Getting high and chillin’ had become my everyday routine with Meesha and the crew. Today, reality hit me that my ass had tons of school work to do and a paper due at midnight that I had not typed one word of, and let’s not mention that fact that my sister was walking around here like a regular drunk since Adonis had officially left her ass.
Like he promised, he had her ass served with divorce papers yesterday and she had been sitting on the sofa in the family room with a wine bottle at her side ever since. Karmen tried to pretend she wasn’t affected, but her ass hadn’t left the house to do anything. She had been sneaking out here and there most nights since I had moved in, but as of last night, she had not answered her phone or anything. Hearing different sounds coming from her phone, I knew some were texts and emails, but she wasn’t budging.
Our parents had called me this morning saying that she had been ignoring their communication attempts for the past week and they wanted to be sure she was alright. Since it wasn’t my place to tell her marital business, all I said was she was ok, but busy with work. When she was ready to let them in on what was up with her and Don then she would, but until then I was keeping quiet. Sharing with anyone that your marriage was falling apart would be a hard pill to swallow, so when she was ready she’d be the one to share the news. Hopefully, me telling them work had her busy would buy her some time before they did a pop up on our asses. Our parents were known to pop up. You had to love having parents like them that cared enough to see about their children, but damn, it could also be overbearing. We were adults and it was our right not to let them into every area of our lives. I for one wasn’t ready for them to witness the new me. Since they had moved, I had changed a lot. Not just my outward appearance had changed with my new bob, tats, and piercings, but my mind and thought process had changed too. I wasn’t Daddy’s innocent little girl anymore and it showed.
Sitting Indian style in the middle of my bed with a pair of gray, short cheerleading shorts and a white tank top with no bra on as my reading glasses sat just over the bridge of my nose, I began to type my paper on the importance of meeting the needs of all the kids in a kindergarten classroom.
Snatching me from my thoughts from my school work, there was a light tap on my open bedroom door. Glancing in the direction of my door, there stood my sister looking like shit with a glass at her side, disheveled hair, and a tear-streaked face.
Immediately jumping from my position on the bed, I ran to her side and she fell over in my grasp. Rubbing her back as she sobbed, I squeezed her body tight allowing her to get it out. I had never witnessed my sister so broken in my life like I had in these past two weeks. She was always the strong one, but this shit with Don was eating at her. My sister needed to realize that she had a pride issue. If she wanted, Don she needed to fight for him and not fight with him. If she only knew how many people had missed out on what God had for them because of pride. Pride always came before a fall. I wasn’t making the best decisions right now since my parents had moved, but I still remembered the teachings of my parents and the church.
“Go get your man sis,” I whispered in her ear as she dropped the bottle of wine to the floor and held me.
“He-he—doesn’t want me anymore,” she managed to get out in between sniffles.
“He does want you, but you have to change your ways Karmen. You keep throwing up what you did for him and no man wants to hear that all the time. You’re a team.” She pulled away, staring me in the eyes.
Offering a smile, she swept her hand under her eyelids.
“How do you know so much?” She smiled again.
“I’on know. I know you two love each other though. And love conquers all.” I shrugged.
“Love conquers all, huh?” She fell against my bedroom door frame, crossing her legs at the ankles.
“I believe that with you and Don.”
“He actually served me divorce papers Kash.” Her eyes became wet again but she tried to hold back.
“Maybe to get your attention,” I spoke softly.
“Well, he got it.”
“And what are you going to do about it?”
“I don’t know.”
And with that, she bent over, picking up the unopened wine bottle from the floor before retreating back to her familiar position on the sofa. Watching my sister walk away in so much doubt and unhappiness, I knew I had to do something. I had to talk to Don.
I hadn’t spoken to Don since we ran into one another at the salon/barbershop that day. The feelings I felt in his car that day and the vibe that always connected us when we were in one another’s presence had to be false. It wasn’t right. My body deceived me every time I was around Don, but I think it’s because I had discovered my body and the opposite sex since hanging around Meesha so often. Yea, that’s it, because Adonis and my sister belonged together. It must just be a phase.
