Six stood at the back of the church withering like an autumn leaf. She couldn’t make herself walk down the aisle. She could see her father waiting for her up front. His casket sat among hundreds of white roses, her favorite flower, but she didn’t have the strength to even put one foot in front of the other. Her eyes were blocked by the large Prada sunglasses she wore. She didn’t want people to see her tired and weary eyes. It was as if her heart had died along with her father. She didn’t want the world to judge her, so she hid behind the dark tint, wishing that she could keep them on forever. Six used all of her will to keep herself from crying. Her father wouldn’t have wanted her whooping and hollering in front of the crowded room, so she contained her emotions, burying them so deep inside she was sure that she would be dealing with them for years to come.
Britain stood up from his seat in the front row. He had asked her if she wanted him to walk her down the aisle, but she had refused. She had assured him that she could handle it, but as he saw her stand frozen at the rear of the church, he disregarded her request and went to her aid.
“I’m right here,” he whispered to her as he stood directly in front of her, blocking the crowd from seeing her face.
“Fuck all of these people, Six. You’re here for Jones. You have to say good-bye to your father,” Britain stated. “I’m right here with you, a’ight?”
Six stared straight ahead, never looking him in the eye. It was almost as if she were blind and had lost her way. She nodded and took a deep breath as she placed her hand on his arm, allowing him to guide her forward.
Free’s jaw clenched in anger as he watched Britain aid his woman. Who the fuck this mu’fucka think he is? he thought, enraged, as he looked at Britain and Six.
“Fuck is she doing, yo’?” Free whispered to Big Lou.
“Just chill, fam…she’s not in her right mind right now,” Big Lou responded. Free had told him what had gone down with Sparkle and silently he knew that Free had made a bad move. It was already being said in the streets that Six belonged to Brick. Free picked the wrong time to fuck up. From the looks of it, he pushed Six right into Brick’s arms, Lou thought.
“Yo’, word is bond…she gon’ fuck around and have me put that mu’fucka in the dirt. Straight up!” Free threatened, feeling his temperature rise. It killed him to see Britain by her side, because Free felt like that was his place, regardless of what they went through.
Leaning against Britain, Six was able to get down the aisle. When she saw her father lying there, the tears escaped her. She made sure that they were silent because she knew that people were waiting for her to act a fool. She would never make a mockery of her grief or of her father’s life. She bent over when she arrived at the casket and kissed his forehead.
“You look good, Daddy,” she whispered in his ear. One of her teardrops fell to his face as she stood up. Looking down at him as her own tear fell dow,n his cheek, it looked as though he was crying with her. In her head she told herself that he was mourning his loss as well. By dying, he had been robbed of the chance to see his grandchildren or to walk his baby girl down the aisle. As that tear trailed his cheek, they cried together, saying their final good-bye. “I love you so much, old man…. I love you forever. Wait for me, okay, Daddy? Save my spot right next to you and we’ll smoke one together when I get there.”
She adjusted his tie to make sure that he was at his best and then she allowed Britain to escort her to her seat. Before she sat down, she scanned the crowd to see all of Jones’s associates and old friends. Her eyes met Free’s, and she could see the anger in his eyes. She knew him well, and she could tell that he was boiling about seeing her interacting so intimately with Britain. As they stared at one another, her heart skipped a beat. A guilty feeling overcame her as if she had been caught cheating. She instantly released Britain’s hand, but then shook her head when she remembered the intimate kiss between Sparkle and Free. I don’t owe him anything. Today is not about him. It’s about my daddy. He shouldn’t even be here, she thought as she intertwined her fingers with Britain’s. Taking her seat, Six tried to focus on the rest of the eulogy service as she laid her father to rest.
When the service was over Six stood to leave. Everyone came up to her expressing their condolences and she accepted them graciously, but she was desperate to get out of the church. She felt as if she were suffocating.
“I need to get out of here,” she whispered to Britain as she gripped his sleeve.
He placed his hand on the small of her back, and they walked together toward the exit.
“I’m going to go to the restroom. I’ll be right back,” Britain said.
“I’ll be waiting outside for you. I need some air,” she responded.
When Six walked out of the building, Free stood on the church steps waiting for her.
“Six, I need to talk to you,” he stated calmly while his eyes pleaded for her to hear him out.
Six ignored him as her heartbeat sped up and tears came to her eyes. She blinked them away and began to walk toward Britain’s car.
