 
When It's Real,

It's Unconditional

Written By Author:

Nyerra
Copyright © 2020 Nyerra

Published by Blue Sanity Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, places, events, and incidents, are the product of the Author's imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or events, are entirely coincidental.
Prelude

Anissa smiled as she opened her front door and spotted her fiancé, Nico, standing on her porch. He looked extremely handsome as he stood before her, wearing a white V-neck, black jeans, and a pair of black Jordan Retro 13's.

He smiled back at her, revealing those pearly whites, and thick lips that attacked her mouth as soon as he stepped inside. Flirtatious laughter filled the room as he picked her up and carried her into their kitchen, sitting her on the counter.

"Nico, chill," Anissa playfully fussed, knowing good and well she was down for his dirty intentions. However, they had to leave pretty soon in order to pick up his sister-in-law, Clark, from the airport.

"I miss you, Niss," Nico responded with several kisses to her exposed neck.

A warm smile found Anissa's lip's as she allowed his statement to sink in. Nico had been rather busy with his family over the past week, due to the unfortunate event of his older brother, Nate, passing. Nate had been diagnosed with a severe lung disease and even though his death wasn't easy to deal with, his family did their best to prepare themselves.

Anissa was beyond proud of the way Nico was stepping up to the plate in order to keep his family collected during this tough time; even if that meant his time with her had been cut short these past couple of days. She wasn't selfish enough to complain, knowing that he'd been mourning with his family.

"I miss you too," she told him. "But we gotta go get Clark."

Clark was Nate's wife and she was flying in from Atlanta, which was where she and Nate had resided just before he passed. Anissa and Nico had been kind enough to open their doors to her as she dealt with Nate's death. She didn't have a lot of family; and being alone during a time like this made Nate's absence even harder.

"I know man," Nico spoke with disappointment. "It just feels like I ain't got time for you."

With him standing between her thighs, Anissa locked her legs around his waist and cupped his face. Looking into his eyes, she assured him, "It's okay baby. Your time belongs to your family right now. I'm not tripping at all. I love you and I'm here for you while you get through this."

"I love you too. I swear I can't wait to marry your sexy ass."

Anissa grinned and hopped down from the counter, headed toward their refrigerator. She opened it and grabbed a fresh bag of green grapes, courtesy of Nico. He knew how much she loved them and how quickly she went through them; therefore, he kept a fresh bag in their fridge at all times.

She rinsed them off, then pulled a few from the stem to put into an empty plastic cup. "You ready?" she asked, looking at Nico who was watching her every move.

"Yeah, let's ride."

After cutting off all the lights and grabbing her purse, Anissa locked the house up and followed Nico outside to his all-black Genesis G90. They got in and she immediately took over the radio. Only because she was his baby did Nico allow that to happen, but no one else was allowed to touch his shit.

"How's your family doing?" Anissa asked as the smooth sounds of R&B lingered in the background.

"Shit, as best as they can. You know Nate meant everything to us. That nigga was basically the glue that held everything together when shit got tough."

Reaching over and caressing the right side of his face, she replied, "It's gonna get better for all of y'all, trust me. Just stay strong like you've been doing baby."

Nico nodded and quickly glanced in her direction, noticing that she was now rummaging through her purse. He watched her pull out her pills that she took on a regular whenever she was suffering from a severe migraine.

"Your head hurting you?" he questioned with sympathetic eyes.

"It's not at its worst, but I feel it coming." She looked around the car and cursed under her breath when she realized that there wasn't anything for her to swallow the pills down with. "Can we stop at a gas station?"

"Yeah, I got you."

Traffic wasn't the lightest, so it took approximately fifteen minutes for Nico to pull into the nearest gas station. At this point, they were running behind at least thirty minutes on picking up Clark. But Anissa's migraines were nothing to be played with and if she didn't catch them before they were one hundred percent pounding, her chances of being pain free were slim to none.

Nico asked, "You want anything else in here?"

"Just a Dasani and some strawberry Mentos."

He nodded and headed inside while Anissa leaned her head back against the head rest. The feeling of an oncoming migraine triggered her anxiety in the worst of ways. Mostly because her migraines weren't just the type of pain that could be treated with the average pain pills−such as, Tylenol, Advil, Ibuprofen, etc.

It took her years to find a remedy that came close to helping the severe head pain she dealt with on a regular. The sound of Nico's chiming phone quickly gained her attention as the annoying sound intensified the pounding of her head pain. She started massaging her temples hoping for some relief; but unfortunately, the motion didn't help at all.

Nico's phone grew silent, but just minutes later, the chiming had returned. Anissa looked out the window to see what was taking him so long and noticed that he was stuck in line. Not able to stand the aggravating chime any longer, she grabbed his phone from the cup holder and went to silence it. But an interesting message on the front of his screen quickly caught her attention. The sender intrigued her even more.

Clark: Hey, what's taking so long? You know I'm ready to see that sexy ass face and even more ready to ride that...Let me chill, lol.

In that moment, Anissa felt as if everything around her had frozen with the exception of her shaking hands. If she had Nico's passcode, she would've unlocked his phone to reply to Clark. But unfortunately, she didn't, leaving that option buried as deep as Nico was about to be if he didn't have a good excuse for why Clark was texting him inappropriate messages.

She dropped the phone back in the cup holder as a million different scenarios of Nico and Clark attacked her mind. There was no fucking way that was happening. Anissa couldn't allow herself to believe it; not just for her own good, but for the sake of everyone around her.

"Damn, they was in that mafucka packed," Nico complained as he got back in the car with the items Anissa requested. He tried handing them to her, but quickly felt the breeze of cold energy as her eyes settled into his with a menacing glare. "What's the problem, Niss?"

"Take me back to the house."

"What?"

In one quick motion, Anissa snatched the water and Mentos from his hand. "Drive this fucking car back to the house, now!"

"Aye, you better chill the fuck out! The hell is wrong with you?"

Like clockwork, Nico's phone began chiming again. Both of their eyes shifted toward the device as Nico picked it up and witnessed what caused Anissa's sudden outrage. After watching him read over the evidence that was painted clear as day, Anissa waited impatiently while he stuck his phone back in his pocket as he pulled out of the gas station.

"Nico, tell me I'm losing my fucking mind," she demanded, a mixture of hurt and rage seeping through her voice. "Tell me I didn't read a damn text from Clark talking about she's ready to ride your dick! Tell me I didn't read that shit!"

"Listen to me. I'm gon' tell you everything, a'ight? I promise you. You deserve the truth, Anissa, and that's what I'ma give you. But baby, I'm driving right now, okay? When we get to the hou−"

The loud sound of screeching tires intensified Anissa's migraine as Nico swerved, due to the Dasani being launched at his head.

"You think I give a fuck about you driving?" Anissa raged. "Nico, you got me fucked up! I don't give a damn about that shit right now!"

"Anissa, you gotta chill the fuck out! I know you're pissed and you got every right to be! But you not 'bout to kill us in this fucking car!"

"Shut up!" she screamed, immediately massaging her temples after the words left her mouth.

Pulling up to a red light, Nico stole a glance in Anissa's direction and observed her tear stained face. She was tending to her head and he clenched his jaw while reaching down into his lap to grab the Dasani that she threw at him.

"Take your pills, Anissa," he told her, tossing the water back in her direction.

"It's too late!"

"Just take the shit! You've took 'em late plenty of times and they still helped you!"

"Just get me home, Nico!"

Anissa's level of pain was at an all-time high, mainly because she was battling more than one type at this moment. But she couldn't determine what hurt worse; the torturous migraine pain or her bleeding heart. A lot of people might've found it rare how she could compare the two levels of pain, but the severity of each situation had the power to leave her devastated.

She buried her face in her hands and bawled silently as Nico drove them home. A storm was brewing, which delayed the ride due to Nico as well as other drivers cautioning themselves from the heavy rainfall. But fifteen minutes later, they arrived back to their home and Anissa wasted no time getting out the car.

She rushed to the front door, searching through her purse on the way. When she located her keys, she unlocked the door and purposely slammed it behind her. However, seconds later, Nico came storming in behind her, drenched from the rain.

"Anissa, come here baby."

"Nico, I'ma give you two minutes to alter my mindset," she spoke through clenched teeth. "Two fucking minutes! And you better use them wisely because what's on my mind right now is nothing nice."

Stepping closer to her, he stated, "I'm sorry. Baby, you know how much I lov−"

"How long have you been fucking that bitch?!"

"Anissa−"

"How long, Nico?!"

"Just calm down and let me explain everything to you!"

His request was like a trigger for Anissa and in that moment, she lost it. Her fist immediately collided with Nico's face, breaking several of her acrylic nails. She attempted to swing again, but Nico caught her wrist, halting the impact.

"Anissa, chill the fuck out!" he shouted, pinning her against the wall with strength he hated to use against her. "I can't explain shit to you unless you calm down!"

Knowing that he was stronger than her, Anissa felt defeated in this moment. Warm tears burned her pretty brown eyes, as they created a trail down her face.

"Baby," Nico went on to explain, "Clark will never hold as much importance to me as you do. I love you. You're my fucking life, Niss."

"Then why are you fucking her?"

He regretfully shook his head. "It started when we found out Nate was sick. I flew down there to visit and she was a fucking mess. I was doing my best to get her through the situation and she must've mistaken my comfort for affection. But baby, I−"

"Nico, get the fuck off of me!"

"Anissa, just listen!"

"No, fuck you! I'll be damned if I let you sit up here and tell me that she hopped on your dick without you having the willpower to stop her! You wanted to fuck that bitch!"

"I won't let her stay here," Nico stated as if his words would help the situation in any way.

And while his statement didn't ease the tension in the room what so ever, it did in fact give Anissa the strength to snatch away from his hold. Once her arms were free, she shoved his chest with all her strength. Her raining tears were now converted to flooding.

"You had her in our house!" she bawled, disgust coating a thick layer of hurt in her tone. "I invited that bitch here several times and all along you were fucking this hoe? How could y'all do that to Nate? He was dying, Nico! That is your brother's wife, you nasty fucking bastard!"

"I fucked up," Nico admitted. "I'm sorry baby."

Anissa stepped back into his personal space and eyed him with fury behind her eyes before asking, "So, three months ago, when I was in the hospital dealing with this fucking head pain and you swore you had some business that couldn't wait..."

Nico ran his hand down his mouth and swallowed hard. "She thought she might've been preg−"

His confession was cut short as Anissa backhanded the shit out of him.

"You left me in the fucking hospital alone just so your side bitch wouldn't have to piss on a stick by herself?"

"Niss−"

Another back hand stopped him from responding.

"It shouldn't have been Nate," Anissa spoke in a tone just above a whisper. "You should be the one dead."

With those words, she grabbed her purse and rushed out of the house. This time she headed to her own car, and Nico came rushing outside after her. Before she could lock the doors, he snatched open the passenger side and got in.

"Anissa, I know you're pissed off, but baby don't leave like this! Let me fix this shit!"

"Fuck you! Get out my car!"

"I can't let you go like this!"

"Okay," Anissa agreed, sticking her keys into the ignition. "Well, since you wanna ride, let's go get your little bitch! I'ma show you mafuckas who y'all playing with!"

Before Nico could object, Anissa was pulling out of the drive-way. Beating Clark's ass was the only thing that seemed to ease her mind in this situation; therefore, she couldn't wait to pull down on the bitch.

"Baby, this ain't the solution!" Nico plead as Anissa swerved through traffic. "How is going to get Clark gon' fix shit?"

"Oh, so now you don't wanna go get her? Because not too long ago, you were about to scoop the bitch up and let her lay her hoe ass down in our house and fuck her behind my back!"

"I wouldn't have done that."

"Stop fucking lying, Nico!"

"Chill out!" he fussed as her driving became more reckless. He reached over to turn on her windshield wipers, but she quickly slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch my shit!"

"Anissa, this rain is coming down hard as fuck! I know you can't see!"

When he attempted to turn on the windshield wipers for the second time, Anissa grabbed his wrist, preventing him from doing so. However, Nico immediately reached over with his opposite hand, and out of reflex, Anissa released the hand she had controlling the stirring wheel to stop him.

"The fuck are you doing?!" Nico shouted.

SCURTTTTT!!!

Blood trickled down the center of Anissa's forehead while her head seemed to be spinning out of control. Her life had just flashed before her eyes. She was positive that several of her bones were broken, and she was barely conscience; but she was still breathing, nonetheless.

"Nico...agh!" she shrieked from the severe pain of slight movement. But as agonizing as it was, she bit the bullet and tried to call out for him again. "Nico."

Her voice was low, barely audible as she tried once more. "Nico..."

Pain exuded through her entire body as she gritted her teeth and turned her neck to discover Nico's body dangling through the blood covered windshield.

"Nico," she silently cried, the devastation of losing him this way ripping her already broken heart to shreds. "No, no, please!" she wept.

But unfortunately, no tears could help this situation.

Nico was gone.
Chapter One

Two Years Later...

The sound of 'Crazy Eyes' by Alex Mali played softly throughout Anissa's condo. She was in her kitchen cutting up fruit. He ringing phone delayed her process as she rushed to her living room to grab it. The caller ID displayed her brother's name.

"What do you want, Justin?" she answered.

"Damn, is that how you greet your big brother now?"

Anissa laughed, heading back into the kitchen. She balanced the phone between her ear and shoulder as she went back to cutting her fruit. "Sorry, bro. I'm just so used to my phone ringing for bullshit that I automatically assume the worst."

"Yeah, a'ight. What you down there doing?"

"Cutting up some fruit for later. What are you up to?"

"Shit, trying to hide from Layah. She acting up and I'm not in the mood."

"That's your whole ass wife, Justin. There is no hiding from her."

"I bet her ass don't find me."

Anissa continued to laugh at her brother. "You're terrible. When are you coming to see me?"

"Soon as I get some of my vacation time back."

"You know you wouldn't have to use your vacation hours if you just moved down here."

"You know I can't do that, sis. I have a family to think about."

"A family that you can easily move down here with you."

"If it was that easy, I would've been down there. Your fat head ass shouldn't have moved in the first place."

Anissa stuffed a grape into her mouth before replying, "I wanted a fresh start. A new location was mandatory for me."

"Yeah, you keep saying that shit, but I think you're running from something else."

Avoiding Justin's statement, Anissa asked, "What are my nieces and nephew doing?"

"The girls sleep and Ayden with Layah's mom. Don't be trying to dodge shit I say either nigga."

A laughed escaped her lips, knowing her brother would catch on to her plan. In all honesty, Anissa didn't wanna get too deep into it because Justin was right. She was running from something when she decided to move from North Carolina to Indiana.

After Nico's death, Anissa tried everything to help her mind get back right. But unfortunately, nothing she did helped rid the memories of the horrible night that she lost him. The nightmares got so bad that her level of anxiety drove her into a rehabilitation facility.

But even that wasn't enough to help her feel the void she felt ever since losing Nico. So, here she was, two years later, settling into Indiana. And although she hadn't been here that long, the new surroundings were starting to grow on her.

"I'm just trying to find peace, Justin. Wherever I can get it."

"I hear you, sis. As long as you're happy, I won't complain."

"I love you, bro. I'll be even happier when your ugly ass brings my babies to come see me."

Justin laughed. "Love you too. We'll be down as soon as we can. Be safe, Anissa."

"I will. Bye, Jus."

"A'ight, sis."

Anissa ended the call and went back to prepping her fruit. Once she was finished, she stuffed the container into her fridge and headed into her bathroom to shower. She had plans to meet a friend for drinks at a popular Mexican spot in town called, La Caretta Restaurant & Bar.

Once her shower was complete, she dressed in a pair of black gaucho pants and a black halter crop-top. It was the end of May, so Indiana was finally warming up. She decided to allow her long, natural hair to hang flowingly down her shoulders.

A few years ago, she'd dyed it to a beautiful ombre mixture of auburn and black. She'd gotten use to the color and to this day, she was still rocking it. After slipping into her sandals, she grabbed the last of her necessary items, then she was out the door. As soon as she stepped into the hall, she noticed her neighbor, Maylen. He looked like he'd just gotten back from one of his routine daily runs.

"It must be hot as hell out there," Anissa stated, eyeing the patch of sweat on the front of his grey t-shirt.

"It's the good type of heat," Maylen replied, pulling up the bottom of his shirt to wipe his face.

"I guess I'm about to find out for myself."

"You gone for the night?"

"I'll be back later. I'm just about to go have a few drinks with my friend."

While nodding, Maylen told her, "Be careful out there."

"Always."

Anissa gave him a friendly smile before walking off. She headed to the elevator and ordered an Uber on the way down. Her condo was located in downtown Indiana, so most of the time, her destination wasn't too far.

***

"Hey, love."

"What's good, gorgeous?" Anissa greeted her good friend, Sasha, with a hug.

The women then took their seats at the bar.

"So, what's new?" Anissa asked.

"Not too much. Glad to escape the wrath of Raelynn and Sienna for a little while," Sasha laughed, referring to her daughters.

"Girl, cut it out. You were made for this life."

"Yeah, well I've finally lost twenty percent of my baby weight trying to keep up with their asses."

