Love In The Ghetto 3 (part one)

Prologue

“I don’t understand why you felt the need to lie to me” Daniel told her, he was disappointed and disgusted...but no matter how shocked he was, Daniel knew he wasn’t leaving her. She had become his muse, his voice of reason. Daniel didn’t make too many decisions without considering or talking to Evelyn first. How could someone so angelic be so deadly? How could she live that life? Destroying families and ending lives. The woman before him, dressed in all black wasn’t his sweet lady who he laid beside at night. Who fixed him breakfast, who his mother pulled to the side and told her that she would marry her son and bless him with more children?

Who was this devil, this terrorist, this villain…it wasn’t his Evelyn. Tears ran down her face, she wasn’t an emotional person. However, of course her man woke up feelings she didn’t know she had. Evelyn didn’t bother wiping her face; she didn’t have anything to hide anymore. It was all out now, “I didn’t want you to judge me,” she admitted.

Daniel laughed, but it wasn’t one of his sweet melodic earthy, “I love and miss you” laughs, it was filled with irritation. “Come better then that E” he told her.

“I’m serious baby,” Evelyn pleaded.

“Judge you for what? Please tell me why I would judge you,” he snapped.

“You don’t understand, you don’t live this life. Your parents…”

Daniel brought his hand up to silence her, “Don’t you dare pull my family into this, I’m not going to allow you to throw blame on me for how you live your life and how you’ve lied about it for months…no years”

Evelyn wished she could go back in time, like damn…why didn’t she just walk the other way when he approached her. Why did she give into him? Why did they fall in love? Why did she even bring someone like him into her world knowing he would never understand just how complicated her lifestyle was.

Evelyn felt like an idiot but now she refused to lose her man.

She didn’t know what real love was until she experienced it with Daniel. She didn’t know fucking could be so passionate and steamy. Evelyn was unaware that a simple, “Good morning” text message had the power to dictate how your day went. She was clueless on how to be domestic but he took his time with her. He brought her heaven on earth. The glow that Evelyn walked around with wasn’t from some a-1Kush or the money in her account it was because she had fell completely in love with her best friend.

Evelyn looked at him and with so much sincerity in her voice she asked, “You can’t leave me…what is life without you?”

Chapter 1

“White?” Daniel asked visibly confused.

Evelyn dropped her head and walked off her 30th birthday was ruined and she couldn’t stand to be around Daniel or her annoying ass sisters at the time.

Daniel grabbed her hand; there was no way he was letting Evelyn get off that easy she had some serious explaining to do.

“White? When they see me, they see that I’m white. Why is that?” Daniel questioned. Evelyn looked at him, her eyes begging for understanding but the only thing that greeted her was pain.

Daniel’s family and friends loved and adored her despite being an African-American woman; they didn’t see color when they looked at Evelyn or any other black person for that matter. Evelyn was accepted for who she was.

“It’s my birthday please don’t do this, I just want one happy birthday” she begged. Evelyn didn’t care how selfish she sounded, no one knew the pain she experienced every year on her birthday, the day that she lost her child and lover all in one moment. Evelyn needed this one day to be about her. She would have to deal with Daniel’s feeling another time. He looked at her, surprised by her rudeness and cold demeanor but he didn’t beg for her time or attention, it wasn’t in him to do it tonight.

 Daniel wiped his forehead, where sweat beads had begun to form and he turned around to face her sisters who had been all ears. “I’m Daniel, Evelyn’s boyfriend of two years… it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I have heard so much about the both of you,” he said kindly.

 Elise and Gabrielle were taken back by his strong accent and beautiful smile; they both wondered how Evelyn always managed to capture the cuties, especially when all she wore was Timberlands boots and sweat pants.

Gabrielle spoke up first since Elise appeared speechless, “We have heard a lot about you as well Daniel, E-Money is happy with you” she over exaggerated just a tad bit.

Daniel was relieved to hear that he hadn’t been an unsolved mystery this whole time, he flashed them another million-dollar smile and Evelyn just knew her sisters were about to panic. Marcus and a few of the other goons present in the building came over and asked was there a problem. Daniel went to speak up but Evelyn hurriedly beat him to the punch.

“Yeah we are good, order another bottle it’s on me,” she told them and pulled Daniel away.

“I will be home in an hour,” she told him not making eye contact with him.

Daniel leaned his ear over to hers, it was very loud in the club and it was for this exact reason as to why he rarely went out.

Evelyn repeated herself for a second time but a little more louder, “I will be home in an hour,” she said

Daniel shook his head. Evelyn was confused so she asked, “What you shaking your head for?”

Daniel spoke, “Now, you owe me an explanation. Now” he commanded in a tone that she had never heard before.

Her panties were a tad bit wet by his demands but what daddy wanted, daddy got. Evelyn winked and told him that she had to go say goodbye.

Daniel puffed his chest out, “Make it quick”

She laughed; he was so cute when he thought he was in charge.

Elise pinched Evelyn, “Really E?” she asked.

“Shut up, yall be safe. I’m out” Evelyn told them. They knew better than to expect her to offer an explanation. Evelyn had always been a private woman and nothing was about to change now that Daniel’s identity had been revealed.

The car ride home was a silent one, Daniel hummed to the tunes of the radio and Evelyn wondered how many questions he planned on asking, hopefully not too many. Her life was one story that she wasn’t prepared to tell him about just yet, their relationship was finally on a steady pace and right now was the wrong time for chaos. Daniel was the only constant happy thing occurring in her life and he was all she had.

Daniel took a deep breath, which alerted Evelyn, she mumbled under her breath, “Let the questions begin”

Daniel grunted, “You damn right let the questions begin”

Evelyn sunk down in her chair, half of her wanted to reach over and pull his penis out of the confinement of the boxer briefs he wore and the other half-wanted to tell him to trust her. The less he knew the better off they would be in the end but she knew Daniel wouldn’t see it that way. He was a no secrets kind of man; Daniel had been completely upfront from the very beginning.

He looked over at his woman and even in the dark sadness was visibly written all over her face. Daniel didn’t know Evelyn’s issue with her birthday but he could admit that she had been counting down to her “Dirty 30” as she called it.

Daniel remained silent during the ride home; his silence frightened Evelyn she just prayed that she wasn’t dumped. When they arrived home and the garage came up. Daniel removed his seat belt and took the key out of the ignition.

“Let’s just enjoy your birthday/our vacation and discuss everything when we get back, how does that sound sweetheart?” Daniel asked.

Evelyn’s face lit up, she reached over and planted a big wet sloppy kiss on his cheek.

“I love you so much,” Evelyn said cheerfully.

“Evelyn you’re not hiding anything from me are you? Because my spirit is telling me that you are,” he admitted.

Evelyn held his face in her tiny hands, “You mean the world to me, I wouldn’t risk our love” she ignored his question but reassured him that everything was okay at the same time. Daniel figured she was drunk so he accepted her response and got out of the car.

“Are you packed?” Daniel asked.

Evelyn poured herself a glass of wine and fumbled with the speaker on the island in the kitchen, her birthday celebration would not be ending just because her man wanted her home with him.

She nodded her head, “I was packed when you told me you were taking me out of town, and I only packed two dresses that I’ve been dying to wear since you told me to only pack my pussy”

Daniel laughed, “I’m excited for our trip love,” he told her.

Evelyn found the perfect song, she swayed around the kitchen. Daniel finally was able to get a look at her now that he was calmer and his lady was looking magnificent.

“Wow you look amazing” he admired. Evelyn never opened her eyes, she was just happy that they were still together and that her sisters didn’t say too much in the club. She knew that things would be unfolding soon especially with her father requesting a visit from her and The Connect lingering in the background. Evelyn decided to face the bullshit upon her arrival back to the states but until then she would be enjoying every single moment of turning thirty.

“Do you hear me Evelyn?” Daniel asked again, getting closer. She felt passion oozing from his pores as he wrapped his arms around her waist and danced with her to the sultry sounds of Lauryn Hill. Evelyn was secretly a softie at heart; she loved her cookbooks and candles, and her soulful music.

“I hear your heartbeat,” she whispered. Daniel smiled; she was unaware of how she really made him feel. He felt so complete when he was in her presence and was counting the minutes and seconds until he got on one knee and made an honest woman out of him.

Evelyn inhaled when Daniel’s lips met her collarbone, her heart skipped a beat and her pussy jumped. The anticipation built up and she was eagerly waiting until his dick found its way to her honey love. Birthday sex…Evelyn wanted to hear the popular song, “Birthday Sex” by Jeremih. She wanted Daniel to stroke her to the beat; she desired to feel him in places she never felt before.

Evelyn slowly peeled out of her clothing and Daniel removed his.

“I’m starting to think that you don’t like bedroom sex any more,” Daniel teased.

Evelyn knew what he was referring too for the past few months, their sex life had increased. She had taken the couple to places they never thought they could go. Evelyn was pulling up wherever Daniel was and blessing him in the middle of the day. Lately, her hormones were so out of wack but Daniel was welcoming every wild and unplanned activity that she had up her sleeve.

“Gotta keep you on your toes old man” she joked back.

Daniel turned her around and bit her bottom lip, “You sure it’s not because you’re carrying my baby?” he asked.

Evelyn body tensed she pushed him away and turned her back to him, picking up her wine glass and gulping the remainder down.

“Evelyn I know how you feel about carrying a child again but I am here with you and the doctors NEVER said you wouldn’t carry again, they said it was a chance that you couldn’t. I serve a God…” he started.

She turned around with tears in her eyes and overwhelm with sadness, this was the one day that she did not want to be filled with emotion.

“It’s my birthday Daniel. It is my birthday,” she told him, pointing to her self and walking off. Why in the world did Evelyn think she could actually enjoy her 30th birthday? Who told her that it was okay for her to attempt to move on and forget about Paper and her unborn child? Daniel did not know the depth of what all she went through so she knew that she could not be angry with him but still…he was so persistent with trying to build this perfect fucking family. He wanted to be just like the other men in his family and circle of friends that it got on her nerves. Evelyn would never be like his mother, sisters or his dear old perfect grandmother. Evelyn didn’t have a college degree she had a criminal record. She didn’t have the Stepford Wife wardrobe, her closet was filled with shoeboxes of drug money and Timberland boots. Evelyn didn’t have the secret recipe to making a perfect lemon pound cake but she knew how to stretch a kilo of coke. Evelyn didn’t enjoy cleaning and folding clothes…Daniel still had so much to learn about her, he really did.

As predicted Daniel entered the bedroom, “Babe I didn’t mean to upset you, it was just a question” he told her, sitting on the bed and rubbing her shoulder.

“I’m good, just ready to get on the plane and lay out on the beach,” she told him.

Daniel was relieved that she hadn’t turned her dark side on.

“You do want a family with me one day right Evelyn?” he had to ask. Daniel wouldn’t be wasting any more valuable time with Evelyn. He was too old to be playing house with a grown woman. He desired marriage and more children and Evelyn was well aware of that.

“I wished you could have met my aunt, she would have loved you,” Evelyn told him.

“Your aunt? I thought your grandmother died,” he asked.

“I looked at her like a grandmother since mines didn’t have anything to do with us but she was technically my great aunt,” she told Daniel.

He nodded, “Why would you want me to meet her? Do you think she would have liked me?”  He questioned.

Evelyn smiled, little did Daniel knew, Aunt Boosie would have dragged Evelyn and Daniel to the courthouse herself. All she ever wanted for Evelyn was for happiness and peace; her biggest fear was Evelyn not having a life outside of the streets.

Evelyn and Daniel were always doing something adventurous but Evelyn’s favorite thing to do with her guy was pray. Daniel had no idea that some of those morning and nightly prayers kept Evelyn sane most days, especially during her father’s trial.

“She would have loved you” she said, Daniel reached down and kissed her full lips.

“Scoot over we have a flight to catch in a few hours,” he told her. Evelyn rolled her half-naked body over and made room for her man. She was looking forward to a fantastic seven-day vacation away from all the bullshit that life kept bringing her way.

The next morning she woke up to every single light in the house being on and burning her eyesight. “Babe we have to get going,” Daniel told her.

Evelyn pulled the covers back overhead all she needed was five more minutes of shut-eye.

Daniel moved around the room, gathering passports, a printout of their flight confirmation and hotel resort reservation.

Evelyn snored lightly and he snapped a picture of her in Black and White and posted it on Facebook, “Birthday girl isn’t in the best mood”

“Evelyn let’s goooo” Daniel said in his Daddy Day Care voice.

“Ughhhhh” she complained but did as he requested. She quickly handled her hygiene and slid into a Nike jogging suit.

     She was really looking forward to their trip; so much had been going on with Daniel opening the club and her bullshit with her family. This was one birthday she was determined to enjoy no matter what.

***

Evelyn stared at Daniel as he slept peacefully, this vacation was just what they needed and the amount of sex and liquor they had been consuming since landing on the private was ridiculous.

If they weren’t taking shots with the locals, Daniel was having Evelyn bent over in the hot sand. Just the mere thought of how good she made him feel had her getting aroused.

She kissed his nose and traced the outline of his handsome face with the tip of her fingernail. Evelyn kissed his lips softly causing Daniel to stir in his sleep.

She knew he was probably tired but she wanted more. Evelyn had to have him right now.

Daniel opened up one of his eyes, “E-Moneyyyyy I’m sleeping”

Evelyn busted out laughing, “Man stop calling me that,” she told him.

“E-Money he white!” Daniel mocked Evelyn’s sisters.

She shook her head, “My sisters do not sound like that” she told him, she couldn’t stop laughing.

Daniel opened both of his eyes, “Oh yes they do, you’re the total opposite” he said.

Evelyn sighed this was not something she wanted to discuss right now at all.

“I thought we agreed on taking a nap” he changed the subject knowing how Evelyn could clam up and ruin a perfect day.

Evelyn straddled his lap, “Ain’t no sleep bih” she teased.

Daniel reached up and kissed her lips.

“You haven’t had enough yet?” he fake humped her.

“I can never get enough of you,” she admitted.

Reaching down and planting soft kisses on his neck.

Daniel closed his eyes and allowed his girl to take him to higher heights, she had that effect.

Evelyn sat up and removed her pajama shirt, she stopped wearing panties to bed a long time ago it was no point in wearing them if Daniel enjoyed fingering her while they watched the news and other freaky shit he had up his sleeve.

Evelyn undressed Daniel’s polo pajama pants that she bought him before their trip.

“Thank you” she told him, kissing kisses from his hairy chest down to the tip of his deck.

“For what darling?” Daniel asked huskily.

Butterflies in his stomach began to dance; Evelyn used her tongue to get their middle of their day love session started.

Evelyn took her time bringing his dick to life with her tongue and the warmth of her mouth; only a little bit of saliva was added to wet his penis up while she stroked him with her mouth and hands.

Evelyn pulled his dick in and out of her mouth only using a little bit of force, “For loving someone like me,” she told him.

Daniel moaned not at how good the head was but how she was finally melting to his touch. He was cracking the code and removing the cold from around her heart.

Daniel was capturing Evelyn, causing her to break down so he could build her up as his wife and the mother of his children.

He didn’t want any more head; he wanted her pussy on his face.

He pulled her up, sat her on his mouth, and instantly began to suck and tease her clit.

Evelyn held her titties in her hand as her ass slowly bounced on Daniel’s face.

“Aah fuck Daniel,” she moaned.

“Aaahhhh” he made noises on her pussy causing her insides to rumble.

Evelyn knew she was about to cum, Daniel’s tong was so long and his lips were full.

Evelyn held on to the headboard as Daniel used his arms to hold her down over her face.

  She screamed, wincing in pain and pleasure, the intensity of the nut that was about to come out of her was causing her to go crazy.

Evelyn was trying her hardest to get off his face but she couldn’t, Daniel had the death grip on her.

“Fuckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk” she panted once she came long and hard and it was amazing.

“Ooh ooh” she tried to catch her breath.

Daniel laid her back down on the side of him, kissing her forehead and pulling her in closer.

“I love you,” he whispered in her ear.

“Love you more baby” she told him back and now was finally able to drift off to a peaceful sleep. As long as she had Daniel by her side, nothing else mattered.

Evelyn couldn’t believe the time had come for them to leave already; they were sitting at the airport waiting on their flight to board. Evelyn finally decided to power her phones back on and check back in with the world.

Daniel was drinking coffee and reading the New York Times.

Evelyn had a million messages from her sister wanting the tea and a few from her mother checking on her.

She called her mom back, “Hey mama” she said cheerfully.

“Is this Evelyn?” her mother checked her phone; she knew this wasn’t Evelyn sounding like an actual woman on the phone.

Evelyn laughed, “Honey what you doing?” she asked.

Elonda told her daughter, “nothing leaving a meeting... what’s the haps on the craps?”

“Meeting for what?’ she questioned.

“Mind your business; are you back from your trip?” Elonda asked.

“We at the airport now”

Elonda then said, “Okay well when you get back, and give me a call”

“Everything good?” she asked concerned.

“Yeah baby, I just want to talk to you, everything good. Yall be safe. When I’m going to meet that man?” Elonda asked.

Evelyn looked at Daniel.

“Soon ma, real soon” she said and they ended the call.

Daniel was different, she loved him though she understood him, she didn’t see race when she saw him.

Although it was obvious, they had different childhoods and upbringing none of that mattered.

Daniel was the love of her life and Evelyn thought she would never say those words but she did and she would yell it to the world…now that her daddy was locked away for life.

Daniel was now ready to the family thing and Evelyn was still unsure, Gabby would be able to fit in with his family perfectly but not Elise loud ghetto ass.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

Evelyn smiled, “you” she told him.

‘What about me?” he questioned.

“I’m just happy that’s all” she said and leaned her head over his shoulder and held his hand but Daniel didn’t hold hers back.

