Love Don't Live Here Read online

  -12-

  Mario had been calling and texting Nadia for three days. He knew she was ignoring him because both Marquise and Marisa said she has been in school. He knew how things looked when Tasha was at his house, but he wanted to let her know that it wasn‘t the way it seemed.

  She sent Marisa and Jax to come get her stuff from his house. She claimed that she wasn‘t mad at him, or at least that‘s what she was telling Marisa. His house didn‘t even feel the same without her or Nyzir there.

  “You know that nigga Nemo home,” Jax said.

  “Since when?” Mario asked confused.

  “Just a few days. You think that‘s why Nadia ain‘t been fucking with you?” Asked Jax.

  Mario and Neeman have some serious issues between the two of them that go way back. He was shocked to find out that Nadia was in fact Neeman’s little sister, but by the time he found out it was too late and he had already fallen for her. He knew once Neeman found out that he and Nadia had something going on he would try his best to mess it up, but unfortunately Mario had already managed to do that.

  “I doubt it man, Nadia would have been kicking in my door to find out what my beef is with her brother if that was the case.”

  “Yeahh, you may be right, but I don’t trust that nigga, Nemo. You know how his ass is and he probably plotting to fill Nadi’s head up with some bullshit just to keep her away from you. I know Nadi her own woman and everything, but at the same time you know that her brothers are all she has right now and there’s no way she would ever turn her back on him,” Jax said.

  Mario didn’t say anything because he knew what his cousin was saying was the truth. As much as he wanted to dwell on Nadi and what would happen between them, he couldn’t because he had other issues to press and that was his main concern right now.

  “Man, enough about that, let’s get ready to get this money,” Mario said, changing the subject.

  “Man, I been doing a lot of thinking lately and Reese kind of put a bug in my ear with some real shit,” Jax informed his cousin.

  “Yeahh, well let me know what’s up.”

  “We need to make some invetments with this money. Like doing something that could double or even triple our money,” Jax suggested.

  “Man, you’re right. That shit sounds like a plan and I’m down. The only thing we need to do is figure out what we want to invest in,” said Mario.

  “Nah nigga, we not investing our money in nobody else’s shit. We’re gonna open our own business or businesses and get rich off our own shit.” Jax was the only one out of the duo that had actually went to college and got a business degree, even if it was just a bachelors’ Mario was still proud of him and really wanted him to put his degree to use.

  “Yeah, we definitely need to think of a plan and put it in motion. This stick up kid shit ain’t gon last forever,” Mario sighed.

  ___

  Nadia and Marisa sat in Nadia’s living room eating ice cream as if they were little girls as they watched Neeman give his baby brother a line up. Nadia wanted him to get his haircut, but Neeman refused to cut it off because Nyzir had curls. He claimed he wanted his brother to have ‘curls for the girls’. Nadia looked up at the two most important men in her life and couldn’t help, but to smile.

  Even though she lost her mother, she felt as if a piece of her heart was repaired when she pulled up in her driveway and saw her brother’s face. She just wished her mother could have held off a little longer just to look in her three kids’ faces again because Nadia knew she would have been happy.

  Nadia couldn’t help, but to notice that every time Marisa’s phone would ring, she would look at it and ignore it. She knew by the way it kept blowing up it could only be one person, Jax.

  “Why you doing my brother like that?” Nadia asked before throwing a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

  “Because that nigga didn’t come home last night and was looping my calls. He’s crazy if he thinks he can do whatever he wants then come back when he feels like it. Hell no, and he has another thing coming if he tries to use that key I gave him,” Marisa spat.

  “Reese why you doing him like that it was only one-”

  “No Nadi it was way more than one time,” Marisa sighed. “It has been going on for a while, but I just haven’t said anything because I know how you are.”

  “You don’t think he’s cheating on you do you?” Nadia asked.

  “Honestly Nadi, I don’t know. It’s like we haven’t even put a label on what we are anyway. We never officially said we were together, so I kind of feel as if I’m overreacting.” Marisa explained.