“Oh, it’s like that, ma. You just gon’ pass me by,” Free stated coldly. He followed her and grabbed her arm to make her face him. “Six, I’m sorry. Just give a minute to explain what went down. It didn’t mean shit to me,” he stated. “I love you, Six. You’ve got to come home.”
“Is there a problem?” Britain interrupted, suddenly appearing behind Free.
Free looked over his shoulder and scrunched his face. “I don’t know, my nigga. Is there a problem?” Free countered as he took a defensive stance, placing his hands on his belt for easy access to his pistol. There wasn’t a place in the world where he didn’t go strapped, and Six knew this so she quickly intervened.
“Britain, let’s just go,” she said in exasperation. She was tired and weak. All of this was too much for her to deal with on the same day that she was burying her father.
“Let’s go?” Free asked. “So it’s like that? You just gon’ leave with this nigga?” He grabbed her arm, and Britain quickly removed Free’s hand, causing Free’s to shoot through the roof.
“Yo’, my man…you need to back the fuck up,” Britain stated without raising his voice, but with enough authority to establish dominance over the situation. Free did not know it, but Britain was strapped as well and had three of his goons surrounding the church…. He never left home without them.
“No, you need to back the fuck up, nigga! Way up! You sniffing around the wrong tree. This here is my bitch,” Free stated through clenched teeth.
“Was your bitch,” Britain replied calmly. He leaned into Free’s ear and continued, “Now she’s my bitch, and once she fuck with Brick, ain’t no sliding back…. I upgraded that. Stickup money can’t afford that no more.”
Free and Britain both went into their waistlines, but before they could pop off, Six stepped in between the altercation.
“Stop! What the fuck? This is my daddy’s funeral!” She turned to Free and went off, letting out all of her anger on him. “You didn’t even say one word about him…all this time you’ve been out here talking about you, Free. What about me? What about what I lost? My father’s gone, and all you came here to do is fight with Britain.” She shook her head in disgust as she walked away crying on Britain’s shoulder.
“You choosing him? After everything, Six—that’s who you choose?” Free yelled.
Six stopped dead in her tracks and stalked back over to where Free was standing. She pushed him as she cried hysterically.
“You chose, Free! You made the decision for me when you fucked with Sparkle,” Six replied.
“Six, let’s go,” Britain called, tired of the circus as he reached out his hand. Free put his hands on his head as he watched the woman he loved walk away with the man he hated. Tears were in his eyes, but he didn’t let them fall.
“Yo’, Free!” he heard Big Lou call as he pulled up the car. “It’s over, fam—let’s get out of here. Let her cool down.”
Free walked to the car and collapsed in the passenger seat. “She chose him, fam,” he whispered in disbelief as Big Lou pulled away from the church.
“Come on, Daddy, let me make you feel better,” Sparkle cooed seductively as put on a little freak show, trying to lure in her prey.
Free stood in front of her shirtless with a pint of Rémy in his hands. His eyes were low, and the haze from a rolled blunt fogged the room. Free had been intoxicated from the time he left Jones’s funeral. It was the way he dealt with his heartache over losing Six. He hit the last of the Rémy and blazed his blunt before climbing into the bed with Sparkle.
Sparkle had come over to see Free. Hood gossip traveled fast, and she had heard about the blowup that had occurred at the funeral. She knew that now was her chance to hook Free. She had been eyeing him ever since Six had introduced her. Free always seemed so loyal to Six, until recent events drove them apart. She was a seductress, and she was well aware that the best time to weasel her way into Free’s heart was while he was feeling the twinge of loneliness from losing Six.
Free was past the point of intoxication as he climbed into bed with Sparkle. She tried to kiss his lips, but he turned his head. Kissing was a personal act; he simply wanted to sex his frustrations away. Sparkle winced from the size of him as he entered her.
“Ooh, Free,” she moaned as he put his thing down on her. He had to admit being inside of Sparkle felt like heaven. He pounded into her as he took out his misery on her, sexing her hard, just the way she liked it. Her screams of passion turned him on as he pulled out and turned her around to hit it from a new position.
She laid her breasts against the bed while her behind enticed him. The tattoo of a dripping cherry looked good enough to eat. He hesitated for a moment as he thought of Six. She had hurt him. His pride was wounded, and his gut felt like it had been ripped out of him. He was lovesick without her because he knew that she was not coming back.
Sparkle sensed his hesitation and jiggled her juicy behind. “Come on, Free. Six forgot about you a long time ago. You should hear how she talks about Britain on the phone. You’re not even on her radar anymore,” she said, pulling lies out of her bag of tricks.