Anissa chuckled as the bartender approached them. They ordered their drinks before continuing their conversation.

Sasha asked, "How are you adapting to Indiana? You homesick yet?"

"I miss my family but I'm enjoying the new surroundings. I know I'll get use to the distance. Eventually, they'll come visit or I'll just make my way down there to see them. Indiana's been pretty chill so far."

"Yeah, it's not too bad. I'm leaving with Tay next week though to go out of town for about three weeks."

"What? Who the hell am I supposed to kick it with while you're gone?"

Sasha couldn't help but laugh at the seriousness of Anissa's question. "You have to get out and make new friends."

Anissa rolled her eyes.

"I know it's hard," Sasha continued, "but unless you wanna kick it alone, you gotta start being more social. I thought we both agreed to work on that?"

As the bartender returned with their drinks, Anissa allowed Sasha's comment to sink in. Both women had a bad habit of being anti-social at times; however, they'd come to a mutual agreement to try and break the habit.

Anissa met Sasha a year ago when the two of them had gotten signed to the same publishing company. Anissa wrote poetry and Sasha wrote about urban romance. Their love for writing quickly bonded them and when Anissa move to Sasha's hometown, the two of them grew even closer. They were now independent authors, both doing extremely well on their own. Although both women seemed to have closed off personalities, they somehow managed to click and had become great friends.

"It's not as easy as it sounds," Anissa stated before sipping her drink.

"Trust me, I know. What about your neighbor? I thought you said he was nice."

"Yeah, a nice piece of eye candy. Not somebody I can just call to go get my nails done with or some shit like that."

"Eye candy?"

"Yeah, the nigga's fine. You've seen him."

Sasha smirked while sipping her drink.

"Don't be making that sneaky ass face," Anissa scolded.

"I'm just saying. You've never mentioned all this before. All you said was that he's nice and that y'all speak in passing."

"Facts."

"So, you've been peeping him on the low?"

"He's sexy, Sasha. I don't think there's anything there though."

"Why is that?"

"I mean, he's a cool guy, but he's just not for me. I don't feel anything aside from being attracted to him."

Sasha rolled her eyes. "I already know where you're going with this."

"Shut up. It has nothing to do with that."

"The lies," Sasha challenged. "Anissa, every nigga isn't gonna be from the gutta. I swear, you and this hood nigga fetish is gonna be the death of me."

Anissa burst out laughing. "You gotta chill."

"No, you gotta chill. I'm sure Maylen is a great man and you won't even give him the time of day."

"I'm sure he's a great man too, just not for me. Hell, he might not even want my time. We can't just assume that he does."

Sasha took a hefty gulp of her drink before setting it down on the bar. "I think you should ask him out."

"Ask him out? Sasha, stop sipping that damn drink. You know damn well I'm not doing that."

"Why not?"

"I'm not asking that man on no damn date; end of discussion."

Sasha rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You're so stubborn, Anissa."

While toying with the straw in her drink, Anissa allowed the idea of asking Maylen on a date to amble her mind. She hadn't dated anyone since Nico and truth be told, she was starting to become extremely lonely. She could survive by herself if need be, but there was a certain void in her heart that she was yearning to fill.

"Do you see him bring a lot of women to his place?" Sasha questioned.

"No," Anissa answered. "I actually haven't saw any women since the little time I've been living there."

"That's good. At least you know he's not a hoe."

Anissa laughed, sipping her drink. "Just because I don't see them doesn't mean he's innocent. He could have a closet full of birds that he's hiding."

"You're so full of excuses," Sasha noted.

They sat in silence for a moment, both sipping, while consumed in their own thoughts. A few moments later, Sasha finally ended the quietness.

"Are you sure you're ready to start dating, Niss? I don't want you to ever feel like I'm rushing you."

Anissa pushed her now empty glass away before replying, "Girl, I don't think I'll ever fully be ready until I take my ass on a damn date to be honest. It's no medicine to heal me from Nico's passing. Can't shit but time do that for me and enough time has passed me by. I don't wanna drown in misery forever, you know? I miss him like crazy and I'm gonna love that man till the death of me. But I have to move on."

Sasha nodded and motioned for the bartender to return. She ordered them their second round of drinks before placing her attention back on Anissa. "Let's play a little game."

"Hell no."

"Stop being a punk."

"I don't have time for your shit tonight, Sasha."

"You never do. We're playing shot or dare."

"Now see," Anissa held up her index finger, "you're already on some bullshit. Neither one of us are heavy drinkers, so why in the hell would we play something like that?"

"For fun. Tay is picking me up and instead of you taking an Uber back home, I'll just have him drop you off."

The bartender returned with their first round of shots.

"Okay," Sasha smirked. "Shot or dare?"

Anissa grabbed the shot and quickly threw it back. Her face contorted into a frown as the liquor burned her throat. "Your turn. Shot or dare?"

Sasha didn't look too happy with her decision to take a shot; but she quickly lifted the glass and took it to the head. She followed it up with a gulp of cranberry juice.

"Lightweight," Anissa laughed.

Shrugging her shoulders, Sasha replied, "I dare you to−"

"Hold up, my choice wasn't dare."

"Anissa, we can't sit up here and take shots all night."

"Yes, the hell we can. The game is called shot or dare, Sasha. It's my choice."

Sasha rolled her eyes. "Shot or dare?"

"Dare."

"You know I can't stand your ass, right?"

The women laughed in unison.

Sasha continued. "You see that man over there with the dreads? I dare you to go make conversation with him until he asks for your number."

"Hell no."

"Why not? He looks exactly like your type. Hood and I'm sure he's slanging something illegal."

"That's not my damn type and I don't want that nigga having my number."

"He's cute, Anissa."

"So..."

"So, that's what I'm daring you to do. Or take another shot."

Anissa studied the dread headed thug and pondered just taking another shot. She didn't want him having her number for several reasons. For one, he looked like trouble. The second reason being, she wasn't sure if she minded the trouble that may come along with him. She shook the thought and grabbed her second shot before she got into something she didn't need any parts of.

"Weak ass," Sasha taunted.

Shrugging her shoulders, Anissa quickly downed the shot. "Shot or dare?"

"Dare."

"Bet. I dare you to call Tay and tell him your ex is picking us up tonight."

Sasha's eyes bucked. "Are you trying to have me murdered?"

Anissa couldn't hold back her laughter. Her eyes began to water as she witnessed the fear on Sasha's face. "Relax," she advised. "I'm not gon' make you do that. I forgot that niggas birthday was on Friday the 13th."

"You're corny as hell."

"Nah, you're corny as hell. Got our grown asses up here playing some damn shot or dare."

While chuckling, Sasha told her, "Yeah, well the next round is on you."

Anissa shook her head while waiving the bartender back in their direction. "I know one thing," she began. "Our scary ass's better start doing some dares or we're gonna be drunk as fuck."

They laughed in unison before Anissa placed the order for their next round.

***

Maylen sat his water bottle down and kicked his feet up as he watched the Celtics take on the Cavilers. He had just eaten some good food and handled all his business for the day; so, chilling for the remainder of the night was the only thing on his agenda. This was typically how a normal weekday was spent for him. He woke up, handled his business, went to his training sessions, and then called it a night.

A knock at his door quickly gained his attention as he rose from his seat to go answer it. When he opened the door, he laid his eyes on a chocolate beauty that he'd spotted a couple times going in and out of Anissa's condo. Aside from how beautiful she was, the man in him couldn't help but observe her figure. She was wearing a white V-neck top, with light blue ripped jeans, thighs thicker than a snicker.

"Hi. You're Maylen, right?"

Maylen nodded, quickly removing his eyes from her thighs and focusing on her face. "Yeah."

"Well, I know we've never had a proper introduction, but I'm Sasha."

Extending his hand, Maylen asked, "Anissa's friend, right?"

"Yes, that's right. We actually went out for drinks and she kind of had a little more than she planned to. She's home safe of course, but I know she does this thing where she likes to leave at night. I was wondering if you could maybe...look out for her?"

Maylen crossed his arms and leaned against his door. "So, if she leaves, you expect me to stop her?"

"Is that too much to ask?"

"She's grown, Sasha."

"I know. Look, a while ago I actually used to take those same night escapes. They never ended well. I just don't want her to end up in something she can't get out of. If you happen to see her leaving, could you at least try to talk her out of it?"

Sasha's brief explanation caused Maylen to have a different outlook on the situation. She was concerned about her friend. "I got her."

"Thank you. And I'm sorry for just randomly knocking on your door like this."

"Nah, it's cool."

"Okay. Well, you have a good night."

"You do the same."

When Sasha walked off, Maylen stepped back inside his condo and closed the door. He went to turn his TV off, then went into his room to slip on a pair of Nike slides. He figured rather than trying to keep an eye on Anissa all night, he would go over and chat with her, in hopes of talking her to sleep.

He grabbed his phone and his keys before locking up his place and heading next door. After knocking on her door, he waited patiently for her to answer. But after several minutes with no response, he just assumed that she wasn't in the mood for company. With that in mind, he headed back to his own door, but just as he unlocked it, he heard Anissa's door open.

Seconds later, she stuck her head out the door and asked, "Did you need something?"

"You okay in there?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"It only took you twenty minutes to answer the door."

"Exaggerating a little bit, aren't we?"

He smirked. "Maybe. But it definitely took you about ten minutes."

"I hear you, Maylen. What did you need?"

"You in the mood for company?"

He studied her carefully while she thought about her response. He could tell his question had caught her off guard as she crossed her arms and leaned against her door.

"Did Sasha ask you to watch me?"

"Does the answer to that question determine whether or not you gon' let me in?"

Now, Anissa was the one with a smirk on her face.

"I'ma kick her ass," Maylen heard her mumble before she disappeared back into her condo.

However, she left the door open and Maylen just assumed that was his invitation. He walked in and locked the door behind him. Instantly, his nostrils were filled with the scent of Cinnamon which came from the wax that she had burning.

He went and sat next to her on her black leather sectional where she sat comfortably, Indian style, with her laptop on her lap.

"You seem okay to me. I'm not sure why your friend felt like you needed somebody looking after you."

"I'm always telling her that she worries too much. She never listens to me though."

"Why do you think she's so worried about you?"

"We've been in similar situations and she knows things. She's also hella' slick and could've just pulled this stunt in order to get you over here."

Eying her curiously, Maylen couldn't help but wonder, "Why would she want that?"

"She's corny."

Maylen laughed to himself, knowing there was more to the story. However, he wouldn't force Anissa to admit anything. Changing the subject, he asked, "So, what you over there working on?"

"My last round of edits. I've been working on volume 1 of this book for a while now."

"You write books?"

"Why is that such a surprise?"

"Because you never mentioned it to me."

"You never asked."

Maylen leaned back on her couch. During the short amount of time that she'd been living next door to him, he hadn't learned much about her, aside from the fact that she loved green grapes and she took Uber everywhere she went. He would be lying if he said he wasn't interested in solving the mystery behind her.

"What type of books do you write, Anissa?"

"Poetry."

"Recommend one to me."

She smiled as her eyes diverted toward her laptop. "Window Pain, volume 1."

"Is that what you're finishing up?"

"Yes sir."

"Can't wait to dive into it."

"You read, Maylen?"

"Everyday."

Anissa closed her laptop and faced him. "What are you into? I mean aside from working out and everything?"

He laughed. "I'm a trainer, so working out is huge part of my life. But other than that, I like sports, music−"

"Not the typical things, Maylen," Anissa interrupted. "Tell me what you're really into. For example, I'm into poetry as you can see. I also love spoken word, museums, art galleries, lakes at night...just things like that."

Maylen stared at her for a moment, not expecting what she'd just stated. "Well I mean, that's dope."

"I know my interest are dope," she chuckled. "Now, tell me yours."

"I fuck with nature."

"What do you mean? Like how?"

"In a lot of different ways. I like to go fishing, I bird watch, and sometimes I hike and just take pictures of the scenery. Lately, I've even been diving into metrology just to teach myself about climate and weather patterns. You never know when that shit might come in handy."

Anissa grinned.

"What? Strange, random as hell, nothing you'd ever be interested in?" Maylen assumed.

"Actually, I think your interest are just as dope as mine," she told him. "So, calm down."

Maylen laughed, sitting up straight in his seat. "I usually do shit like that solo. People these days don't appreciate nature. Electronics might as well be pills."

"I can only halfway agree. A lot of people need their electronic devices in order to work. We have to advertise, market−"

"But if electronics didn't exist and you were still chasing the same dream, I bet you would still get the job done."

"Oh God," Anissa mumbled. "You're one of those."

"Don't put me in a category just because you don't wanna hear the truth."

"Okay, Maylen. It's getting late."

"Damn, so that's how you gon' put me out?"

He wanted to be salty, but the smile on her face from her laughter wouldn't allow him to. She was undeniably beautiful.

"I would love to stay up all night and debate with you, Maylen, but I have to get back to editing."

"Okay, I'll take that excuse. But if your friend ever knocks on my door again, I'm telling her it's fuck you."

Pretending to be offended, Anissa's mouth dropped.

"I said what I said," Maylen stated as he stood and headed toward the door.

Anissa stood up next to go lock the door behind him after he left. "Have a good night with your rude ass," she said.

He smiled at her. "You have a good night as well, Anissa."

Chapter Two

Anissa stared out of the window of the Uber she was currently in while looking at the streets of her hometown. It had been a while since she'd been back to Raleigh, North Carolina and being back home felt a little surreal for her.

However, she missed her family and a surprise visit felt like the best thing to do. Feeling a migraine approaching, she reached into her purse and grabbed her pills. She swallowed them and opened her water bottle to wash them down.

When her phone began ringing, she looked at the caller ID and noticed that it was Sasha calling.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey, girl. Did you get my email? I sent over the final version of my cover. I need your opinion."

"I haven't checked my emails since I got off my flight. I'll check them in a minute."

"Flight? Where are you?"

"I'm in Raleigh. I decided to surprise my family."

"What? That's great."

"I know, but now that I'm here, I'm starting to feel some type of way. Nico's on my mind heavy."

"I know it's not easy, Anissa. Just take it easy, okay? Don't overwhelm yourself. And listen, don't even worry about the email I sent you while you're down there. Just enjoy the time with your family."

"Thank you, Sasha. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay, girl. Bye."

"Bye."

Anissa ended the call just as her Uber driver pulled up to Justin's apartment. She tipped him, then grabbed her bags and exited the car. She then made her way to Justin's door and rang his doorbell. It seemed to take him a while, but the door finally opened and there stood her brother who looked surprised to see her.

"Niss? The fuck are you doing here?"

"Well, hello to you too nigga."

Justin laughed and wrapped his arms around her. "My fault. I just wasn't expecting to see your fat head ass on my porch."

"I wanted to surprise everybody."

"Well, you definitely did that. Come on in."

He grabbed her bags for her and they headed inside.

"Where are my nieces and nephew?"

Justin sighed as he sat Anissa's bags by the couch. "They with Layah."

"Okay, and where is Layah?"

"Just sit down real quick. I'll be right back."

Anissa eyed her brother suspiciously as he disappeared into his bedroom. She took a seat on his couch and scrolled through her phone while she impatiently waited for him to return. Five minutes later, he finally came back and sat across from her on the loveseat.

"What the hell is going on, Justin?"

He shook his head. "Look Niss, shit with me and Lay ain't working. She filed for divorce."

"What?"

"Yeah, it's been pretty fucked up between us. I ain't say shit to you because I didn't want you worrying."

"Justin, what the hell happened? Before I left, shit was good with you two."

He shrugged. "Sometimes things just don't work."

"So, who you got back there in your room?"

"Just some lil' bitch that's been entertaining me while I'm dealing with all this shit."

"You're not even gonna try to fight for Layah?"

"I've tried, sis. She's done with me. It's a losing fight."

Anissa began massaging her temples. She knew there was more to the story than what her brother was telling her, but she couldn't force him to admit anything. She hated this because she had such a good relationship with Layah and she knew the separation would be hard on her nieces and nephew.

"I don't know what to say," she finally spoke.

"It ain't really too much to say. She's bringing the kids back to me in the morning though so at least you'll get to see 'em."

"Yeah, I miss by babies."

"How long you staying down here?"

"Just for a few days. Not long enough to get on your nerves, so don't worry."

"Shit, you gon' do that anyway. You talked to mom and pops?"

"Not yet. I figured I'll stop by their place tomorrow or something."

"I'll probably go with you. What's been good with you though? How Indiana treating my sister?"

"It's cool so far. I'm not complaining."

"Your head been a'ight?"

"The pain still comes and goes, but I take my medicine as needed."

"Good. You fucking with anybody?"

Laughing at how blunt his question was, she replied, "No."

"What? You knew I was gon' ask."

"I know. But I'm not messing with anybody. Even though Sasha swears I should fuck with my neighbor. He's a nice dude, but I'm not trying to mess with him like that."

"Must be an ugly nigga."

"Actually, he's really handsome. But I don't know, I just don't feel any dating chemistry."

"Well shit, ain't nobody forcing you to date, Niss. Take your time. I just don't want you to end up with another nigga like Nico. These hustlers ain't it."