He tried but he couldn’t.

Evelyn noticed it and it wasn’t the first time either.

When they tried to put their luggage in the trunk this morning, Daniel struggled.

When he brushed his teeth this morning the toothbrush kept falling in the sink.

When they made love and Daniel attempted to hold his weight on his arms when he was on top of her he kept falling.

Something was wrong and whenever she tried to ask him, he would change the subject.

Evelyn looked at Daniel with worry in her eyes.

“Baby”

Daniel shook his head, “I’m fine,” he said, standing up and walking off.

Evelyn wanted to go after him but she knew he probably was embarrassed.

Daniel appeared damn near perfect he was like the ultimate repairperson. However, Evelyn was from the streets she could match signs and shit up as if it was nothing and put a puzzle together and something was wrong.

When they made it back home, Evelyn told Daniel she had to go check on a few things and go see her mother.

“You want me to grab dinner while I’m out?” she asked him.

Daniel’s mind was somewhere else.

“Baby?” she rubbed his back

Daniel moved out of her way.

“I will cook Evelyn,” he said.

“Are you sure Daniel, we’ve been flying all day, I can grab something” she suggested.

“I CAN FUCKING COOK, I’M NOT SICK” he yelled.

See, Evelyn wasn’t one of those women that cried and ran away at the hearing of a curse word.

Evelyn was the one that did the cursing, threatening, killing…..of course Daniel didn’t know all of that but still she wasn’t the one to be yelled at.

“Daniel watch your tone for real,” she warned.

He walked off leaving her in the kitchen by herself.

Her phone had been ringing like crazy, she had shit to handle.

Evelyn grabbed her helmet and hopped on her bike, knowing Daniel would be pissed if he saw her leave on that “fast thing” as he called it.

Evelyn rode through the hood, since her father was arrested the streets had been dry but Evelyn didn’t give a damn that shit was over with. She barely answered the trap phone anymore; Evelyn had some shit put up for a rainy day.  However, the amount of money she was sitting on she doubted if rainy days came any time soon.

Evelyn busted a U-turn in the middle of the street and went to check on her younger sisters.

When G was busted, Evelyn moved her sisters into a plush two-bedroom condominium downtown.

She used her key and entered the crib only to find Gabby baking red velvet cupcakes and other sweet shit.

“Why am I paying you to go to pharmacy school if you just gon-?” Evelyn stopped mid-sentence.

Remembering that Gabby was in pharmacy school.

Gabby was looking at her crazy.

“What?” gabby asked.

Evelyn dropped her helmet and went around the island to face Gabby.

“I need your help,” she said.

“With what E, you not saying nothing” she told her.

“I think Daniel is sick”

“Your white man?” gabby teased.

“Don’t do that”

“I’m just fucking with you but no seriously why didn’t you tell me I wouldn’t have judged you,” she told her big sister.

“Judge me for what? It’s nothing to judge, he’s white who cares,” she said.

“Well daddy would you know he hates…” Gabby started but Evelyn quickly said.

“Girl I almost said something anyway, I need your help, okay like his hands they’re not strong or something they’re always shaking and he can’t hold nothing. When he sleeps he sweats really badly and it’s like his mood changes out of nowhere” she rambled.

Gabby refused to be the bearer of bad news but she already knew what was happening with her sister’s lover, it was obvious that Daniel was making a better woman.

Gabby wasn’t even in medical school but with those symptoms it wasn’t rocket science at all.

She looked away and went back to whipping the icing for her red velvet cupcakes.

Gabby loved to bake, it was her therapy whenever she was stressing about school or feeling lonely from aborting her child and now being by herself.

Evelyn asked, “Gabby what it is?”

Gabby shook her head, “Just be happy you have someone that loves you sister for real,” she told her sadly.

“What does that mean?” she pleaded.

Gabby didn’t want this for her sister, nor did she want to say the wrong thing and Evelyn loses her mind and then nothing is wrong for him.

“I don’t want to say, I’m not a doctor E,” she reminded her sister.

“Yeah but you know way more than I do” Evelyn said.

Gabby looked around the counter for her ipad before handing it to Evelyn.

“Type in everything you just told me” she instructed.

Evelyn took a deep breath and typed in all of Daniel’s symptoms the ones that she noticed; there was no telling if it was more.

One point five seconds later, several articles popped up on the screen…

Evelyn looked up to Gabby, “Can he die?” she asked.

“I don’t really know E it depends on how bad it is, a lot of people live,” she told her.

“Why does this keep happening to me?” she asked, feeling defeated.

Evelyn was tired of this, what did she do so bad where happiness could never find her and stick with her?

It was as it just wanted to fuck with her, such as giving her a few years of pure bliss then as soon as she got comfortable and considered long-term plans, happiness was snatched from her.

This wasn’t fair.

She refused to cry or pout about a disease that wasn’t even diagnosed by a doctor.

“I gotta go” she told her sister.

“I’m sorry E,” Gabby said really meaning it.

Evelyn was in a hurry to now get home and just spend time with her man.

Elise stood in the hallway the entire time, never bothering to come in the kitchen and spend time with her older sister.

As soon as she left, she came in the kitchen.

“What’s wrong with her?” she acted clueless.

Gabby sighed, seeing her sister sad made her sad.

“Daniel is sick,” Gabby said.

Elise licked the icing bowl, “OH” she said dryly.

‘What you mean oh, you saw how that girl face lit up in the club,” Gabby said.

“Exactly what I said oh, you can’t expect to be going around killing folks and think God gone bless you with love” she said

Gabby couldn’t believe her sister had just said that.

“She did that to provide for us, you better look the fuck around” gabby reminded her.

“Like I said...OH” Elise spat and went back to her room.

In her eyes, Evelyn got what she deserved.

When Evelyn got back home, she parked her motorcycle on the side of the house and entered through the side door careful not to fuck with Daniel’s garden.

When she came into the house, it was dark but a few candles here and there guiding her to the dining room, along with the sultry and deep voice of Adele.

Evelyn wasn’t expecting something like this.

When she walked into the dining room, Daniel stood and smiled.

“Did I tell you I love you today?”He asked.

Tears fell down her face; she couldn’t lose him she just couldn’t.

“Nope” she teased.

Daniel came towards her, hugged her, and planted a tender kiss on her lips.

“I love you E-Money,” he said.

Evelyn laughed in the midst of her tears.

Daniel eyes held so much passion and she prayed that he wasn’t sick.

Before she knew it, the man had dropped to his knees and pulled out a velvet box.

Evelyn covered her mouth with her hands.

Marriage?

Daniel told her, “You and I both know that you are pregnant, so can you do me the honors of marrying me before my baby comes?”

Evelyn laughed.

“I am not but I will still marry you,” she told him.

Daniel stood to his feet, breathing a little hard but she didn’t care, she loved him so much.

Evelyn kissed his lips passionately.

“You sure you wanna marry me?” she asked just to be sure.

Evelyn wasn’t like most women she was changing but for the most part, she was still very rough around the edges

“I can’t see myself with nobody else,” he told her truthfully.

Chapter 2

“You want me to what?” Evelyn was unsure if she heard Marcus correctly.

“Give me the plug number man the streets dry out here, I’m cool with you retiring and all but I’m still hungry” he said.

Evelyn asked, “Who said I retired?”

“Don’t play me like I don’t know what the fuck is up, the streets is talking home girl” Marcus told her.

Evelyn didn’t know how to take what he said.

“I don’t have the info on the plug, why won’t you go see my daddy,” she questioned.

Marcus was three seconds from killing this lying bitch.

“Yo, E you know well and damn well its bad luck to visit a nigga in jail” Marcus wanted her to stop playing him.

“I don’t know what answer you’re looking for, I don’t know the plug but you can cop some work from me,” she suggested.

Marcus smirked; he knew she was sitting on some work.

“Where it’s at?” he asked.

Evelyn wasn’t born yesterday, Marcus was trying to play her and she wasn’t in the mood for this shit today.

“Marcus call me when you actually got something to talk about, I don’t come to the hood for games,” she told him standing up.

Before he could pull his gun out of his waist, Evelyn already pumped his stomach twice.

Sharp shooter, she had always been one.

“Marcus don’t fuck with me you and I both know I’m not the one,” she told him seriously.

“Bitch you mind as well kill-" He went to threaten her but it was too late Evelyn was done talking.

She wiped down everything that she touched and dipped.

She was actually grateful that Marcus insisted on meeting her in one of the old trap houses that G bought.

The neighborhood was deserted.

Evelyn said fuck the speed limit and made it to the other side of town quickly, stopping at Wendy’s to order something to eat then she went to Wal-Mart   for nothing in particular she just needed an alibi and receipts to prove that she wasn’t nowhere near the crime scene if the police suspected her involvement in his death.

The girl at the checkout counter asked Evelyn, “Is that blood on your shirt?” she asked.

Evelyn said, “Paint from my daughter daycare” she said.

The girl smiled, “Girl I know how that be”

Evelyn grabbed the receipt and hopped in her truck.

Daniel had hit her line a few times and she went to call him back.

“Babe where are you?” he asked.

Evelyn was confused as to why he was asking her whereabouts he never did shit like that.

“Just got done showing a house why what’s up?” she asked him.

Daniel’s breathing was loud over the phone.

“Evelyn your doctor appointment is today, how did you forget? I’ve been reminding you all week” he scolded.

Evelyn looked down at her clothes she had just killed a nigga.

“I forgot,” she said.

Daniel told the nurse something, “They have an opening at five, meet me at the house then we can come back up here together” he said and hung up before she could protest.

Daniel wasn’t stunting nothing Evelyn was saying, she was going to the doctor so they could confirm what he already knew. Evelyn was carrying his child.

She hit the steering wheel, she wasn’t in the mood to go through this again but she knew Daniel would be tripping if she flexed on him.

Evelyn made it to the house before him, after discarding of her clothes and throwing them into a plastic bag and throwing it in the back of the closet, she ran a bubble bath.

Evelyn loved her bubble baths and what other way to calm your nerves after a killing than taking a hot and steamy bubble bath.

Daniel peeped in the bathroom and smiled at his woman, enjoying her day doing nothing being lazy.

“Mid day relaxation?” he asked.

Evelyn nodded her head but she never opened her eyes or acknowledged him.

Daniel knew how Evelyn was when she wanted to be alone so he closed the door and went to work in his home office.

He was delighted to see her wearing the engagement ring, it looked magnificent on her finger. The three-carat ring was simple and delicate, fitting Evelyn perfectly.

His family was so happy for them and told Daniel to not take forever to marry her, she was a jewel in their eyes.

Evelyn didn’t break the news to anyone in her family yet, she didn’t know if they would be happy or not. The person that everyone expected to probably be alone forever was the one actually living and enjoying life.

Daniel saw his doctor calling and he ignored the call.

The doctor had been calling him for weeks ready to discuss the results but he chose to stay blind about what he already knew was wrong.

Daniel was a forty-three year old man who could barely bend over to tie his shoes…something had happened to him and he didn’t know when or why.

Evelyn stayed in the tub until her fingers shriveled up like prunes.

When she came downstairs to get Daniel so they could leave, he was sleeping in his office chair.

Evelyn sat in his lap waking him up.

He smiled and kissed her nose.

“Can we talk?” she asked.

Daniel was so surprised at how the tables were now turning, it was him always begging to talk but little miss Evelyn had sparked their conversations, wow.

“Yes” he told her.

“Is everything okay and do not lie to me,” she told him.

Daniel sighed.

“I don’t know,” he told her.

“You don’t know what Daniel?”

He looked up at the ceiling then he directed his attention on a photo of him, Tristan and Evelyn at the park one day last year.

“I went and had some tests ran a few weeks ago,” he finally told her.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked.

“Evelyn we both know that there are some things we both need to be honest about” he looked dead at her.

Evelyn wasn’t about to bow down though.

“What were the results?”

He told her the truth, “too scared to go back up there been dodging their calls”

Evelyn laid her head on his shoulder.

“We have to know what’s going on, just in case there is time to fix it babe,” she said.

“I want to marry you and I want more children,” he admitted.

Evelyn sat up and held his face in her hands, “and what makes you think those things won’t happen” she asked.

Tears welled up in Daniel’s eyes, ‘some mornings I feel like I’m about to die”

Evelyn closed her eyes trying her hardest not to cry with him but his confession just broke her fucking heart.

“Oh Daniel” she sighed.

Daniel allowed the tears to fall from his face; he didn’t have to hold it in anymore. She now knew everything about him.

“Come on let’s get to the doctor” he told her, patting her leg so she could get up.

Evelyn felt horrible here she was hoping that she wasn’t pregnant but now she was praying that she was indeed pregnant, she and Daniel needed something to be happy about.

“Well well what do we have here, Evelyn you are eleven weeks pregnant” The doctor clapped.

She was Daniel’s childhood friend and was happy for her friend.

Daniel wept and so did Evelyn.

“You are in good health and so is your baby, I’m going to get these printed for yall” she told the couple and left the room.

Daniel kissed Evelyn and rubbed her stomach after Evelyn wiped the gel off.

“What do you want a boy or a girl?” Daniel asked.

   Evelyn quickly said, “A boy I’m not fooling with no girls” she told him.

Daniel laughed, “I would love to see a little E-Money running around the house”

Evelyn didn’t agree, she was a monster growing up.

Evelyn just prayed that their children had his family’s kind ways, heart, and not hers.

Evelyn couldn’t recall a time where she seen her family do family shit, they went to the strip club and to the casino, In G’s eyes that was considered quality time.

Daniel was elated.

“Come on, let’s go home I’m tired” he told her.

Evelyn was praying that whatever was going on with her man it wasn’t too detrimental.

When they made it back home, Evelyn made Daniel a cup of hot tea and chilled with him until he dozed off then she went to sit in the living room.

Evelyn wished she had people to call and share her good news with but no one crossed her mind.

She would tell her mother in person and her sisters….she didn’t know if she wanted them to know just yet.

Evelyn shook her head at how this day went from her killing a motherfucker to finding out that in a few months she would be welcoming her baby into this cruel dark world.

Evelyn knew she had to cover her tracks and make sure any beef that her father had wouldn’t come to haunt her or her family.

Claudia crossed Evelyn’s mind, although Evelyn wasn’t the friendliest Claudia was cool as hell in her book and she helped her out when she needed it the most.

Evelyn called Claudia to share her good news.

She was a little jealous watching Daniel scroll through his favorites calling of his best buds and family members to tell them that Evelyn and he was expecting.

“Hi chic” Claudia said cheerfully.

“Hey girl you crossed my mind” Evelyn said.

“That’s a good thing! How are you, how is Danny?” she asked.

“We’re good we’re good, expecting” she slid it in.

“Get the hell out of here E, are you serious? Oh my, Congrats. How soon? We gottta get this baby shower together” she said happily.

Evelyn knew she called Claudia for a reason, she never did shit like baby showers and stuff but she wanted too.

She wanted her pregnancy to be a joyous occasion.

“We haven’t got that far, but I would love a baby shower. I’m due in December,” she told her.

“Perfect timing winter wonderland theme, ooh I’m excited,” she screamed.

Evelyn laughed.

“Sounds good to me as long as we got some good dessert,” Evelyn added.

“I’m about to walk into the gym I’ll be in touch, hug Daniel for me and my niece or nephew,” she said.

Evelyn told her goodbye and ended the call.

She just prayed that when she told her family they acted the same way but her hopes wasn’t up at all.

***

“Tristan are you going to share a pizza with me?” Evelyn turned around and asked her bookie Tristan.

Tristan nodded his head he was too busy playing games on his Ipad.

Daniel’s truck swerved into another lane and they damn near crashed.

“Daniel!” Evelyn yelled.

Daniel rubbed the side of his head.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Daniel told her, “Yeah sit back I took my eyes off of the road for a second”

Evelyn was worried about him, this morning when she woke up, he was struggling to get off the toilet seat, she had to come over and help him.

She kept asking about the doctor and when was he going to call back but he brushed her off, only wanting to discuss things about their unborn child.

Evelyn was on the verge of telling him he didn’t go to the damn doctor he wouldn’t be alive to see their child being born but she knew that would crush his soul.

Daniel’s vision suddenly went black and the truck swerved to the left, slamming into the median…

“WHERE THE FUCK IS MY SISTER?” Elise banged on the desk at the hospital.

Gabby asked her to calm down and speak in a civilized tone.

Elonda was sitting in the lobby with Daniel’s family, embarrassed as hell.

 She wouldn’t take the blame for her daughter’s ghetto ways because she had no part in raising Elise fast ass.

“Gabrielle” Elonda called her daughter’s name.

She was too tired to get up, when she got the news that Evelyn and her boyfriend was involved in an accident she damn near lost it, on top of getting to the hospital and seeing a waiting room full of white people praying for Evelyn and Daniel and his son.

“Ma” Gabby came over.

Elise rolled her eyes, “How did you get here before us? Who called you?” she asked.

Daniel’s mother was surprised to see Evelyn’s sister talk so nasty to her mother but she kept her mouth shut.

“Please sit down this is a hospital not the club,” she hissed.

“Who the fuck you talking too?” Elise asked.

Daniel’s grandmother was appalled.

Daniel’s little nieces and nephews rarely heard curse words they covered their ears quickly and laid their heads in their parent’s laps.

Gabby pulled Elise away and got her together very quick.

Elise was pissed; she walked off tired of everybody treating her like a child.

Gabby came back over, “I’m sorry, she just feels like she’s losing everybody…is she…is Evelyn okay” she asked, worried.

Elonda told her they didn’t know much as of right now.

Gabby then noticed all of the white people assuming they were Daniel’s family.

Gabby stared and Elonda pulled her to the chair next to her.

“Yall act like yall don’t have no home training” she shook her head.

