sharonda wore a light smile as she slid out. “Yeah, I ‘think’ you can do that, but we’ll see.”

  “What you doing next weekend?” He quizzed. Uncle Al was having another one of his big block parties and he wanted to take her with him.

  “Nothing if my eyes doesn’t heal by then.”

  “You’ll be good.”

  “Why you asked?”

  “I’m taking you to Uncle Al’s block party.”

  She raised a brow. “Asking or telling?”

  “However you want to take it, just know I’ll be here to get you.” Donnell placed $150 in her hand which was more than enough for her to get her hair and nails done. “For your hair and your nails.”

  Sharonda didn’t decline the money. Hell, he owed her that anyway because she’d just paid to get her finger waves done before his girl fucked them up. “I’ll call you.” She grinned.

  Donnell walked her to the door, kissed her cheek, and then swaggered off hitting the gas hard when he sped down the street disappearing leaving her cheesing even with a black ass eye.

  Chapter Five

  Diggin’ On You- TLC

  Shake dem titties

  Slang dat butt

  And check out da way Uncle Al mix it up

  All of the girls had their hands on their knees popping their butts to the beat as the sweat perspired on their foreheads and all over their bodies. Their pin curls and crisp waterfalls barely held together from the humidity. DJ Uncle Al had the block crunk like he did every year on the turntables. Liberty City was the place to be and if they didn’t know they were going to find out because the Miami Bass definitely pumped through the streets. The air was thick with excitement and the energy was palpable. DJ Uncle Al was good at reading the energy and elevating the crowd.

  The kids darted between the crowds and circles formed with a person or two showing their moves off while the crowd pumped them up. Some vendors lined up on the side of the street selling everything from food to sunglasses and the aroma of food from the grill filled the air. As the sun dipped, seeping into the night; the party showed no signs of slowing down.

  Sharonda adjusted her daisy dukes shorts and then tightened the knot in the back of her airbrushed shirt before scanning the scene for Donnell. For the past week they’d become inseparable, and it almost scared her how quickly they just clicked. They would stay on the phone all night for hours until they both eventually fell asleep on the phone. They would page each other multiple times a day ‘823’ letting each other know they were thinking of the other one and although they were both busy with school during the week, he would drop in at her job since it was literally right around the corner from his school. If her kicking it with him didn’t do anything else, it definitely got her mind off of Tyrone.

  She used her hand to fan herself just to catch a breeze as her and Pinky laughed about how hard they were just dancing. They both looked fly as ever and curved multiple dudes. Everybody wanted to be where they were because when they got together with all of their friends they were always pointed out as the ‘it’ girls; the ones who thought they were all that, and they really were.

  “Girl, you see all these niggas trying to spit game?” Pinky cackled leading the way as they walked up the block. “A bitch gotta be on her best behavior because I know Stacks is around here watching.”

  “Since when you start to give a fuck?” Sharonda giggled.

  “I really don’t, but he doesn’t have to know.” Pinky teased, rolling her eyes. They found Donnell with his slew of uncles and cousins as everyone surrounded him wanting to take pictures. His people watched everything around him while also enjoying themselves. The girls felt for anyone that would ever be bold enough to try him because his people weren’t having it. They didn’t need him getting hurt in no scuffles or no kind of other bullshit. If he made it to the NBA, he would be breaking a generational curse because he’s already the first one in the family to make it this far. Half of the boys were already in the dope game by the time they reached seventeen years old.

  Although Donnell had spent the day with Sharonda, when he laid eyes on her it always felt like the first. He still hadn’t given up his roster of girls for her, but she was definitely in the lead right now. Earlier he picked her up and took her to the USA Flea Market on 79th Street so she could get her hair done and get the airbrushed shirt she was wearing. When he spotted a pair of bamboo earrings that he knew would look fly on her, he copped them along with a gold 14 carat tennis bracelet.

  He was even more shocked to learn that she was a virgin because one look at her and one wouldn’t have ever known, that’s why it’s important not to judge a book by its cover. She looked like a hot girl, hung out with a few of them too, and Donnell knew they were all fucking. Sharonda was the only one in school but they each had their own unique shit with them, and he wasn’t the one to judge.

  Pinky lightly tapped her on the shoulder. “Look, there go ya man girl.”

  “He’s not my man Pinky.”

  “Shit, I can’t tell from that goofy look both of ya’ll have in your eyes when you see each other, like now.”

  Sharonda blushed. Donnell was fine as hell and the chunky gold Cuban link around his neck complemented the gleam from his gold teeth. She could see the streetlights sparkling off of his hazel eyes. “Whatever, how my waterfalls look?”

  Pinky looked her friend over twice. “You still look good.”

  “Whew, okay.”

  “Go ahead and talk to him. I’m going over there to holla at Geisha to see when I can get another appointment cause I’ve been dying to get in her chair. She’s always booked.”

  “Okay.” Sharonda agreed. “I’ll meet you over there in a minute.” She strutted over in Donnell’s direction.

  He sat on the hood of a box Chevy intensely staring at her although a girl was all up in his face trying to get his attention and a picture. “Yo, hold up. Come back later on aiight?” He told the chick. She followed his eyes to Sharonda and sucked her teeth feeling as though she was being kicked to the curb for her. She didn’t fight about it, and she wasn’t going to. She was just like any other female out here wanting to get close to Donnell if they were lucky.

  He remained on the hood and held Sharonda’s waist when she was in between his legs. She wrapped her arms comfortably around his neck and allowed him to snuggle his nose on the side of hers before planting a kiss there. Sharonda felt secure in his arms even if it were only for the moment. She peeped all of the glares from females whenever she was with him.

  “You okay, you having fun?” He asked her.

  “You know we was over there doing our big one. It’s always da bomb out here.” She smiled.

  Donnell didn’t reply to her because his eyes shifted to something else that had his attention. “Hold up, watch out.” He told her, gently moving her to the side so he could hop off the car leaving her wondering what was going on. She knew damn well he wasn’t putting her to the side to go talk some hoes. In the midst of him walking off, Sharonda spotted the redhead with freckles who attacked her at Myrtle Grove Park over his ass and she didn’t look so happy. Sharonda immediately felt a twinge of anger and was ready for round two.

  She didn’t even know the girl’s name, but she knew that it was her standing in the midst of a crowd in the middle of the street wearing a Hilfiger sports bra and jeans. A pair of red shades rested on the top of her head and her big, gigantic triangle shaped bamboo earrings stood out amongst her rope chain.

  Donnell walked over to a group of girls and said a few words to them, next thing Sharonda knew, the three girls headed in the red head’s direction and immediately began jumping her. Sharonda could see the confusion on her face while she tried to fight them all back, however, she wasn’t winning. Donnell swaggered back over to Sharonda, sat back on the hood of the car, and placed her back in between his legs but this time pressing her backside up against him just to make sure she had a good view of Shaniqua getting her ass beat.

  It didn’t take long before people were breaking up the fight. Shaniqua and her friend were both beat up and worn out. Huffing and puffing she stood at the edge of the street talking shit to Donnell with a busted lip and swollen eyes. The truth is Donnell hadn’t fucked with her in over two months and her ego was crushed. They used to have a decent situationship, but her mouth always got her in trouble. She thought she could fight every girl she saw him talking to and win over his heart but all it did was make him not even want to be fucked up with her. The fact that he was in public showing Sharonda so much public affection told her everything she needed to know because he was too much of a player to ever be wide open like that. He liked her and he liked her a lot.