Anissa rolled her eyes, not in the mood for what she knew was about to be a speech about Nico's lifestyle. Being back home caused her to miss him even more and she wasn't about to sit and listen to negative things about him.

"So, what are we doing today?" she asked, changing the subject. "I thought I would be spending time with my nieces and nephew, but since they're not here, you need to entertain me."

Justin chuckled knowing that was a major pun intended. "I'm going to a party tonight. I guess you can come with me."

"You guess?"

"Yeah nigga. And don't wear no skimpy ass shit either."

"Justin, I'm a grown ass woman. I'll wear what I want."

"Yeah, a'ight. You heard what I said."

***

Later That Night...

'Last Night I Lost Reason' by Kevin George played throughout the club as Anissa followed behind Justin. When they reached the roped off section that separated them from VIP, Justin dapped up with the security guard who quickly granted them access.

"What you drinking on, sis?" Justin asked.

"I need a shot of Hennessey."

"Got you. And you know I'ma beat your ass for that thin ass piece of cloth you wearing."

Anissa grinned, smoothing her hand down her black sleeveless Balenciaga dress. It stopped just inches below her knees and had a deep v cut.

"It's not that bad," she replied.

"Not that bad my ass. You bend over, your ass gon' fall out."

"Shut the hell up," Anissa waived him off as the waitress approached him.

She took the time to scan over the club. It was packed and she was surprised that she didn't recognize any familiar faces. Not that she messed with too many people, but she did expect to see at least a couple folks that she knew while she was back in town.

She turned back around and noticed that Justin was no longer standing there. She looked around for him and when her eyes finally found him, she damn near had to catch her breath. But it wasn't her brother that had her attention; it was the person he was speaking with. Finally, someone from her past had resurfaced.

Phil Haze.

Standing just a few feet away, she took the time to soak in his presence. He stood at about 6'3", with an athletic frame that she'd always been fond of. He was dressed in a white OVO owl shirt, black jeans, and Ferragamo sneakers. She spotted his cousin Vice also known as his right-hand man standing a few inches away from him.

When the waitress approached Justin with the drinks he'd ordered, Justin immediately looked in Anissa's direction causing Phil to do the same. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Anissa attempted to gather herself as both men headed in her direction.

"Here you go sis," Justin said, handing her the shot of Hennessey.

Knowing she was going to need another one, Anissa quickly downed the shot, hoping that it would ease her nerves.

"Niss," Justin continued. "You remember Phil, don't you?"

Placing her eyes on Phil, Anissa wanted to respond with, how could I ever forget? But knowing this wasn't the appropriate time for that, she kept her thoughts to herself as she continued to take in Phil's appearance. He hadn't changed much.

Still fine.

Mouthwatering fine.

He had deep brown skin, with a low-cut fade, and a neatly trimmed goatee surrounding a nice set of thick lips. His eyes were light brown and hypnotizing if you weren't careful. Anissa recalled wanting him back in the day, but he was already taken. She wasn't the type to step on another woman's toes, so she never pursued anything. By the time she found out that Phil was single, her heart was already with Nico.

"Wasup, stranger?"

Smiling at his greeting, Anissa replied, "Hey. How are you?"

"I'm good. You been a'ight?"

"I'm taking it day by day. You know how that goes."

"Absolutely. It's good to see your lil' ass though. I knew for sure when you moved to Indiana, that was it."

"I'm not moving back to Raleigh. I'm just visiting."

Phil nodded. "Yeah, I know you probably miss your family and shit. Hopefully you can straighten your brother out while you down here. This nigga's all over the place."

"Fuck outta here," Justin chimed in.

While chuckling, Phil replied, "You know I ain't lying nigga. I'ma get with you later though. I got some folks I need to go chop it up with."

"A'ight, bro." They quickly dapped up. "Don't forget what we discussed."

"I'll put some thought into it. Nice seeing you again, Niss."

"You too," Anissa replied, not expecting the hug he'd suddenly given her. His scent was enticing and the way he wrapped his arms around her waist had her feeling some type of way. When he finally released her, she watched him walk off and disappear into the crowd.

"Aye," Justin stated, nudging her arm. "Nah."

Eyeing him confusingly, Anissa asked, "What you mean, nah?"

"You know what the hell I mean. Hell nah."

Her brother was right.

Anissa knew exactly what he meant. And truth be told, she should've been telling herself the exact same thing. But instead, she found herself wanting to say, hell yes.

"I'm not fucking around, Niss. That ain't the move."

"I heard you, Justin."

"A'ight. I'm just making sure."

Shaking her head, she replied, "I'm going to order me another shot."

"Bet. I'm 'bout to find me something to get into tonight."

"What about the little thot you had locked up at your place?"

"She was for the morning. I need me some night time pussy."

"Really, Justin? Did I need to hear that shit?"

Justin laughed as Anissa walked off, heading to order another shot. She actually ended up ordering two more, and after downing both, she was slowly starting to feel the effects of the liquor. When 'Rap & Sex' by Fabolous came on, she was vibing heavy as the beat started to put her in her zone.

"Damn baby, that body in that dress is a sin."

Anissa turned around to put a face to the voice she was hearing and came face to face with some nigga who looked drunk off his ass.

"Dance with me?" he requested.

"Not tonight," Phil interjected. Wrapping his hand around her waist, he gently pulled Anissa against him, with her back to his chest.

"My fault, Phil. I ain't know she was off limits."

"Now you know. Get the fuck on," Phil demanded.

As Anissa watched the drunken man disappear, she tilted her head to look at Phil and asked, "How do you know I didn't wanna dance with him?"

"I don't give a damn if you did. It wasn't happening."

"Oh, so you think you can just make those type of decisions for me?"

"Ain't that what just happened?"

Smart mouth bastard, she thought to herself. "Don't do that again. I prefer to make my own decisions."

"I'm not about to play with you, Niss."

"Whose playing?"

Phil smirked with both hands now around her waist as he spoke at the tip of her ear. "Look. You and I both know we got unfinished business. Don't make this a chase."

"I'm not running, Phil. But that doesn't mean I wanna be caught."

"You ain't gotta surround yourself with that electric fence no more, Niss. Our situations are completely different now."

Anissa pulled herself away from him. "I know but...it still feels like it's too close to home."

"So, you supposed to be tied to Nico forever?"

Hearing Nico's name leave Phil's mouth didn't sit right with Anissa. She shook her head and told him, "Phil, I just can't do this right now."

"I'm not gon' rush you. But I'm also not gon' act like seeing you back in Raleigh ain't got a nigga feeling some type of way. Take some time and let me know wasup. No pressure."

She offered him a faint smile before walking off. She didn't realize how much of a challenge it would be for her being back in Raleigh, with Nico's spirit sitting heavy on her conscience. The thought of it all started to become overwhelming and before it drowned her into a somber mood, she ordered another shot.

***

"I can't believe how big they've gotten. It's like they're growing up overnight." Anissa kissed her three-year-old nephew, Ayden's cheek as he was passed out in her arms. Her nieces, Nyma and Leah, who were, five and seven, were running around in the living room.

Layah smiled as she watched her girls play. "Yeah, they're getting big as hell and feisty too. I don't know what I'ma do when Ayden's ass starts talking clearly."

Anissa kissed her sleeping nephew again. "As long as his mouth ain't like Justin's, I think you're gonna be okay."

Layah rolled her eyes and Anissa quickly noticed the shift in her energy at the mention of her brother's name.

"Lay, what the hell is going on? When I asked Justin about it, he just said y'all weren't working out."

"Did he tell you the reason we're not working out?"

"No."

Layah sighed and sat back on the couch. "He's been cheating on me, Niss."

Anissa couldn't act like she wasn't surprised. While she wanted to give her brother the benefit of the doubt, she knew his behavior and had a strong feeling infidelity played a huge role in his split with Layah.

She shook her head and said, "I'm sorry, Lay. That's my brother and I love him, but I don't condone no cheating ass nigga. I've been through that and it's painful. I can't imagine how you must feel, especially as his wife with three beautiful kids."

"Yeah, it's not easy. I think men cheat so much that when a woman admits to what happen, her pain is overlooked because it's so common. You know what I mean?"

"I do," Anissa nodded. "I felt that same shit with Nico. I was hurt to the core, not to mention embarrassed as hell that I'd been played for a fucking fool. Somedays, I still wanna find Clark and beat the dog shit out of her. But I always end up telling myself I have to let that hurt go."

"You think you'll ever forgive him?"

"Who, Nico?"

"Yeah. I mean, even though he's gone, do you still hate him for what he did?"

Anissa shrugged her shoulders. "I thought I'd hate him forever. But when I lost him, it was like...I don't know. Like I wanted him back; but if I'd never lost him, I don't know if I would resent his presence or not."

The sound of Justin's door opening interrupted their conversation. Nyma and Leah immediately ran up to their dad with huge smiles on their faces. Anissa was about to open her mouth to speak when Phil stepped in behind Justin. She quickly closed her mouth and diverted her eyes toward the floor. She refused to be trapped in his gaze.

"Lay, can we talk for a minute?" Justin asked.

While standing up and grabbing her purse, Layah replied, "Actually, I was just leaving."

"Come on now, I just need a few minutes," Justin reasoned.

"I only came here to drop the girls off and talk to Niss a little bit. Ain't nothing that you and me need to discuss."

Anissa could look at her brother and tell by the way he was clenching his jaw that he was irritated. However, she knew he would remain calm in front of his kids.

"It was nice seeing you again, Niss," Layah stated as she bent down to hug her.

"You too," Anissa replied.

But as Layah tried to make her exit, Justin grabbed her wrists and began to silently plead with his eyes.

The silence soon became awkward before Layah heavily sighed and said, "Two minutes, Justin."

"Bet," he agreed. "Y'all sit out here with auntie Niss for a minute," he told his daughters.

"No," Layah objected. "They can come with us."

"Lay, you know I can't−"

"You wanna talk or not?" Layah challenged.

In no position to debate with her, Justin walked off with his daughters while Layah trailed behind them. And moments later, Anissa found herself fighting not to get trapped in Phil's gaze as he took a seat next to her.

"He favors you."

While smiling, Anissa gently rubbed her hand over Ayden's curly hair. "Stop gassing me. This is Justin's twin."

"Nah, he definitely looks more like you."

"If you say so."

There was a moment of silence as Anissa observed the way Phil's eyes scanned every inch of her.

Once his eyes landed back on hers, she asked, "What are you looking at?"

"Your sexy ass."

"Stop it, Phil."

"Nah."

"Nah? You really think you can just have whatever you want, don't you?"

"Who said I wanted you?"

His question caught her off guard, which was shown by the expression on her face.

"I'm fucking with you," Phil laughed. "But on some real shit, I see how you move, Niss. You'll up and disappear on a nigga, so ain't no telling when I'ma see you again. I might as well let you know what it is while I have the opportunity."

"But you know that I'm not staying here, Phil. I told you I just came to visit"

"I know what you told me. But I also know you want something else that you're nervous about stepping in to."

She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "Even if I decided to step into that situation, I would have to hear Justin's mouth about it."

"You're a grown ass woman, Anissa. You living for what you want? Or for what your brother wants?"

While she thought about his question, her nephew began squirming in her arms. She figured he was probably about to wake up from his mini nap.

"Come take a ride with me, Niss."

"Where?"

"You'll find out. Come on."

Without giving it too much thought, Anissa stood up and carried Ayden to his bedroom. She laid him down, then tapped on Justin's door to inform him that she was leaving. When he didn't respond, she figured he was too deep in conversation with Layah to care. She decided that she would just text him so that he would be aware that she was gone.

***

After grabbing her purse, Anissa left the apartment with Phil and they got in his matte black Lexus LC 500.

"Nice ride," she complimented.

"Appreciate it."

"I hope you're taking me to get food. I haven't eaten all day."

"Ask me nicely," Phil ordered as he pulled out of Justin's apartment complex.

"I wasn't asking."

"Then you ain't getting fed."

Anissa sighed and adjusted her words. "Could you please cater to my growling stomach?"

"You funny, but not right now. I'll handle that later."

"Later? What makes you think I'll be with you later on?"

"Because I'm not taking you back until I feel like it. Stop acting like you didn't wanna ride with me."

"Never said I didn't. I just didn't know I was being kidnapped."

Phil smirked. "You some shit, Niss."

They continued to make light conversation and twenty minutes later, Phil pulled into a parking lot with a building that read 'H.A.Z.E' on the front. Anissa was familiar with this location as she was with his other shops. Aside from his smoke shops, he also owned his own clothing line. For as long as Anissa had known him, he'd always been about the bag. He worked endless nights to create his brand and she respected his hustle.

They exited the car and Anissa followed behind him as he headed to the entrance. He opened the door for her and she stepped inside, immediately loving everything she laid her eyes on. It had been a while since she'd been inside one of his shops and she loved the new look. She looked up when she heard a cashier greet her, followed by asking for her ID.

"She's good, Samalee," Phil assured the cashier.

Anissa turned around and grinned at him. "How do I not look twenty-nine yet? I get questioned for ID everywhere I go."

"It's her job to ask."

"I know. I'm just saying."

"Give me a minute, a'ight? I gotta take care of some shit."

When Phil walked off, Anissa began to scan the merchandise in the shop which consisted of electric grinders, hookahs, bongs, and some of the most unique ashtrays she'd ever seen. There were lighters, shot glasses, rolling trays, and even apparel with the H.A.Z.E logo branded on them.

"Anything I can help you with?"

Anissa turned around and found Samalee standing there with a friendly smile on her face. "No, thank you."

"Okay. Well, if you need anything, just let me know."

"Thanks, will do."

As Anissa went back to viewing the merch, she felt an uncomfortable feeling in her head, letting her know a migraine would soon be arriving. She turned around to request a bottle of water from Samalee, but it was Phil who was now standing there.

"Shit," Anissa spoke under her breath. "Don't be creeping up on me like that."

"I was about to tap your shoulder with your jumpy ass. You good?"

"Yeah, I umm...can I get a bottle of water?"

"I got you. Come to the back."

Anissa followed behind him to a back room and once they were inside, he retrieved a bottle of water from a mini fridge.

"Thank you," she said, accepting the water. She then sat on the sofa that sat against a wall full of posters of several great artist such as Bob Marley, Biggie Smalls, Lauryn Hill and many more.

Phil asked, "What type of pills you over there poppin'?"

After swallowing the three pills, Anissa replied, "Migraine medication."

"All 'dat?"

Anissa chuckled as her eyes glanced over Phil who was now sitting on top of his desk, giving her his full attention.

As he lit his blunt and took a pull, she told him, "I have chronic migraines. Took me years to figure this shit out. I would just have this severe ass head pain on the left side of my head and wonder why nothing could help me get rid of it. I felt like a fucking junkie trying almost every over the counter medicine."

"A doctor tell you that shit was chronic?"

"Yes. I saw three doctors who kept giving me bullshit medicine that did nothing until finally the fourth one actually listened to me. Prescribed me with the medication I've been taking and it's literally been my best friend. When you tell someone you have a migraine, they wanna throw Advil, Vicodin or Ibuprofen at you and call it a day. But until you've experienced chronic migraine pain, you'll never understand."

Phil nodded. "But if over the counter meds don't help, why are you still taking them?"

"As strong as my prescription is, sometimes it's not strong enough by itself. Over the counter meds are supposed to attack head pain, so I use them to help my prescription. Kind of like to double team the pain, you know?"

After releasing smoke from his nose, Phil asked, "Are you supposed to be doing that though?"

"Doing what?"

"Taking all that shit at once?"

Anissa shrugged. "My doctor knows the script doesn't work alone sometimes. She gave me some generic ass pill to take with it, but once again, that shit ain't cutting it. The pain gets so bad sometimes, it brings me to tears; so, I had to find my own solution. I've been doing this for years. I'm good."

"Don't matter how long you been doing it. Still don't mean it's safe."

"I told you I'm good. I don't need a lecture."

"Yeah, a'ight. What else helps you?"

After taking another sip of the water, Anissa answered, "Cannabis."

"Word?"

"Yep. I don't smoke blunts anymore though. Only edibles."

He nodded. "Whatever works for you."

"I feel like we're talking way too much about me. What's up with you? I see the H.A.Z.E brand is still on fire."

"Who gon' put it out?"

She cackled, shaking her head. "If I didn't respect your hustle so much, I would have a smart ass come back for you. But I'm proud of you, Phil. Every time I see you, you've elevated."

"Appreciate it."

He finished his blunt, then joined her on the couch. The Kush mixed with his cologne had her fighting a spell she didn't ask to be put under. Phil had always been enticing; but for the longest, she considered him forbidden fruit.

"Can I ask you something?"

He nodded. "Go 'head."

"What happen with you and Carmen?"

"Didn't work out."

"Obviously," she sassed, jokingly shoving him. "I was looking for a more in-depth explanation. I get it if you don't wanna talk about it."

"She didn't wanna adjust to the new lifestyle. I'm sure you know my past. Carmen rocked with me through all that; but when I left the dope boy shit alone, she folded. I already had the vision for my brand mapped out. Can't force everybody to see what you see though."