The doctor came out shortly after and gave an update but everyone seems to only be worried about one thing after hearing that everyone was okay.

“Is the baby okay?” Daniel’s sister asked.

The doctor nodded, “Baby’s heartbeat is still very strong. Mommy is doing well too”

Daniel’s family began to praise God, while Elonda and Gabby were lost and confused.

“Evelyn is pregnant?” Gabby asked with tears in her eyes.

Daniel’s best friend Brandon answered her question.

“You didn’t know?”

Daniel’s mother tried to clear it up, “Well they just found out a month ago”

Gabby repeated, “a month ago…wow” she said and walked off.

Elonda didn’t bother going after her, she totally understood why Evelyn kept it herself and she wasn’t mad at all.

A nurse came and said that they could go see them now; Elonda was the only person who went to Evelyn’s room.

Evelyn was okay besides a few scars that would take some time to heal Daniel had a broken arm while Tristan would have probably have a gash for the rest of his life.

“Mama” Evelyn said.

Elonda smiled.

“Baby girl you good?” she asked.

“Yeah just a headache” she told her mother.

"How is my grandchild?” Elonda asked genuinely concerned.

Evelyn looked up Elonda told her, “His family was more worried about the baby than yall”

“They’re really spiritual people” she defended them.

“Hmm hmm, how far are you?” she asked.

“Few months not far at all” Evelyn told her.

“I’m happy for you pumpkin you deserve all of this,” Elonda said.

Evelyn held her hand for her mother, “thank you I was going to tell you I just wanted to wait until we can get together face to face I’ve been so busy” she said.

Elonda told her no problem but she did warn her, “Your sisters cut a damn fool in here”

Evelyn shook her head that was typical of Elise but Gabby. She was surprised.

Across the hall, Daniel’s family cried at the news they received.

It was now confirmed. Daniel was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

His mother refused to hear the news she left out of the room.

Daniel kept his eyes closed as his sister who was a doctor as well asked several questions.

“So will he be able to walk, I know did I research program in college, where people with MS couldn’t talk or swallow because of the inflammation on the brain. Then they couldn’t hear, control the bladder or anything” she asked.

Daniel’s father shouted, “Dorian! Stop it right now just stop it” it was as if Daniel’s father was the only person who understood that this was just too much for him right now.

 Daniel was already feeling bad for driving knowing that his vision had been blurry all day; he could have killed his son, fiancé and unborn child.

“Is it aggressive?” Daniel’s brother asked.

The doctor said, “No not right now what Daniel has is called secondary progressive which means the symptoms come and go, some days he can wake up feeling amazing while other days he will wake up and can’t move his arm or legs nor feel them”

“So what do we now?” Daniel’s grandmother asked.

“Live as comfortable as possible, we can give you either oral, injection or infused medications to reduce the progression of the relapses but they are coming they will come” the doctor stated seriously.

Daniel never looked at the doctor, never opened his eyes. His mind was back on the beach with Evelyn, he just prayed that he was able to take her on more vacations.

Daniel didn’t want to die or give up and he was a natural warrior, he planned to kick MS ass just not today or right now, he was tired as hell.

“I’m tired,” Daniel mumbled.

“What son?” his father asked.

“I am ti-“he said, before chewing down on his tongue.

"Oh my god” Daniel’s grandmother yelled.

Dorian ,Daniel’s sister ran over to control the seizure the doctor moved her out of the way, according to hospital policy she couldn’t do that even if she was licensed.

“That’s my brother!"She cried, turning to her husband as she sobbed.

This was some of the worst news the McArthur family had ever received in their life, no one died in their family, nothing bad happened neither did they argue.

The McArthur Family was happy people, full of joy and forever praying and giving back to the community.

 Daniel’s family celebrated everything, when the kids lost a tooth or won a soccer game, it was pizza and ice cream night. Everyone gathered every Sunday and every other Wednesday for family night, Daniel’s diagnosis was a shock.

Everyone turned their head praying that this too would pass, he was finally learning to live for himself and had met a very nice girl, proposed to her and now had a baby on the way.

Why did bad things always happen to good people? It wasn’t fair.

The next morning, Evelyn checked on Tristan and finally was able to meet Daniel’s ex-wife and she was cool.

Evelyn was happy about that, she saw how many dudes dealt with baby mama drama in the hood and she promised herself it would never be her.

Evelyn made her way to her man’s hospital room his handsome face was covered in scars and it was beet red, his nose appeared broken.

Daniel smiled and waved her over with all of the strength that he could muster up.

Evelyn kissed his lips not caring that his teeth weren’t brushed.

“How did you sleep?” Daniel asked.

"I was so doped up I don’t remember,” she admitted.

“Evelyn” Daniel said her name.

Evelyn looked at him.

“I’m sorry, I would never intentional put you and Tristan in harm, please forgive me,” he asked.

Evelyn loved this man so much, “babe why are you apologizing I’m just happy we are still here together,” she said.

Daniel needed to tell her he just didn’t want too, he knew Evelyn loved him but he was scared that Evelyn would back out of marrying him and he had to marry her.

“I love you,” he told her.

Evelyn knew it was more to what he wanted to say but she trusted Daniel and in due time she would know it all just like there were some things she needed to share with him too…one day.

Once they were discharged from the hospital, Daniel’s best friend gave them a ride home and Daniel stayed outside a little longer to chop it up with his homeboy.

“You told her?” he asked.

Daniel shook his head.

“Why do I feel like you have been known about this?’ Brandon asked.

Daniel ignored him.

“Thanks for the ride man” he told him and went in the house.

“Steak for dinner?” Evelyn held up two frozen steaks that she pulled from the freezer.

“I don’t have an appetite babe, I’m about to lie down for a second” he told Evelyn.

She didn’t say anything; she laid the steaks out in a large bowl and ran hot water over them before sitting them on the counter.

Evelyn gave Daniel space while she chilled in the living room watching her favorite movie, Paid in Full, something’s would never change about Evelyn and she loved her hood movies.

Daniel woke up and saw that he was sleeping alone so he went downstairs to see his fiancé kicking back.

“How is the baby?” Daniel asked, taking a seat next to her.

“He is fine,” she told him.

Evelyn wasn’t even showing yet let alone feeling anything but she wouldn’t dare tell Daniel that.

“Evelyn we need to talk, not today or tomorrow but we do need to talk baby,” he told her.

She understood him totally, Evelyn got closer to him and snuggled.

“What are we watching?” he asked.

“The Player’s Club” she told him, starting the movie over.

“Never heard of it,” he said.

“Oh baby you’re in for a treat” she smiled.

Evelyn and Daniel brought different things to each other, he was teaching her how to garden and most importantly seek God and Evelyn had him rocking Adidas sweat suits and watching all the hood classics.

Perfect couple in her eyes.

The duo stayed in the house for a few days, not much sex took place but a whole bunch of sleeping and much needed quality time.

 It felt weird when Daniel told Evelyn he was going to handle business and would be home later.

“You’re leaving?” she asked, not thinking he was ready to be driving.

“Yeah we been in the house for days, I gotta go make the bacon” he told her.

Evelyn suggested driving him around today.

“Don’t start E” Daniel told her.

“Start what? I’m not comfortable with you driving Daniel you can’t blame me for that” she fussed.

Daniel walked out of the bathroom where they both wore and grabbed his phone off the nightstand.

“Daniel” she called his name.

“I am okay” he told her and kept walking.

Evelyn didn’t want it to be an argument every time she tried to help him; if this was the case then they had a very long way to go.

Daniel struggled to turn the key in the ignition but after five minutes, he was able to get the truck on and out of the garage.

He said a silent prayer that he would be safe today on the streets and highways, not wanting to prove Evelyn right.

On days like this when Evelyn was alone she missed her auntie; Evelyn would go sit with her and do nothing but eat and watch the stories.

With family on her mind, she called her mother.

“Yes little girl” Elonda answered the phone.

“Where you at?” she asked.

“Out and about, you need something?” Elonda asked.

Evelyn was surprised to hear her mother ask did she need something instead of the way around.

“No I just wanted company,” she pouted.

“Where is Brad Pitt?” Elonda teased.

Evelyn laughed, “ha ha not funny, he’s at work” she told her mother.

“Ohhh so what you want me to do?” Elonda asked.

“Come over and bring me a sweet tea from McDonalds,” she said

“Oh you must be in a good mood I get invited to the palace” Elonda joked.

“Sending you the address now! Bye” Evelyn said and hung the phone up.

Evelyn went a further step and called her sister Gabby, but was shocked to see that her phone was going straight to voicemail.

Evelyn called a few more times before pulling out her other phone and dialing Gabby phone and she answered.

“Oh you blocked me?” Evelyn asked.

Gabby acted clueless, “who is this?”

“Girl don’t play dumb with me,” Evelyn snapped.

“What do you want?”

“Why did you block me?’

“How you could not tell me or Elise that you were pregnant,” she asked.

“Yall didn’t give me time”

“But his family knew!”

“Our family is totally different than his,” she informed her.

“Why? Cus we not white and don’t wear matching sweaters” gabby snapped.

Evelyn didn’t appreciate her comment at all, “that’s so uncalled for”

“You know everybody was saying you changed but I didn’t see it until now, you not the same at all,” gabby said, now convinced.

Evelyn hung the phone up; Gabby didn’t fuck around in the hood like Elise did so she knew that was her devilish kid sister or worse her father putting those thoughts in her head.

Evelyn couldn’t get worked up about that, she had enough on her plate right now as it is, she would reach out to her sister in a couple of days but after that she wouldn’t be kissing ass.

Evelyn lived her whole life for her family and no one would make her feel selfish or crazy for finally doing her own thing.

Evelyn and her mother enjoyed themselves so much to the point that when Daniel made it home with roses for Evelyn she didn’t even hear the alarm chime.

Evelyn was lying with her head in her mother’s lap, Daniel turned the light on in the den and she popped up but smiled when she saw Daniel.

“Hi babe” she said cheerfully.

“Hello” he said back.

“This is my mother, mama this is my fiancé Daniel,” she told her mom.

“Hi Daniel it’s a pleasure to meet you” Elonda said.

Daniel came over and bent down hugging Elonda and kissing Evelyn.

“How was your day? “Evelyn asked.

“Tiring, I’m about to shower and lay down. Nice meeting you, I’m usually a chatter box Ms. Elonda just tired today,” Daniel said.

She hated to her man not so full of energy and charisma.

When he went upstairs, Elonda told Evelyn, “Honey that man look like he about to fall over, let me make it to my side of town before it get too dark”

Evelyn didn’t protest, “Thank you for coming over mama for real” she said

Elonda smiled, Evelyn had no idea how much today had meant to her.

“No baby girl don’t be thanking me, I be needing something to do to stay out of that house, devils in there and I’m trying my hardest to do right” Elonda admitted.

Evelyn didn’t know her mother still stayed there.

“You’re clean all the way?” Evelyn asked.

Elonda wouldn’t lie to her child, “Just about, I still smoke weed that probably ain’t gon' ever stop now”

Evelyn laughed, “I feel you trust me” Evelyn told Daniel that if she had to stop smoking then so did he.

“I’m free tomorrow we can go get you somewhere to stay ma” she told her mom

Elonda was actually relieved that Evelyn suggested it instead of her having to ask her daughter for anything.

Elonda smiled and kissed her cheek.

“Get you some rest” Elonda said before Evelyn closed the front door, turned the alarm on, and shut the house down before retreating upstairs with her man.

Daniel was just getting out of the shower when Evelyn came in the room.

“You look just like your mother baby,” he told her, yawning.

"You think so?" I think Elise does”

“That’s the youngest one right?” Daniel asked.

Evelyn told him yes.

“I want a girl,” Daniel told her once they got in bed and wrapped up in each other’s arms.

“Hell no” Evelyn mumbled.

Daniel didn’t say much after that, his breathing was short and Evelyn was scared to go to sleep.

 It was still so early in the night, no later than seven thirty but Daniel was knocked out.

She stayed close to him, loving the scent on his body and his handsome face looked perfect especially since the sun was just now setting and the curtains on their windowpanes were sheer.

Evelyn prayed over her man before closing her eyes trying to at least doze off.

Her phone vibrated on the nightstand and she hurried to answer it so Daniel wouldn’t wake up.

Evelyn answered without even looking at the caller ID but an operator’s voice was heard.

“You have a collect call from….”

“Pick up the damn phone you little snitch” G voice roared.

Chapter 3

Evelyn and Daniel were in the kitchen doing things they had no busy doing, but that’s normally when the best sex occurred.

“Daniel shit” she moaned as her fiancé ate the P out of her pussy.

Daniel loved when she screamed his name, her legs in the air and his tongue fucking her pussy hole, this was how you were supposed to start a Monday morning.

“Aah aaah yesss baby yes yesss” Evelyn couldn’t take it anymore.

Daniel brought her to a climax for the second time in the last ten minutes and Evelyn was now ready to be fucked for breakfast.

The stove and oven had been turned off, half-baked biscuits and limp bacon didn’t sound delicious at all.

Daniel stood on his feet and wiped his face; Evelyn looked down at his penis and wondered what happened.

Daniel looked embarrassed, he stroked himself but nothing was happening.

He was horny, his hormones were raging and the love of his life was laying on the kitchen island naked and looking amazing as ever but his dick was not working.

“It’s okay babe” she told him, closing her legs and sitting up.

Daniel was so frustrated he knocked the coffee mug on the floor.

Evelyn wanted to console him but she couldn’t do that because he refused to talk to her about what was going on.

Daniel pulled his shorts over his waist and told Evelyn had a meeting to get to.

“Baby” she called out after him but he was too embarrassed to face her.

Daniel went upstairs quickly to brush his teeth and wash his face and was out of the door in less than five minutes.

Evelyn wasn’t giving up on Daniel, but he was damn sure giving up on himself.

Her phone rang and it was her father for the millionth time.

Since Daniel wasn’t there, she answered the phone and accepted the call.

“WHAT WHAT WHAT DO YOU WANT?” she asked.

G’s evil laugh came over the phone and it sent chills down her spine. It had been so long since she heard his voice.

“Just tell me that you did this because I killed that little fuck Paper,” he asked.

Evelyn hadn’t heard his name in so long.

Paper

Paper

Paper

“What are you talking about?” she was going to play dumb with his ass just as he used to do.

“You know E, I been sitting in here day in and out trying to see who the fuck told them certain shit, I said damn that nigga Black turned on me, then I said nah it was probably Marcus. But it was one thing...one thing baby girl that was in my file nobody knew but you. And I said aww my damn my own child snitched on me” G said.

Evelyn’s heartbeat increased.

“I gotta go,” she told him.

G added, “Send me pictures of my grandbaby when it come” and hung the phone up in her face.

She knew that was a threat but G also knew that Evelyn was the wrong bitch to fuck up and before he even thought to bring harm to anyone close to her he better come correct.

G already took the man she thought she knew and loved away, she would be damned if Daniel was caught up in her bullshit.

Evelyn wasn’t going to let her daddy piss her off; she went to take a bubble bath to cleanse her body and honestly her soul too.

***

“Evelyn so you say you’re the oldest right?” Dorian, Daniel’s sister asked Evelyn.

She nodded her head and told her yes.

“So many personalities in one house I could only imagine what it was like for you growing up” she said.

Evelyn didn’t understand her comment or why she even brought her family up especially at Sunday dinner.

Evelyn placed a spoonful of dirty rice in her mouth and proceeded to chew it.

Dorian continued with her questions, “And what do your parents do again?” she asked.

Evelyn looked at Daniel, but he said nothing.

“My father is an entrepreneur and my mother doesn’t work” she answered her question.

“But they aren’t married correct?”

Evelyn wasn’t one to bite her tongue nor was she about to sit up here and be ridiculed.

“What do you really want to ask me?”

Daniel now looked at Evelyn and he squeezed her thigh under the table but she moved from his touch.

“Oh, nothing just was trying to put a few things together that’s all sweetie” she said.

Evelyn smiled and continued eating her dinner when she was done, she whispered in Daniel’s ear that she was ready to go and as tired, as he was he didn’t protest.

“Leaving already son?” Daniel’s mother asked.

Daniel told her he was feeling tired and needed to lie down.

“When is your next appointment I can definitely make this one” she asked her son.

Daniel looked at her to be quiet but Evelyn didn’t miss it all. She decided to remain silent until they were by themselves.

In addition, as soon as they said their goodbyes and got in the car.

Evelyn asked, “Why do I feel like I’m the only person who doesn’t know what’s going on with you?”

Daniel sighed, it was Sunday, today was Sunday on top of feeling like cement blocks had been placed on his arms and legs it was Sunday and all he wanted to do was go home, have a glass of wine and relax.

“Not today” he told her, yawning.

“Well when Daniel?” she pleaded.

“Soon” he answered her question praying that she would just let it go.

“Daniel...” she said his name again.

Daniel banged on the console, ‘not fucking today okay not today”

Evelyn knew immediately that this might not be working out.

Whenever she tried to be there for him, talk to him, love him, hold him, be the woman God called her to be FOR Him; he pushed her away, yelled at her, cursed her name and did other awful things that wasn’t like Daniel.

He was changing right before her eyes, gentleness was leaving his body and evilness was overtaking him.

Evelyn had her share of negative people and no longer would she be surrounded by them

If Evelyn wanted to feel down every single minute of the day, she would go parlay around her hating ass sisters.

Once they made it home, Evelyn packed a small bag of the things that she really needed.

“E don’t do this,” Daniel asked, when he finally made it upstairs and saw that she was preparing to go.

Evelyn ignored him, now he wanted to talk…but it was too late she had nothing to say.

“Evelyn” he called her name.

“Don’t pacify me now,” she told him sarcastically.

"You don’t understand,” he told her.

