"As We Lay"

Ch.3

The house was full of noisy men and a couple of girls, and the kids were all upstairs sleep. Every room we full of vibrant conversation, and even though they were on their way to a split Jarrell and Whitney acted as though nothing had changed. But every soul in the house quieted when Omari took Druex into the kitchen to talk.

Omari sat in front of Druex not knowing exactly how to say it, Whitney sat beside him holding his hand, and Druex wasn't really looking at anything but their hands. "Look Druex, we been cool since middle school you know."

Druex looked at him, strange way to start a conversation, "Yea nigga."

"And you know I would never lie to you, or Whit either?" Omari went on making everyone even more nervous, from him to Whitney, to the countless people with their ears stuck to the door.

Druex looked at Whitney for a minute, "Yea I know that."

"Well, we -- well I got some to drop and it ain't easy, dog I don't wanna hurt you but I gotta tell you. Shit." Omari said slamming his fist on the table.

Druex looked at the expressions on their faces and saw the truth in his words Whitney decided to speak next, "Druex you know how I feel, and nothin about this is makin me happy. We can't think of any other way to spill it than like this."

Omari took over from there, "You know me, Marq, and Kelton all went to Dallas for a week?"

Druex couldn't see where this was going so he just answered, "Yea."

Whitney looked up at him and he had a feeling it was Tarah, "Did Tarah leave or go out of town for a couple of days?"

Druex bit his lip, "Yea, we had another fight over somethin."

"Well, I walked in on Tarah and Kelton one morning." Omari said quickly and just as the words Came out his mouth Druex jumped up ready to go find Tarah.

Whitney jumped up and laid her hands on his shoulders, "Aye, D, hold up boo, it's not all..."

Druex shut his eyes feeling like a gigantic fist just slammed into his stomach, "Not Chelle, not my baby!"

Omari came and stood next to Whitney and Druex, "Dog, she been creepin for 'bout 5 years, Chelle maybe Kelton's."

Druex pushed through both of them then looked back at them both before goin to the den said, "Never, never, understand this: that hoe can take my money, take my pride, take my whole fuckin world, the trick can fuckin kill me, but that bitch will never touch my baby got that."

Whitney said nothin as he stomped into the den, "Aye Marques is Kelton at home right now?"

Marques looked up at Druex not sure he wanted to help start some shit but he answered anyway, "Yea."

"Aiight." Was all he said as he ran out to his Benz.

As soon as he walked out the door Jarrell walked into the kitchen, "Boo is there somethin we could you know?"

"Make sure he keeps Chelle if he don't he's gonna fall apart." Whitney replied letting Jarrell wrap his arms around her for the first time in a long time.

++Jerome++

By the time that Druex had flown out the house hot as fire Romeo stood with his girl Sivan on the stairs so they could be alone.

Sivan sighed as he tightened his arms around him, "Rome I've got something to say to you."

"Yea." He said not opening his eyes.

"I'm pregnant." Sivan replied simply and the look on Jerome's face she knew it was all over.

"We have never went that far...Sivan Ima handle this like a man...I ain't gonna scream but you can get the hell out my face before I say somethin I regret." He said through gritted teeth, first his brothers world falling apart now his.

"I love you Rome, so I'll see you tomorrow." Sivan asked looking back at him.

Jerome stared at her like she was stupid, "Look Sivan I fuckin hate liars, I hate tricks who lay up in my bed teasin me every night then pushin me away sayin 'I'm still a virgin I'm not ready'. And bein the man I am I let you go and just held you all nigh content with that shit but then you turn up pregnant...hell naw girl their ain't no love here you can go on with that shit."

"Bye Jerome." She replied walkin down the stairs but Jerome stopped.

"See Sivan my mama taught me never to lay my hands on a woman but you don't know how bad I wanna through a cap in yo' ass right now. You gon' get yours one day and I'm gon hear about and Ima laugh. In this past year I didn't make you do shit, I handled all yo' beef and now you all on yo' on Sivan..and you ain't gettin no good luck wishes from me. So now you can the fuck up out my girls house." Jerome said as he pushed past her down the stairs and sat by Marques on the couch.

++Druex++

He drove almost recklessly up to the big white house out in the middle of beach front property. He almost jumped out the car as he approached the house. He didn't even need to knock the door was still cracked, and what he found almost made him puke, there she was Tarah her and Kelton both necked and she was on top of him.

"So this what you up to bitch?" He said loud, they both looked up scared Kelton pulled on his boxers while Tarah just wrapped up in the sheet.

Tarah tried to play sweet and innocent, "Druex baby whatch you doin here?"

"Closin down yo' weak ass game hoe that's what. I know you been creepin, my real boy told me you been bonin' my trick, " Druex turned his attention to Kelton he tried to find some words but all that came to mind was hurtin him and the first punch he threw knocked Kelton into the wall makin his mouth bleed, "so all I can say is fuck the both you hoe's."

Tarah screamed as she saw the blood and ran over to Kelton who was wiping blood off his face, "Come on dog we can work this out, shit we be down to long for this shit."

Druex held his fist to keep from throwin it again, "Fuck naw, you fakin behind my back nigga with my wife...nigga that ain't even right."

Tarah looked up at Druex, "Then since this shit goin down now you can bring Chelle over here, then, you probably ain't her daddy no ways."

Druex closed his eyes and walked over to her and instead of hittin her like he wanted to he just busted Kelton in the head, "Bitch, understand this you ain't eva gon' touch my baby girl again. Got that? Cuz even if we go to court who was cheatin? Who would leave her child weeks after weeks? Chelle's all mine and neva think othawise eitha."

"But you ain't her daddy! Kelton is." Tarah yelled out tears in her eyes.

Kelton looked at Tarah disbelieve in her eyes, "What? You told me Chelle was Druex's?"

Druex picked up the closest thing to him and threw it at the wall just over her head, "I'm Chelle's daddy and never forget this bitch, that punk ass will never be a daddy to my baby girl."

He walked toward the door he turned back to Tarah, "You can back to what you do best, chewin him up."

++Jarrell++

Jarrell sat with Whitney on the front porch lookin out at the stars, "What you thinkin bout boo?"

"Druex." She answered simply.

She felt his whole attitude toward her change, "Oh."

"Not like that Rell, " She said layin her head on his shoulder, "I'm just wonderin what happened you know? He still ain't back."

Jarrell seeing how she was thinkin about him, "He's aiight, I promise he gonna calm down."

Whitney sighed, "I hope so, I would hate for him to ruin his chances of Chelle."

"Me too." Jarrell replied kissing her hair.

Whitney was silent for a minute before she asked, "Why are we gettin divorced after all this time?"

Jarrell waited a little bit before answering, "Cuz are hearts aren't here with our family like it should be my heart is comin home in 3 days and yours is off dealin with his fucked up wife."

"But Rell moments like these make me wanna forget about that and just be with you. But then when I'm by myself I can't get my mind off him, then sometimes I think I love Desean more cause he yours, and then I get mad cause I can't seem to just forget some old love between old sweethearts." Whitney replied softly playing with his fingers.

Jarrell replied playing with her hair, "I understand but some of you love for me is from all this time together. It's almost like you love me, cuz I love you too, but we both want future's with another person you know."

"So you still love me?" Whitney asked closing her eyes.

"As much as I know you love me, but I want you to be real happy and I only see that with Druex. Be there for him, he needs you Whit." Jarrell replied surprised he had just let go so easily.