Third: Caught Out There
Ashlyn
“Damn, baby. You walking in my party like this should have been a crime…” He whispered in my ear before bringing my earlobe into his mouth. He sucked it causing me to close my eyes and moan. He then began to trail kisses down the side of my neck making my skin break out in goosebumps. The liquor that was in my system was definitely betraying my body at this point. Even though everything this stranger was doing to my body was giving me pleasure I knew this wasn’t right. I had just met this man a few minutes ago and his actions were already making the kitty purr. I wanted to push him away but I was too drunk to move any parts of my body “Carter had me fucked up if he thought I wasn’t going cut me a piece of this on my own birthday.
“Please let me go…” I slurred, and used all of the strength I had left to try to push myself off of his lap. He sucked his teeth and wrapped his arm securely around my waist. I hissed after he had aggressively bit down on my neck.
“Stop…” I whimpered and he just chuckled while he continued to give his attention to my body.
He completely ignored my pleas to get away from me. He started stripping my body down and kissing different parts of my body. My tears started building up after realizing that this man was really about to try to have sex with me without me giving him permission. As soon as he unbuckled his belt there were rough knocks on the door. I silently praised God that someone was about to save me.
“People in here, get up through” The birthday boy yelled towards the door, and then took his shirt off.
Just when I thought the person that was on the other side of the door was going to leave, the door bust open with a furious Carter standing in the doorway. The fire that was in his eyes couldn’t even be extinguished by a whole entire fire squad. He had both of his fist balled up tightly at his sides, it looked like he was about to blow his top.
“Nigga, what the fuck did I just tell you down stairs?!” He roared, charging towards the birthday boy. Carter tackled him to the ground and punched him dead in the face. I gasped, and tried to get up so I could pull him off of him. But to no surprise I still couldn’t move.
“Yo ass was basically just like “Fuck Carter” to the world by doing this shit, have you lost your fucking brains nigga.” Carter shouted in the stranger’s face with spit flying out of his mouth. He kept punching the guy in the face and I finally let out a scream when I started seeing blood splattering on the white walls.
A group of people charged into the room and Trent ran over to Carter trying to pull him off of the boy. It took him a couple attempts before he actually got him off of the boy. Trent pulled him away from the body and then started pushing Carter in the connected bathroom. I started crying hard when I saw that the boy was unconscious. His face was basically beaten in, I couldn’t believe Carter was capable of doing something like this. Everyone in the room started to panic, some people even fleeting because they didn’t want to get caught up in this mess. My tears started to blur my vision and my hiccups started. I crawled drunkenly to the head of the bed trying to scurry away from what just happened. People were still standing around talking about what happened, looking from me, to the body, and then to the closed bathroom door.
As soon as the bathroom door opened my heart almost jumped out of my chest. Carter was the first one to walk out of the bathroom. He completely ignored the unconscious body that was on the floor and walked over to me. I could tell by his clenched jaws that he was still upset about everything that went down so I was sort of afraid when he approached me. I didn’t know what to expect at this point. I gulped when he yanked my arm pulling me to the edge of the bed. He picked me up bridal style with no indication that I was too heavy to be held.
“I-“I started to try to apologize but was rudely cut off by Carter.
“Bitch, Don’t say a fucking word to me.” He spat harshly, catching me completely off guard. I didn’t know if I should have been cussing him out for calling me out of my name or staying quiet so that he wouldn’t be even more upset with me. Going down the safe route I decided to just keep my mouth shut. He pushed past people until he reached the porch of the house. He made his way to the truck that I came here in and opened up the back door. I looked at Briana with apologetic puppy eyes and she just rolled her own. I sighed after realizing that they would all probably be mad at me since it was my fault that I had even got caught up in the situation. Carter slammed the door shut and just like that he was jogging right back into the house we were just in.
“Why did you roam off Ashlyn…?” Bri huffed while driving off the curb. I shrugged as if she would be able to see me and rested the side of my face on the car window as I continued to let the tears fall. After she realized she wasn’t getting anything out of me tonight she turned the stereo on. Neither one of us talked during the time we headed back to the house. I hate that the night had to end like this and I wish I hadn’t gotten so fucked up before getting to the party. But, it wasn’t like I asked to be a part of this lifestyle…So, who was really to blame?