  Marisa would be lying if she said she wasn’t confused when it came to her and Jax. They did everything that couples did. He would stay over at her house for a few days then he would go missing in action for days at a time. She knew what he and Mario did and even though she didn’t agree with it, there was really nothing she could do about it. Even though Jax had never came right out and said they were together or a couple, that’s what it felt like to her.

  “I don’t know Reese Cup, maybe you should talk to him and see where his head is at,” Nadia suggested.

  “I’ll talk to him if you talk to Mario.”

  Nadia looked at her best friend with her face scrunched up and her nose in the air. She didn’t know how all of a sudden this conversation turned and Mario came up. It had been almost a month since the last time since she had even spoke to him due to her blocking his number from calling or texting her.

  “Nah, I’m good on that one.” Nadia shook her head.

  Neeman listened to his little sister’s conversation as he put the finishing touches on Nyzir. He was wondering how in the hell did they even get mixed up with some cats like Jax and Mario in the first place. They weren’t the type of guys that he wanted his sisters to get caught up with.

  “Aye Thelma and Louise, time to get ready if y’all riding to the game with me,” Neeman announced.

  Football season was over and now it was basketball season. Nadia was excited because it was the first game of the season and her baby brother was playing on Varsity. A lot of people counted Nyzir out because of his disability, but if there was one thing Nyzir loved more than football, it was definitely basketball.

  Since Nyzir couldn’t play football out of fear of him being hurt, he was allowed to play on the basketball team. Whenever her brother got on that court, it was as if nothing else mattered and to say that she was proud of him would be an understatement.

  “Okay, come on Reese Cup, I got our shirts upstairs,” Marisa said as the girls took off for the stairs.

  When they reached Nadia’s room, she went into her closet and pulled out the shirts she got made for her and Marisa. The front of the shirt said ‘He Got Game’ and the back says ‘#TeamNyzir’. Nadia’s shirt was blue, Nyzir’s favorite color, with white words. Marisa’s was white with blue letters.

  “These are hot!” Marisa said as she grabbed her shirt and held it up to her chest while standing in front of Nadia’s mirror.

  “Thank you, now put it on before Neeman gets back. You know he won’t have a problem leaving us,” Nadia said.

  Twenty minutes later the ladies were ready for the game.

  -13-

  Nadia, Marisa, Neeman, and Jason pulled up in the school’s parking lot that was already packed. Nadia wasn’t surprised though. It was always like this during basketball season.

  “Alright, let’s go see my baby boy show out.” Neeman said as he pulled into a parking spot.

  When they got in the gym, both teams were on the floor warming up. Nyzir smiled when he looked up to see his family walking through the door. Nadia smiled, turned around and took her coat off to show him the back of her shirt before blowing him a kiss and giving him a thumbs up.

  “That girl is going to make me choke the shit out of her,” Jax said to Mario as he watched Marisa and Nadia follow Neeman to their seats.

  “Why what’s up?” Mario asked.

  “Ma
risa been on some other shit lately. I’ve been calling and stopping by her house for a whole week straight, but she won’t answer.”

  Mario shook his head. “What you do?”

  “What did you do to Nadia?” Jax retorted.

  Mario mushed him in his head as his eyes traveled back to Nadia. It was good to see her smiling again and he would be lying if he said he didn’t miss her. His life had been pretty boring without her and Nyzir around to keep him company. He just wished she would give him a chance to explain that she didn’t see what she thought she saw.

  “Look at my baby! I’m so proud.” Nadia smiled. “I know mama is up there proud too.”

  “You know she is,” Marisa agreed.

  “Oh hell no! That nigga better watch his hands before he lose ‘em!” Neeman yelled as one of the boys on the other team pushed Nyzir.

  Nadia covered her face as she tried to stifle her laugh. Neeman was always getting worked up over nothing when it came to Zir. You couldn’t even look at his brother for too long before he was ready to beat your ass.

  “Nemo sit down! He’s okay. As long as he don’t elbow him or something, everything is good,” Nadia assured her brother.