"So, she left you?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I left her ass. She was trying to force me to stay in a situation that wouldn't benefit me in the long run and I wasn't having that. As much as I loved her, I had to cut ties with that shit. It's all love though. Just had to wish her the best."

"Do you miss her?"

"Nah. My aunt does, but I'm good."

"They must've had a good relationship," Anissa speculated.

"They just miss splurging together, that's all that is. Funny thing is, I could've fed both of 'em off my brand the same way I was doing with the dope. But they didn't have the patience for that. Vice was the only person who had my back."

"Wait, so your aunt was against you leaving the game too?"

"Yup. Didn't matter though. It wasn't her choice to make. But when I got my shit together, I still looked out for her. She raised me. Took me in after my mom passed and I'll always love her for that."

Anissa thought about how hard it must've been for Phil to have such limited support. From what she knew, his mother overdosed on heroin when he was four and his father was serving a life sentence for murdering his best friend.

"Well, I think you did the right thing by doing what felt best for you."

"This is only the beginning. I'm putting my name on everything. Just give me a little more time."

Anissa loved the confidence in him. She knew it was only a matter of time before he did exactly what he was claiming he would do.

"You still fuck with The Pit?" Phil asked as he stood up and pulled his phone out his pocket.

"Hell yes, I do. How do you even remember that?"

"Because the one time we all went, your ass ate like seven ribs without breathing."

"Shut the hell up," she jokingly snapped at him.

However, she definitely remembered the memory that happened years ago at The Pit. It was her favorite barbeque spot and she was tagging along with Justin and Layah. Phil just so happened to join them that night and now she couldn't help but wonder if he had been peeping her all along.

"Come on," he told her. "Let me feed your hungry ass."

While standing up, Anissa stated, "About time."

***

Don't do this to me right now, Anissa spoke inwardly as her stomach began boiling. She went overboard at The Pit and would soon be paying the price for all the barbecue she consumed. She was praying that Phil was about to drop her off; but when he pulled up to a house she wasn't familiar with, she started to panic.

"Don't trip," Phil told her. "This my aunty Jeena crib. You can shit in here."

Anissa quickly turned her head and his direction and asked, "Who said I had to shit?"

"It's written all over your face. Now come on because if you shit in my car, I'ma beat that ass."

"Fuck you," Anissa scolded, rolling her eyes. "I'm not shitting at your aunt's house."

They got out the car and headed to the door. Phil knocked and moments later, Vice appeared. He opened the door and allowed them to step inside.

"What's good, Haze?"

"Not shit. Thought I would bring aunty Jeena some food since I was passing by."

"Yeah, she gon' love that," Vice noted. He looked at Anissa and asked, "Wasup, OG?"

Anissa chuckled and shook her head. For as long as she'd known Vice, he'd been calling her an OG. "I'm sick of that damn nick name."

"That's too bad," Vice shrugged. "It ain't going nowhere."

Before Anissa could respond, she noticed a short brown-skin woman with a medium build and long black hair entering the room. She immediately headed in Phil's direction and wrapped her arms around him.

"What do I owe this lovely surprise?"

Phil held up the bag of barbecue. "I brought you some food."

"Well, I sure do appreciate that nephew. And who is this you have with you?"

"This is Anissa. Niss, this my aunty Jeena."

Anissa smiled and extended her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Anissa?" Jeena questioned, shaking her hand. "Where have I heard that name before?" After snapping her fingers a few times, she asked, "You're Justin's sister, right?"

Anissa nodded. "I am."

"I knew that name sounded familiar. As a matter of fact, didn't you use to date−"

"Yeah, she did," Phil interrupted before Jeena could mention Nico's name.

Anissa looked at Jeena and could see the judgment painted all in her facial expression. She didn't care though. Jeena wouldn't be the last person to have an opinion on what she and Phil had going on.

"Mama, let me get one of them ribs," Vice pled. "This nigga Haze act like he couldn't look out for me and shit."

"Fuck I look like feeding your grown ass?" Phil countered. He handed the bag to Jeena and said, "We about to head out though. Niss got a lil' stomach ache."

Aggravated that he had put her boiling guts on blast, Anissa aggressively nudged his shoulder.

"Yeah, The Pit will do that to you," Vice chuckled.

Phil joined in on the laughter and dapped up with Vice. He then hugged his aunt Jeena. "I'll be back to see you soon."

"You do that," Jeena said. "And it was nice meeting you, Anissa. I hope you feel better."

Anissa knew she was lying. Phil already informed her that Jeena was a fan of his ex-girlfriend, Carmen. Aside from that, her vibe had been off ever since it was mentioned that Anissa had dated Nico. However, this was her home, so she wouldn't be rude.

"Thank you," she finally replied.

She and Phil then made their exit. She kept her thoughts on the brief visit to herself. If her relationship with Phil progressed into something serious, Jeena would just have to deal with it.
Chapter Three

"You know, I've been meaning to tell you that your hair color makes you look evil as fuck."

Slightly grinning, Anissa turned around with her mail tucked under her arm and placed her eyes on Maylen. "Evil?"

"Yeah. It's a nice lil' blend of auburn, but it can be kind of disturbing if you pull up on somebody at night."

"Shut the hell up," she laughed.

"I'm serious. Glad to see you're back though."

"Yeah, I umm...I went back home to visit my family for a few days."

"Couldn't tell your neighbor bye?"

"It was last minute. My bad."

He waved her off. "I got something for you, but now I don't even know if I wanna give it to you."

"Something for me? What did I do to deserve something?"

"Not a damn thing. That's why you ain't getting it."

Anissa's grin was now a full-blown smile as she walked closer to Maylen. "What is it?"

"You're lucky you're cute as hell or I wouldn't give you shit. Give me a minute. I'll bring it over to you."

"Okay," she beamed, heading back to her door.

Once inside her condo, she tossed her mail on the counter and opened the fridge to grab a water bottle and some green grapes that she had stored in a container. She quickly rinsed them off and headed to her couch. After swallowing her migraine medicine, she heard a knock on her door.

"It's open!" she shouted.

Moments later, Maylen walked in holding a small brown box. She watched him lock the door behind him, then he walked to the couch and sat next to her.

"What is it?" she wondered, taking the box from him.

"Open it."

Anissa removed the lid from the box which revealed an assortment of colorful gemstones. She was quite confused as she put her eyes back on Maylen and asked, "Rocks?"

"Don't ever disrespect me like that. They're stones."

"My bad," she stated, throwing her hands up in her defense.

"Yeah, that's definitely your bad. Each one of those stones have a significant meaning. I can fill you in if you want me to."

"Sure...I mean...why not?"

Maylen chuckled. "You don't give a damn, do you?"

"You didn't hear me say that."

"You didn't have to say it. It's written all over your face. I hope you didn't think I was about to gift you with some fancy electronics or some expensive ass pair of shoes or something."

"Will you shut up? I'm not materialistic. Tell me about the damn rocks."

"Stones, Anissa."

"Sorry, that's what I meant. What's the meaning behind them and why did you decide to gift them to me?"

Maylen reached into the box and pulled out a stone that was a mixture of blue and green. "Chrysocolla. I think you might like this one the most. Peace, forgiveness, cleansing of any negative energy..."

Anissa continued to listen to Maylen explain the meaning of the stone; however, her eyes drifted to her vibrating phone which was on her coffee table in front of her. She saw a text from an unknown number. After grabbing her phone, she read the text and was able to quickly determine who the message was from.

Phil.

984-555-1428: So you just up and bounce on a nigga, Niss?

Anissa: I told you I wasn't staying...

She watched as three dots appeared, indicating that Phil was responding.

984-555-1428: And I told you we had unfinished business.

Anissa: We really don't though.

984-555-1428: Stop running.

The sound of Maylen clearing his throat gained Anissa's attention. She looked up and saw him chewing on one of her grapes.

"I'm sorry," she said, placing her phone back on the table. "I'm being rude as hell. Finish telling me about the stones."

"Nah."

"Maylen, come on. Don't be like that."

"You don't care about that type of shit, Anissa. I can't force you to."

"I asked you about your interest because I really wanted to know. Now, you must've thought that these stones could serve me purpose in some sort of way; so, finish telling me. I promise no more interruptions." Maylen went to grab another grape from her container, but she snatched it away from him. "And ask me first before you just dip into my shit."

He chuckled. "May I have a funky ass grape?"

"No."

"Please?"

"I guess." She extended the container back in his direction while they began laughing in unison.

"A'ight," Maylen stated, picking up the next stone. "Tourmaline..."

***

Anissa sat on her bed and began applying lotion to her body. She'd just gotten out of the shower and was about to watch a movie until she fell asleep. When her phone rang, she grabbed it and saw that it was her brother calling.

"Hey Jus," she answered.

"What's good with you? I told your fat head ass to hit me up as soon as you got back to Indiana."

"I'm sorry. I got hella' things going on and I just forgot."

"Well, don't be forgetting shit like that," Justin continued to bicker. "You know I be worried about your ass. You down there with no family and shit."

"I'm good, bro. Don't worry about me. You know I got volume 1 of Window Pain dropping in a week. Sasha's husband is still letting me rent out one of his venues next Saturday to celebrate. I'ma have good drinks, good food, good music..."

She heard a loud sigh into the phone. "Sis, I can't make it."

"Really, Justin? It's for one damn day and I told you about this shit weeks ago. You know I barley know people from Indiana, so I really want my family to be here."

"I know, a'ight. I just can't make it."

"You irk me."

"I know, sis. I'll make it up to you. I been meaning to ask you something though."

"What?"

"When I walked in on you and Layah talking, what was she saying?"

"She was telling me how you been fucking around and are basically the reason your marriage is ending. You really hurt her with that shit, Justin."

"I know that. What else she say?"

"Not too much. We were just talking and catching up. Why?"

"I'm just asking. I know you have a close relationship with her and she might've said something to you that she won't say to me, so I'm just curious."

"Well, she didn't say anything else. And if she did, I wouldn't tell you. Just because you're my brother doesn't mean I condone your behavior."

"I don't condone yours either with your hard headed ass. I told you not to fuck with Phil and what did you do? Went happy go lucky with that nigga."

"You don't know what I did with him, so kill the noise. Besides, I'm a grown ass woman. If Phil is who I wanna spend my time with, then you really can't say shit."

"You got that. Bet Nico turning in his grave though, knowing you out here smashing the homie."

"Fuck you, Justin!" Anissa fumed, before disconnecting the call.

She couldn't believe Justin had the audacity to come at her in such a way. Even though she hadn't even slept with Phil, her brother's words still triggered her to the core. He knew Nico's death was a sensitive subject for her, so how he could speak on it in such a vile manner didn't make any sense to her. Her phone suddenly vibrated, indicating that she had a text.

Justin: My fault, sis. I ain't mean no disrespect. But as somebody who loves and cares about you, I gotta speak up when necessary. I know the type of nigga that Phil is and I just don't wanna see you hurt again. That's all.

Anissa thought about putting Justin on her block list, but she quickly decided against it. She figured she would give things some time to calm down between them before just cutting him off for good. As much as he pissed her off, he was still her brother and a part of her understood that he did just want the best for her.

***

Justin laid his phone down on his nightstand and shook his head. He didn't mean to pop off on his sister, but he didn't want her having any personal relations with Phil. Although he and Phil had a personal relationship of their own, he still didn't want Anissa in the mix of anything that had to do with him.

"You okay?"

As a soft set of hands began to massage his shoulders, Justin attempted to relax. He had a lot going on and he'd been stressed trying to figure out how he was going to handle everything. His family meant a lot to him and he'd put himself in a position that could severely damage their relationship.

"Talk to me, Justin."

"I don't know what the fuck I'ma do," he finally said. "I'm running out of time though."

"You want my opinion?"

"You gon' give me that shit anyway."

Clark chuckled before placing a kiss on Justin's cheek. "That's true. But it's only because I wanna help you. I hate that you're so stressed out."

"A'ight. So, what you suggest I do?"

"Let her explore what might be there with Phil."

"Nah, man."

"Justin, you can't tell her what to do."

"Yeah, but I can talk my shit until she gets tired of hearing it. It's too much of a risk to let her fuck with Phil. I can't just sit back and let that happen."

"But if she finds happiness with him, then maybe she won't be so pissed when she finds out about us. She'll be so tied up in her own situation that she won't give a damn."

"You sound crazy. Niss ain't gon' give a fuck about none of that when she finds out about us. She still wanna beat your ass till this day for fucking with Nico."

A cold silence grew in the room after Justin's statement. Clark removed her hands from his shoulders and sat next to him. She untied her silk robe, revealing her growing baby bump.

She placed her hand on her stomach and said, "Well, you need to protect me and our child from any nonsense like that. I can't be out here dodging Anissa while I'm pregnant."

"I ain't stressed the fuck out for nothing. I'm trying to come up with something that'll satisfy everybody."

"You're not gonna be able to satisfy everybody, Justin. You just need to make sure your relationship is at least cordial with Anissa."

Justin quickly stood up and punched his fist into his open palm. "It's more than just Niss that I gotta worry about, Clark! I got kids! Layah already holding this shit over my fucking head!"

"File for joint custody! You act like you don't have options!"

"And you act like the shit is just that easy! We already 'bout to go through a divorce that ain't gon' end good! I still haven't even told my kids they have another sibling on the way and I'm begging Lay every damn day not to do it!"

Clark shook her head and began tying her robe back up. "Well, you need to figure something out. I'm not about to keep getting the short end of the stick because you didn't pull out."

"Aye, chill."

"See, that's what I'm talking about, Justin. I can't deal with you and your flip flop ass attitude. One day you want me around and the next day you miss Layah. Make up your fucking mind."

"I'm not 'bout to deal with this shit," were Justin's final words before exiting the room.

With a heavy conscience and his thoughts on overload, Justin decided to head to his parents' house. He'd always been able to open up to his folks about anything; and as hard as this subject would be, he figured they would be able to offer him the best advice.

He drove in silence as he headed to the northern area of Raleigh where his folks stayed. They owned a home−which they had built from the ground up years ago−where Justin and Anissa had been raised.

When Justin finally pulled up, he noticed that his father's truck was gone, and he figured that he was out working. He parked his car, headed to the front door, and rang the doorbell. When his mother Dina appeared, the frustration he'd been feeling seem to immediately ease up.

Dina stood flawless as always, in a blue floral print wrap maxi dress. She and Anissa were basically identical aside from the fact that Dina's hair was jet black and styled a into short blunt shoulder cut. Her skin was golden-brown and free of tattoos, unlike the sleeve that Anissa had on her right arm.

Justin had always been a mama's boy and had no issues with the title. "Queen, Dina. What's going on, mama?"

With a smile on her face, Dina opened the screen door and allowed Justin to step inside. "Hey, son. How are you?"

He leaned down to kiss her cheek and then followed her into the living room. "I could be better, but I won't complain."

"I don't like the sound of that," Dina said, taking a seat on her brown leather sectional. "If you could be better, then you should be better. So, what's going on?"

After taking a seat next to her, Justin replied, "Don't be mad at me, a'ight?"

"Why would I be mad at you?"

"I got myself in some shit that could potentially ruin the relationship with me and Niss."

"And what type of shit is that?" Dina quipped, with her perfectly arched eyebrows raised.

Justin wasn't ready for the backlash he was about to receive from his mother, but he knew he had to get it over with. "You remember Clark?"

Dina's response was a simple head nod; however, Justin could tell from the look in her eyes that she was daring him to let some bullshit spill out of his mouth regarding Clark. Now he really felt like shit.

"Ma, I umm...I fucked up. It's really no other way for me to say it without sugar coating it."

"Don't tell me you fucked up and not explain what it is that you did, Justin."

Shaking his head, he admitted, "Clark is the reason Layah filed for divorce. She found out I was having an affair and−" His sentence was cut short as he grabbed his face after being slapped by Dina. "Ma, chill."

"Don't tell me to chill! Are you out of your got damn mind? Not only did you tear your family apart, but for Clark? The same woman that Nico hurt your sister with?"

"Look, I know it's fucked up, a'ight? Just know I didn't do this shit to hurt Lay or Niss. But all it takes is that one slip up to have you stuck for life."

"What? She's pregnant?"

"Yeah," Justin regretfully admitted as another slap came from Dina. "Ma, I done told you to chill."

"You don't run shit in this got damn house, Justin! I can't believe you! You have no respect for Anissa and the lack of love for your wife is just disgusting!"

"I ain't lacking no love or respect for either one of 'em. I'm human and I made a mistake. But I don't wanna let this shit ruin my family."

"I can't tell. I've barely seen you put in any effort to show Layah that she means the world to you. It's like you opened the damn door for her to leave. I know you don't wanna hear this, but I don't give a damn. Layah is a great mother to my grand babies and a daughter in law that will forever be special to me. She came to me distraught, Justin. The fact that her family was falling apart was killing her, and you weren't even there for her."

"I tried to be there."

"You didn't try hard enough! And to make matters even worse, you stepped out on her with this Clark bitch who you know I will never accept into my family!"

"I'm not asking you to. Look, all I need is some advice on how to make this right. I already lost Lay, but I ain't trying to lose the relationship I have with my sister over this shit too."