Free grabbed his manhood and pushed Sparkle’s head into the pillows to shut her up. He had never felt so incomplete. Six was his world, and without her, his heart was rotting inside his chest. He went inside of Sparkle and began to stroke her from behind. As she cried out in ecstasy, a single tear slid down Free’s cheek.
Six wiped the tears from her eyes as she lay in the guest room of Britain’s home, staring at the ceiling. How did my life come to this? she asked. She had lost so much in such a short amount of time. The two men who she valued more than gold were now gone from her life. She felt as if she had been stripped naked in a room of crowded people. Surprisingly, Britain was the shining light around the dark cloud. He’s so good to me, Six thought. I can’t believe I ever even considered setting him up. He doesn’t deserve that. She looked at all of the boxes that were scattered around the room. Her father’s possessions lay inside of them. She didn’t have the courage to sort them out yet. She was too vulnerable. She wanted to give herself time to heal before she began going through his things.
As she tossed and turned in the satin sheets, she hit the bed in aggravation. She couldn’t get comfortable. Thoughts of Free plagued her, and visions of her father haunted her. The sting of Free’s betrayal was just as hurtful as the kiss of death. He had cheated on her before, but to get involved with her best friend meant that Free had no limits. He had no morals in her eyes. Someone who loves you wouldn’t do that, she reasoned. She never knew that a pain so great existed before now. She listened to the still of the night and suddenly the thought of being alone terrified her. I wonder if Britain’s still awake, she thought.
She threw the covers off her body and got out of bed. Her feet against the cold tile floor caused goose bumps to form on her bare arms. The Victoria’s Secret camisole was too thin to keep her warm, and she rubbed herself as she ventured out of the room. She tiptoed down the hall and put her ear to Britain’s door. All she heard was silence. She turned to go back to her room but stopped and shook her head. There’s nothing wrong with being with him…. He cares about you. You don’t belong to Free anymore. Britain will take care of you, she coached herself as she took a deep breath then opened the door to step inside.
His room smelled like vanilla, and she could see him breathing slightly as she crossed the room. She pulled back his covers, rousing him from his sleep. “What’s wron—?”
Before he could get the question out of his mouth, Six’s tongue was down his throat. He put his hands up in defense at first because she caught him off guard. He had not expected this. Six kissed him fervently as tears flowed down her face. Both of her hands held his face, and she squeezed her eyes close while her heart beat out of her chest. Britain wrapped his arms around her body, both of them panting as their lips never parted while they undressed each other. Her head fell back in ecstasy as Britain palmed one of her breasts and took her nipple into his mouth. They didn’t speak, but the sounds of their lovemaking conquered the room when he slid his manhood inside of her. The girth of his tool took her breath away as it filled her up, exploring depths of her that she did not know existed.
“Hmm,” he moaned.
“Uhh,” she whined in reply as they moved to a slow beat, matching each other stroke by stroke. She was on top, but Britain controlled the situation as their bodies became one. He had waited a long time for Six, and the anticipation that built up to this one moment made the episode that much more explosive. It was the best sex that either of them had ever had. Six finally felt free. She had been torn between two men for the past few months and finally she was letting go. She was allowing herself to fully experience a relationship with Britain. As they sexed, the fit between them was so perfect that her pussy exploded with every thrust he gave her. He reached up and grabbed her breasts as she rode him, allowing her thighs to make tiny circles as her ass bounced up and down. The ride was so smooth that Britain’s toes curled. Six sped up and thrust harder simultaneously when she felt her clitoris swell.
“Aghh!” she screamed as her love came down. She had never been a squirter before, but with Britain, her juices shot out all over his stomach. As she got off of him, Six knew that she wasn’t done just yet. She was going to give him 100 percent of her. She lay on top of him, her juicy pussy in his face and her head near his manhood. Without hesitation, she took him into her mouth.
“Ohh, shit,” he whispered. He placed his hands on her ass and spread her cheeks as he ate her pussy. The smell of her was so sweet that it made his dick harder. She wrapped her lips around his tip and molested his dick with her tongue as she rode his face. Britain wasn’t shy with her. He hadn’t waited this long to fuck her just to half step. He stuck his tongue in her ass and thrust his hips to feed her his entire nine inches.
Six hummed in rapture as he alternated between sucking her hole and nibbling on her clit. Meanwhile, she gave him head like a pro. She knew that he was about to nut because his grip on her ass grew tighter and tighter. She rotated her hips on his face until finally they both exploded. Six surprised herself when she didn’t pull away. She let him cum in her mouth and swallowed every drop of his seed and then licked him clean. Without saying a word she got out of bed.
