"Come Home With Me"

       (Brittney's POV)

       Here we go again. Gone for 48 straight hours, no notes, no calls, no two ways, no nothin! He just upped and walked out two days ago, not letting me know if he was dead or alive, and I think I almost completely stopped caring. We go through this too much for me to keep starting arguments knowing how they end, but I hate giving up. He walks in the front door and I'm waiting for him with my hands on my hips.

       "Nigga, where the fuck you been?" I asked looking at the man that claimed he loved me, the man that laid beside me every OTHER night whispering pseudo promises in my ear.

       That boy Latrell, who is supposed to be my man, just looked at me like he had nothing to say, but I knew his little beady brain was thinking of something, "Don't worry bout where I been. I got yo' hair and nails done, you wasn't caring too much then was you?"

       He walked his fine ass right by me like I wasn't even standing there, I followed him, this would be the last time he fucked me over, "Nigga don't fuckin play me like I don't know?"

       Latrell took off his shirt as he walked in the bedroom, I stood in the door way watching, wishing, hoping, and hating. I honestly hated him but I couldn't leave him, I don't know why but I couldn't let go. He pulled out another shirt and looked over at me, "What? Now you gonna fight a broad?"

       "I don't fight skeeho's over some sorry ass nigga." I replied as I sat on the bed my back turned to him, I sometimes felt like killing him, but he had taken care of me. He took care of me when everybody else had forgotten I existed and now I honestly believed no one could care about me like he did. But even the dumbest woman knows when a man doesn't love her.

       He sat beside me putting his hand on my thigh, looking down at the floor, his voice got soft and I knew his pity me moment was here, "Look it's just somethin as a street nigga I gotta do. I gotta keep a good look with the females."

       I moved my thigh from his touch but he forcefully pulled me back close to him, that was another thing I hated, he has a tendency to hurt, "But yo boys don't do they girls like that."

       Latrell grabbed my chin pulling me close to him and all I could do would hope he wouldn't leave a bruise, "I'm not them....oh yea O gon' be here in about 10 minutes."

       His boy Omari was coming over in minute, like he does everyday, but I like Omari he adores his girl and the only touch she gets is gentle, "Aiight."

       He stood up and walked into the bathroom, I needed to get away from him, so I went to the only real love I have. My baby. My baby Laron Pierre, when I walk in he is fast asleep. No more than 10 months old he's the apple of my eye, my protection from the hurt, my only reason to go on. I gently rub his little back, his soft chocolate skin beneath my fingers, he looks just like his daddy except for his dark green eyes. Those eyes love me if no one else will.

       (Druex's POV)

       I hate going to Latrell's house, that's my boy but yes but I want his girl Brittney. Every time I see bruise or a scratch on her I be wantin to kill him. Latrell would never understand, because he took her in after parents and sister died in a plane accident a couple years back and she kept running away from her relatives. He thinks he can control her, he honestly think she owe him, but hell after all the shit she's put up with for the past 3 years he owes her! I still wanted her after she had their baby, she don't love him, that's all that matters.

       I've always wanted her but when she came around I had a girl, and when I left that girl Brittney had hooked up with Latrell. But anyway me and my boy Omari was coming from his girl Tiff's house. She so cool, she like my sister, that's how I know my boy sprung. But that's also how I know Latrell leaves worse wounds than what we can see.

       Omari walked up in there first, I was thinkin about going home but his dumbass would prob. call me askin whats up. So followed suit, I breathed a sigh of relief when I didn't see her, but then my heart raced thinking he could have hurt her, my brain didn't get very far when we all sat down and I could see into all the bedrooms and I saw her leaning over their baby's bed.

       So I did the obvious thing, I looked at my boy and said, "Eh Trell hold up lemme see lil'L."

       Latrell got that proud look in his eyes and I knew exactly what he was thinkin. "Yea come on."

       We stood up and he led me to his sons room, he opened the door and she turned around, the look on her face I will never forget. It went from serene, loving, peaceful to angry, annoyed, and hateful...every time I saw her around Latrell that's the way she looked. But when you looked in her eyes you saw she loved him in a way no other person ever would...but Latrell didn't see that.