Dina shook her head with disappointment written all over her face. "You're gonna have to be honest with your sister. If you were man enough to get yourself into this mess, be man enough to get yourself out of it. Honesty is the best solution here. The longer you keep this from Anissa, the worse it's gonna get. How far along is Clark anyway?"

"Six months," Justin admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

"Six months? Boy, I should slap the shit outta you again! Why are you just now saying something about this?"

"I didn't know how to go about telling y'all. I ain't sure if telling Niss is the right move right now. She's pissed off at me."

"Why?"

"Some petty shit I said to her about that nigga Haze. They kicked it while she was down here and I told her my opinion about it. I don't want her messing with him like that."

Looking at Justin like he was out of his mind, Dina stated, "You have a lot of got damn nerve! How the hell are you complaining to Anissa about who she's dealing with while you're planting seeds in Clark? Get your shit together, Justin. I mean that."

As Justin watched his mother get up and head to the kitchen, he already knew she was about to pour a glass of wine. He hated that he came and stressed her out with his bullshit, but he didn't know who else to vent to. And although her advice on being honest with Anissa is what he expected; he was hoping for another solution because he knew his sister would never forgive him for this type of betrayal.
Chapter Four

One Week Later...

"How old do I look?"

"I'm not about to answer that underhanded ass question," Maylen responded.

"Come on, Maylen, be honest," Anissa insisted.

"No. I'm not doing it."

Anissa shook her head and pulled down Maylen's mirror to take a look at herself. They were on their way to the celebration party that she was having for the release of Window Pain. However, they stopped at the liquor store first. Although she wasn't sure how many of her friends and family were actually going to show up, she still wanted to be prepared.

"I'm sick of people asking for my ID like I'm some scheming ass teenager trying to get over."

Maylen chuckled as he came to a red light. "You should take that as a compliment. When they don't ask for ID, then you can have an attitude."

Anissa shook her head and said, "I just hate showing people that ugly ass picture on my ID. The license bureau does me dirty every time. No matter how cute I get, my picture always comes out looking like a damn blow fish."

"Let me see it."

"Why, so you can clown me? No sir."

"Come on Anissa, it can't be that damn bad. Show it to me."

"I'll show it to you under one condition. You gotta have a drink with me tonight."

"You know I don't drink. Give me another condition."

Anissa thought about giving him a hard time, but she respected the fact that Maylen stuck to his morals. If something wasn't for him, he would respectfully let you know and keep it pushing. While he continued to drive, she dug in her wallet and pulled out her ID.

"You got five seconds to get your little laugh off," she told him as she tossed the ID in his lap.

Maylen picked the ID up with his freehand and took glances, while still keeping his eyes on the road. "There's nothing wrong with this picture, Anissa."

"Stop the lies."

"I'm not lying to you. You look as beautiful as you normally do."

Anissa honestly expected Maylen to have hella' jokes, but after his compliment, she felt like she didn't have anything to worry about. "Well, thank you, Maylen."

"You're welcome."

She was waiting for him to give her ID back to her, but she noticed that he was still staring at it. "You better not be looking at my weight."

Maylen laughed and finally handed her ID back to her. "Nobody was looking at your damn weight."

"I lied about it anyway," she admitted.

At that point, they were both laughing. Ten minutes later, Maylen was pulling up to the gallery where the party was being held.

"Look," Anissa began. "Don't call me a lame if this party is dead, okay? I barley know anybody in Indiana and my family didn't confirm if they were coming or not."

"So, what you're saying is that I'm just here to fill in an empty space."

"No," she smirked, making her exit from the car. "I truly appreciate your support with volume 1 of Window Pain and I wanted you here tonight."

"I'll take your word for it," he joked, grabbing the liquor from the back seat.

They then made their way toward the entrance and once inside, Anissa was stunned at all the familiar faces before her. Not only were her parents present, but some of her cousins, uncles, aunts, and even Layah were there.

"Surprise, surprise!" Dina spoke cheerfully as she rushed toward Anissa with her arms wide open.

"Ma, I didn't think y'all were coming."

"Now, you know we don't miss an opportunity to come see you. I'm so proud of you, Anissa. And let me just tell you, I started the book on the plane ride here and baby, do you have a way with words. I've never read such beautiful poetry in my life. I would've finished it if your damn daddy wouldn't have been talking so much."

"Now, don't start that shit, Dina," Michael stated. "We been good."

Laughing at her father's warning to her mother, Anissa immediately wrapped her arms around him next. "Thank y'all so much for coming."

"Come on now, you know we wouldn't miss this," Michael replied. "And you know I'ma put my foot up your brother's ass for not being here."

"That's not necessary, Dad. If he says he couldn't make it, then I'm not gonna worry about it. I'm just glad that everybody else came." Anissa's smile lit up as she hugged Layah next. "Hey, sis."

"Hey, Niss. Congratulations on everything. I haven't had the chance to read the book yet; you know, with everything going on. But I still wanted to come down and pop a bottle with you."

"Of course," Anissa replied. She was grateful that Layah took a moment of her personal life to spend it celebrating with her. With everything she was going through, she admired her strength to still be able to smile as if nothing were wrong.

"Well, don't you look gorgeous," Sasha complimented as she approached Anissa with her husband Tay by her side.

"Thank you," Anissa beamed. She was wearing a black sleeveless top, with a blue and gold African goddess slit maxi skirt and the matching headwrap. Her face was beat to perfection and the happiness she felt from being surrounded by people she loved provided her a natural glow. She looked at Sasha's husband and said, "Thank you so much for letting me use your spot tonight, Tay. I really appreciate it."

Tay nodded. "Anytime. Keep doing your thing."

Sasha gave her a sneaky eye. "I see you brought Maylen with you..."

"Don't even go there," Anissa smirked. "He's my friend and that's it. We already discussed this."

Sasha was still giving her the side eye. "Sure, we did."

Anissa laughed and waived Sasha off as she headed to the middle of the room to make an announcement. "I just wanna thank everybody for showing up tonight. For the longest, I kept my poetry to myself, but when Sasha and I got signed to the same publishing company, we felt an outlet to share our words with the world. And now that we're independent, that outlet has expanded. Window Pain is very special to me because I wrote this during a time when I lost someone and I low-key almost lost myself too. I had to find the strength to keep going, and believe it or not, writing helped me do that. So, with that being said, tonight I just wanna celebrate and have a good time."

"Amen to that," Dina stated. "Wine, anyone?"

Anissa could do nothing but laugh at her mother's question, but she was right with her. However, she was definitely going to be sipping something much stronger than wine.

***

"You good over here?" Anissa asked as she walked up on Maylen. "Are you hungry or thirsty? We have plenty of food. Good drinks as well."

"I'm straight. My Dasani is taking good care of me."

While grinning at his response, Anissa said, "I should've known you would decline me."

"Yeah, you should've," he joked. "Stop trying to be a bad influence on me."

"Don't even go there," Anissa laughed. "I hope you're at least having a good time."

"I am. I appreciate the invite."

"It's no problem at all. Your support is everything."

There was a moment of silence between them as their eyes held a conversation of their own. Although Anissa had constantly made it clear that she and Maylen were just friends, she wasn't blind to the fact that he was obviously attracted to her. He'd made several comments to confirm that.

However, she never gave any of his comments too much of a reaction because she wanted their relationship to remain where it was. Maylen was a great neighbor and someone cool to talk to. And regardless of how good looking he was, she refused to cross that line.

"Anissa, I've been wanting to ask you something."

After taking a sip of her drink, Anissa asked, "What is it?"

Before Maylen could respond, Layah tapped Anissa's shoulder. "Sorry to interrupt, but can I steal you for a couple minutes?"

Anissa looked at Maylen to make sure he was okay with it.

"Go ahead. I'll catch you later," he told her.

"Okay." Anissa walked off with Layah who also had a drink in her hand. "You having a good time, sis?"

"I am," Layah answered with a smile. "It was hard to leave my babies, but I really needed a break from everything going on."

"Is Justin watching them while you're down here?"

While rolling her eyes, Layah replied, "You'd think your brother would step up and offer to watch his own kids since he's not here to support you. But nope. He claims he had other shit to do."

"What? Then who's watching them?"

"My mom."

"Oh my God, Lay. I don't know what the hell has gotten into my brother. I'm sorry he's putting you through this. Look, I know I'm not in the city anymore, but if there's anything you need−"

"I'm good," Layah informed her. "Justin left me to deal with a broken heart a long time ago, so I've had a while to adjust to it. But you've always been so good to me, no matter what I'm going through with your brother." After swallowing the lump in her throat, Layah continued with, "There's something you should know, Niss. About me and Justin, and the main reason I'm divorcing him."

"Anissa, look who's here!" Dina announced.

Anissa looked in the direction of her mother's voice and couldn't believe who was standing next to her.

Phil Haze.

Fine ass Phil Haze, that is.

Realizing that she'd completely neglected her conversation with Layah, Anissa quickly snapped out of her trance. "My bad, Lay."

"You're good," Layah assured her. "This probably wasn't even the best time to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"Nothing. Look, my flight back to Raleigh isn't until tomorrow afternoon. Let's make sure we talk before then, okay?"

Anissa nodded. "Absolutely."

She then strutted toward Phil who had that notorious look in his eyes that she always tried to avoid. However, she wasn't avoiding the trap tonight. She couldn't if she wanted to. He looked way too good wearing a simple black shirt with the H.A.Z.E logo on the front, black shorts, and Christian Louboutin sneakers. The only jewelry he wore was the black rhodium diamond chain around his neck.

"What's good, Niss?" he spoke to her before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him. "Congratulations. Appreciate you inviting me."

She knew his last statement was pure sarcasm, but she still smiled. "Thank you. And just to be clear, the only reason I didn't invite you is because I know you're a busy man and I didn't think you would have time to fly down here for this."

"Come on now, you know I'ma make time for anything that's important to me."

"Oh. So, I'm important?"

He smirked and kissed the side of her face. "Stop playing with me, Niss."

She couldn't stop smiling if she wanted to. Needless to say, she was glad that he showed up unexpectedly.

She missed him.

After grabbing his hand, she told him, "Come on. Let me whip you up something real quick."

"Oh, you bartender Niss tonight, huh?"

"If that's what you wanna call me."

"A'ight. Just don't lace my shit."

She laughed as they approached the table where the beverages were.

"Sexy ass," Phil stated as he eyed her from head to toe. "How the fuck you not gon' invite me to see you tonight while you looking this good?"

"I told you I didn't think you would be able to make it. You run hella' businesses and I didn't wanna interrupt that." She turned around and handed him his drink. "But thank you for coming. How'd you know about it anyway?"

"Dina might've mentioned something to me."

Sneaky ass, Anissa thought. However, she had to remind herself to thank her mother later.

"I'm proud of your lil' ass," Phil went on. "Everything you're doing is lit. Turning your pain into success."

"I'm out here trying my best."

"Keep killing shit. How your head feeling today?"

She was hesitant with her response because his question honestly caught her off guard. Usually, only people who were very close to her questioned her head pain often. "It's fine. I didn't even have to take anything, so I guess you can call it a good day for me."

"Glad to hear that cause I'm kidnapping you again tonight."

She grinned. "Oh, is that a threat?"

"Yeah," he declared, taking a sip of the drink she'd made him.

"How are you gonna come to my event, threatening me?"

He shrugged. "I mean shit, I already had to pull up uninvited. I might as well break a few more rules."

The alpha in him mixed with the liquor Anissa had consumed tonight had her ready to bend over and invite him into her delightful paradise. But she had to remember where she was and keep her composure. However, that was gonna be a challenge with Phil eye fucking her all night.

The trap, she laughed to herself. Gets me every time.

***

"I need your advice."

"No, you don't," Sasha grinned as she refilled her glass. "You need confirmation to ease your guilt. You're not fooling me."

Anissa rolled her eyes and stuffed a shrimp in her mouth. She hated that Sasha had read right through her. She showed up to her party with Maylen, but she knew for a fact that she was leaving with Phil. Her conscience however wouldn't give her a break. "Then give me the confirmation I need."

"Why do you feel so guilty?"

"Because Maylen took time out of his day to be here. I mean, technically Phil did too, but you know where I'm going with this. I don't wanna be rude."

"Well, judging by the way he's eyeing your cousin Tati over there, I'm sure he probably won't even be bothered. They've been talking for like the last twenty minutes."

Anissa turned around to see what Sasha was talking about and she noticed how in tuned Maylen seemed to be with Tati. But even still, that didn't make her feel any less guilty, knowing she was leaving with Phil.

"So, who exactly is he anyway?" Sasha questioned, referring to Phil.

"A friend of mine from Raleigh."

"And why haven't you mentioned him before?"

"Because...we umm, it's complicated."

"Well," Sasha began as she stood beside her and eyed Phil from afar, "do you feel for him what you said you don't feel for Maylen? You know, that little thing called chemistry?"

"I do," Anissa admitted with no hesitation. "But there's this line that I feel like I'm low-key crossing. He knew Nico. They weren't best friends or anything, but they were solid enough to have me thinking twice about pursuing anything with him."

"You know you deserve to be happy right?"

"I know, it's just something that's sitting at the back of my mind. Like some dark ass cloud that won't go away."

"Take control of anything that's throwing your energy off. My husband taught me that and it's been working great. We're so similar in a million different ways, Anissa. We fight dark battles, but come out strong. Don't limit your happiness for other people girl."

Anissa knew Sasha was right and as she watched Phil converse with her dad, she sighed and thought about how she needed to eliminate any emotions from her past. However, when she saw Phil turn around and say something to Tay, she became curious.

"How the hell do they know each other?" she wondered.

Sasha shrugged. "Girl, my husband knows everybody. Look, since you're in your zone and feeling good right now, I might as well put the cherry on top," Sasha said as she unlocked her phone.

Anissa waited patiently until Sasha passed the phone to her and when she saw what was on the screen, her smile was through the roof. Window Pain was currently ranked #4 in African American poetry and #3 in Women's Poetry.

"Killing it," Sasha stated. "Like I knew you would."

Anissa was still smiling as she gave Sasha the biggest hug. "Thank you, Sasha. You have really been a blessing in my life and I honestly don't know what I would do without you. Aside from standing by me while I share my poetry, you have been a great friend to me. I really appreciate you."

"Same here," Sasha replied. "Now, while you're already on cloud nine, I advise you to end this night with what makes you happy." She winked at her.

"I will," Anissa promised as she walked off, headed in the direction of Maylen. She was at least going to have the decency to tell him that she was leaving with someone else. When she approached him, he was still talking with her cousin, Tati. "What y'all over here talking about?"

Tati turned around to face Anissa. "Maylen was just telling me about his nature walks. I told him if I lived down here, I'd tag along with him. You know I've always loved that type of stuff."

If your ass don't stop the lies, Anissa thought to herself. She knew Tati didn't give two damns about a nature walk, but she wasn't going to put her on front. "Yeah, I bet. You mind if I talk to Maylen real quick?"

"Sure. I'll get with you later," she told Maylen before walking off.

Anissa gave Maylen a sneaky grin. "Let me find out you got eyes for my cousin."

While chuckling, Maylen replied, "She's a nice girl. She came over and spoke to me, so I spoke back."

"No explanation needed. Look Maylen, I wanted to let you know that−"

"Don't worry about it."

Anissa looked confused. "How do you even know what I'm about to say?"

"I'm a man with eyes, Anissa. I peep things. I gotta say, you do a good job at keeping your business private though, because I was sure you were single this whole time."

"I am single."

"Body language says something different. And judging by the way your boy is looking over here like he's ready to beat my ass, I'm pretty sure you're spoken for."

Anissa didn't have to look behind her to see Phil watching her interact with Maylen. She felt him. "He's just my friend. For now, anyway."

Maylen nodded. "Does he drink or smoke?"

"Why does that matter?"

"He's probably a heavy partier and showers you with a bunch of materialistic shit, right?"

"Maylen, what the hell are you talking about?"

He shrugged. "Just trying to clarify where your interest lies."

"Excuse me?"

"Am I wrong?"

Anissa had no idea how this conversation had gone left so quickly, but she refused to let it ruin the good mood she was in. "Listen Maylen, I honestly just came over here to thank you for coming and to let you know that I didn't need a ride home. All this other shit is unnecessary."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Congratulations again and I'll see you around."

"Thank you," were Anissa's last words before Maylen walked off.

Their conversation didn't sit right with her, but she was taking Sasha's advice and controlling things that threw off her energy. She'd be damned if she allowed Maylen's sudden attitude change to disturb her vibe. Not tonight, she told herself.
Chapter Five

Anissa stared at her reflection in the mirror and grinned. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this good. After leaving the venue with her friends and family, she left with Phil and he drove her back to her condo. They planned on leaving back out, but Anissa wanted to change her outfit since they were going to a club.

However, she'd been struggling to get ready ever since she got out the shower. She was still in her bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body. 'Litty Again' by Tink played from her blue tooth speaker while she rummaged through her makeup products, forcing herself to get ready.

When she heard a knock on her bathroom door, she said, "Come in."

In walked Phil, with his eyes red and low. "What's taking you so long?"