-
After getting dress in something comfy I made my way downstairs to see if I could find something that would calm the excruciating headache that I had. When I walked into the kitchen I jumped back a little when seeing that instead of Bri being in the kitchen Carter was. He was sitting at the kitchen island with his fist folded under his chin, it looked like he was in deep thought. I was going to greet him but then I remembered the way he fired off at me last night and I didn’t want to have to deal with that same bad attitude. So I just decided to tip toe my way around to try to find the bottle of aspirin. When I finally found the medicine cabinet I grabbed the aspirin and swallowed a couple of them.
“You going to come in here without say anything to me?” He spoke up breaking the awkward silence. I inhaled and turned around so that I was looking at him.
“You made it very clear yesterday that you didn’t want me talking to you.” I responded before walking over to the coffee maker.
“If you don’t remember let me remind you. You did some stupid shit yesterday, so yeah I didn’t want to hear your ass. You pissed me the fuck off coming in that party pissy drunk, you couldn’t even stand up right without help. Then you were up in a bedroom with one of my workers about to do God knows what. First off you not about to fuck up my business with your antics and secondly I’m not about to let you go out there acting like a little hoe. Don’t forget you’re still engaged to that uptight nigga.” He spat angrily with his veins popping out on the side of his neck, as if he was visualizing everything that happened yesterday. I mugged him and crossed my arms to my chest after he had basically labeled me as a “little hoe”. I hope he didn’t think I was going to just let him talk to me any ole kind of way. I might be quiet during many other situations, but when people try to categorize me under something I’m not that’s when I have to speak up.
“First off if you didn’t want me enjoying myself at the party you shouldn’t have even asked Bri and Trent to bring me. I mean yeah I was fucked up but that was only because I was trying to block out the thoughts about some strange man kidnapping me. I was trying to have a good time. Then when it comes to your creepy ass worker he’s the one that was making moves on me and I had asked him to back off plenty of times but he wasn’t listening. Don’t approach me with some fucking assumptions, next time bring the facts…” I shouted, and slapped my hands down on the counter. I was suddenly becoming hot from dealing with this nonsense. The last thing that I wanted was added stress from Carter.
“Watch who you’re talking to…” He gritted.
We were having a stare down until we heard someone’s heels tapping on the kitchen’s tile floor. I looked over to see who it was. It had been the same bitch that I met the first day I was here. She rolled her eyes at me and I threw my middle finger up her way before taking a sip of my cup of coffee. She sucked her teeth and then made her way over to Carter who was still staring at me furiously.
“Baby, I came to get the keys to the rooms for the new girl.” Kenya wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed the corner of his mouth. Then she made sure that she looked over at me with this sly smirk. I hope this bitch didn’t think I wanted anything to do with Carter. She had me mistaken for the other rats that run circles around him.
Carter licked his lips and looked away from me so that he could look down at Kenya. He asked her to back up so that he could get off the stool. She did just that with this goofy ass “in love” look on her face. I knew exactly what it looked like because I had that same look whenever I was around Nick.
“Go get Trent, he’ll get them for you.” He spoke, patting her on the butt. She yelped and laughed before running off to do what he said. Carter started making his way out of the kitchen but stopped midway and looked over to me. “Be ready to rock with me in thirty minutes. We have some shit to do.”
Then just like that he was out of the kitchen and was off to do whatever he did around the house. I finished my cup of coffee and washed out the cup. I felt like I owed Bri and Trent an apology so I went upstairs to see if Bri was in the house so I could apologize to her. When I reached her room I knocked on the door a couple times waiting for her to answer or tell me that I could walk in. But after five minutes I realized she must have been sleep or not in the house.
“She went to go visit her mom.” I heard from behind me. I looked back at Trent and nibbled down on my bottom lip while rubbing my hand up my arm.
“Okay, but Trent I really want to apologize for my behavior last night. I really did go overboard.” He chuckled and shrugged. I furrowed my eyebrows because I wasn’t expecting that response from him. I was thinking I would get the same reaction that I had gotten from Carter. But then again the two were nothing alike.
“I mean yeah I got annoyed or whatever, but everyone deserves to have fun and I know you’ve been through a lot as of lately. I’m just glad you were able to get out safely. I know how much of a perv that nigga De’Andre is.”
I was glad that Trent had took the time to see my side and understand where I was coming from. I wish that Carter could be like that sometimes because he could be so overbearing that it was hard to be comfortable around him. But I shrugged those thoughts away and walked up to Trent to wrap my arms around him. I rested my cheek on his chest and melted in his arms. I hadn’t been held by a man since the day before my scheduled wedding. It’s been a week and I still didn’t regret walking away from the situation I was in. I just regretted getting with a man that couldn’t provide me the protection that I needed.