  “Remind me why we brought him again?” Marisa laughed.

  “Girl, that was all Nyzir. He wanted his brother here.” Nadia shook her head.

  Nadia was watching her brother do his thing with tears in her eyes. He was slower than others and didn’t learn as quickly as others and for this reason everyone loved to count Nyzir out. There was plenty of times he would ask her why God didn’t make him normal like everyone else and it broke her heart.

  She would explain to him that he was normal just like everybody else, but God made him special for a reason. She knew this was a big night for her brother. That’s why he wanted Neeman and Jason to come to his game. He was used to seeing Nadia, Marisa, and his mom in the bleachers but their mom was no longer there, so he needed a strong, solid support system.

  “Yesssss Zir!” Nadia yelled as Nyzir hit a three and it was all net. “That’s my baby!”

  “He gets that from his big brother. I taught him that,” Neeman laughed as Nadia mushed him in the head.

  Neeman was smiling like a proud father. He may not have been there for Nyzir and Nadia they way he should have been, but he was proud of the way they turned out. He had no doubts that they would be better than him which is why he pushed them so hard before, during and after he got out of prison.

  He wanted them to become something in life.

  ___

  After the game, Nadia went to stand by the locker room to make sure Nyzir had everything because he was known to leave something. Marisa, Jason, and Neeman were standing on the wall by the doors when out of nowhere Jason wrapped his arms around Marisa’s waist.

  “Why you keep playing with me?” He asked her.

  “What? What you mean?” Marisa asked feigning dumb.

  Marisa knew exactly what he was talking about. Two years ago when she was sixteen, she and Jason had a little something going on. They did a good job of keeping it on the down-low because until this day nobody knew. Not even Nadia.

  “That playing dumb shit doesn’t work on me because I know you’re smarter than that,” he told her.

  “Why me?” She questioned him.

  “Why not you?” He responded.

  Before she could even utter another word, she felt her arm being grabbed forcefully and pulled away from Jason.

  “What the-”

  “So you can’t answer my calls or texts, but you can be hugged up on the next nigga?” Jax yelled in her face.

  “My nigga if you know what’s good for you, you would remove your hands from shorty,” Jason said calmly.

  “This ain’t got shit to do with you,” Mario told him.

  “But it damn sure got something to do with me,” Neeman spoke up. “Grabbing on my sister like that was the wrong move and unless you want to get your ass whooped you better let her go,” he said as he lifted up his shirt, showing the handle of his gun.

  “They didn’t stop making guns when they made yours playboy,” Jax told Neeman.

  “That may be true, but at least we know for a fact that I’m not scared to let mines bang,” Neeman responded with a raised eyebrow.

  “What the hell is going on?” Nadia asked as she looked at everyone like they were crazy.

  “Mario!” Nyzir said excitedly as he tried to go over to him, but Nadia stopped him.

  “No Zir, we’re about to go,” Nadia said. “Now, Jax, let go of my sister’s arm. Jason and Nemo take Zir to the car and chill out. Nemo put your shirt down because you just got out, and I’ll be damned if you go back,” Nadia said calmly.

  She may have been calm, but everyone did as they were told. Jason and Neeman walked Nyzir to the car as Jax let Marisa’s arm go.

  “She’ll talk to you when she’s ready. Jax you know I like you, but don’t ever put your hands on her again,” Nadia said before she grabbed Marisa’s hand, and they walked out of the gym.

  Jax and Mario stood there having the same thoughts. How the hell did this short ass girl just come in and shut everything down like that. It had potential to get real until she came in and spoke. She calmed the storm and didn’t even have to raise her voice.

  I’ma marry that girl, Mario thought as they left.

  -14-

  Today was Nadia’s first day back to school in almost two weeks. She was so happy that she had a good relationship with her teachers and counselors. She was also grateful for the fact that they were all very understanding. If it weren’t for Neeman, she probably wouldn’t even be back in school today. He told her she would be graduating in a few months, and he refused to let her get too far behind in her work to the point where it would be difficult to catch up.