Evelyn knew Daniel ass was going to flip this around on her but she wasn’t going. Her mind was made up to leave and go to her own house and that’s what the fuck she was going to do.

“You’re right I don’t understand because you don’t give me the opportunity to try to understand “she said shaking her head and zipping the bag up.

“I am sick Evelyn I am sick,” he said, coughing.

See, Evelyn had checked out for a few seconds and E-Money had appeared.

She looked at him with rejection and hurt in her eyes.

“Tell me something I don’t know” she said and walked out of the room leaving Daniel by his lonesome.

Evelyn hadn’t slept by herself in so long; it felt weird climbing in bed without Daniel welcoming her with open arms

However, they needed space, she needed time to think and Daniel needed to miss her.

She was a true believer of absence makes the heart grow fonder and Daniel had began to take her love for granted.

Evelyn had did the ultimate 180 for him and he didn’t recognize it or appreciate the change.

Evelyn was pregnant with his child, she told him yes to becoming his wife yet he had been talking to her like a bitch he was just fucking.

Evelyn had been there, done that, and refused to do it again.

She took a deep breath and rubbed her slowly growing stomach and said, “God fix this situation” before finally drifting off to sleep.

The next morning, Evelyn woke up to an empty bed forgetting that she was in her own home.

Her heart and body craved for Daniel but her pride kept her from dialing his phone just to hear his sultry voice say good morning baby I love you.

Evelyn had a few things that needed to be handled, so she took a bubble bath and was out of the door in no time.

The first stop on her to-do list was to cop her mom somewhere to live; Evelyn appreciated her mother’s effort to get clean and try to stay clean so she would do her part in making sure she was free from temptation.

Evelyn knew how hard it was to try to stay from around people who lived the old life you used to live, especially when you were trying to progress and they weren’t.

She battled with that every day when it came to her sisters.

Evelyn’s mind traveled to Gabby and Elise, despite how they felt about her not telling them she was pregnant, Evelyn was all they had and when all else failed they were all she had too.

Family was everything and as the oldest of the bunch, she was making it a top priority to repair her broken relationship with her little sisters.

Evelyn handled everything she needed to do all before noon.

Daniel was still very much on her mind and she wanted to shake his ass but couldn’t.

She took a deep breath before calling him and he answered on the second ring.

“Come home E” he told her.

Evelyn smacked her lips.

“Are you going to stop yelling at me like I’m your child?” she asked.

“It won’t happen again” he told her.

Evelyn smiled, missing his voice, his touch …his mere existence.

“I’m on the way, do you need something?” she asked him.

“Some weed” Daniel admitted.

Evelyn laughed, “I thought we were doing a nine month cleanse”

“Nah you don’t have a choice I do, bring me some of that good shit,” he told her.

“Got you babe” she said and disconnected the call.

Evelyn made a phone call to the hood and she copped her baby a 3.5 before heading home.

When she walked through the door from the garage to the kitchen, she called his name out.

“Here I come,” he told her.

Evelyn sat her purse on the counter along with her gun and phones.

She took a seat at the kitchen table and began breaking down the weed for Daniel.

Her pussy started jumping at how good the weed smelled, she already knew she would be rolling up as soon as her baby entered the world.

Evelyn had been smoking since she was in high school, she didn’t have the type of parents that everybody else did.

Evelyn had a gun at sixteen and a foreign whip, she was rolling blunts in the ninth grade and breaking down pounds at seventeen.

As much as she hated her daddy, he made her the self-made woman she was now, God forbid if Daniel had to stop working Evelyn wasn’t worried at all, not only did she have tons of money put up but also she was a hustler by nature.

If Evelyn didn’t know anything else in life, the bitch knew how to get some fucking money.

Daniel came downstairs and kissed her cheek.

“Missed you last night” he admitted.

“You didn’t call me though” she shot back.

“I fell asleep,” he said.

“Hmm hmm” she said, licking the blunt to conceal it.

“Let’s talk” Daniel told her.

Evelyn nodded her head and handed him the blunt.

“I have MS,” he said.

Evelyn waited on him to continue.

“I am not going to die but as time progresses things will change in the physical,” Daniel stated.

“But you can die right?” she asked.

“Damn is that what you want?” he asked hurt.

“No of course not, I just don’t want to you say, oh I can’t de then you end up dying. I am a realist give it to me straight” she told him.

Daniel pulled on the blunt before laying it all on the table, “maybe three years from now or sooner who knows, it will come a time where some days I can barely breathe, swallow, walk, eat, pee by myself. I may end up in a chair but I’m going to do all I can to prevent all of that. I’m not letting this disease kick my ass E,” he said confidently.

“Will we be able to have more children?” she asked.

Daniel was surprised to hear her say that considering he had to damn near drag her to the doctor to confirm her pregnancy.

“I’m just saying I’m getting excited about our child, I’m on Pinterest all night looking at things. I want a family with you Daniel,” she admitted.

Daniel smiled.

“Things like that...when you say stuff like that to me, it makes me fight for my life and for my health,” he told her, kissing her hand.

“I love you I’m here for you, we got this,” she said, throwing her fist in the air.

“Yeah I hope so babe,” Daniel said, knowing that in due time her words would come to play and he would just hope she felt the same way.

The couple watched movies and kicked back for the rest of the day, it ended with Daniel making Evelyn write on a napkin that she would never leave him again.

“Give it to me,” she asked.

Daniel told her, “nah I need to keep it so when I’m old and grey and I catch you trying to run out of here after some younging I can wave the napkin”

Daniel folded the napkin up and placed it in the second drawer of his nightstand.

“One you’re grey now and I love you, two I ain’t checking for nobody but my baby daddy!” she said kissing his cheek and laying on top of his chest.

“Oh Jesus I hate the word baby daddy” Daniel laughed.

“Better wife me quick before you meet my cousins and the rest of the family” she told him.

“I can see them now,” Daniel mumbled.

“Yep you already know, there go E- money baby daddy,” she laughed.

“Don’t forget to add that I’m white,” Daniel said.

Evelyn pinched him.

“I don’t care about that,” she told him the truth.

‘I know you don’t but there are some people that do love” Daniel told her.

“Who cares about them? This is our love and for our love I’ll go to war with whomever,” she said.

Daniel knew Evelyn had a past considering she was paranoid as hell and always toting that gun around.

He just didn’t have a clue about how dark it was.

***

Evelyn cleared her throat wondering what in the absolute HELL was she thinking when she invited her mother and sisters over for dinner.

Evelyn had turned into the perfect little cook; you couldn’t tell ole girl nothing. Anything that she found on Pinterest the next day it would be on the stove or in the oven.

It wasn’t too often that Evelyn came to her old house, the house with the memories her and Paper made.

The house that her father shot him down and where she lost her mind and child.

Evelyn’s sisters weren’t allowed at her new home or the house she shared with Daniel for various reasons, the most important one being she didn’t trust the influence that her daddy over them.

So Evelyn was forced to come back 2333 Adams Drive in the Southwest Atlanta, dust off a few things and get to work in the kitchen. She was quite pleased at the spread before her that she prepared by herself using the good hands God blessed her with and her auntie’s voice in the back of her head.

Evelyn prepared bacon wrapped asparagus, garlic mashed potatoes and chicken parmesan and for dinner, she whipped up a key lime pie.

Daniel oohed and aaahed at the pictures she sent and she promised to fix him a plate on her way home.

He was under the impression they were at her mom’s new house having Girls Night In, tonight was far from Girls Night In but more like Friday the 13th.

In Evelyn’s opinion, the night was doomed from the start Elise didn’t understand why their mother was invited; gabby was still mad about the baby.

Evelyn kept a smile plastered on her face throughout the dinner although no one said a thing.

Elise was too busy watching snap chat videos, gabby was cutting her chicken into a million small pieces, Elonda had repositioned her chair to watch the television in the living room and Evelyn…Evelyn was ready to get home to her man.

Daniel said he had a massage with her name on It and after the week she had getting her mother settled in at her new place…she deserved all of that and even a little more.

Evelyn cleared her throat for the second time and Elisa said with so many attitudes, “oh we suppose to ask you what you want or something?”

Evelyn warned, “Don’t start with me tonight”

Elise asked, “Or what?”

Evelyn counted to three before saying fuck it and coming across the table to punch her in the face.

“Evelyn!” Elonda shouted.

Gabby didn’t have time for this shit; she could have been at the library studying.

“You not going to keep putting your hands on me bitch” Elise shouted as she stood to her feet, the chair was on the floor along with the food from her plate wine in her glass.

“This is my house! My house. Don’t disrespect me in my own house” Evelyn clapped her hands together.

Elonda tried to diffuse the situation, “let’s all sit down and start over”

“I got somewhere to be anyway,” gabby said, now ready to go.

Evelyn held her head in her hands; she didn’t want tonight to be this way.

“Wait, wait don’t leave. Please don’t leave, I just wanted us all to get together and spend some quality time,” she said.

Elise yelled, “And slapping me is considered quality time?”

Evelyn ignored her ignorant ass, “we are all we got and we need to spend more time together seriously” Evelyn told them.

Gabby chuckled.

"Something funny?” Evelyn asked.

Elonda looked down at her lap she could only imagine how this was about to go.

“A lot is funny E, where would you like me to start? Hmmm... You always want us to come together when shit going good for you. When Paper died, you cut us off and wasn’t fucking with us. But when you met your lil eye candy then you was happy again and wanting to be around us.  But when we need you where are you? You never once asked us how is daddy doing, you didn’t offer to cop him a lawyer nor have you tried to go see him. Despite the shit that happened that man loved us and gave us the world, you included! Ma, no disrespect to you but she wasn’t there to make sure you was straight daddy was and you doing him dead wrong. So don’t sit up here like you Martha Stewart and all of that because you fucking not. Congrats on the baby and the engagement that you failed to tell the only family you got you know since we all we have and all,” Gabby snapped.

Evelyn didn’t bother with a response because they would never see her side; it was G way or the highway.

She began to gather the dishes in her hands so she could wash them.

“You don’t have nothing to say?” Elise asked.

Evelyn politely said, “God bless yall, thank you for coming”

Elonda smiled.

Evelyn had her mother’s ways.

Gabby left without another word and of course, Elise followed.

“Ma lock the door behind them,”Evelyn said from the kitchen.

Elonda came into the kitchen with dishes in her hands.

“I got it ma, you can gone and go if you want too I know you don’t like driving late at night,” Evelyn told her mother.

“Chile please, you been on your feet all day. Sit down I’ll wash the dishes. This food was good too. Boosie would be so proud of you,” Elonda told her daughter.

Evelyn smiled; she had been missing her auntie more than ever in the past few days.

 “Ma do you feel like I’ve changed” Evelyn asked her mother.

She had heard everything her sister said loud and clear but before Evelyn came down on herself, she wanted a second opinion.

Elonda scrubbed the Pyrex pan, “Are any of us the same?”

“I don’t think so that’s why I’m like damn Gabby” she fussed.

“You already know that ain’t nobody but yall daddy talking,” she told Evelyn.

“Exactly”

“You’ve been through enough and sacrificed more than enough for them girls, love your man is there for him especially now with him being….you know. And get ready to be a better mother than I could have ever been to yall” Elonda said.

Evelyn smiled inwardly and said, “I’m going to try my best”

She felt herself changing but it was for the good.

Evelyn knew she didn’t do a lot of things right but she was a new woman now, not just for Daniel or her baby but also for herself.

After the house was clean, Elonda waited on Evelyn to lock the doors she stood on the porch waiting.

Evelyn closed the door and locked the burglar door.

Elonda asked, “Are you expecting somebody?”

Evelyn didn’t hesitate to pull her gun out before turning around to see a car parked outside.

She moved Elonda behind her and tried to get a better look at who was in the car but the windows were dark from the tint she was straining her neck for nothing.

In her past life, Evelyn would normally run down the steps blasting, but she had a child to consider now so she couldn’t do that.

She just prayed that whoever was in the car got the hell on before she had no other choice.

“We should leave” Elonda said.

“Hell nah, if anything we need to go back in the house” Evelyn said.

She raised her gun so they could see she was locked, loaded and not ready to use that motherfucker.

The car cranked up, turned its headlights on and slowly drove away.

 Evelyn peeped the tags, and she wondered who was fucking with her from Florida and why?

Evelyn didn’t know if it was G being spiteful or The Cartel trying to get her attention, way it went she wasn’t stunting none of them.

Why was it so hard for people to let her bow out of the game in peace?

She didn’t want any beef, she just wanted to enjoy her life and move forward.

Paper warned her that leaving the game would never be easy he used to tell her the only two ways out was in a body bag or in cells.

Evelyn was saying fuck both of those exit strategies, she quit cold turkey.

Evelyn had traded in her bulletproof vest for church dresses but one thing she wasn’t putting up was her gun.

***

Gabby and Elise went to visit their father the next day, Gabby missed her father every day and was counting down until he came home…although that day would most likely never come.

Elise kept dropping hand sanitizer in the palms of her hand, she really hated coming to visit her daddy it was so disgusting in the prison and the waiting room smelled like feet and hot sweaty bloody pussy.

She stopped looking cute a long time ago; it was no point in wearing her nice clothes during a four-hour drive to the country.

They had her father so ducked off it was ridiculous.

Elise didn’t understand why Gabby wanted to see her daddy every weekend if he was free they didn’t see him that much.

G was either out of town tricking off on hoes way younger than they trick or in the bed nursing a hangover.

Gabby smiled and hopped up when their father came close.

Elise rolled her eyes; her sister was so damn dramatic.

“Daddy! We miss you so much,” she said.

Elise said, “Wasup daddy”

G ignored her and asked Gabby.

“Did you talk to Evelyn?” he asked.

Gabby didn’t drive here to talk about Evelyn; she wanted to tell her father that she was thinking about dropping out of pharmacy school to start her own mobile bakery.

Baking had been a passion of Gabby’s since she was a little girl and she was thinking about turning her passion into a paycheck.

She had already paid someone she went to high school with to make her a logo and it was the cutest.

Gabby shook her head, “No she pissed me off last night but daddy I have good news,” she said.

G smacked his lips, “Damn I don’t ask you for nothing else,” he said.

Gabby’s feelings were instantly hurt.

Elise noticed the change in her demeanor.

“What did you ask her to do?” she asked.

G ignored her again as he always did.

“You need to call her and make it right, stay on her good side. Yall need her she don’t need yall” he reminded them.

Elise didn’t need nobody and she told him that, “I can handle myself so talk to Gabby’

G silenced her with his eyes.

“Gabby do you hear me?” her father asked.

Gabby lowered her head; she was tired of talking about Evelyn. Evelyn wasn’t stunting any of them she had her own life and Gabby couldn’t deny the glow that followed her sister.

“Yes sir” she whispered

“Cool, well I was watching a movie, ill call in a few days and check on that” G’s rude ass didn’t bother with an I love you, thank yall for coming, how are yall doing or nothing.

Elise knew that he didn’t give a fuck about them…it was Gabby that needed to open her eyes and get with the program.

Once they checked out of the jail and went through security clearance before making it back to the car. Elise really felt as if their dad just played them and it angered her.

“Ain’t no way we drove all the way out here for three minutes,” She complained.

Gabby wasn’t in the mood to hear Elise’s annoying voice, “I will put the gas back in your car” she told her sister.

Elise pulled one of the many knots out of her Celine purse, “Gas money is not the issue daddy is,” she said.

“He need us he don’t have nobody else” Gabby reminded her.

Elise decided to keep her opinion to herself. G could kick rocks and get fucked in the booty hole if it was up to her.

Gabby would be a dummy to try to go against Evelyn for G, her sister wasn’t a dummy she realized that when Evelyn beat her ass for fucking with Paper. Elise knew to tread lightly with Evelyn. Pregnant or not she knew Evelyn wouldn’t hesitate to put those paws on a bitch.

“What he want you to do anyway?” she asked out of curiosity.

“Get Evelyn to set something up on the inside for daddy,” she mumbled.

Elise rolled her eyes again, “Why can’t he just do his sentence like everybody else?” she asked.

“It’s for us Elise,” Gabby told her sister.

“Let me guess that’s what daddy told you?” she said in a baby girl tone.

Gabby ignored her and put her headphones in.

Elise didn’t care at all; she welcomed the silence she needed to get her mind together. A threesome was on her agenda for the night, she had been thinking of tricks, and treats she planned to perform later on.

Elise wanted to bag this fine ass dude, Bryson but his girlfriend was in the way.

Elise planned to get the girlfriend kicked to the curb. If the nigga wanted his ass licked then Elise would taste every flavor of the rainbow tonight.

She couldn’t keep going to be without him in between her legs, she wanted to wake up to him...he had to be hers and she would do whatever to make sure he was next on her “to do list”

On the other side of town, Evelyn and Claudia were finally getting together for a sushi date.

“Uh can I get an order of honey wings and shrimp fried rice, I don’t eat this shit,” Evelyn told the server.

Claudia couldn’t stop laughing.

“You haven’t even tried it!” she told her.

Evelyn stared at the roll and poked at it with the chopstick, ‘"It looks like play-do to me,” she told her.

Claudia was too tickled.

“Girl you are crazy,” Claudia said.

“Someone is following me. I think my daddy is trying to have me killed” Evelyn told her.

Claudia put the California Roll on the plate and stared at Evelyn.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

Evelyn nodded her head.

“What is wrong with him, does he know you’re pregnant?” she questioned.

“Girl he doesn’t care” Evelyn said.

“What can I do, well what do you want me to do” Claudia asked her friend.

“What can be done?”

Claudia smirked, “I’m well connected and respected, try me”

Evelyn bit he bottom lip and rubbed her stomach.

 She would be damned if G took her out.

“Revoke his phone calls,” she stated.

“What does that do?” Claudia asked.

“Everything” she said

“It does everything,” she added.