Carter
I glanced over at her and smirked a little at the fact that she had a little scowl on her face. I would be lying if I said I didn’t get a little turned on when baby girl went off on me in the morning. I honestly didn’t know that she had it in her. She put me right in my place but I need to make sure something like that never happens again when it comes to her speaking to me. I don’t take chicks snapping at me lightly like other niggas do. I don’t care what gender you are if you talk to me out of line you’re getting handled, period point blank. I give an exception to Briana but that’s only because she’s my sister. I let Ashlyn slide only because she’s still getting used to me and she doesn’t really know much about me. It’s my job to make sure she knows.
“You not going to talk to me the whole time we’re out here?” I chuckled and draped my arm behind her neck and over her shoulder. She looked at my arm with the nastiest look, I busted out laughing. Baby girl was foreal feisty, how come I didn’t catch this before.
“Why are we at the park Carter?” She huffed, grabbing my arm and throwing it back to my side.
“I just wanted to let you get some fresh air, a nigga need some too. You feel me?” I questioned before licking my lips and smiling. She kissed her teeth and rolled her eyes.
“Stop lying, you have a purpose for everything you do.”
I stopped smiling and raised an eyebrow. I looked down at her with a puzzled expression because I found it odd that she knew what I was around here doing when she is hardly ever around me. The red flags were flying in the wind causing me to see her in a different light. What if she wasn’t exactly who I thought she was?
“I’m not a part of the FBI or nothing…” She laughed after noticing how I was looking down at her. I would have smiled at the fact that I had gotten a laugh out of her but I was still in deep thought. “I’m just real observant.”
I pushed the questionable thoughts that I was having to the back of my head I would definitely be doing some research later but right now I was focused on something more important. I sat down on the bench that was facing the hotel that this nigga would be coming out of. Ashlyn sat next to me with a confused look on her face. I hadn’t let her in on why we were coming to the park simply because I knew she wouldn’t have come out here with me if she knew what I was up to. So I decided to keep this little secret to myself.
“Why didn’t you go see your mom with Bri?” She randomly asked.
“I don’t fuck with her…” I bluntly replied while grabbing my phone out of my pocket. “I don’t even know why Bri goes to see her. The bitch did both of us dirty.” I looked down at the time that was being shown on my iPhone and silently cussed at myself for coming out here so early. Now Ashlyn is probably going to want to muster up a whole bunch of questions that she felt needed answers.
“That’s your mom Carter, she gave birth to you. You have to at least have some love for her.” I looked over at Ashlyn as if she had five heads. I don’t remember there being a law anywhere that states you have to be there for blood. I personally don’t fuck with any blood except for Bri. Everybody in my family only come to me whenever they need some money or want some of the shit that I sell. But, I don’t give a fuck if they’re blood they’re not getting any free handouts from me. I’ve been working too hard for the shit that I have to just be giving it out too anyone.
“No that’s where you got me wrong baby girl, I hate that bitch.” She gasped as if I had just stabbed her right in her heart. I shook my head and chuckled before looking back at the hotel entrance. “Since we talking about moms and shit. What’s up with yours? She been calling your phone talking about you’re ruining Nick’s life. She didn’t ask if you were okay or nothing, just kept bringing up that fuck nigga.”
“Wait, you’ve had my phone this whole time?” She lowered her eyes. I nodded and she let out a breath. “I love my mom but she just has this whole storyline planned out for me and if things don’t go as plan she blames it all on me. Even if I didn’t have any control over it.”
I shook my head and stretched my arms out on the bench before stretching my legs out in front of us. I grabbed Ashlyn’s hand and stared down at the rock that was glistening on her ring finger. I grazed my thumb over the diamond and felt a chill go down my spine.
“She made you get with this dude?” I found myself asking, and Ashlyn bit down on her bottom lip then looked away. When she brought her attention back to me I saw the pain in her watery eyes.
“I mean sort of…She set me up on a date with him. She ran into him at some church event she attended. She just thought we would be the perfect fit.” She choked, while she tried to stop herself from crying. I sighed before I started rubbing her back trying to soothe her. Just when she started breaking down I looked over at the hotel entrance and saw the same nigga we were just talking about walking out of the hotel building with shades covering his eyes. Then right behind him was Ashlyn’s little sister smiling wide running behind Nick the same way Ashlyn had when she had first started hanging with Nick.