  She really wasn’t ready to come back, but she knew he was right. She had to make her mama proud by graduating, so that’s what she was going to do.

  “Welcome back baby,” Marisa greeted her as they met up at Nadia’s locker.

  “Ehh,” Nadia shrugged.

  “I know, I feel your pain.”

  Marisa looked up to see Nisha and her minions coming in their direction. She said a silent prayer for Nisha that Nadia wouldn’t beat the breaks off her.

  “Nadi,” Marisa said to get her attention.

  “I’m already on it, boo,” Nadia said as she closed her locker and leaned up against it.

  “What’s up home wrecker and friend,” Nisha laughed.

  “Who this bitch talking to?” Marisa asked.

  “I don’t know Reese Cup, couldn’t have been neither one of us. If a nigga allowed us to ‘wreck’ his home, the shit was already falling apart,” Nadia told her.

  “Bitch you sure do have a lot of mouth. How did it feel finding out who the real lady in Mario’s life was?” Nisha asked.

  “The same as it did when we were on a tropical island fucking for hours,” Nadia smirked.

  Marisa chuckled as she shook her head. Nadia wasn’t a confrontational person, but she had a lethal ass mouth on her when pushed to that point.

  “Look bitch-”

  “Hold up Nisha, if memory serves me right, the last time you stepped to Nadia she told you don’t step unless you were going to do something. Nadia and Mario did their thing. She played with him, and then gave him back. Tell your sister to keep the nigga on a tighter leash,” Marisa spoke up.

  Marisa was the one who was always ready for whatever. While Nadia didn’t fight unless she had to, Marisa stayed ready to deck a bitch if she stepped out of line.

  “Whatever, I’m going to tell my sister to leave him alone anyway. The whole damn family got AIDS,” Nisha mumbled.

  Hearing that ignited something in Nadia that she had never felt before, rage. She punched Nisha in her face with all her might causing her to fall to the floor. Nadia got on top of her and kept punching her unmercifully.

  One of Nisha’s friends tried to grab Nadia, but Marisa shu
t that down quick. She grabbed that girl by her weave and socked the shit out of her. Nadia had so much anger and frustration pent up in her that she blacked out on Nisha and didn’t realize that she wasn’t hitting her anymore until she heard one of the security guards whisper in her ear telling her to calm down.

  As she was coming back to her senses, Nadia noticed how bloody Nisha’s face was as she was being helped off the ground by two other security guards. She started to feel slightly sorry for her until she remembered what she said and tried to go after her again.

  “It’s cool Nadia. You already fucked her ass up. I can’t let you kill her,” Marisa told her best friend and god sister as they were led to the principle’s office.

  Nadia wasn’t in the mood to hear anything when they got to the office. As soon as she got there she told them to just hand her the suspension letter, send her brother to the office, and let her go. She didn’t need nor did she want a long speech because she wasn’t sorry for what she did.

  “I’ll meet y’all at the house,” Marisa told Nadia as they walked to their cars.

  “Nah, we’re going to your house. I don’t feel like hearing Nemo’s mouth,” Nadia told her.

  ____

  Nadia and Marisa were in the kitchen fixing lunch while Nyzir was in the living room playing the game Marisa bought just for him.

  “Nyzir don’t be on that game all day. I know you got some homework you could be doing!” Nadia yelled at him.

  “Uh, shut up and leave my baby alone. I bought that for him so he can stay on it as long as he wants,” Marisa told Nadia.

  “I can’t stand you, how about you let his ass move in with you then?” Nadia asked.

  Marisa laughed and shook her head. “Yeah right Nadi, like you would let that happen.”

  “I know, I can’t imagine my baby leaving me. I don’t know what I’m going to do when it’s time foe me to go to college.”

  That was always one of Nadia’s fears when she found out her mother had AIDS. She knew it was a possibility that her mom wouldn’t live for much longer, and Nyzir was going to be all she had since Neeman was locked up. She didn’t want to leave her brother.