"I haven't been in here that long," she lied.

"Niss, you been in here for at least forty-five minutes and you not even dressed."

She sighed while running her fingers through her auburn hair. "Okay. I have been taking my time. But the temperature of the water was just right and Tink's album was hitting."

There was a moment of silence between them before they both burst out laughing.

"You feeling way too good with your goofy ass," Phil declared as he walked up behind her.

Anissa turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. The territory that she'd been cautious about stepping into no longer existed. She had to start living for herself and that began with catering to her own wants and needs.

"I might've had more drinks than needed, but that edible I ate sealed the deal."

"You ain't trying to go nowhere."

"Yes I am. Just give me like twenty more minutes."

Phil grabbed her ass and told her, "Put some clothes on so we can chill."

As she watched him exit the bathroom, she was relieved that they were no longer going out. When Anissa was in her zone, she didn't like to be around a crowd of people. She quickly brushed her hair into a ponytail, then headed into her room and put on a pair of her Savage X Fenty boy shorts with the matching grey cami.

"You sure you don't wanna head back out?" she asked Phil as she walked into her kitchen. "I'll get myself together real quick."

"Just get that ass over here and I'm good."

While grinning at his request, Anissa opened her refrigerator and grabbed her container of grapes. After rinsing them off, she headed to the living room and sat on Phil's lap. "What are we watching?"

He handed her the remote. "Whatever your lit ass wants to."

Anissa chuckled while scrolling through her movie channels. "Oh shit. I haven't seen The Wiz since I was little. This movie used to scare me to death."

"But didn't you say fuck fear and that you would rather just face the pain?"

Anissa stopped herself as she was about to put a grape into her mouth and looked down at Phil. "You read Window Pain?"

"How else would I know that?"

She caressed the side of his face and said, "I can't believe you really read it. What did you think? Be real with me."

"It was heat."

"It wasn't too dark, was it?"

"Nah, not in my opinion. That shit was raw and uncut. I fucked with it."

Anissa sat her grapes on the coffee table and positioned herself so that she was straddling Phil. She wrapped her arms around his neck and revealed, "I'm #4 in African American poetry right now."

He grabbed her chin and pulled her lips in to meet his. "Congratulations. Keep rising, Niss."

"Thank you. So, since you're reading my shit and what not, you might as well give me your opinion on something."

"What's that?"

"A little something I wrote. There's this bar that has open mic on Friday nights. I've been thinking about getting on stage."

"You doing spoken word now?"

"I mean, I might," she sassed. "If I can get my nerves under control."

"A'ight. Let me hear it."

"Okay. I'm not done yet though. It's called Threesome."

"Oh, shit. This right up my alley."

"Shut up," she laughed, shaking her head. "Okay, here it goes. Baby, I wanna threesome. Me, you, and your soul. The three of us all alone. No clothes, no phones, just our bones. In our zone. Now, let's travel far. So far that we end up on mars. No planes, no trains, and no cars. Let our vibe carry us through the stars. Now, we're lost. The world doesn't even need to know. The isolation is meditation to our souls..."

"Why you stop?" Phil questioned.

"I told you I wasn't done with it. That's just the intro I came up with."

"You gotta finish that."

"Don't be gassing me, Haze."

"Come on now, who you talking to?"

"I'm just saying. I be needing a legit opinion."

"That's all I'm gon' ever give you. It damn sure made me wanna hear the rest of it."

"I'll finish it soon. I freestyled it, so it won't take me too long."

"I'm waiting on it. And who was that nigga you kept sneaking off to the side to talk with?"

"First of all, I wasn't sneaking," she clarified. "And he's my neighbor, Maylen."

"Your neighbor, huh? That nigga didn't seem right to me."

Anissa grinned, finding his jealousy quite adorable. "You don't need to worry about him. We're just friends, even though he was tripping on me. I guess he didn't like that I left with you."

"Fuck him. I know you can't see through my lens, but I'm never wrong about a mafucka that I feel ain't right. Keep your distance from him."

Anissa honestly didn't feel like it was that serious, but she wasn't gonna debate with him. She shrugged and told him, "Fine, I will."

"Good. And why the fuck you come out here with these little bitty ass shorts on?"

"I wanted to be comfortable."

"Nah, you wanna get fucked."

The aggression in his tone had her wet as hell and when he picked her up and began carrying her back to her bedroom, she playfully asked, "What you doing?"

"I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay..." He put her on her bed, laying her down on her back. "What is it?"

He lifted her cami just below her belly button and kissed her stomach. "Tell me yes."

"Phil, I can't say yes until I know what I'm saying yes to."

He smirked and began pulling down her boy shorts. "Your pussy saying yes, so why can't you?"

By this time, Anissa was flooding and she knew Phil felt like he had the upper hand because of the juices flowing from her hairless pussy. She couldn't help herself though. Something about him had her body hot and anticipating more.

"Tell me yes," Phil demanded, inserting a finger inside of her.

"I can't tell you..." Her words drifted off as he inserted a second finger and began rubbing her clitoris with his thumb. If just getting fingered by him felt this good, she couldn't imagine how bomb the dick would be.

"I want you back in Raleigh, Niss. With me."

Anissa gasped as he removed his fingers and quickly replaced them with his mouth. Her body immediately succumbed to his touch. Here she was falling victim to the trap; but how could she escape something that felt this good?

"Fuck," she whimpered, as his tongue attempted to rupture her soul.

Phil was devouring the pussy with no mercy. His large hands spread her legs wider as his tongue became even more vicious. While taking deep breaths, Anissa rotated her hips as she fucked his mouth, feeding him every angle. And he made sure not to miss a single crevice as she fed it to him.

"Ooh, shit," she moaned when he started sucking the life out of her clitoris.

She knew her body was about to erupt from a high that she didn't wanna come down from. Phil's mouth had her lost in ecstasy. As he continued to violate her pearl in the most satisfying way possible, a loud groan escaped her lips as her orgasm arrived.

"Fuck..." she panted. "Shit, Phil."

"Tell me yes, Niss."

With hazy vision, Anissa eyed Phil who was still between her legs, with her cream all on his face. His eyes were demanding a response from her, but she honestly wasn't in the right mindset to answer him. She needed to process her thoughts, and right now, the only thing she could process was the pure bliss her head was spinning in.

***

Layah zipped up her duffle bag and sat it by the door. She got up early so that she could shower, eat breakfast, and enjoy the balcony view from her hotel, while starting Anissa's book. She still had a couple of hours until her flight back to Raleigh and Anissa was on the way to meet with her before she left.

Layah honestly hated to be the one to break the news to her about the Clark situation; but she and Anissa had always shared such a close bond and she felt like this was something that needed to be brought to her attention. When her phone rang, she quickly grabbed it, snapping out of her thoughts.

"Hey, Ma? Everything okay?"

Her mother, Staci, sighed into the phone. "Girl, that damn husband of yours is on my last nerve."

"What did he do now?"

"He just tried to come get the kids."

"Well, I mean that's the least his ain't shit ass could've done. He should be the one watching them anyway."

"That's true, but I didn't let my grand babies leave with him and you know he raised hell. He threatened me with all kinds of shit and even almost called me out my name until I slammed the damn door in his face."

"Got dammit, Ma. You know I can't stand you going at it with him, especially when I'm not there."

"I wasn't letting him take the kids, Layah. He had that bitch with him."

"What?"

"You heard me," Staci told her. "Clark was right on his tail and I couldn't believe he had the nerve to bring that woman to my doorstep."

"She didn't say shit to you, did she?"

"Hell no, she didn't. She did enough by wobbling her ass up on my porch."

"Did the kids see her?"

"Of course not. They were in the back."

"Ma, let me call you back."

"Layah, you really need to−"

"Ma, I need to call you back, okay?"

"Alright. But don't forget."

"I won't. I love you. Bye."

"I love you too. Bye."

Layah was on fire as she ended the call with her mother. She was so pissed off that her hands were shaking. Justin had done a lot of foul shit over the past few months, but bringing his side bitch to her mother's house was where she crossed the line. She couldn't dial his number quick enough and as she listened to the line ring, she tried to find some self-control.

"Hello?" Justin answered.

"You ignorant, motherfucka!" Layah seethed. "Don't you ever pull up to my mom's house with that bitch!"

"Aye, don't call my phone with all that noise. I was just trying to pick my kids up. You bitched about me not keeping 'em while you left, now you got Staci giving me hell about getting 'em. What's up with that shit? I can't see my kids now?"

"You know got damn well I'm not about to keep the kid's away from you! But what you're not gonna do is keep disrespecting me, Justin! Why the hell would you think it was okay to bring Clark to my mom's house? You can't be that fucking stupid to think that I wouldn't flip out on your ass!"

"The baby gon' be here any day, Lay. I gotta tell my kids sooner or later and I was gon' tell 'em today if Staci wouldn't have been on that bullshit."

"No nigga, you're the one on that bullshit! You didn't have to bring your baby mama to my mother's house; let alone, have the bitch walking up to her door with you! That's extra as fuck and if the shoe was on the other foot, you would be at my neck! You're foul, Justin!"

"How the fuck am I foul for trying to be honest with my kids? You tripping."

Layah looked at her phone as if she could see Justin's face through it. She was so turned off by the man who she once called her husband. This wasn't the person she fell in love with. This was a stranger that she despised in so many ways.

The fact that he didn't even recognize the harm in his actions disgusted her even more. She could hear him bickering about something, but instead of getting back on the phone, she just ended the call. Arguing with him wasn't even worth it anymore.

"Fuck!" she shouted out of frustration when she realized that her eyes were watering. She felt like Justin didn't deserve any tears from her. But unfortunately, she couldn't control her emotions from a situation that was slowly shredding her heart to pieces.

When she heard a knock on her door, she jumped up and rushed to the bathroom. She drenched a rag in cold water and patted her eyes, hoping to hide any evidence of her temporary breakdown. "I'm coming!" she yelled, after hearing more knocking.

When she finally made it to open the door, Anissa stood there with a new found glow that Layah was happy to see on her. Her long hair was braided into two French braids, her face was makeup free, and she was wearing a sleeveless black jumpsuit.

While stepping aside to allow Anissa in, Layah said, "You look cute."

"Thank you. If I'm being honest, I was rushing like crazy to get ready. I forgot you wanted to meet this morning."

"Long night, huh?"

"Something like that," Anissa beamed.

They sat on the couch and Anissa immediately began unscrewing the cap on her Dasani. Layah glanced over the tattoo's that filled up her right arm and said, "I've always loved your ink. I wanna get tatted so bad, but my scary ass is petrified of needles."

"The fear of the needle is much worse than the pain. Trust me."

"I don't know girl. How was your night though? I'm not gonna act like I didn't see you leave with Haze."

Anissa sat her water bottle down on the table in front of them and smiled. "Sis, we didn't even go out. I wanted to, but at the same time, I was feeling too good and I didn't wanna be around a heavy ass crowd. So, we just chilled."

"Chilled my ass. I know you kicked it with him when you came to Raleigh, Niss. What's really going on?"

"Hell, I don't even know, Lay. I feel bad for admitting this, but you're my sis, so I'ma be real with you. I used to want Phil back in the day. But at that time, he was in a relationship, so I never pursued anything. By the time he was single, I was already deep in love with Nico. And now with everything that's happened, I was low-key feeling a little guilty for even thinking about stepping into a situation with Phil. But now I'm looking at it in a different light."

"As you should," Layah insisted. "Look, I'm only saying this because I was there firsthand to experience how hurt you were over the Nico situation. You only get one life, Niss. You can't let other people's feelings guilt you out of what makes you happy."

"I'm learning that more and more every day. Phil wants me to move back to Raleigh though. So we can be closer to each other."

"Are you serious? He asked you that?"

"Girl, he more so demanded that shit."

"Well, what did you say?"

"I didn't give him an answer yet. As much as I love being around him, that's a big ass commitment just to make out of the blue. I mean, we're not even together and we just started kicking it, you know?"

Layah nodded. "I get it. But what I will say is that he must be feeling your ass to ask you something like that. Phil knows why you left, so I doubt that he would just ask you to come back without thinking it through."

"That's the same thing I said. But you know he's never been one to keep quiet about what he wants. I just can't see myself moving back though."

"I mean, not to jump on his side, but it would be nice to have you back in Raleigh. You know the kids love seeing you, your family would love it, and I most definitely would love it."

"Did Phil put you up to this?"

"Girl nah," Layah chuckled. "I'm just saying."

"Yeah, okay. I got some serious thinking to do, but I haven't said no yet. I can't act like being closer to him doesn't sound nice though. I guess we'll see."

Layah could see the spark in Anissa's eyes as she imagined being closer to Phil. She could tell he was keeping a smile on her face. Even though Layah was battling a tough situation within her own relationship, she cared enough for Anissa to still wanna see her happy after the tragedy she went through with Nico.

"Girl, I been rambling about my damn life since I got here," Anissa stated. "What did you wanna talk about?"

Dammit, Layah silently fussed, realizing she was now going to have to rain on Anissa's parade. It seemed like every time she was prepared to reveal the news about Clark, Anissa was on cloud nine. As much as she felt like Anissa deserved to know, something in her gut told her that this was no longer the right time to tell her.

"Oh, I umm...I just wanted to ask you if you could talk to your brother for me. He's getting out of hand with the disrespect and whenever we talk it just turns into an argument. Maybe you can get through to him."

"You know I'll try my best to get through to his ass. But I thought you said you wanted to talk about something that had to do with the divorce?"

Shit.

"I just meant that his behavior is gonna cause this divorce to get ugly as fuck if something doesn't change. I want it to be peaceful, especially for the kids, you know?"

"Yes, of course. You sure there's nothing else you wanna talk about?"

"I'm sure, Niss. But if I do, I know my sister in law is always on call."

"And that's a fact," Anissa noted. Both women stood up and gave each other a quick hug. "I'm about to go irritate my parents for a little while until they leave. You can come if you have time."

"That's okay. My flight is in a few hours. I'm about to finish your book before I leave for the airport."

"Aye!" Anissa jokingly started to twerk. "Enjoy, my love."

Layah burst out laughing as they walked to the door. "You're too much. And I've already enjoyed what I've read so far. Keep it up girl."

"I'll do my best." Anissa opened the door, but before leaving she said, "Call me once you land so I can know you made it back safe. And thank you again for coming to kick it with me last night."

"You're welcome and I'll be sure to call you."

"Okay. Bye, sis."

"Bye, Niss."

***

"I'm whooping your ass," Anissa boasted.

She and Phil were at a popular spot in Indiana called Main Event and on their third match of mini bowling.

"Calm down," Phil told her. "I'm letting you win."

"Don't be trying to use that as an excuse. It's okay to take the L every once in a while."

Phil smirked as he prepared for his turn. Anissa took a sip of her Martini as she watched him. After leaving Layah's hotel, she went to spend time with her family while they were still in town. She hated that they had to leave, but she appreciated their presence during the time she had with them.

Phil was also supposed to head back to Raleigh today; but Anissa had asked him to stay and was elated when he agreed with no debate. She still hadn't given him an answer about moving back to Raleigh, and although he wasn't pressuring her for a response, she knew it had to be on his mind.

As she watched him hit all but three of his pins, she teased, "You trash my nigga."

"Didn't I just tell you I'm letting you win? Chill out before you get your feelings hurt."

Anissa handed him her Martini and said, "Hold this while I end you."

She then cockily grabbed her ball and rolled a strike for the win. "That's game," she bragged as she kindly took back her Martini.

"You really think you just did some shit, don't you?"

"Numbers don't lie." She pointed to the screen that displayed their scores. "You see it."

"A'ight. Let's go one more round."

"I'm not trying to keep handing you this L, Phil."

He laughed and began starting them up a new game. Twenty minutes later, he'd defeated Anissa, causing her to press him for another game. She ended up losing again, which triggered the attitude she now had as they sat at the bar, waiting for their wings.

"Quit looking like that. It's okay to take the L every once in a while," Phil taunted.

"You cheated me on the last one."

"So, it's cheating cause I whooped that ass?"

"I let you win."

They laughed in unison while Phil checked his phone.

"Tell them hoes you're busy."

"Chill out. This ain't nobody but Vice. He takes care of my shops while I'm gone."

Anissa reached into her bag and grabbed her pills. Her head wasn't pounding, but she felt it coming.

"Take it easy over there, lil' addict."

Before she could respond to Phil's sarcasm, their food was being placed in front of them. She quickly swallowed her pills, washing them down with the water that was also brought to her.

"Don't be calling me no addict," she spat at Phil. "I only take pills when I need to."

"Aye, to each is own," Phil smirked.

They briefly bowed their heads and blessed the food before they began eating.

"You ever thought about seeing another doctor?" Phil questioned.

"Yeah, but after already dealing with multiple, I'm over it. They all tell me the same thing anyway."

"But didn't you tell me your last doctor gave you a second pill that wasn't strong enough?"

Anissa nodded as she dipped her barbeque wing into a cup of ranch. "Yeah. But I also told you I found my own remedy."

"What if that remedy ain't safe though, Niss?"