       I moved away from Latrell and toward the woman I always wanted, "YOUR son is growin so fast."

       She smiled at me she picked him up, she loved that little boy more than I had ever seen anybody love before. I wouldn't know about love from a mother to a son because my drunk ass father ruined that for me the moment he wrapped his fingers around her neck and ended her life while I was sleeping. It's funny I could see Latrell taking all that love from his very own son. "Yes, he is."

       Latrell obviously didn't like the way Brittney was looking happy so he spoke, "Yea my son is going to grow up to be just...like...me."

       Brittney turned around quickly causing Laron to squirm in her arms, somehow my hand landed softly yet firmly on her back somehow willing her from speaking. I could see in her eyes he would have to kill her before she ever allowed her son to be anything like his father.

       Omari somehow felt the hostility and made his presence known by speaking, "Nah, nigga let lil'L find his own way in life, be his own man, be his own guide."

       Brittney's eyes flickered up at Omari and I could see the appreciation fly at him, if she had of spoken it might have ended up giving her the same dark blotchy skin I owned in places men never show. I know her pain in more ways then one, when the hand of person that is supposed to love you leaves you with bruises the size of grape fruits. And when you get particularly lucky they leave those lasting wounds, the kind a band aid and some alcohol can't cover up.

       The doorbell rang and Latrell ran to answer it and that left us alone, "You can't stay here."

       She looked up at me with eyes I would love to see love me, but her voice allowed me to see I wasn't wasting my breath, "I can't stay with you Druex."

       "You can stay with me Brittney, you and Laron. You don't deserve this." I whispered so I could make sure Latrell didn't hear me, she made me act like a punk, I didn't care at least she could see I cared.

       "Why are you offering to get me and yourself killed?" She replied kissing her sons head as he fell asleep again, his little hands holding on to her for dear life. I could see she didn't understand my way nor my reasons, I have known Latrell since my early days on this block. I knew he was a weak man, quick to hit a woman, slow to hit a man...just like his father.

       I let my hand raise to her face, she flinched but my touch was soft, it always seemed our encounters went the same way with her anticipating my touch and with me wanting to lay her down...and hold her. She would never believe that's all I really wanted to do, was save her, "Just let me show you that there is so much more...love in this world."

       "Latrell...l-l-l-loves...me...I think." She replied laying Laron in his crib I could tell she didn't believe her own words, I could tell she regretted them the moment they slipped out.

       I gently grabbed her arm, she flinched again, she wasn't used to a soft touch, "I love you...and I don't think that, I know that."

       She pulled away from me, today she wouldn't leave, she wouldn't leave till he left one of those bruises that took a cast to fix or she was laid up in a casket, "You can't love me Druex, you gotta let me go, cuz I need Latrell."

       "You don't need Latrell and nether does Laron." I replied as she walked toward the door, I knew I shouldn't be up in my niggas house talkin to his girl like this but if you could see the fear in her eyes you would too.

       She looked around like the thoughts in her head were worth dying for, "I need Latrell because he'd kill my son if he found out the truth."

       My whole thought process basically turned around on itself right at that moment, "He wouldn't."

       "He would," Brittney replied slowly looking back at me with the eyes of a tortured woman, "and he'd kill you too."

       I don't know if that scared me but the moment she spoke it I couldn't move, honestly I don't give a shit about him killing me I only care about them. My son...and his mother, his mother I love.

       "Brittney stop." I whispered loudly so I wouldn't call any attention to us but I wanted to leave, but I wasn't leaving without her and Laron. I mean come on if he'd kill me and Laron then he'd surely kill her.

       She turned back to me, her pretty face fighting tears, her pretty eyes begging for me to go but something about the way her voice sounded made me keep my ground, "Druex...please don't make this any harder."