Prologue

“I don’t understand why you felt the need to lie to me” Daniel told her, he was disappointed and disgusted...but no matter how shocked he was, Daniel knew he wasn’t leaving her. She had become his muse, his voice of reason. Daniel didn’t make too many decisions without considering or talking to Evelyn first. How could someone so angelic be so deadly? How could she live that life? Destroying families and ending lives. The woman before him, dressed in all black wasn’t his sweet lady who he laid beside at night. Who fixed him breakfast, who his mother pulled to the side and told her that she would marry her son and bless him with more children?

Who was this devil, this terrorist, this villain…it wasn’t his Evelyn. Tears ran down her face, she wasn’t an emotional person. However, of course her man woke up feelings she didn’t know she had. Evelyn didn’t bother wiping her face; she didn’t have anything to hide anymore. It was all out now, “I didn’t want you to judge me,” she admitted.

Daniel laughed, but it wasn’t one of his sweet melodic earthy, “I love and miss you” laughs, it was filled with irritation. “Come better then that E” he told her.

“I’m serious baby,” Evelyn pleaded.

“Judge you for what? Please tell me why I would judge you,” he snapped.

“You don’t understand, you don’t live this life. Your parents…”

Daniel brought his hand up to silence her, “Don’t you dare pull my family into this, I’m not going to allow you to throw blame on me for how you live your life and how you’ve lied about it for months…no years”

Evelyn wished she could go back in time, like damn…why didn’t she just walk the other way when he approached her. Why did she give into him? Why did they fall in love? Why did she even bring someone like him into her world knowing he would never understand just how complicated her lifestyle was.

Evelyn felt like an idiot but now she refused to lose her man.

She didn’t know what real love was until she experienced it with Daniel. She didn’t know fucking could be so passionate and steamy. Evelyn was unaware that a simple, “Good morning” text message had the power to dictate how your day went. She was clueless on how to be domestic but he took his time with her. He brought her heaven on earth. The glow that Evelyn walked around with wasn’t from some a-1Kush or the money in her account it was because she had fell completely in love with her best friend.

Evelyn looked at him and with so much sincerity in her voice she asked, “You can’t leave me…what is life without you?”

Chapter 1

“White?” Daniel asked visibly confused.

Evelyn dropped her head and walked off her 30th birthday was ruined and she couldn’t stand to be around Daniel or her annoying ass sisters at the time.

Daniel grabbed her hand; there was no way he was letting Evelyn get off that easy she had some serious explaining to do.

“White? When they see me, they see that I’m white. Why is that?” Daniel questioned. Evelyn looked at him, her eyes begging for understanding but the only thing that greeted her was pain.

Daniel’s family and friends loved and adored her despite being an African-American woman; they didn’t see color when they looked at Evelyn or any other black person for that matter. Evelyn was accepted for who she was.

“It’s my birthday please don’t do this, I just want one happy birthday” she begged. Evelyn didn’t care how selfish she sounded, no one knew the pain she experienced every year on her birthday, the day that she lost her child and lover all in one moment. Evelyn needed this one day to be about her. She would have to deal with Daniel’s feeling another time. He looked at her, surprised by her rudeness and cold demeanor but he didn’t beg for her time or attention, it wasn’t in him to do it tonight.

 Daniel wiped his forehead, where sweat beads had begun to form and he turned around to face her sisters who had been all ears. “I’m Daniel, Evelyn’s boyfriend of two years… it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I have heard so much about the both of you,” he said kindly.

 Elise and Gabrielle were taken back by his strong accent and beautiful smile; they both wondered how Evelyn always managed to capture the cuties, especially when all she wore was Timberlands boots and sweat pants.

Gabrielle spoke up first since Elise appeared speechless, “We have heard a lot about you as well Daniel, E-Money is happy with you” she over exaggerated just a tad bit.

Daniel was relieved to hear that he hadn’t been an unsolved mystery this whole time, he flashed them another million-dollar smile and Evelyn just knew her sisters were about to panic. Marcus and a few of the other goons present in the building came over and asked was there a problem. Daniel went to speak up but Evelyn hurriedly beat him to the punch.

“Yeah we are good, order another bottle it’s on me,” she told them and pulled Daniel away.

“I will be home in an hour,” she told him not making eye contact with him.

Daniel leaned his ear over to hers, it was very loud in the club and it was for this exact reason as to why he rarely went out.

Evelyn repeated herself for a second time but a little more louder, “I will be home in an hour,” she said

Daniel shook his head. Evelyn was confused so she asked, “What you shaking your head for?”

Daniel spoke, “Now, you owe me an explanation. Now” he commanded in a tone that she had never heard before.

Her panties were a tad bit wet by his demands but what daddy wanted, daddy got. Evelyn winked and told him that she had to go say goodbye.

Daniel puffed his chest out, “Make it quick”

She laughed; he was so cute when he thought he was in charge.

Elise pinched Evelyn, “Really E?” she asked.

“Shut up, yall be safe. I’m out” Evelyn told them. They knew better than to expect her to offer an explanation. Evelyn had always been a private woman and nothing was about to change now that Daniel’s identity had been revealed.

The car ride home was a silent one, Daniel hummed to the tunes of the radio and Evelyn wondered how many questions he planned on asking, hopefully not too many. Her life was one story that she wasn’t prepared to tell him about just yet, their relationship was finally on a steady pace and right now was the wrong time for chaos. Daniel was the only constant happy thing occurring in her life and he was all she had.

Daniel took a deep breath, which alerted Evelyn, she mumbled under her breath, “Let the questions begin”

Daniel grunted, “You damn right let the questions begin”

Evelyn sunk down in her chair, half of her wanted to reach over and pull his penis out of the confinement of the boxer briefs he wore and the other half-wanted to tell him to trust her. The less he knew the better off they would be in the end but she knew Daniel wouldn’t see it that way. He was a no secrets kind of man; Daniel had been completely upfront from the very beginning.

He looked over at his woman and even in the dark sadness was visibly written all over her face. Daniel didn’t know Evelyn’s issue with her birthday but he could admit that she had been counting down to her “Dirty 30” as she called it.

Daniel remained silent during the ride home; his silence frightened Evelyn she just prayed that she wasn’t dumped. When they arrived home and the garage came up. Daniel removed his seat belt and took the key out of the ignition.

“Let’s just enjoy your birthday/our vacation and discuss everything when we get back, how does that sound sweetheart?” Daniel asked.

Evelyn’s face lit up, she reached over and planted a big wet sloppy kiss on his cheek.

“I love you so much,” Evelyn said cheerfully.

“Evelyn you’re not hiding anything from me are you? Because my spirit is telling me that you are,” he admitted.

Evelyn held his face in her tiny hands, “You mean the world to me, I wouldn’t risk our love” she ignored his question but reassured him that everything was okay at the same time. Daniel figured she was drunk so he accepted her response and got out of the car.

“Are you packed?” Daniel asked.

Evelyn poured herself a glass of wine and fumbled with the speaker on the island in the kitchen, her birthday celebration would not be ending just because her man wanted her home with him.

She nodded her head, “I was packed when you told me you were taking me out of town, and I only packed two dresses that I’ve been dying to wear since you told me to only pack my pussy”

Daniel laughed, “I’m excited for our trip love,” he told her.

Evelyn found the perfect song, she swayed around the kitchen. Daniel finally was able to get a look at her now that he was calmer and his lady was looking magnificent.

“Wow you look amazing” he admired. Evelyn never opened her eyes, she was just happy that they were still together and that her sisters didn’t say too much in the club. She knew that things would be unfolding soon especially with her father requesting a visit from her and The Connect lingering in the background. Evelyn decided to face the bullshit upon her arrival back to the states but until then she would be enjoying every single moment of turning thirty.

“Do you hear me Evelyn?” Daniel asked again, getting closer. She felt passion oozing from his pores as he wrapped his arms around her waist and danced with her to the sultry sounds of Lauryn Hill. Evelyn was secretly a softie at heart; she loved her cookbooks and candles, and her soulful music.

“I hear your heartbeat,” she whispered. Daniel smiled; she was unaware of how she really made him feel. He felt so complete when he was in her presence and was counting the minutes and seconds until he got on one knee and made an honest woman out of him.

Evelyn inhaled when Daniel’s lips met her collarbone, her heart skipped a beat and her pussy jumped. The anticipation built up and she was eagerly waiting until his dick found its way to her honey love. Birthday sex…Evelyn wanted to hear the popular song, “Birthday Sex” by Jeremih. She wanted Daniel to stroke her to the beat; she desired to feel him in places she never felt before.

Evelyn slowly peeled out of her clothing and Daniel removed his.

“I’m starting to think that you don’t like bedroom sex any more,” Daniel teased.

Evelyn knew what he was referring too for the past few months, their sex life had increased. She had taken the couple to places they never thought they could go. Evelyn was pulling up wherever Daniel was and blessing him in the middle of the day. Lately, her hormones were so out of wack but Daniel was welcoming every wild and unplanned activity that she had up her sleeve.

“Gotta keep you on your toes old man” she joked back.

Daniel turned her around and bit her bottom lip, “You sure it’s not because you’re carrying my baby?” he asked.

Evelyn body tensed she pushed him away and turned her back to him, picking up her wine glass and gulping the remainder down.

“Evelyn I know how you feel about carrying a child again but I am here with you and the doctors NEVER said you wouldn’t carry again, they said it was a chance that you couldn’t. I serve a God…” he started.

She turned around with tears in her eyes and overwhelm with sadness, this was the one day that she did not want to be filled with emotion.

“It’s my birthday Daniel. It is my birthday,” she told him, pointing to her self and walking off. Why in the world did Evelyn think she could actually enjoy her 30th birthday? Who told her that it was okay for her to attempt to move on and forget about Paper and her unborn child? Daniel did not know the depth of what all she went through so she knew that she could not be angry with him but still…he was so persistent with trying to build this perfect fucking family. He wanted to be just like the other men in his family and circle of friends that it got on her nerves. Evelyn would never be like his mother, sisters or his dear old perfect grandmother. Evelyn didn’t have a college degree she had a criminal record. She didn’t have the Stepford Wife wardrobe, her closet was filled with shoeboxes of drug money and Timberland boots. Evelyn didn’t have the secret recipe to making a perfect lemon pound cake but she knew how to stretch a kilo of coke. Evelyn didn’t enjoy cleaning and folding clothes…Daniel still had so much to learn about her, he really did.

As predicted Daniel entered the bedroom, “Babe I didn’t mean to upset you, it was just a question” he told her, sitting on the bed and rubbing her shoulder.

“I’m good, just ready to get on the plane and lay out on the beach,” she told him.

Daniel was relieved that she hadn’t turned her dark side on.

“You do want a family with me one day right Evelyn?” he had to ask. Daniel wouldn’t be wasting any more valuable time with Evelyn. He was too old to be playing house with a grown woman. He desired marriage and more children and Evelyn was well aware of that.

“I wished you could have met my aunt, she would have loved you,” Evelyn told him.

“Your aunt? I thought your grandmother died,” he asked.

“I looked at her like a grandmother since mines didn’t have anything to do with us but she was technically my great aunt,” she told Daniel.

He nodded, “Why would you want me to meet her? Do you think she would have liked me?”  He questioned.

Evelyn smiled, little did Daniel knew, Aunt Boosie would have dragged Evelyn and Daniel to the courthouse herself. All she ever wanted for Evelyn was for happiness and peace; her biggest fear was Evelyn not having a life outside of the streets.

Evelyn and Daniel were always doing something adventurous but Evelyn’s favorite thing to do with her guy was pray. Daniel had no idea that some of those morning and nightly prayers kept Evelyn sane most days, especially during her father’s trial.

“She would have loved you” she said, Daniel reached down and kissed her full lips.

“Scoot over we have a flight to catch in a few hours,” he told her. Evelyn rolled her half-naked body over and made room for her man. She was looking forward to a fantastic seven-day vacation away from all the bullshit that life kept bringing her way.

The next morning she woke up to every single light in the house being on and burning her eyesight. “Babe we have to get going,” Daniel told her.

Evelyn pulled the covers back overhead all she needed was five more minutes of shut-eye.

Daniel moved around the room, gathering passports, a printout of their flight confirmation and hotel resort reservation.

Evelyn snored lightly and he snapped a picture of her in Black and White and posted it on Facebook, “Birthday girl isn’t in the best mood”

“Evelyn let’s goooo” Daniel said in his Daddy Day Care voice.

“Ughhhhh” she complained but did as he requested. She quickly handled her hygiene and slid into a Nike jogging suit.

     She was really looking forward to their trip; so much had been going on with Daniel opening the club and her bullshit with her family. This was one birthday she was determined to enjoy no matter what.

***

Evelyn stared at Daniel as he slept peacefully, this vacation was just what they needed and the amount of sex and liquor they had been consuming since landing on the private was ridiculous.

If they weren’t taking shots with the locals, Daniel was having Evelyn bent over in the hot sand. Just the mere thought of how good she made him feel had her getting aroused.

She kissed his nose and traced the outline of his handsome face with the tip of her fingernail. Evelyn kissed his lips softly causing Daniel to stir in his sleep.

She knew he was probably tired but she wanted more. Evelyn had to have him right now.

Daniel opened up one of his eyes, “E-Moneyyyyy I’m sleeping”

Evelyn busted out laughing, “Man stop calling me that,” she told him.

“E-Money he white!” Daniel mocked Evelyn’s sisters.

She shook her head, “My sisters do not sound like that” she told him, she couldn’t stop laughing.

Daniel opened both of his eyes, “Oh yes they do, you’re the total opposite” he said.

Evelyn sighed this was not something she wanted to discuss right now at all.

“I thought we agreed on taking a nap” he changed the subject knowing how Evelyn could clam up and ruin a perfect day.

Evelyn straddled his lap, “Ain’t no sleep bih” she teased.

Daniel reached up and kissed her lips.

“You haven’t had enough yet?” he fake humped her.

“I can never get enough of you,” she admitted.

Reaching down and planting soft kisses on his neck.

Daniel closed his eyes and allowed his girl to take him to higher heights, she had that effect.

Evelyn sat up and removed her pajama shirt, she stopped wearing panties to bed a long time ago it was no point in wearing them if Daniel enjoyed fingering her while they watched the news and other freaky shit he had up his sleeve.

Evelyn undressed Daniel’s polo pajama pants that she bought him before their trip.

“Thank you” she told him, kissing kisses from his hairy chest down to the tip of his deck.

“For what darling?” Daniel asked huskily.

Butterflies in his stomach began to dance; Evelyn used her tongue to get their middle of their day love session started.

Evelyn took her time bringing his dick to life with her tongue and the warmth of her mouth; only a little bit of saliva was added to wet his penis up while she stroked him with her mouth and hands.

Evelyn pulled his dick in and out of her mouth only using a little bit of force, “For loving someone like me,” she told him.

Daniel moaned not at how good the head was but how she was finally melting to his touch. He was cracking the code and removing the cold from around her heart.

Daniel was capturing Evelyn, causing her to break down so he could build her up as his wife and the mother of his children.

He didn’t want any more head; he wanted her pussy on his face.

He pulled her up, sat her on his mouth, and instantly began to suck and tease her clit.

Evelyn held her titties in her hand as her ass slowly bounced on Daniel’s face.

“Aah fuck Daniel,” she moaned.

“Aaahhhh” he made noises on her pussy causing her insides to rumble.

Evelyn knew she was about to cum, Daniel’s tong was so long and his lips were full.

Evelyn held on to the headboard as Daniel used his arms to hold her down over her face.

  She screamed, wincing in pain and pleasure, the intensity of the nut that was about to come out of her was causing her to go crazy.

Evelyn was trying her hardest to get off his face but she couldn’t, Daniel had the death grip on her.

“Fuckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk” she panted once she came long and hard and it was amazing.

“Ooh ooh” she tried to catch her breath.

Daniel laid her back down on the side of him, kissing her forehead and pulling her in closer.

“I love you,” he whispered in her ear.

“Love you more baby” she told him back and now was finally able to drift off to a peaceful sleep. As long as she had Daniel by her side, nothing else mattered.

Evelyn couldn’t believe the time had come for them to leave already; they were sitting at the airport waiting on their flight to board. Evelyn finally decided to power her phones back on and check back in with the world.

Daniel was drinking coffee and reading the New York Times.

Evelyn had a million messages from her sister wanting the tea and a few from her mother checking on her.

She called her mom back, “Hey mama” she said cheerfully.

“Is this Evelyn?” her mother checked her phone; she knew this wasn’t Evelyn sounding like an actual woman on the phone.

Evelyn laughed, “Honey what you doing?” she asked.

Elonda told her daughter, “nothing leaving a meeting... what’s the haps on the craps?”

“Meeting for what?’ she questioned.

“Mind your business; are you back from your trip?” Elonda asked.

“We at the airport now”

Elonda then said, “Okay well when you get back, and give me a call”

“Everything good?” she asked concerned.

“Yeah baby, I just want to talk to you, everything good. Yall be safe. When I’m going to meet that man?” Elonda asked.

Evelyn looked at Daniel.

“Soon ma, real soon” she said and they ended the call.

Daniel was different, she loved him though she understood him, she didn’t see race when she saw him.

Although it was obvious, they had different childhoods and upbringing none of that mattered.

Daniel was the love of her life and Evelyn thought she would never say those words but she did and she would yell it to the world…now that her daddy was locked away for life.

Daniel was now ready to the family thing and Evelyn was still unsure, Gabby would be able to fit in with his family perfectly but not Elise loud ghetto ass.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

Evelyn smiled, “you” she told him.

‘What about me?” he questioned.

“I’m just happy that’s all” she said and leaned her head over his shoulder and held his hand but Daniel didn’t hold hers back.