Anissa could already tell where this conversation was headed and she wasn't in the mood to go in that direction. She decided to dodge his question and change the subject. "So, about me moving to Raleigh..."

"You just gon' ignore me?"

"Phil, I'm really not trying to get into that right now. I get that you might have concerns, but I told you I've been taking my medicine like this for a while now."

"And I heard you loud and clear. I don't think you hearing me though."

She sighed and grabbed a napkin to wipe her hands. It was clear that Phil wasn't gonna drop the subject; so, with that being said, she decided to bite the bullet and give him the answers that he was looking for.

"I don't really trust these doctors," she admitted. "I don't feel like they're genuine. They could be giving us anything, you know? Yes, they act like they care, but that's their job. That's why I had to figure something out myself. Chronic migraine is nothing to play with. If I had to live my life with no medicine for it, I'd rather be dead."

A heavy silence filled the space between them after Anissa's revelation. She knew her honesty would raise his concerns even higher; but he'd opened the door to the conversation, so there was no turning back.

"About you moving back to Raleigh," Phil stated, ending their moment of silence.

"Nah, if I couldn't change the subject, neither can you."

"I'm not changing the subject. Just listen to me. I know moving back probably ain't something you down for right now. And believe me, I wouldn't have asked you no shit like that unless I really wanted you close to me. But I get why you left and I respect your decision to try and start fresh."

"Thank you."

Phil nodded. "I don't want you stressing about it, a'ight? If I gotta come back and forth from Raleigh to Indiana to see your lil' ass, then that's what I'ma do. I need you to do something for me though."

"What you need from me, Haze?"

"I need you to consider another opinion." He put his finger to her lips before she could debate with him. "I don't trust these mafuckas either, Niss. Believe me, I know how you feel. But I also don't trust you just popping random shit that could potentially fuck you up."

Anissa sighed, knowing this wasn't something she could avoid. Finding a remedy for her pain had been such a relief that she ignored the risk of what she was doing. But now that she was being called out on her actions, she started to reevaluate the possible damage that she could be causing herself.

"I care about you," Phil went on. "That's the only reason I'm on your ass about this shit."

Anissa smiled and leaned in to kiss his lips. As frustrating as the subject was, she couldn't be mad at him when his concerns were in her favor. "I appreciate you."

"So, is that a yes?"

She couldn't help but laugh at how persistent he was. "Yes, Phil. I'll consider another opinion."

"Bet. Now let's finish eating so I can gon' head and whoop that ass in mini golf next."

"No sir. I'm not taking no more L's tonight." She grinned as she picked up her phone to check the notification that just came in. It was a text from Sasha.

Sasha: Charts boo...

Anissa quickly exited out of her messages in order to see what Sasha was referring to. "Oh, shit."

"What's going on?" Phil questioned.

"I'm number one in African American poetry and Women's poetry right now."

"That's dope as fuck."

"I really can't believe I hit number one in both. This is crazy."

"I'm proud of you," Phil told her. "Only up from here."

Anissa caressed the side of his face before leaning down to kiss his lips. She was still on cloud nine and the fact that he was excited with her enhanced the moment. "Yeah, only up from here."
Chapter Six

Justin: Hit me back sis.

Anissa sighed as she stared at the message from her brother. They hadn't spoken in weeks due to the fact that she'd been ignoring him. But she felt like enough time had passed in order for her to hear what he had to say. She closed her laptop and leaned back against her headboard while dialing his number.

"Hello?" Justin answered on the second ring.

"Hey."

"Sis, why the fuck you been ignoring me man? I ain't heard from you in weeks. Shit."

"Are you really asking me that?"

"Come on now, you still pissed that I couldn't make it down there to party with you?"

"Damn that party, Justin. Did you just suddenly forget the ignorant shit you said to me during our last conversation?"

"Nah, I ain't forget. I apologized for that though."

Anissa shook her head, knowing that Justin would never understand how deep his words had cut her. "What you been blowing me up for?"

"We need to talk. Face to face."

"Okay. Book you a flight."

"Niss, I can't do that. I need you to come to me."

"Why?"

"It's complicated, a'ight. Look, how soon can you be here?"

"I never said I was coming."

Anissa heard a loud sigh into the phone before Justin said, "Sis, I got some shit I need to say to you that can't be done over the phone. I'm in no position to come to Indiana or I would. Please, just come holla' at me."

Before Anissa could respond, she heard a knock at her door. She wasn't expecting any company, so she wasn't sure who it was. "Let me call you back, Justin."

Without giving her brother a chance to respond, she ended the call and went to answer the door. To her surprise, it was Maylen standing there. She hadn't spoken to him since their awkward dispute at her party.

"Hey," she said, standing in front of her door with no intention of letting him in.

"Wasup', Niss? You got a minute?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Sure."

"Look, I know it's been a minute since we talked. I wanted to speak to you about this sooner, but I guess my ego got in the way. I didn't mean to come at you the way I did at your party. I was out of pocket one hundred percent and I wanna apologize for that."

"But why did you spaz on me like that, Maylen? I don't get it."

"There's really no valid excuse aside from me admitting that my pride was shot down. Shit, I don't know. I guess I thought we were headed somewhere. Then suddenly some other nigga shows up and I'm invisible to you."

"That's not true."

"That might not have been the case, but that's what it felt like to me. That's not a good enough excuse for me to flip out on you though. I should've handled that better."

Anissa crossed her arms and shifted her weight to her right leg. "You think I'm some materialistic ass bitch, don't you?"

"Actually, I don't."

"Yes, you do. You might be sorry for what you said, but I can tell you still meant it."

"I didn't mean that shit," Maylen insisted. "I told you why I spazzed."

"So, you flip out on me because you were jealous of Phil? That's bullshit to me, Maylen. Especially, since I never gave you the impression that we were anything more than friends."

"You're right about that. And that's why I'm coming to you to try and make shit right. I don't want any bad energy between us. I let my pride get in the way and that was on me. I'm asking you to forgive me, Niss. Please."

Anissa sighed, not knowing what to think of this situation. While she felt like Maylen's excuse for wilding out on her wasn't valid, she also didn't feel the need to stay mad at him forever.

She jokingly shoved his chest and said, "You trip on me like that again and I'ma shoot your ass."

"Calm down, savage. It won't happen again."

"It better not. And just so we're clear, I appreciate you being there that night to support me. If you felt like I gave you mixed signals−"

"Nah, you're good."

Anissa nodded. "Just wanted to clear the air."

As the tension began to ease up between them, Maylen asked, "How's your book doing?"

"I'm still sitting at number one."

"That's dope. Congratulations."

"Thank you. I'm hella' close to finishing up volume 2. I'm just trying to perfect it because volume 1 did so well and I wanna make sure I bring that fire with the next one."

"I feel you. I'm sure you'll do just as well. Is that what you were working on before I interrupted you?"

"I was until I got a call from my brother. I think I'ma end up heading back to Raleigh for a few days."

"Family trouble?"

Anissa rolled her eyes. "Who knows. I'll see when I get there."

"Well, I hope it's not too bad. If I don't see you before you leave, you have a safe trip. I gotta get back over to my place. I got my mom over here."

"Oh, is she visiting you?"

"Actually, I'm taking care of her while my Dad is out of town. She's real sick and starting to lose her vision."

"Wow. I'm sorry to hear that, Maylen."

"Don't be. It's life. You take care, a'ight?"

"I will. You do the same."

***

Justin waited impatiently after knocking on Layah's door and getting no answer. He knew she was inside because her car was in the driveway. Somedays it was still crazy to him that they were living separately because he was so used to waking up next to her every day. But one thing he could take the fault for with no debate was that he ruined things between them.

His thoughts came to a halt when Layah finally opened the door. "Wasup, Lay?"

"Hey," Layah dryly responded as she opened the screen door.

Justin walked in and they headed to her living room. Last night, they had a phone conversation in which they were able to agree that Justin would come get the kids and finally have the talk with them regarding their new sibling.

"The kids are sleep," Layah stated. "You were supposed to be here an hour ago."

"My fault. Before you wake 'em up, can we talk?"

"No."

"Lay, please."

"Justin, we are not friends. As far as I'm concerned, you are only the father of my kids and nothing else. You're a disrespectful ass nigga and I can't wait to be done with you."

"You hate me, Lay. I get it. But don't you think we need to have a better relationship for our kids? Nyma and Leah know what's going on. Ayden might be too young to understand, but we still don't need to have this negativity around him."

"Whose fault is it that all of this negativity is in the air? It damn sure ain't mine! I'm not about to walk around acting like we're this big happy family when we're not!"

Justin sighed and ran his hand down his mouth. "What you want me to do man? All I want is some peace around this mafucka. But everything I say bothers you. Even when I look at you, you automatically get irritated and shit. I know I fucked up but−"

"Do you? Because you sure as hell don't act like it! You've been walking around like this new baby didn't hurt me at all! I don't think you get it, Justin! You betrayed your sister, yes; but you also cut the woman who loved you deep as fuck! I stuck by you through everything!"

"I know, Layah."

"Then act like it!" Layah fumed, shoving his chest. "Treat me like I'm the woman who gave you your first three children! Respect the fact that I have a fucking heart and recognize that you broke it! Be a man and not some weak ass nigga that lost a good woman for some tossed around pussy!"

"I can't give you the apology you're looking for if you won't let me! You get to bickering every time we talk and that's how we always end up arguing! Whether you wanna believe it or not, I am sorry for what I did to both you and Niss! It's probably the biggest fuck up I've ever done in my life, but what's done is done. All I can do is try to fix the shit going forward."

"And how are you gonna fix shit, Justin? Because having Clark laid up at your apartment doesn't prove to me that you're trying to fix a damn thing."

"She's pregnant, Lay. Fuck you expect me to do when she's show's up? Tell her to leave?"

"Yes!" Layah yelled. "The bitch doesn't live there unless there's something you haven't told me! And from the way you're parading her around town, it seems to me like you're enjoying playing house with her! Is that what it is?"

As Justin stared into Layah's eyes, he could tell that his answer would have a massive effect on her emotions. He didn't wanna be the bad guy that triggered the worst in her, but when things went sour between them, Clark became his shoulder to lean on. He wasn't in love with her, but he appreciated the fact that he could bust an easy nut when things in his world were complicated.

Clark knew her place in his life and although she threw tantrum's here and there, she never pressured him for a relationship. He appreciated that because he would never be able to settle into that role, knowing the disloyalty that would come with it.

"Wow," Layah said, interrupting his thoughts. "It takes you that long to respond? I guess my assumptions are correct then."

Justin shook his head. "It ain't as deep as you think."

"Don't lie to me."

"I ain't lying. Clark is pregnant with my kid. That's it, nothing more."

"You know what? Just get the fuck out."

"What? Come on now, you already agreed to let me get the kids."

"I don't give a damn what was said! Leave!"

"I ain't leaving without my kids."

"Oh, you're leaving my motherfucking house!" Layah declared, pointing toward her front door.

"Stop acting like a jealous ass reject! If you wasn't so fucking bitter, we wouldn't be going through this! All I wanted to do was talk to your ass!"

"Reject? Fuck you, Justin!" Layah seethed, before grabbing a lamp and throwing it straight at his head.

"Agh!" he barked as the glass instantly had him leaking.

"Mommy!"

Layah turned around and saw Nyma entering the living room. "Go back upstairs, baby!"

But before Nyma could obey, Leah was entering the living room next and immediately tried to run to Justin. However, Layah grabbed her arm before she could get to him.

While holding the left side of his bloody face, Justin stated, "See, now you doing the most in front of my kids! She can come to me!"

"Just leave, Justin!"

"You really gon' keep my kids from me, Lay?"

"Go!" Layah shouted.

"I'm filing for full custody, bitch! This the last time I'm dealing with this shit!"

While attempting to cover both Nyma and Leah's ears, Layah replied, "You will never get full custody, you unfaithful son of a bitch! Now get out!"

Justin shook his head not believing this is what they had come to. He hated that his daughters had to witness their parents like that, but he honestly felt like Layah was at fault this time. He had no intentions of arguing with her and truly just wanted to have a civil conversation.

But it was clear that she was still torn over their situation and until they came to some sort of common ground, Justin knew they would forever be at each other's neck. He slammed the door as he left and rushed to his car in order to tend to his bloody face. He didn't know when he would be able to see his kids again, but he'd be damned if he allowed Layah to keep him away from them.

***

One Week Later...

Phil exhaled smoke from his blunt as he sat behind his desk while listening to 'You're Nobody' by The Notorious B.I.G. He was in the middle of sending off an inventory order for all three of his H.A.Z.E shops. Once the order was complete, he doubled back to his emails and noticed that he hadn't gotten a response from his graphic designer. He grabbed his phone and dialed his cousin Vice to inquire about the hold up.

"Haze, what's good?" Vice answered.

"Aye, you heard from Don?"

"Nah, it's been a good week. You know how that nigga is."

"Yeah and I don't have time for that shit. I'm trying to look out for him, but he's wasting my time."

Phil met Don through Vice about a year ago. He needed a new graphic designer for his clothing line and although Don was heavy in the streets, he was a beast with the artwork. Phil had no problem giving him an opportunity to put in work for his brand; but the street life seemed to be Don's main priority and that was becoming an issue.

"I'll holla' at him," Vice said. "He's young and hot headed with no fucking guidance. I know he wants to cook up some major shit for H.A.Z.E though."

"Twenty-four hours."

"I got you."

Phil ended the call with no confidence that Don would remain a part of his team. He hated to cut him loose, but Don had no respect for other people's time. Phil wouldn't allow that to fly.

He looked up when he heard a knock on his door and said, "Come in."

Samalee slightly cracked the door and told him, "Somebody's here to see you."

"Is it my aunty?" he wondered.

"Nope."

"Here I come."

"Okay. Hey, did you get a chance to look over the idea's I sent you for your women's line?"

"Not yet. I will though."

Samalee nodded and left the room while he finished up his order. After sending it off, he put his blunt out and went to go see who the guest was. To his surprise, it was Anissa. When they made eye contact, she smiled at him as she sat the grinder that she was holding back on the shelf.

"What your sexy ass doing here?" Phil questioned as he walked up on her.

Anissa wrapped her arms around his neck and replied, "I figured I would pull up unannounced. I hope you don't mind."

Phil smirked at her sarcasm before leaning down to kiss her lips. "Come to the back."

They headed to his office, and once they were inside, Phil locked the door. "So, you know I been missing your lil' ass and you had plans to pull up this whole time?"

"It was honestly spur of the moment," Anissa admitted as they sat on the couch. "Justin called me a few days ago saying he needed to talk to me about something important and it had to be face to face."

"What you think he wanna talk to you about?"

"Hell, I don't know. He's been on some other shit, so I can only imagine."

"He know you here?"

"Nope. I didn't tell him if I was coming or not. I'ma head to his apartment in the morning though and see what's up. You know he's not feeling the idea of me and you, right?"

"Why is that?"

Anissa shrugged. "We got into it when he tried to explain his reason for not wanting me to deal with you."

Phil pulled her onto his lap and rested his hand on her thigh. "Tell me what happened."

"He just said some ignorant shit...brought up Nico. Talking about he's probably turning in his grave knowing I'm out here fucking his homie."

"I'ma beat that nigga's ass."

"Cut it out, Phil."

"Nah, fuck that. He knows how bad that situation weighs on you, and he gon' say some fucked up shit like that?"

"Look, as long as he stays out the way, I'm not about to trip. The last thing I need is y'all two going at it."

Phil heard what Anissa was saying, but Justin's comment didn't sit right with him. Regardless if Anissa liked it or not, Phil was definitely going to have words with Justin the next time they crossed paths. "Yeah, a'ight," he finally responded. "Where you staying at?"

"With my parents. I already dropped my bags off there. I was gonna stay with Justin again, but last time he was sneaking some little bitch in and out and I don't have the time."

"Call your people and tell them it's been a change of plans."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Ain't no way you back in Raleigh and not staying with me."

"There you go making decisions for me again."

"You don't wanna stay with me, Niss?"

She grinned and shook her head. "You and those trap ass eyes."

"Ain't no trap. Come here."

Anissa leaned down and they began kissing passionately. Her unexpected presence was all that Phil needed to set the tone for the remainder of his day. He was always working like crazy to make sure that his shops stayed in order. And after a stressful day of nothing but stock and inventory, Anissa was the perfect remedy for some peace of mind.

"You pain free today?" he asked her.

"Nope. I'm off my medicine right now though, so I'm good."

"You thought about what we talked about?"

"Yes. I just haven't had a chance to see anybody yet. I will though. I promise you." She kissed him again, much more fervently than before. "Can we go to Lake Lynn?"

"Lake Lynn? What you wanna go there for?"

"I used to always go to that lake at night. It helped me clear my mind."

Phil nodded. "Let's head to your parents crib first to grab your bags."

"You're really not playing about me staying with you," Anissa grinned.

"Nah. Let's go."

He smacked her butt as she stood and they headed to the front of the store. Within the next hour, they'd made it to Anissa's parents' house to pick up the few bags she'd brought and stopped to get something to eat afterward. They were now pulling up to Lake Lynn, which seemed to be perfect timing since Anissa enjoyed the scene more at night.