       "I want you around 5 years from now when he goes to school, I want you around a year from now when he takes his first words, baby I want you around 18 years from now to see him do what his father didn't do." I wanted to say more but I know her, she would've turned and walked out. I need her, yet she denies me for something lesser, something I would keep her away from, she denies me for fear.

           (Brittney's POV)

       He keeps pushing, if I didn't know better I'd say he was trying to get me killed but lord knows he'd never do that. I just wish he could leave well enough alone, he knows I love him. What more does he need?

       "Druex I want to be here too, but I can't guarantee that if I do what your asking me to." I whisper looking around trying to avoid those eyes that act as if they can see right through me. I wonder...can they?

       "That's the ONLY way you can guarantee that, baby he's not gonna take care of you...or my son." Druex replied quickly whispering the very last part, something nice about the way he calls Laron "my son", lord knows I've always wanted that. But I knew if I left Latrell and told him Laron was Druex's, Latrell would choke me to death. And those were his words.

       "Being taken care of...or death. Take your pick Druex!" I replied raising my voice for the very first time not caring if Latrell heard or not, I loved Druex but he was pushing the edges of my patience.

       "Baby you gotta take some chances for love. Do you or do not love me?" Druex asked getting loud, a little too loud for my own liking, but something about that edge in his voice made me forget the other three men in the house.

       I hesitated a moment before answering, it wasn't that I didn't know, it's just a little scary, "I do Druex, don't doubt that."

       "Then come home with me Brittney, let me rescue you and Laron!" Druex replied loudly moving closer to me, making me tremble in anticipation, it always happens this way. I wonder...when will I give in?

       Neither of us noticed the extra people behind us until Latrell spoke with that anger and malice I'm quite use to, "From what motha'fucka?"

       I jumped straight back on to Druex who held on to me for a minute before he stepped in front of me, I don't know how I held up my heart was beating so fast, "You bitch, that's who."

       It wasn't until that moment that I noticed something everybody said about Latrell, he was quick to hit a woman, slow to step to a man, "Why you want that hoe?"

       Druex stepped like a man, his voice always holding that hardness not once did it falter, "I love that hoe and that hoe is the mother of my child."

       Latrell looked scared, he didn't move forward and you could hear the movement in his tone, "You got kids?"

       Druex looked back at me then back at Latrell, "Yea, the one in the crib behind me."

       "What the fuck?" Latrell screamed, he didn't give me time to say anything, "You been creeping with my boy? Bitch Ima kill you!"

       He jumped at me getting close but Druex caught him up quick, throwing him on the wall, there was a big height difference so Druex had him up off the ground. Druex was face to face to him and growled lowly, "I swear nigga if you even lay a finger on her I will knock the life outta you."

       I was shaken up but I still see that I had been laid up with a scary little nigga because he suddenly started laughing, "Come on Druex you can't turn a hoe into a housewife."

       Druex looked back at me letting him hit the floor again, "Get my baby and come on, you not stayin' here, don't worry about anything else."

       I did exactly as he said, I picked up Laron's baby bag and then him, I had something I wanted say to him, "Druex take L, I wanna say something to him."

       "Yea." Druex replied taking Laron out of my arms waking him, Druex didn't go far he stood in the doorways watching me.

       I looked at the man who brought me pain every moment he could, there was so much to say to him, so many ways I wanted to hurt him but I did the only rational thing I could think of, I kicked in right in the nuts. He fell to the floor grabbing my leg, I yanked my legged back and bent down to look him right in the eyes, "If you ever give me the chance I won't hesitate to kill your ass."

       Latrell didn't say anything as I walked over to Druex, "Let's go home."

       I don't know when it happened but somewhere in that moment I realized that all wasn't lost. That there was still a chance for me and my son, sure I was wrong for cheating on Latrell with Druex. But if I hadn't who would've saved us? Someone once said 'Self-pity is honestly the end of the road', so really I saved my self from an early end. I love Druex, there's no doubt about that, I just never realized his love ran this deep. I'm going home...finally.

       (Druex's POV)

       Finally she can put him behind her, move on, and be happy. And so can I...we're going home finally...together.