Closing my bedroom door, I snatched my phone from next to my laptop to call Don. I had to talk some sense into his ass. He was mad and stubborn just like Karmen, and I had to do something to get him to realize that she was where he belonged.
Dialing him up, I was surprised when he answered on the first ring. It was well after six in the evening and I knew most nights Don worked long hours. He was dedicated as hell and he knew that in order to rise up from that hood standard that most put him in, he had to put in the work. He never minded either. He actually seemed to always welcome the judgmental spirits that thought he was a hood nigga and would never change. That’s what I loved about Don. He was a go getter. And just like he had that go-getter spirit in the streets, he had it in the legal world too.
“What’s up sis,” he said sleepily into the phone.
For some reason, guilt consumed me because I hated to hear him refer to me as sis.
Why? I am his sister-in-law after all.
“Hey, ummmm, sorry to wake you.”
“It’s ok, you good?” he asked, trying to get the grogginess out of his voice.
“Yea, I’m fine, but can I see you? I need to talk to you.”
There was a pause and I just knew he was about to say no.
“Yea, you want to meet out or come here?”
“Where is here?”
He sighed before speaking.
“Duncan. I’ve had a place here for a couple of months now.”
What! Adonis had had his own place for a couple of months? Shit had been that sour in my sister’s marriage that he had his own place? Did she know? I was afraid to ask. Things seemed to be way more serious than I imagined.
“I know what you’re thinking and no, Karmen doesn’t know anything about it. I got it as a safe place. I knew eventually this day would come and I wanted to prepare. Kash, shit has been all bad for us for a while now and her lying about birth control just tipped the shit over the edge.”
“I’m speechless.” I plopped down on the edge of my bed with the phone to my ear.
Defeat consumed my body. Maybe they were over after all.
“You still coming over?”
Pushing against the feeling of defeat, I decided to still give it a shot for my sister’s sake.
“Yes, just send me your location.”
Ending our call without a response from Don, it took a minute for me to get past the fact that he actually had his own place away from my sister already.
Not bothering to change my clothes, I ran in the bathroom to handle my hygiene again to be sure I had fresh breath while talking to Don. Running my hands down each side of my bob, I grabbed my phone and purse from off my bed and headed out my bedroom. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I peeped in at Karmen who had fallen asleep. I was sure she was mentally exhausted, but I think it was more of the drinking that was the issue. Instead of her settling her issues, she turned to the bottle.
Taking one last glance at Karmen, I grabbed my car keys and headed to Duncan to talk to Don. Getting in my ride, I checked my text messages for Don’s location. The GPS said it would take twenty-two minutes, but the way I drove I’d probably be there in fifteen. My parents always complained about my fast driving.
Backing out from the driveway, I rode down the street taking in the big houses, nice yards, and the families I saw through the windows that of course had no sheers or curtains. Snickering to myself, for the life of me I didn’t understand how the hell white people lived in their houses with nothing to cover their windows. It amazed me from the outside looking in, they looked happy. I never understood how happiness could be a front until I moved in with my sister and Adonis.
In exactly seventeen minutes, my GPS stated your location is on the right.
Pulling in behind Don’s ride, my heartbeat sped up and my body grew hot all over. I was nervous. Why? I’d known Don most of my life. He was like family. He was family. Being in his presence had never had an effect on me, but now it did. I was here to speak with him on behalf of Karmen. That’s it. I came to plead her case in order to stop either of them from making the biggest mistake of their lives. Sometimes love hurt. For the person who acted as if being in love was all flowers and candies, it was a lie. Sometimes we hurt the people we loved, whether it be intentional or not. There was no human that was perfect which meant they would never be able to give a perfect love to anyone. There was forgiving love, but never a perfect love. Only Jesus could provide a perfect love and the last time I checked, none of us was Jesus.
Deading the engine, I flipped down the visor to check out my reflection. Smoothing my bob again, I grabbed my phone from the passenger seat, hopped out and then pointed my keys towards my car to lock the door. Stepping up on the porch, my feet got heavy and my palms became sweaty.