He tried but he couldn’t.

Evelyn noticed it and it wasn’t the first time either.

When they tried to put their luggage in the trunk this morning, Daniel struggled.

When he brushed his teeth this morning the toothbrush kept falling in the sink.

When they made love and Daniel attempted to hold his weight on his arms when he was on top of her he kept falling.

Something was wrong and whenever she tried to ask him, he would change the subject.

Evelyn looked at Daniel with worry in her eyes.

“Baby”

Daniel shook his head, “I’m fine,” he said, standing up and walking off.

Evelyn wanted to go after him but she knew he probably was embarrassed.

Daniel appeared damn near perfect he was like the ultimate repairperson. However, Evelyn was from the streets she could match signs and shit up as if it was nothing and put a puzzle together and something was wrong.

When they made it back home, Evelyn told Daniel she had to go check on a few things and go see her mother.

“You want me to grab dinner while I’m out?” she asked him.

Daniel’s mind was somewhere else.

“Baby?” she rubbed his back

Daniel moved out of her way.

“I will cook Evelyn,” he said.

“Are you sure Daniel, we’ve been flying all day, I can grab something” she suggested.

“I CAN FUCKING COOK, I’M NOT SICK” he yelled.

See, Evelyn wasn’t one of those women that cried and ran away at the hearing of a curse word.

Evelyn was the one that did the cursing, threatening, killing…..of course Daniel didn’t know all of that but still she wasn’t the one to be yelled at.

“Daniel watch your tone for real,” she warned.

He walked off leaving her in the kitchen by herself.

Her phone had been ringing like crazy, she had shit to handle.

Evelyn grabbed her helmet and hopped on her bike, knowing Daniel would be pissed if he saw her leave on that “fast thing” as he called it.

Evelyn rode through the hood, since her father was arrested the streets had been dry but Evelyn didn’t give a damn that shit was over with. She barely answered the trap phone anymore; Evelyn had some shit put up for a rainy day.  However, the amount of money she was sitting on she doubted if rainy days came any time soon.

Evelyn busted a U-turn in the middle of the street and went to check on her younger sisters.

When G was busted, Evelyn moved her sisters into a plush two-bedroom condominium downtown.

She used her key and entered the crib only to find Gabby baking red velvet cupcakes and other sweet shit.

“Why am I paying you to go to pharmacy school if you just gon-?” Evelyn stopped mid-sentence.

Remembering that Gabby was in pharmacy school.

Gabby was looking at her crazy.

“What?” gabby asked.

Evelyn dropped her helmet and went around the island to face Gabby.

“I need your help,” she said.

“With what E, you not saying nothing” she told her.

“I think Daniel is sick”

“Your white man?” gabby teased.

“Don’t do that”

“I’m just fucking with you but no seriously why didn’t you tell me I wouldn’t have judged you,” she told her big sister.

“Judge me for what? It’s nothing to judge, he’s white who cares,” she said.

“Well daddy would you know he hates…” Gabby started but Evelyn quickly said.

“Girl I almost said something anyway, I need your help, okay like his hands they’re not strong or something they’re always shaking and he can’t hold nothing. When he sleeps he sweats really badly and it’s like his mood changes out of nowhere” she rambled.

Gabby refused to be the bearer of bad news but she already knew what was happening with her sister’s lover, it was obvious that Daniel was making a better woman.

Gabby wasn’t even in medical school but with those symptoms it wasn’t rocket science at all.

She looked away and went back to whipping the icing for her red velvet cupcakes.

Gabby loved to bake, it was her therapy whenever she was stressing about school or feeling lonely from aborting her child and now being by herself.

Evelyn asked, “Gabby what it is?”

Gabby shook her head, “Just be happy you have someone that loves you sister for real,” she told her sadly.

“What does that mean?” she pleaded.

Gabby didn’t want this for her sister, nor did she want to say the wrong thing and Evelyn loses her mind and then nothing is wrong for him.

“I don’t want to say, I’m not a doctor E,” she reminded her sister.

“Yeah but you know way more than I do” Evelyn said.

Gabby looked around the counter for her ipad before handing it to Evelyn.

“Type in everything you just told me” she instructed.

Evelyn took a deep breath and typed in all of Daniel’s symptoms the ones that she noticed; there was no telling if it was more.

One point five seconds later, several articles popped up on the screen…

Evelyn looked up to Gabby, “Can he die?” she asked.

“I don’t really know E it depends on how bad it is, a lot of people live,” she told her.

“Why does this keep happening to me?” she asked, feeling defeated.

Evelyn was tired of this, what did she do so bad where happiness could never find her and stick with her?

It was as it just wanted to fuck with her, such as giving her a few years of pure bliss then as soon as she got comfortable and considered long-term plans, happiness was snatched from her.

This wasn’t fair.

She refused to cry or pout about a disease that wasn’t even diagnosed by a doctor.

“I gotta go” she told her sister.

“I’m sorry E,” Gabby said really meaning it.

Evelyn was in a hurry to now get home and just spend time with her man.

Elise stood in the hallway the entire time, never bothering to come in the kitchen and spend time with her older sister.

As soon as she left, she came in the kitchen.

“What’s wrong with her?” she acted clueless.

Gabby sighed, seeing her sister sad made her sad.

“Daniel is sick,” Gabby said.

Elise licked the icing bowl, “OH” she said dryly.

‘What you mean oh, you saw how that girl face lit up in the club,” Gabby said.

“Exactly what I said oh, you can’t expect to be going around killing folks and think God gone bless you with love” she said

Gabby couldn’t believe her sister had just said that.

“She did that to provide for us, you better look the fuck around” gabby reminded her.

“Like I said...OH” Elise spat and went back to her room.

In her eyes, Evelyn got what she deserved.

When Evelyn got back home, she parked her motorcycle on the side of the house and entered through the side door careful not to fuck with Daniel’s garden.

When she came into the house, it was dark but a few candles here and there guiding her to the dining room, along with the sultry and deep voice of Adele.

Evelyn wasn’t expecting something like this.

When she walked into the dining room, Daniel stood and smiled.

“Did I tell you I love you today?”He asked.

Tears fell down her face; she couldn’t lose him she just couldn’t.

“Nope” she teased.

Daniel came towards her, hugged her, and planted a tender kiss on her lips.

“I love you E-Money,” he said.

Evelyn laughed in the midst of her tears.

Daniel eyes held so much passion and she prayed that he wasn’t sick.

Before she knew it, the man had dropped to his knees and pulled out a velvet box.

Evelyn covered her mouth with her hands.

Marriage?

Daniel told her, “You and I both know that you are pregnant, so can you do me the honors of marrying me before my baby comes?”

Evelyn laughed.

“I am not but I will still marry you,” she told him.

Daniel stood to his feet, breathing a little hard but she didn’t care, she loved him so much.

Evelyn kissed his lips passionately.

“You sure you wanna marry me?” she asked just to be sure.

Evelyn wasn’t like most women she was changing but for the most part, she was still very rough around the edges

“I can’t see myself with nobody else,” he told her truthfully.

Chapter 2

“You want me to what?” Evelyn was unsure if she heard Marcus correctly.

“Give me the plug number man the streets dry out here, I’m cool with you retiring and all but I’m still hungry” he said.

Evelyn asked, “Who said I retired?”

“Don’t play me like I don’t know what the fuck is up, the streets is talking home girl” Marcus told her.

Evelyn didn’t know how to take what he said.

“I don’t have the info on the plug, why won’t you go see my daddy,” she questioned.

Marcus was three seconds from killing this lying bitch.

“Yo, E you know well and damn well its bad luck to visit a nigga in jail” Marcus wanted her to stop playing him.

“I don’t know what answer you’re looking for, I don’t know the plug but you can cop some work from me,” she suggested.

Marcus smirked; he knew she was sitting on some work.

“Where it’s at?” he asked.

Evelyn wasn’t born yesterday, Marcus was trying to play her and she wasn’t in the mood for this shit today.

“Marcus call me when you actually got something to talk about, I don’t come to the hood for games,” she told him standing up.

Before he could pull his gun out of his waist, Evelyn already pumped his stomach twice.

Sharp shooter, she had always been one.

“Marcus don’t fuck with me you and I both know I’m not the one,” she told him seriously.

“Bitch you mind as well kill-" He went to threaten her but it was too late Evelyn was done talking.

She wiped down everything that she touched and dipped.

She was actually grateful that Marcus insisted on meeting her in one of the old trap houses that G bought.

The neighborhood was deserted.

Evelyn said fuck the speed limit and made it to the other side of town quickly, stopping at Wendy’s to order something to eat then she went to Wal-Mart   for nothing in particular she just needed an alibi and receipts to prove that she wasn’t nowhere near the crime scene if the police suspected her involvement in his death.

The girl at the checkout counter asked Evelyn, “Is that blood on your shirt?” she asked.

Evelyn said, “Paint from my daughter daycare” she said.

The girl smiled, “Girl I know how that be”

Evelyn grabbed the receipt and hopped in her truck.

Daniel had hit her line a few times and she went to call him back.

“Babe where are you?” he asked.

Evelyn was confused as to why he was asking her whereabouts he never did shit like that.

“Just got done showing a house why what’s up?” she asked him.

Daniel’s breathing was loud over the phone.

“Evelyn your doctor appointment is today, how did you forget? I’ve been reminding you all week” he scolded.

Evelyn looked down at her clothes she had just killed a nigga.

“I forgot,” she said.

Daniel told the nurse something, “They have an opening at five, meet me at the house then we can come back up here together” he said and hung up before she could protest.

Daniel wasn’t stunting nothing Evelyn was saying, she was going to the doctor so they could confirm what he already knew. Evelyn was carrying his child.

She hit the steering wheel, she wasn’t in the mood to go through this again but she knew Daniel would be tripping if she flexed on him.

Evelyn made it to the house before him, after discarding of her clothes and throwing them into a plastic bag and throwing it in the back of the closet, she ran a bubble bath.

Evelyn loved her bubble baths and what other way to calm your nerves after a killing than taking a hot and steamy bubble bath.

Daniel peeped in the bathroom and smiled at his woman, enjoying her day doing nothing being lazy.

“Mid day relaxation?” he asked.

Evelyn nodded her head but she never opened her eyes or acknowledged him.

Daniel knew how Evelyn was when she wanted to be alone so he closed the door and went to work in his home office.

He was delighted to see her wearing the engagement ring, it looked magnificent on her finger. The three-carat ring was simple and delicate, fitting Evelyn perfectly.

His family was so happy for them and told Daniel to not take forever to marry her, she was a jewel in their eyes.

Evelyn didn’t break the news to anyone in her family yet, she didn’t know if they would be happy or not. The person that everyone expected to probably be alone forever was the one actually living and enjoying life.

Daniel saw his doctor calling and he ignored the call.

The doctor had been calling him for weeks ready to discuss the results but he chose to stay blind about what he already knew was wrong.

Daniel was a forty-three year old man who could barely bend over to tie his shoes…something had happened to him and he didn’t know when or why.

Evelyn stayed in the tub until her fingers shriveled up like prunes.

When she came downstairs to get Daniel so they could leave, he was sleeping in his office chair.

Evelyn sat in his lap waking him up.

He smiled and kissed her nose.

“Can we talk?” she asked.

Daniel was so surprised at how the tables were now turning, it was him always begging to talk but little miss Evelyn had sparked their conversations, wow.

“Yes” he told her.

“Is everything okay and do not lie to me,” she told him.

Daniel sighed.

“I don’t know,” he told her.

“You don’t know what Daniel?”

He looked up at the ceiling then he directed his attention on a photo of him, Tristan and Evelyn at the park one day last year.

“I went and had some tests ran a few weeks ago,” he finally told her.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked.

“Evelyn we both know that there are some things we both need to be honest about” he looked dead at her.

Evelyn wasn’t about to bow down though.

“What were the results?”

He told her the truth, “too scared to go back up there been dodging their calls”

Evelyn laid her head on his shoulder.

“We have to know what’s going on, just in case there is time to fix it babe,” she said.

“I want to marry you and I want more children,” he admitted.

Evelyn sat up and held his face in her hands, “and what makes you think those things won’t happen” she asked.

Tears welled up in Daniel’s eyes, ‘some mornings I feel like I’m about to die”

Evelyn closed her eyes trying her hardest not to cry with him but his confession just broke her fucking heart.

“Oh Daniel” she sighed.

Daniel allowed the tears to fall from his face; he didn’t have to hold it in anymore. She now knew everything about him.

“Come on let’s get to the doctor” he told her, patting her leg so she could get up.

Evelyn felt horrible here she was hoping that she wasn’t pregnant but now she was praying that she was indeed pregnant, she and Daniel needed something to be happy about.

“Well well what do we have here, Evelyn you are eleven weeks pregnant” The doctor clapped.

She was Daniel’s childhood friend and was happy for her friend.

Daniel wept and so did Evelyn.

“You are in good health and so is your baby, I’m going to get these printed for yall” she told the couple and left the room.

Daniel kissed Evelyn and rubbed her stomach after Evelyn wiped the gel off.

“What do you want a boy or a girl?” Daniel asked.

   Evelyn quickly said, “A boy I’m not fooling with no girls” she told him.

Daniel laughed, “I would love to see a little E-Money running around the house”

Evelyn didn’t agree, she was a monster growing up.

Evelyn just prayed that their children had his family’s kind ways, heart, and not hers.

Evelyn couldn’t recall a time where she seen her family do family shit, they went to the strip club and to the casino, In G’s eyes that was considered quality time.

Daniel was elated.

“Come on, let’s go home I’m tired” he told her.

Evelyn was praying that whatever was going on with her man it wasn’t too detrimental.

When they made it back home, Evelyn made Daniel a cup of hot tea and chilled with him until he dozed off then she went to sit in the living room.

Evelyn wished she had people to call and share her good news with but no one crossed her mind.

She would tell her mother in person and her sisters….she didn’t know if she wanted them to know just yet.

Evelyn shook her head at how this day went from her killing a motherfucker to finding out that in a few months she would be welcoming her baby into this cruel dark world.

Evelyn knew she had to cover her tracks and make sure any beef that her father had wouldn’t come to haunt her or her family.

Claudia crossed Evelyn’s mind, although Evelyn wasn’t the friendliest Claudia was cool as hell in her book and she helped her out when she needed it the most.

Evelyn called Claudia to share her good news.

She was a little jealous watching Daniel scroll through his favorites calling of his best buds and family members to tell them that Evelyn and he was expecting.

“Hi chic” Claudia said cheerfully.

“Hey girl you crossed my mind” Evelyn said.

“That’s a good thing! How are you, how is Danny?” she asked.

“We’re good we’re good, expecting” she slid it in.

“Get the hell out of here E, are you serious? Oh my, Congrats. How soon? We gottta get this baby shower together” she said happily.

Evelyn knew she called Claudia for a reason, she never did shit like baby showers and stuff but she wanted too.

She wanted her pregnancy to be a joyous occasion.

“We haven’t got that far, but I would love a baby shower. I’m due in December,” she told her.

“Perfect timing winter wonderland theme, ooh I’m excited,” she screamed.

Evelyn laughed.

“Sounds good to me as long as we got some good dessert,” Evelyn added.

“I’m about to walk into the gym I’ll be in touch, hug Daniel for me and my niece or nephew,” she said.

Evelyn told her goodbye and ended the call.

She just prayed that when she told her family they acted the same way but her hopes wasn’t up at all.

***

“Tristan are you going to share a pizza with me?” Evelyn turned around and asked her bookie Tristan.

Tristan nodded his head he was too busy playing games on his Ipad.

Daniel’s truck swerved into another lane and they damn near crashed.

“Daniel!” Evelyn yelled.

Daniel rubbed the side of his head.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Daniel told her, “Yeah sit back I took my eyes off of the road for a second”

Evelyn was worried about him, this morning when she woke up, he was struggling to get off the toilet seat, she had to come over and help him.

She kept asking about the doctor and when was he going to call back but he brushed her off, only wanting to discuss things about their unborn child.

Evelyn was on the verge of telling him he didn’t go to the damn doctor he wouldn’t be alive to see their child being born but she knew that would crush his soul.

Daniel’s vision suddenly went black and the truck swerved to the left, slamming into the median…

“WHERE THE FUCK IS MY SISTER?” Elise banged on the desk at the hospital.

Gabby asked her to calm down and speak in a civilized tone.

Elonda was sitting in the lobby with Daniel’s family, embarrassed as hell.

 She wouldn’t take the blame for her daughter’s ghetto ways because she had no part in raising Elise fast ass.

“Gabrielle” Elonda called her daughter’s name.

She was too tired to get up, when she got the news that Evelyn and her boyfriend was involved in an accident she damn near lost it, on top of getting to the hospital and seeing a waiting room full of white people praying for Evelyn and Daniel and his son.

“Ma” Gabby came over.

Elise rolled her eyes, “How did you get here before us? Who called you?” she asked.

Daniel’s mother was surprised to see Evelyn’s sister talk so nasty to her mother but she kept her mouth shut.

“Please sit down this is a hospital not the club,” she hissed.

“Who the fuck you talking too?” Elise asked.

Daniel’s grandmother was appalled.

Daniel’s little nieces and nephews rarely heard curse words they covered their ears quickly and laid their heads in their parent’s laps.

Gabby pulled Elise away and got her together very quick.

Elise was pissed; she walked off tired of everybody treating her like a child.

Gabby came back over, “I’m sorry, she just feels like she’s losing everybody…is she…is Evelyn okay” she asked, worried.

Elonda told her they didn’t know much as of right now.

Gabby then noticed all of the white people assuming they were Daniel’s family.

Gabby stared and Elonda pulled her to the chair next to her.

“Yall act like yall don’t have no home training” she shook her head.