“Where you going?” he asked.
She turned around with tears in her eyes and beckoned him with her finger. “We’re going to take a shower,” she replied.
Britain followed Six into the bathroom and their shower turned into round two as he pinned her against the ceramic tiled wall and fucked her from behind. She cried the entire time—not because she was unsure, but because she could feel how much he loved her. Britain did not know it, but with each tender kiss and every stroke he relieved her of some of her pain. They sexed each other for hours and when the sun began to rise, they found themselves sitting on his balcony, wrapped in the sheets. Six leaned against him, her back against his chest as he kissed her repeatedly while rubbing her hair soothingly.
“I think I love you, Britain,” she whispered as she kissed his hand. She had only spoken those words to two people in her entire lifetime: her father and Free. She had never even told her mother that she loved her. Now she was letting her father rest and retiring her emotions for Free. She didn’t know that Free had done the same thing—made love to someone else to distract his mind and heart from her.
“I love you too, ma,” he replied. “I know your heart is broken, but let me heal you. I’m not on no wedding-bell shit. I just want to have you as my own. Fuck another nigga and fuck another bitch—just me and you, Six. That’s what I want us to be about. If you can give me that, I can give you the world.”
She turned to face him and kissed his lips. “I can give you that. I’m here with you.”
After a full night of nonstop sex, Six didn’t awaken until four o’clock the next day. Her pussy throbbed, and she shook her head in disbelief as she recalled all of the things that Britain had done to her body the night before. She got up to find him, but he was nowhere to be found. Oh, well, I might as well use this time wisely, she thought as she went into the guest room where her father’s things were stored.
As she unpacked each box, she reminisced and remembered all of the things she loved about her father. She laughed as she looked at old photo albums and surprisingly not a tear fell from her eyes as she decided what she would keep and what would go. She came across her father’ favorite Detroit Pistons sweatshirt. He had purchased it years ago when he had taken her to a game at the Palace. She inhaled his scent as she put it to her nose. Then she slipped it over her head, feeling closer to him just from the simple gesture. It took her two hours to finish, but she felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders when she completed the task. Suddenly, her cell phone rang loudly and she hopped up to answer it, thinking that it was Britain.
Where is he? she thought as she picked up her phone. Free’s name popped up on the caller ID. She closed her eyes as her heart throbbed painfully. I can’t do this with you, Free. I have to let you go, she thought as hung up on him. Directly afterward she called her phone company and got her number changed. That part of her life was over and she didn’t need Free calling her, trying to lure her back into his arms. He had disrespected her, and she was beyond done. Sparkle and Free deserve one another, she thought miserably. I hope he enjoys the scar I put on that bitch face.
“Six!” she heard Britain call out. The house was so large that his voice echoed off the walls.
She came down the steps and ran into his arms. “I missed you—where have you been all day?” she said. “You tired of me already?” she asked as she hit him playfully.
He smacked her on the behind and kissed her cheek. “Never that,” he replied. All of a sudden a beeping sound came from outside.
“What is that?” she asked as she went to the window. “What the fuck?” she yelled. “There’s a tow truck outside. This nigga is getting ready to tow my car.” She ran outside and raced down the courthouse-style steps. “What are you doing?”
“I’m sorry, miss. The owner of this house paid me to get rid of this car,” he stated.
Six turned back to Britain and looked at him in confusion. He nodded toward the entrance, and she turned to see what he was looking at. One of his goons was driving a car onto the property: a silver 2010 E-Class Mercedes-Benz with a turquoise ribbon. He stopped right in front of her.
“My woman doesn’t ride in a car that another nigga bought for her, especially an Audi. My bitch push Benzes,” he whispered in her ear.
She jumped up on him, wrapping her legs around his waist in excitement.
“I take it I did good?” he asked with a laugh.
“Nigga, you did great! I love it!” she exclaimed.
“This is just the beginning,” he said, kissing her cheek.
As Six checked out the features in her new car, she couldn’t help but think about what she was leaving behind. Free had done all of the same things for her in the beginning of their relationship. Trips, cars, and clothes were simply a day in the life. Time changed them, however, and distrust tore them apart. She couldn’t help but wonder if she was setting herself up again for the exact same failure. She wanted a man who she knew would never hurt her, but in matters of the heart, there are no guarantees. As she stared up at Britain, she saw him smile her way as he spoke to his worker who had delivered the car for him. Just take a chance, she thought as she smiled back. Just move on with your life and be happy. He can give you happiness, she thought.