"It's still so fucking beautiful here," she said as they got out of Phil's car.

Phil followed her down to the water and stood behind her while she took in the scenery. He put one arm around her waist, joining the peaceful view. For the next five minutes, they stood in silence. Phil didn't wanna disturb Anissa's thoughts, but he couldn't help but wonder what was on her mind.

He kissed the side of her face and asked, "You miss your city?"

"I do," she admitted.

"Bring that ass home."

"Don't start, Phil."

He laughed, gripping her waist a little tighter. "Couldn't resist. You know how I feel about that."

"Yeah, I know. It's not that I don't wanna be close to you. I just...I can't commit to moving back here out of the blue, you know? I trust you and I trust your intentions, but I gotta move with what I feel is best for me. And right now, Raleigh ain't it."

"I feel that. I told you I'ma do what I gotta do to see you regardless. The lil' distance ain't shit to me."

Anissa sighed, but Phil noticed that it seemed to be more so an indication of relief. As much as he wanted her back in Raleigh, he would never pressure her or guilt her into doing something she wasn't down with. Their connection was solid enough for them to make it work; even if that meant temporarily being miles apart.

"Did you finish Threesome?" he asked her.

"Not yet. I wrote a lot more, but I don't wanna let you hear the rest until it's done."

"You still tryna' get on open mic?"

"Yeah, but I've been thinking about opening my own spot. My books provide me financial stability, but I wanna put my hand in something else. I've always had this vision of talking my shit, on my own stage, in a room full of vibes that I could fully fuck with. No limits, you know?"

"Hell yeah. That's one of the best things about being a business owner. You ain't gotta limit your shit for nobody. You serious about it?"

"I really am. I've never owned my own business before, so I have a lot to learn."

"I'll put you up on game. I'm no expert, but the H.A.Z.E brand does a'ight."

"Cocky ass," Anissa laughed as she turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm willing to learn though. Appreciate the offer."

"Absolutely. We could start some shit together if you down."

"Together? You tryna' tell me you wanna start a business with me?"

"You heard me."

She caressed the left side of his face before pecking his lips. "Let's get this money then."

***

Anissa stared at the key in the palm of her hand that Phil had just given her. They were sitting in his driveway and she was wondering why he wasn't coming inside with her.

"I gotta link with Vice real quick," he told her. "Make yourself at home."

"Don't take too long."

"I won't."

Anissa grabbed her bags and got out of the car, heading to the door. This wasn't her first time at his place, seeing as how they'd always been in the same circle. However, she'd never been here alone. It was a beautiful two-story brick home, with a black and grey theme on the inside.

Anissa headed up the steps and entered his bedroom. She sat her bags by his king-sized bed and looked around. He had a window in the room that allowed you to see the back of the house where his pool was located. The water looked serene, and at a time like this, she wouldn't mind taking a late-night swim.

But she opted to get in the shower instead. After grabbing the necessary items from her bags, she walked inside the bathroom that was connected to the room. She then began stripping out of her clothes and put her hair into a high bun. As she prepared the water to the perfect temperature, her mind began to drift into writer mode.

She was nearing the end of Window Pain volume 2, and words were suddenly coming to her. She stepped into the water and closed her eyes while she allowed the words to form. When she wrote volume one, she was in a much darker place; but now that her heart was semi restored, her content was coming from a different part of her soul.

A part that was much clearer.

More understanding.

And with that, she was hoping her readers would accept this sequel with an open mind. She'd always been told that there's light at the end of the tunnel; and through her personal experiences, she was learning to grasp the significance of that statement.

While continuing to get lost in her thoughts, she began washing her body from head to toe. When she was squeaky clean, she turned off the shower and grabbed a towel before stepping out. After rubbing herself down in body cream, she slipped on a black bra with the matching panty and headed back into Phil's bedroom and grabbed her phone.

She quickly opened her notepad and typed in the words that came to her while she was showering. As she was typing the last sentence, she heard footsteps coming up the stairs, then suddenly the door opened.

"Got damn," Phil stated with admiration as he walked toward the bed.

Anissa watched his eyes roam over her exposed skin as he sat next to her.

He asked, "What you in here doing?"

"I had to put something in my phone real quick so I wouldn't forget it."

"You finished?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Cause I'm 'bout to fuck the shit outta you."

Anissa had no opportunity to respond before her mouth was under attack. Phil kissed her hungrily and her desire for him had her craving his touch. Within seconds, she was stripped of all clothing and placed on all fours as he began eating her from the back.

"Mmm, yes," she purred, gripping the sheets. "Just like that."

Her thighs quivered as Phil tongue fucked her into oblivion. But before she could indulge in her sexual high, he flipped her over and dove right back into the pussy.

"Baby, it feels so good," Anissa moaned as his tongue hit all the right spots. "Don't stop."

While sucking her clitoris, he slid two fingers in her, driving Anissa insane. She felt her soul escape as an orgasm snatched every breath in her body. Feeling too good to handle, she tried to pull away; but Phil refused to let her loose until his mouth cleaned up the mess he caused.

"You taste so fucking good," he said as he stood up straight, retrieving a condom from his pocket. "Play with that pussy for me."

Anissa did as told while she watched him come out of his clothes.

Daddy, she thought to herself as her eyes travelled down his perfectly sculpted frame. His brown skin was ink free, with delicious looking abs that led down to the perfect v-cut. She bit her bottom lip when he stepped out of his boxers, revealing his long, thick, wood.

After slipping the condom on, he approached the bed and pulled her to the edge. "Hold them legs back."

Anissa spread her legs, holding them back as far as they would go. As he entered her, she felt the slightest bit of pain from not being touched in so long. But that pain quickly turned into pleasure and the deeper he went, the wetter she became. Her eyes were fixated on the lovely view of his thick pole going in and out of her treasure.

"Shittt," she panted, placing a hand on his pelvis.

"What you doing? Handle this dick," Phil demanded, moving her hand out the way.

Anissa did her best to comply, but he was in her so deep, touching areas that stimulated her soul. He pounded her center until she was creaming on his dick.

"Didn't I just clean up this mess?" he taunted.

Anissa opened her mouth to respond; but her voice was being held captive by her second orgasm that she could feel rushing through her entire body. When Phil pulled out and put his mouth on her for the second time, she lost all control as he sucked on her sensitive bud. He ate her soul out until she was begging for mercy and the second mess had been taken care of.

After kissing her thigh, he told her, "Ride me."

Anissa had no idea where she was going to find the leg strength from, seeing as how her lower half felt numb. But she was determined to sit on that dick, one way or the other.

When he laid on his back, she got on top of him. "Ooh fuck," she murmured while sliding her slippery pussy on his dick. "You feel so good in me baby."

Phil gripped her ass when she started to ride him. "Who this pussy belong to?"

"Haze."

"Speak up."

"Baby," she whimpered as he stretched her out. "It belongs to you."

She sped up her pace while rotating her hips to make sure she felt every inch of him. The dick had her on a high that no drug could ever provide. And as she leaned forward to tongue him down, she was turned on by the fact that she could taste herself on his lips.

"Be still," Phil ordered as he thrusted into her from below.

"Phil, yesss," she whined as he sucked her breast while hammering into her with powerful strokes.

"Don't let me catch another nigga in this pussy."

"Never. I promise you."

"Where you want Daddy to cum?"

"In my mouth."

He smacked her ass. "Get up."

Anissa got off top of him, removed the condom, and proceeded to suck the life out of him.

"Fuck," Phil groaned. He placed his hand on the back of her head and fucked her mouth until his seeds were spilling down her throat.

Anissa was honestly never fond of swallowing, but for Phil, she wouldn't miss a drop. She wiped her mouth and peered over his body that was glistening in sweat. Sensing him watching her, she met his gaze and couldn't help but wonder what lied beneath those brown eyes.

She asked, "Why are you always looking at me like that?"

"I want you."

"You have me."

"Don't be chatting."

"I wouldn't lie. I'm rocking with you, Phil. Just don't hurt me, okay?"

"That's what you worried about?"

"I'm not worried. I'm just telling you not to do it." She left to go brush her teeth and when she returned, she cuddled up next to him.

"I'm never gon' hurt you, Niss. Do you trust me?"

"Yeah. I do."

He kissed the top of her head. "Good. Just know that I got you."

Chapter Seven

Anissa sat her glass of orange juice down and grabbed a grape from her plate. When she woke up this morning, she had a tray of breakfast next to her. The food consisted of bacon, eggs, pancakes, grits, and a side of her favorite green grapes. She immediately began eating without even questioning why Phil wasn't next to her.

By the time she was finished, Phil finally came strolling into his room, looking good enough to eat. In an all-black Tom Ford suit, grey tie, and grey loafers, he had Anissa ready to bust it back open. If she moved too fast, she could've sworn her head was still spinning from the sexual coma he'd put her in last night.

"You finally up, I see," Phil said, leaning down to kiss her. "Good morning."

"Good morning. And for the record, good sleep doesn't come easy. I usually have to fight for it."

Phil cockily grabbed his dick. "You're welcome."

Anissa grinned while eating her last grape. "Thanks for breakfast."

"You know I had to feed you. You talk to your brother yet?"

"Nope. I'm about to call him in a minute though and let him know I'm coming over."

"A'ight. I gotta few meetings today. You know I'm always looking for ways to expand my brand."

"As you should. What's in the works?"

"I been thinking about tapping into a fragrance. Haze for men."

"That's a bomb ass idea, Phil."

"Appreciate that. I'm negotiating possibly opening another H.A.Z.E location too."

"Really? Where?"

"It's between two different cities in New York. I already know which one I want, but I'm willing to listen to the pitch on why I should go with the second city."

"Have you already been to both cities where the shop would be?"

Phil nodded. "The city I want has more traffic and I think H.A.Z.E would benefit more from the crowd in that area."

"I'm sure H.A.Z.E is gonna do numbers from which ever city you end up going with."

"Facts. But I want what I want. We gon' see though."

Anissa smiled to herself while she watched him disappear into the bathroom. She loved how dominant he was. After taking another sip of orange juice, she removed the tray of food from her lap and grabbed her phone. She dialed Justin's number and grew a slight bit irritated when he didn't answer. She called right back and after the second ring, he was on the line.

"Sis, what's good?"

"What you doing?"

"Not too much. Just got dressed."

"I hope you're not about to leave. I plan on coming to see you in a little bit."

"You in Raleigh?"

"How else I'ma see you?"

"Aye, don't call my phone with that smart-ass mouth. When you get down here and who you with?"

While laughing at her brother's outburst, she answered, "I got here yesterday and I'm with Phil."

There was an awkward silence before Justin finally said, "Hurry up and get over here."

"Don't rush me. I said I'll be there in a little bit."

"Yeah, a'ight. Aye, have that nigga Phil come with you. I might as well chop it up with him while I'm at it."

Anissa could hear it in Justin's tone that he wanted Phil to come along for other reasons. She wasn't in the mood for whatever debate he wanted to have about them spending time together. "No, it'll just be me. See you in a little bit."

Anissa ended the call and got out of the bed to go shower and brush her teeth. Once she was done, she quickly got dressed and headed downstairs.

"You ready?" Phil asked.

"I thought you had things to do. I can take an Uber."

"Nah, I'ma drop you off on the way. Let's go."

They left Phil's house and headed to Justin's apartment, which was about a thirty-minute drive. When Phil finally pulled into his driveway, Anissa prayed that he didn't have time to come in. She didn't forget that Justin had a chip on his shoulder.

Phil stated, "I'll come get you when I'm done, unless you wanna just chill. Let me know."

"Okay. Good luck. Even though I'm sure it'll all work out in your favor."

"Appreciate it, baby. Come here."

Anissa leaned over the armrest and met his lips. She then made her exit from the car and headed to Justin's door. After ringing his doorbell, he appeared within seconds.

"Where that nigga going?" he asked, eyeing Phil's car as he pulled out of the apartment complex.

"Don't worry about it," Anissa replied, becoming slightly irritated.

She walked past Justin into the apartment and headed straight for his kitchen. After opening the fridge and grabbing a bottled water, she headed back into the living room and plopped down on the couch.

Her head pain started bothering her after she got dressed; but she didn't wanna take her pills in front of Phil. His concerns about her migraines seem to rise every time he saw her taking medicine and she didn't wanna alarm him.

"So, what you need to talk to me about that couldn't be discussed over the phone?" she asked.

Justin sat across from her on the loveseat and shook his head. "Who the hell you think you is? Don't be coming in my shit, going in my got damn refrigerator like you pay bills here."

"Justin, shut the hell up. What's going on?"

"What's going on is your ass don't listen. Maybe if I approach you in a tone that's not so defensive, you might hear me out. Why were you at Phil's crib last night?"

"Because I'm a grown ass woman and that's where I wanted to be. Next question."

"Niss, I'm not playing with you. Why can't you take into consideration what I'm tryna' tell you?"

"Because you don't have a good enough reason for this bullshit you're trying to pull. I thought you and Phil were cool? Why all of a sudden so much static?"

"Who said we had static? That nigga been talking shit about me?"

"No, Justin, got damn."

"Look, I don't care what type of nigga he's trying to become. I know who he used to be and it ain't shit for him to fall back into that lifestyle. Yeah, we cool, but I got a problem with any nigga fucking my sister. And now he out here running 'round with that crazy ass nigga Don. Fuck that. You need to fall back."

"Don is his graphic designer."

"Graphic designer my ass. That mafucka is crazy and you don't need to be near him or Haze."

"Well, you need to get over that shit. It's childish and regardless to what you have a problem with, I'ma fuck who I want."

"Aye, chill," Justin warned.

"No, you need to chill. And as far as who he used to be, that doesn't have shit to do with me. I trust who he is now and you're just gonna have to live with that."

Justin shook his head. "So, how is this shit even gon' work? Don't tell me you moving back to Raleigh for this nigga?"

"No...I mean he asked me to, but I told him I couldn't do it right now."

Justin was still shaking his head as he stood up and headed to the kitchen with Anissa right behind him. When she saw him reach in the fridge and began chugging down juice straight from the jug, she shook her head. He'd always had that bad habit since he was little and their mother, Dina, couldn't stand it.

"You need to stop doing that nasty shit," Anissa scolded. "And why the hell you got this hot ass hoodie on in the summer?"

She quickly pulled the hood off his head and was surprised at what she saw.

"What the hell happened to you?" she asked, examining the scars on the left side of his face.

Justin quickly pulled his hood back over his head. "Ask your crazy ass sister-in-law."

"I know you're not telling me Layah did that?"

"Niss, Layah ain't the innocent person you think she is. The bitch is crazy. She won't even let me see my kids."

"Hold the fuck up," Anissa stated, massaging her temples. "Y'all got into a physical fight?"

"Man, nah. You know I'm not 'bout to fight no female. She got mad about some shit I said and threw a fucking lamp at me. Had me leaking. And the worst part about it was that Nyma and Leah saw the shit."

"What? Oh hell no, we're about to get to the bottom of this. Look, when Layah came to Indiana to celebrate with me, she said she wanted to talk to me about something. I met her at her hotel the next morning; but all she said was that she wanted me to talk to you about how you've been treating her. Now you got me flying all the way down here, claiming you need to tell me something that couldn't be said by phone. What the fuck is up?"

After finally putting the juice back in the fridge, Justin ran his hand over his mouth and said, "Sis, I got another kid on the way."

Anissa's eyes bulged. "You got some bitch pregnant while y'all were together?"

"Yeah, man."

"Wow. Justin, how could you do that to her?"

He shrugged. "It's a long story, but that's not all I need to tell you. I−"

He stopped his sentence when the doorbell rang. Anissa crossed her arms and leaned against the counter while she waited for him to see who was at the door. But after about three minutes, she heard arguing and decided to go see who it was herself.

***

When Justin heard the doorbell ring, he quickly left the kitchen to go answer it. When he opened the door and saw Clark standing there, he could've shitted a brick.

"Yo', what the fuck are you doing here?"

"First of all," Clark started, holding her hand up, "don't come at me with that tone. Why can't I be here? Is Layah here?"

"It don't fucking matter who here," Justin barked through clenched teeth. "Don't pull up to my spot unannounced! You gotta go!"

"I gotta go? Justin, what the hell are you on? It's never been an issue for me to come over."

"Yeah, when I know that your ass is coming!" He turned her around, placing his hand on the small of her back and began walking her away from the door.

"Are you serious right now?" Clark asked, agitated. "Get off me! Why are you acting like this?"

"Justin, what the hell is−"

The sound of Anissa's voice stopped Justin dead in his tracks. He turned around and saw his sister coming out of the door with her eyes glued to Clark.

Fuck, he thought to himself.

To Be Continued...

My demons say what's up to me. I can't out run them...

Alex Mail — Crazy Eyes
Part 2 is available NOW! Only on Amazon.com!

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Nyerra ♥
We love a FREE book! Have you read my series The Lonely Hearts? If not, what is you doing? Black romance is lit, so gon' head and get you some! Book 1 is FREE!!! Download today and enjoy ♥

The Lonely Hearts – Book 1

The Lonely Nights – Book 2

The Lonely Souls – Book 3