Shit! What’s going on with me?
This condo was pretty upscale from the outside so I could only imagine how the inside looked. Before my finger connected with doorbell, the door flew open.
“Hey.” I forced a smile, trying to keep my eyes trained on Don’s face and nothing else. He wore gray sweats that hung loosely from his waist and, of course, he was shirtless once again, showing off my sister’s name like a reminder that the fine specimen in front of me was off limits. Tossing his white tee that he held in his hand over his head, he stepped to the side to allow me in. Once inside, he used his foot to kick the door shut.
“What’s up,” he spoke, walking down a long foyer.
Following closely behind, I watched for signs that Don was married, but there weren’t any. I know he said it was his home away from home but damn, not one picture of Karmen alone or with him graced his walls. He did have one of himself and one of himself with co-workers along with a few awards he received from work.
Walking slowly, he made a right into what I assumed was his, what we called, family room. It wasn’t big or anything, but hanging up over a small fireplace area was a nice flat screen television and some nice dark brown, leather furniture with a small glass table in the center, but it wasn’t a family setting, just nice enough for one person, maybe two. It definitely wasn’t meant for a man who planned to stay married or who wanted children.
“You want anything to drink? Shit, I don’t keep much here since I usually get take out, but I think I have some bottled water or something.” He stood off in the entrance of the family room as I continued to survey the area.
“No, I’m good, thanks,” I answered over my shoulder since he was behind me.
“I know it’s not much but—” I cut him off.
Turning around to face Don, he stood with his arms folded across his chest.
“No, it’s nice. It’s just that, it…”
“It doesn’t fit a married man. A family man, right?” He grinned that alluring ass smile again that showed off his gold fronts.
Damn, Don had so much that I never noticed before. His build, his gold teeth, his ambition. I never recognized any of this before. It was like a stranger in front of me that I was meeting for the first time.
“Well, you said it, not me.” I shrugged.
Watching him walk in my direction, my palms grew sweaty and my heart raced. I could see him walking, but it seemed like it was taking him forever to reach me. But when he finally did, he stopped so close that he could hear me breathe if he listened hard enough.
Lifting his finger, he swiped a strand of hair out of my face. We were a little too close for my liking, so I took one step back.
“I don’t bite Kash. I mean, unless you want me to.” There it was again, that lustful smile.
He was flirting with me!
Again!
Why!
“Don, listen…” I couldn’t finish.
It was like a whirlwind of emotions swept over my body as his lips connected with mine. There was no stopping me now. I was desperately trying to talk myself out of doing what I was doing, but my body wasn’t listening. This shit was beyond wrong. I should not be kissing and not just kissing, but tonguing down my sister’s husband. Oh, but it felt so good. Maybe it’s because I’d been longing for a grown ass man to make me a woman and Don was my only chance at making it happen. Not only was Don slurping, sucking, and nibbling on my bottom lip, but he was groping my ass through my tiny shorts that I, by the way, had no panties underneath. It felt so good, but it was oh so wrong. Why did he have to be my brother-in-law?
Allowing Don to have his way with me, one minute he was squeezing my ass, then he was pinching my breasts all the while our tongues stayed intertwined. My body was hot all over and my private area was pulsating.
I had never felt this in my entire life!
My toys never did this to me. I had been missing out. The large plastic toys did no justice for having a real man touch me. It was different. I usually explored my own body but to have another person, a man, do it was like woah! Whew! His touch was electrifying. Shivers went down my spine every time his fingers glided across my flesh.
Why did it have to be Don?
He should be off limits, but instead, I allowed him to tamper with my most sensitive areas like it was his own private playground.
One minute we were all over each other in his family room and the next thing I knew, we were naked and Don was doing things to my body that should’ve been illegal. Before I knew it, in one swift motion Don finally entered me, exploring my most tender place, taking something I could never get back, and sending me to heights I never thought another human being could take me to.
I was no longer innocent.
Although I should’ve been running and ashamed of my actions, instead, I enjoyed every minute of sleeping with my sister’s husband, and it was dead wrong.