The doctor came out shortly after and gave an update but everyone seems to only be worried about one thing after hearing that everyone was okay.

“Is the baby okay?” Daniel’s sister asked.

The doctor nodded, “Baby’s heartbeat is still very strong. Mommy is doing well too”

Daniel’s family began to praise God, while Elonda and Gabby were lost and confused.

“Evelyn is pregnant?” Gabby asked with tears in her eyes.

Daniel’s best friend Brandon answered her question.

“You didn’t know?”

Daniel’s mother tried to clear it up, “Well they just found out a month ago”

Gabby repeated, “a month ago…wow” she said and walked off.

Elonda didn’t bother going after her, she totally understood why Evelyn kept it herself and she wasn’t mad at all.

A nurse came and said that they could go see them now; Elonda was the only person who went to Evelyn’s room.

Evelyn was okay besides a few scars that would take some time to heal Daniel had a broken arm while Tristan would have probably have a gash for the rest of his life.

“Mama” Evelyn said.

Elonda smiled.

“Baby girl you good?” she asked.

“Yeah just a headache” she told her mother.

"How is my grandchild?” Elonda asked genuinely concerned.

Evelyn looked up Elonda told her, “His family was more worried about the baby than yall”

“They’re really spiritual people” she defended them.

“Hmm hmm, how far are you?” she asked.

“Few months not far at all” Evelyn told her.

“I’m happy for you pumpkin you deserve all of this,” Elonda said.

Evelyn held her hand for her mother, “thank you I was going to tell you I just wanted to wait until we can get together face to face I’ve been so busy” she said.

Elonda told her no problem but she did warn her, “Your sisters cut a damn fool in here”

Evelyn shook her head that was typical of Elise but Gabby. She was surprised.

Across the hall, Daniel’s family cried at the news they received.

It was now confirmed. Daniel was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

His mother refused to hear the news she left out of the room.

Daniel kept his eyes closed as his sister who was a doctor as well asked several questions.

“So will he be able to walk, I know did I research program in college, where people with MS couldn’t talk or swallow because of the inflammation on the brain. Then they couldn’t hear, control the bladder or anything” she asked.

Daniel’s father shouted, “Dorian! Stop it right now just stop it” it was as if Daniel’s father was the only person who understood that this was just too much for him right now.

 Daniel was already feeling bad for driving knowing that his vision had been blurry all day; he could have killed his son, fiancé and unborn child.

“Is it aggressive?” Daniel’s brother asked.

The doctor said, “No not right now what Daniel has is called secondary progressive which means the symptoms come and go, some days he can wake up feeling amazing while other days he will wake up and can’t move his arm or legs nor feel them”

“So what do we now?” Daniel’s grandmother asked.

“Live as comfortable as possible, we can give you either oral, injection or infused medications to reduce the progression of the relapses but they are coming they will come” the doctor stated seriously.

Daniel never looked at the doctor, never opened his eyes. His mind was back on the beach with Evelyn, he just prayed that he was able to take her on more vacations.

Daniel didn’t want to die or give up and he was a natural warrior, he planned to kick MS ass just not today or right now, he was tired as hell.

“I’m tired,” Daniel mumbled.

“What son?” his father asked.

“I am ti-“he said, before chewing down on his tongue.

"Oh my god” Daniel’s grandmother yelled.

Dorian ,Daniel’s sister ran over to control the seizure the doctor moved her out of the way, according to hospital policy she couldn’t do that even if she was licensed.

“That’s my brother!"She cried, turning to her husband as she sobbed.

This was some of the worst news the McArthur family had ever received in their life, no one died in their family, nothing bad happened neither did they argue.

The McArthur Family was happy people, full of joy and forever praying and giving back to the community.

 Daniel’s family celebrated everything, when the kids lost a tooth or won a soccer game, it was pizza and ice cream night. Everyone gathered every Sunday and every other Wednesday for family night, Daniel’s diagnosis was a shock.

Everyone turned their head praying that this too would pass, he was finally learning to live for himself and had met a very nice girl, proposed to her and now had a baby on the way.

Why did bad things always happen to good people? It wasn’t fair.

The next morning, Evelyn checked on Tristan and finally was able to meet Daniel’s ex-wife and she was cool.

Evelyn was happy about that, she saw how many dudes dealt with baby mama drama in the hood and she promised herself it would never be her.

Evelyn made her way to her man’s hospital room his handsome face was covered in scars and it was beet red, his nose appeared broken.

Daniel smiled and waved her over with all of the strength that he could muster up.

Evelyn kissed his lips not caring that his teeth weren’t brushed.

“How did you sleep?” Daniel asked.

"I was so doped up I don’t remember,” she admitted.

“Evelyn” Daniel said her name.

Evelyn looked at him.

“I’m sorry, I would never intentional put you and Tristan in harm, please forgive me,” he asked.

Evelyn loved this man so much, “babe why are you apologizing I’m just happy we are still here together,” she said.

Daniel needed to tell her he just didn’t want too, he knew Evelyn loved him but he was scared that Evelyn would back out of marrying him and he had to marry her.

“I love you,” he told her.

Evelyn knew it was more to what he wanted to say but she trusted Daniel and in due time she would know it all just like there were some things she needed to share with him too…one day.

Once they were discharged from the hospital, Daniel’s best friend gave them a ride home and Daniel stayed outside a little longer to chop it up with his homeboy.

“You told her?” he asked.

Daniel shook his head.

“Why do I feel like you have been known about this?’ Brandon asked.

Daniel ignored him.

“Thanks for the ride man” he told him and went in the house.

“Steak for dinner?” Evelyn held up two frozen steaks that she pulled from the freezer.

“I don’t have an appetite babe, I’m about to lie down for a second” he told Evelyn.

She didn’t say anything; she laid the steaks out in a large bowl and ran hot water over them before sitting them on the counter.

Evelyn gave Daniel space while she chilled in the living room watching her favorite movie, Paid in Full, something’s would never change about Evelyn and she loved her hood movies.

Daniel woke up and saw that he was sleeping alone so he went downstairs to see his fiancé kicking back.

“How is the baby?” Daniel asked, taking a seat next to her.

“He is fine,” she told him.

Evelyn wasn’t even showing yet let alone feeling anything but she wouldn’t dare tell Daniel that.

“Evelyn we need to talk, not today or tomorrow but we do need to talk baby,” he told her.

She understood him totally, Evelyn got closer to him and snuggled.

“What are we watching?” he asked.

“The Player’s Club” she told him, starting the movie over.

“Never heard of it,” he said.

“Oh baby you’re in for a treat” she smiled.

Evelyn and Daniel brought different things to each other, he was teaching her how to garden and most importantly seek God and Evelyn had him rocking Adidas sweat suits and watching all the hood classics.

Perfect couple in her eyes.

The duo stayed in the house for a few days, not much sex took place but a whole bunch of sleeping and much needed quality time.

 It felt weird when Daniel told Evelyn he was going to handle business and would be home later.

“You’re leaving?” she asked, not thinking he was ready to be driving.

“Yeah we been in the house for days, I gotta go make the bacon” he told her.

Evelyn suggested driving him around today.

“Don’t start E” Daniel told her.

“Start what? I’m not comfortable with you driving Daniel you can’t blame me for that” she fussed.

Daniel walked out of the bathroom where they both wore and grabbed his phone off the nightstand.

“Daniel” she called his name.

“I am okay” he told her and kept walking.

Evelyn didn’t want it to be an argument every time she tried to help him; if this was the case then they had a very long way to go.

Daniel struggled to turn the key in the ignition but after five minutes, he was able to get the truck on and out of the garage.

He said a silent prayer that he would be safe today on the streets and highways, not wanting to prove Evelyn right.

On days like this when Evelyn was alone she missed her auntie; Evelyn would go sit with her and do nothing but eat and watch the stories.

With family on her mind, she called her mother.

“Yes little girl” Elonda answered the phone.

“Where you at?” she asked.

“Out and about, you need something?” Elonda asked.

Evelyn was surprised to hear her mother ask did she need something instead of the way around.

“No I just wanted company,” she pouted.

“Where is Brad Pitt?” Elonda teased.

Evelyn laughed, “ha ha not funny, he’s at work” she told her mother.

“Ohhh so what you want me to do?” Elonda asked.

“Come over and bring me a sweet tea from McDonalds,” she said

“Oh you must be in a good mood I get invited to the palace” Elonda joked.

“Sending you the address now! Bye” Evelyn said and hung the phone up.

Evelyn went a further step and called her sister Gabby, but was shocked to see that her phone was going straight to voicemail.

Evelyn called a few more times before pulling out her other phone and dialing Gabby phone and she answered.

“Oh you blocked me?” Evelyn asked.

Gabby acted clueless, “who is this?”

“Girl don’t play dumb with me,” Evelyn snapped.

“What do you want?”

“Why did you block me?’

“How you could not tell me or Elise that you were pregnant,” she asked.

“Yall didn’t give me time”

“But his family knew!”

“Our family is totally different than his,” she informed her.

“Why? Cus we not white and don’t wear matching sweaters” gabby snapped.

Evelyn didn’t appreciate her comment at all, “that’s so uncalled for”

“You know everybody was saying you changed but I didn’t see it until now, you not the same at all,” gabby said, now convinced.

Evelyn hung the phone up; Gabby didn’t fuck around in the hood like Elise did so she knew that was her devilish kid sister or worse her father putting those thoughts in her head.

Evelyn couldn’t get worked up about that, she had enough on her plate right now as it is, she would reach out to her sister in a couple of days but after that she wouldn’t be kissing ass.

Evelyn lived her whole life for her family and no one would make her feel selfish or crazy for finally doing her own thing.

Evelyn and her mother enjoyed themselves so much to the point that when Daniel made it home with roses for Evelyn she didn’t even hear the alarm chime.

Evelyn was lying with her head in her mother’s lap, Daniel turned the light on in the den and she popped up but smiled when she saw Daniel.

“Hi babe” she said cheerfully.

“Hello” he said back.

“This is my mother, mama this is my fiancé Daniel,” she told her mom.

“Hi Daniel it’s a pleasure to meet you” Elonda said.

Daniel came over and bent down hugging Elonda and kissing Evelyn.

“How was your day? “Evelyn asked.

“Tiring, I’m about to shower and lay down. Nice meeting you, I’m usually a chatter box Ms. Elonda just tired today,” Daniel said.

She hated to her man not so full of energy and charisma.

When he went upstairs, Elonda told Evelyn, “Honey that man look like he about to fall over, let me make it to my side of town before it get too dark”

Evelyn didn’t protest, “Thank you for coming over mama for real” she said

Elonda smiled, Evelyn had no idea how much today had meant to her.

“No baby girl don’t be thanking me, I be needing something to do to stay out of that house, devils in there and I’m trying my hardest to do right” Elonda admitted.

Evelyn didn’t know her mother still stayed there.

“You’re clean all the way?” Evelyn asked.

Elonda wouldn’t lie to her child, “Just about, I still smoke weed that probably ain’t gon' ever stop now”

Evelyn laughed, “I feel you trust me” Evelyn told Daniel that if she had to stop smoking then so did he.

“I’m free tomorrow we can go get you somewhere to stay ma” she told her mom

Elonda was actually relieved that Evelyn suggested it instead of her having to ask her daughter for anything.

Elonda smiled and kissed her cheek.

“Get you some rest” Elonda said before Evelyn closed the front door, turned the alarm on, and shut the house down before retreating upstairs with her man.

Daniel was just getting out of the shower when Evelyn came in the room.

“You look just like your mother baby,” he told her, yawning.

"You think so?" I think Elise does”

“That’s the youngest one right?” Daniel asked.

Evelyn told him yes.

“I want a girl,” Daniel told her once they got in bed and wrapped up in each other’s arms.

“Hell no” Evelyn mumbled.

Daniel didn’t say much after that, his breathing was short and Evelyn was scared to go to sleep.

 It was still so early in the night, no later than seven thirty but Daniel was knocked out.

She stayed close to him, loving the scent on his body and his handsome face looked perfect especially since the sun was just now setting and the curtains on their windowpanes were sheer.

Evelyn prayed over her man before closing her eyes trying to at least doze off.

Her phone vibrated on the nightstand and she hurried to answer it so Daniel wouldn’t wake up.

Evelyn answered without even looking at the caller ID but an operator’s voice was heard.

“You have a collect call from….”

“Pick up the damn phone you little snitch” G voice roared.

Chapter 3

Evelyn and Daniel were in the kitchen doing things they had no busy doing, but that’s normally when the best sex occurred.

“Daniel shit” she moaned as her fiancé ate the P out of her pussy.

Daniel loved when she screamed his name, her legs in the air and his tongue fucking her pussy hole, this was how you were supposed to start a Monday morning.

“Aah aaah yesss baby yes yesss” Evelyn couldn’t take it anymore.

Daniel brought her to a climax for the second time in the last ten minutes and Evelyn was now ready to be fucked for breakfast.

The stove and oven had been turned off, half-baked biscuits and limp bacon didn’t sound delicious at all.

Daniel stood on his feet and wiped his face; Evelyn looked down at his penis and wondered what happened.

Daniel looked embarrassed, he stroked himself but nothing was happening.

He was horny, his hormones were raging and the love of his life was laying on the kitchen island naked and looking amazing as ever but his dick was not working.

“It’s okay babe” she told him, closing her legs and sitting up.

Daniel was so frustrated he knocked the coffee mug on the floor.

Evelyn wanted to console him but she couldn’t do that because he refused to talk to her about what was going on.

Daniel pulled his shorts over his waist and told Evelyn had a meeting to get to.

“Baby” she called out after him but he was too embarrassed to face her.

Daniel went upstairs quickly to brush his teeth and wash his face and was out of the door in less than five minutes.

Evelyn wasn’t giving up on Daniel, but he was damn sure giving up on himself.

Her phone rang and it was her father for the millionth time.

Since Daniel wasn’t there, she answered the phone and accepted the call.

“WHAT WHAT WHAT DO YOU WANT?” she asked.

G’s evil laugh came over the phone and it sent chills down her spine. It had been so long since she heard his voice.

“Just tell me that you did this because I killed that little fuck Paper,” he asked.

Evelyn hadn’t heard his name in so long.

Paper

Paper

Paper

“What are you talking about?” she was going to play dumb with his ass just as he used to do.

“You know E, I been sitting in here day in and out trying to see who the fuck told them certain shit, I said damn that nigga Black turned on me, then I said nah it was probably Marcus. But it was one thing...one thing baby girl that was in my file nobody knew but you. And I said aww my damn my own child snitched on me” G said.

Evelyn’s heartbeat increased.

“I gotta go,” she told him.

G added, “Send me pictures of my grandbaby when it come” and hung the phone up in her face.

She knew that was a threat but G also knew that Evelyn was the wrong bitch to fuck up and before he even thought to bring harm to anyone close to her he better come correct.

G already took the man she thought she knew and loved away, she would be damned if Daniel was caught up in her bullshit.

Evelyn wasn’t going to let her daddy piss her off; she went to take a bubble bath to cleanse her body and honestly her soul too.

***

“Evelyn so you say you’re the oldest right?” Dorian, Daniel’s sister asked Evelyn.

She nodded her head and told her yes.

“So many personalities in one house I could only imagine what it was like for you growing up” she said.

Evelyn didn’t understand her comment or why she even brought her family up especially at Sunday dinner.

Evelyn placed a spoonful of dirty rice in her mouth and proceeded to chew it.

Dorian continued with her questions, “And what do your parents do again?” she asked.

Evelyn looked at Daniel, but he said nothing.

“My father is an entrepreneur and my mother doesn’t work” she answered her question.

“But they aren’t married correct?”

Evelyn wasn’t one to bite her tongue nor was she about to sit up here and be ridiculed.

“What do you really want to ask me?”

Daniel now looked at Evelyn and he squeezed her thigh under the table but she moved from his touch.

“Oh, nothing just was trying to put a few things together that’s all sweetie” she said.

Evelyn smiled and continued eating her dinner when she was done, she whispered in Daniel’s ear that she was ready to go and as tired, as he was he didn’t protest.

“Leaving already son?” Daniel’s mother asked.

Daniel told her he was feeling tired and needed to lie down.

“When is your next appointment I can definitely make this one” she asked her son.

Daniel looked at her to be quiet but Evelyn didn’t miss it all. She decided to remain silent until they were by themselves.

In addition, as soon as they said their goodbyes and got in the car.

Evelyn asked, “Why do I feel like I’m the only person who doesn’t know what’s going on with you?”

Daniel sighed, it was Sunday, today was Sunday on top of feeling like cement blocks had been placed on his arms and legs it was Sunday and all he wanted to do was go home, have a glass of wine and relax.

“Not today” he told her, yawning.

“Well when Daniel?” she pleaded.

“Soon” he answered her question praying that she would just let it go.

“Daniel...” she said his name again.

Daniel banged on the console, ‘not fucking today okay not today”

Evelyn knew immediately that this might not be working out.

Whenever she tried to be there for him, talk to him, love him, hold him, be the woman God called her to be FOR Him; he pushed her away, yelled at her, cursed her name and did other awful things that wasn’t like Daniel.

He was changing right before her eyes, gentleness was leaving his body and evilness was overtaking him.

Evelyn had her share of negative people and no longer would she be surrounded by them

If Evelyn wanted to feel down every single minute of the day, she would go parlay around her hating ass sisters.

Once they made it home, Evelyn packed a small bag of the things that she really needed.

“E don’t do this,” Daniel asked, when he finally made it upstairs and saw that she was preparing to go.

Evelyn ignored him, now he wanted to talk…but it was too late she had nothing to say.

“Evelyn” he called her name.

“Don’t pacify me now,” she told him sarcastically.

"You don’t understand,” he told her.

Evelyn knew Daniel ass was going to flip this around on her but she wasn’t going. Her mind was made up to leave and go to her own house and that’s what the fuck she was going to do.

“You’re right I don’t understand because you don’t give me the opportunity to try to understand “she said shaking her head and zipping the bag up.

“I am sick Evelyn I am sick,” he said, coughing.

See, Evelyn had checked out for a few seconds and E-Money had appeared.

She looked at him with rejection and hurt in her eyes.

“Tell me something I don’t know” she said and walked out of the room leaving Daniel by his lonesome.

Evelyn hadn’t slept by herself in so long; it felt weird climbing in bed without Daniel welcoming her with open arms

However, they needed space, she needed time to think and Daniel needed to miss her.

She was a true believer of absence makes the heart grow fonder and Daniel had began to take her love for granted.

Evelyn had did the ultimate 180 for him and he didn’t recognize it or appreciate the change.

Evelyn was pregnant with his child, she told him yes to becoming his wife yet he had been talking to her like a bitch he was just fucking.

Evelyn had been there, done that, and refused to do it again.

She took a deep breath and rubbed her slowly growing stomach and said, “God fix this situation” before finally drifting off to sleep.

The next morning, Evelyn woke up to an empty bed forgetting that she was in her own home.

Her heart and body craved for Daniel but her pride kept her from dialing his phone just to hear his sultry voice say good morning baby I love you.

Evelyn had a few things that needed to be handled, so she took a bubble bath and was out of the door in no time.

The first stop on her to-do list was to cop her mom somewhere to live; Evelyn appreciated her mother’s effort to get clean and try to stay clean so she would do her part in making sure she was free from temptation.

Evelyn knew how hard it was to try to stay from around people who lived the old life you used to live, especially when you were trying to progress and they weren’t.

She battled with that every day when it came to her sisters.

Evelyn’s mind traveled to Gabby and Elise, despite how they felt about her not telling them she was pregnant, Evelyn was all they had and when all else failed they were all she had too.

Family was everything and as the oldest of the bunch, she was making it a top priority to repair her broken relationship with her little sisters.

Evelyn handled everything she needed to do all before noon.

Daniel was still very much on her mind and she wanted to shake his ass but couldn’t.

She took a deep breath before calling him and he answered on the second ring.

“Come home E” he told her.

Evelyn smacked her lips.

“Are you going to stop yelling at me like I’m your child?” she asked.

“It won’t happen again” he told her.

Evelyn smiled, missing his voice, his touch …his mere existence.

“I’m on the way, do you need something?” she asked him.

“Some weed” Daniel admitted.

Evelyn laughed, “I thought we were doing a nine month cleanse”

“Nah you don’t have a choice I do, bring me some of that good shit,” he told her.

“Got you babe” she said and disconnected the call.

Evelyn made a phone call to the hood and she copped her baby a 3.5 before heading home.

When she walked through the door from the garage to the kitchen, she called his name out.

“Here I come,” he told her.

Evelyn sat her purse on the counter along with her gun and phones.

She took a seat at the kitchen table and began breaking down the weed for Daniel.

Her pussy started jumping at how good the weed smelled, she already knew she would be rolling up as soon as her baby entered the world.

Evelyn had been smoking since she was in high school, she didn’t have the type of parents that everybody else did.

Evelyn had a gun at sixteen and a foreign whip, she was rolling blunts in the ninth grade and breaking down pounds at seventeen.

As much as she hated her daddy, he made her the self-made woman she was now, God forbid if Daniel had to stop working Evelyn wasn’t worried at all, not only did she have tons of money put up but also she was a hustler by nature.

If Evelyn didn’t know anything else in life, the bitch knew how to get some fucking money.

Daniel came downstairs and kissed her cheek.

“Missed you last night” he admitted.

“You didn’t call me though” she shot back.

“I fell asleep,” he said.

“Hmm hmm” she said, licking the blunt to conceal it.

“Let’s talk” Daniel told her.

Evelyn nodded her head and handed him the blunt.

“I have MS,” he said.

Evelyn waited on him to continue.

“I am not going to die but as time progresses things will change in the physical,” Daniel stated.

“But you can die right?” she asked.

“Damn is that what you want?” he asked hurt.

“No of course not, I just don’t want to you say, oh I can’t de then you end up dying. I am a realist give it to me straight” she told him.

Daniel pulled on the blunt before laying it all on the table, “maybe three years from now or sooner who knows, it will come a time where some days I can barely breathe, swallow, walk, eat, pee by myself. I may end up in a chair but I’m going to do all I can to prevent all of that. I’m not letting this disease kick my ass E,” he said confidently.

“Will we be able to have more children?” she asked.

Daniel was surprised to hear her say that considering he had to damn near drag her to the doctor to confirm her pregnancy.

“I’m just saying I’m getting excited about our child, I’m on Pinterest all night looking at things. I want a family with you Daniel,” she admitted.

Daniel smiled.

“Things like that...when you say stuff like that to me, it makes me fight for my life and for my health,” he told her, kissing her hand.

“I love you I’m here for you, we got this,” she said, throwing her fist in the air.

“Yeah I hope so babe,” Daniel said, knowing that in due time her words would come to play and he would just hope she felt the same way.

The couple watched movies and kicked back for the rest of the day, it ended with Daniel making Evelyn write on a napkin that she would never leave him again.

“Give it to me,” she asked.

Daniel told her, “nah I need to keep it so when I’m old and grey and I catch you trying to run out of here after some younging I can wave the napkin”

Daniel folded the napkin up and placed it in the second drawer of his nightstand.

“One you’re grey now and I love you, two I ain’t checking for nobody but my baby daddy!” she said kissing his cheek and laying on top of his chest.

“Oh Jesus I hate the word baby daddy” Daniel laughed.

“Better wife me quick before you meet my cousins and the rest of the family” she told him.

“I can see them now,” Daniel mumbled.

“Yep you already know, there go E- money baby daddy,” she laughed.

“Don’t forget to add that I’m white,” Daniel said.

Evelyn pinched him.

“I don’t care about that,” she told him the truth.

‘I know you don’t but there are some people that do love” Daniel told her.

“Who cares about them? This is our love and for our love I’ll go to war with whomever,” she said.

Daniel knew Evelyn had a past considering she was paranoid as hell and always toting that gun around.

He just didn’t have a clue about how dark it was.

***

Evelyn cleared her throat wondering what in the absolute HELL was she thinking when she invited her mother and sisters over for dinner.

Evelyn had turned into the perfect little cook; you couldn’t tell ole girl nothing. Anything that she found on Pinterest the next day it would be on the stove or in the oven.

It wasn’t too often that Evelyn came to her old house, the house with the memories her and Paper made.

The house that her father shot him down and where she lost her mind and child.

Evelyn’s sisters weren’t allowed at her new home or the house she shared with Daniel for various reasons, the most important one being she didn’t trust the influence that her daddy over them.

So Evelyn was forced to come back 2333 Adams Drive in the Southwest Atlanta, dust off a few things and get to work in the kitchen. She was quite pleased at the spread before her that she prepared by herself using the good hands God blessed her with and her auntie’s voice in the back of her head.

Evelyn prepared bacon wrapped asparagus, garlic mashed potatoes and chicken parmesan and for dinner, she whipped up a key lime pie.

Daniel oohed and aaahed at the pictures she sent and she promised to fix him a plate on her way home.

He was under the impression they were at her mom’s new house having Girls Night In, tonight was far from Girls Night In but more like Friday the 13th.

In Evelyn’s opinion, the night was doomed from the start Elise didn’t understand why their mother was invited; gabby was still mad about the baby.

Evelyn kept a smile plastered on her face throughout the dinner although no one said a thing.

Elise was too busy watching snap chat videos, gabby was cutting her chicken into a million small pieces, Elonda had repositioned her chair to watch the television in the living room and Evelyn…Evelyn was ready to get home to her man.

Daniel said he had a massage with her name on It and after the week she had getting her mother settled in at her new place…she deserved all of that and even a little more.

Evelyn cleared her throat for the second time and Elisa said with so many attitudes, “oh we suppose to ask you what you want or something?”

Evelyn warned, “Don’t start with me tonight”

Elise asked, “Or what?”

Evelyn counted to three before saying fuck it and coming across the table to punch her in the face.

“Evelyn!” Elonda shouted.

Gabby didn’t have time for this shit; she could have been at the library studying.

“You not going to keep putting your hands on me bitch” Elise shouted as she stood to her feet, the chair was on the floor along with the food from her plate wine in her glass.

“This is my house! My house. Don’t disrespect me in my own house” Evelyn clapped her hands together.

Elonda tried to diffuse the situation, “let’s all sit down and start over”

“I got somewhere to be anyway,” gabby said, now ready to go.

Evelyn held her head in her hands; she didn’t want tonight to be this way.

“Wait, wait don’t leave. Please don’t leave, I just wanted us all to get together and spend some quality time,” she said.

Elise yelled, “And slapping me is considered quality time?”

Evelyn ignored her ignorant ass, “we are all we got and we need to spend more time together seriously” Evelyn told them.

Gabby chuckled.

"Something funny?” Evelyn asked.

Elonda looked down at her lap she could only imagine how this was about to go.

“A lot is funny E, where would you like me to start? Hmmm... You always want us to come together when shit going good for you. When Paper died, you cut us off and wasn’t fucking with us. But when you met your lil eye candy then you was happy again and wanting to be around us.  But when we need you where are you? You never once asked us how is daddy doing, you didn’t offer to cop him a lawyer nor have you tried to go see him. Despite the shit that happened that man loved us and gave us the world, you included! Ma, no disrespect to you but she wasn’t there to make sure you was straight daddy was and you doing him dead wrong. So don’t sit up here like you Martha Stewart and all of that because you fucking not. Congrats on the baby and the engagement that you failed to tell the only family you got you know since we all we have and all,” Gabby snapped.

Evelyn didn’t bother with a response because they would never see her side; it was G way or the highway.

She began to gather the dishes in her hands so she could wash them.

“You don’t have nothing to say?” Elise asked.

Evelyn politely said, “God bless yall, thank you for coming”

Elonda smiled.

Evelyn had her mother’s ways.

Gabby left without another word and of course, Elise followed.

“Ma lock the door behind them,”Evelyn said from the kitchen.

Elonda came into the kitchen with dishes in her hands.

“I got it ma, you can gone and go if you want too I know you don’t like driving late at night,” Evelyn told her mother.

“Chile please, you been on your feet all day. Sit down I’ll wash the dishes. This food was good too. Boosie would be so proud of you,” Elonda told her daughter.

Evelyn smiled; she had been missing her auntie more than ever in the past few days.

 “Ma do you feel like I’ve changed” Evelyn asked her mother.

She had heard everything her sister said loud and clear but before Evelyn came down on herself, she wanted a second opinion.

Elonda scrubbed the Pyrex pan, “Are any of us the same?”

“I don’t think so that’s why I’m like damn Gabby” she fussed.

“You already know that ain’t nobody but yall daddy talking,” she told Evelyn.

“Exactly”

“You’ve been through enough and sacrificed more than enough for them girls, love your man is there for him especially now with him being….you know. And get ready to be a better mother than I could have ever been to yall” Elonda said.

Evelyn smiled inwardly and said, “I’m going to try my best”

She felt herself changing but it was for the good.

Evelyn knew she didn’t do a lot of things right but she was a new woman now, not just for Daniel or her baby but also for herself.

After the house was clean, Elonda waited on Evelyn to lock the doors she stood on the porch waiting.

Evelyn closed the door and locked the burglar door.

Elonda asked, “Are you expecting somebody?”

Evelyn didn’t hesitate to pull her gun out before turning around to see a car parked outside.

She moved Elonda behind her and tried to get a better look at who was in the car but the windows were dark from the tint she was straining her neck for nothing.

In her past life, Evelyn would normally run down the steps blasting, but she had a child to consider now so she couldn’t do that.

She just prayed that whoever was in the car got the hell on before she had no other choice.

“We should leave” Elonda said.

“Hell nah, if anything we need to go back in the house” Evelyn said.

She raised her gun so they could see she was locked, loaded and not ready to use that motherfucker.

The car cranked up, turned its headlights on and slowly drove away.

 Evelyn peeped the tags, and she wondered who was fucking with her from Florida and why?

Evelyn didn’t know if it was G being spiteful or The Cartel trying to get her attention, way it went she wasn’t stunting none of them.

Why was it so hard for people to let her bow out of the game in peace?

She didn’t want any beef, she just wanted to enjoy her life and move forward.

Paper warned her that leaving the game would never be easy he used to tell her the only two ways out was in a body bag or in cells.

Evelyn was saying fuck both of those exit strategies, she quit cold turkey.

Evelyn had traded in her bulletproof vest for church dresses but one thing she wasn’t putting up was her gun.

***

Gabby and Elise went to visit their father the next day, Gabby missed her father every day and was counting down until he came home…although that day would most likely never come.

Elise kept dropping hand sanitizer in the palms of her hand, she really hated coming to visit her daddy it was so disgusting in the prison and the waiting room smelled like feet and hot sweaty bloody pussy.

She stopped looking cute a long time ago; it was no point in wearing her nice clothes during a four-hour drive to the country.

They had her father so ducked off it was ridiculous.

Elise didn’t understand why Gabby wanted to see her daddy every weekend if he was free they didn’t see him that much.

G was either out of town tricking off on hoes way younger than they trick or in the bed nursing a hangover.

Gabby smiled and hopped up when their father came close.

Elise rolled her eyes; her sister was so damn dramatic.

“Daddy! We miss you so much,” she said.

Elise said, “Wasup daddy”

G ignored her and asked Gabby.

“Did you talk to Evelyn?” he asked.

Gabby didn’t drive here to talk about Evelyn; she wanted to tell her father that she was thinking about dropping out of pharmacy school to start her own mobile bakery.

Baking had been a passion of Gabby’s since she was a little girl and she was thinking about turning her passion into a paycheck.

She had already paid someone she went to high school with to make her a logo and it was the cutest.

Gabby shook her head, “No she pissed me off last night but daddy I have good news,” she said.

G smacked his lips, “Damn I don’t ask you for nothing else,” he said.

Gabby’s feelings were instantly hurt.

Elise noticed the change in her demeanor.

“What did you ask her to do?” she asked.

G ignored her again as he always did.

“You need to call her and make it right, stay on her good side. Yall need her she don’t need yall” he reminded them.

Elise didn’t need nobody and she told him that, “I can handle myself so talk to Gabby’

G silenced her with his eyes.

“Gabby do you hear me?” her father asked.

Gabby lowered her head; she was tired of talking about Evelyn. Evelyn wasn’t stunting any of them she had her own life and Gabby couldn’t deny the glow that followed her sister.

“Yes sir” she whispered

“Cool, well I was watching a movie, ill call in a few days and check on that” G’s rude ass didn’t bother with an I love you, thank yall for coming, how are yall doing or nothing.

Elise knew that he didn’t give a fuck about them…it was Gabby that needed to open her eyes and get with the program.

Once they checked out of the jail and went through security clearance before making it back to the car. Elise really felt as if their dad just played them and it angered her.

“Ain’t no way we drove all the way out here for three minutes,” She complained.

Gabby wasn’t in the mood to hear Elise’s annoying voice, “I will put the gas back in your car” she told her sister.

Elise pulled one of the many knots out of her Celine purse, “Gas money is not the issue daddy is,” she said.

“He need us he don’t have nobody else” Gabby reminded her.

Elise decided to keep her opinion to herself. G could kick rocks and get fucked in the booty hole if it was up to her.

Gabby would be a dummy to try to go against Evelyn for G, her sister wasn’t a dummy she realized that when Evelyn beat her ass for fucking with Paper. Elise knew to tread lightly with Evelyn. Pregnant or not she knew Evelyn wouldn’t hesitate to put those paws on a bitch.

“What he want you to do anyway?” she asked out of curiosity.

“Get Evelyn to set something up on the inside for daddy,” she mumbled.

Elise rolled her eyes again, “Why can’t he just do his sentence like everybody else?” she asked.

“It’s for us Elise,” Gabby told her sister.

“Let me guess that’s what daddy told you?” she said in a baby girl tone.

Gabby ignored her and put her headphones in.

Elise didn’t care at all; she welcomed the silence she needed to get her mind together. A threesome was on her agenda for the night, she had been thinking of tricks, and treats she planned to perform later on.

Elise wanted to bag this fine ass dude, Bryson but his girlfriend was in the way.

Elise planned to get the girlfriend kicked to the curb. If the nigga wanted his ass licked then Elise would taste every flavor of the rainbow tonight.

She couldn’t keep going to be without him in between her legs, she wanted to wake up to him...he had to be hers and she would do whatever to make sure he was next on her “to do list”

On the other side of town, Evelyn and Claudia were finally getting together for a sushi date.

“Uh can I get an order of honey wings and shrimp fried rice, I don’t eat this shit,” Evelyn told the server.

Claudia couldn’t stop laughing.

“You haven’t even tried it!” she told her.

Evelyn stared at the roll and poked at it with the chopstick, ‘"It looks like play-do to me,” she told her.

Claudia was too tickled.

“Girl you are crazy,” Claudia said.

“Someone is following me. I think my daddy is trying to have me killed” Evelyn told her.

Claudia put the California Roll on the plate and stared at Evelyn.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

Evelyn nodded her head.

“What is wrong with him, does he know you’re pregnant?” she questioned.

“Girl he doesn’t care” Evelyn said.

“What can I do, well what do you want me to do” Claudia asked her friend.

“What can be done?”

Claudia smirked, “I’m well connected and respected, try me”

Evelyn bit he bottom lip and rubbed her stomach.

 She would be damned if G took her out.

“Revoke his phone calls,” she stated.

“What does that do?” Claudia asked.

“Everything” she said

“It does everything,” she added.