~Eighteen

“So, you must think I’m some kinda joke, huhn? A fuckin’ clown. You get married and don’t even tell me? Got my son face all over blogs and shit. My people ringin’ my phone with the shit you was ‘posed to hit me with? The fuck?” I rolled my eyes, not allowing Ryshon’s venom to affect my blissful mood as I peered over the perfectly turquoise sea. Not even my sunglasses could shade the picturesque hue. “You wanna trip over some bullshit about fuckin’ people who don’t know me, don’t know my son, don’t know you. But you care what they think and you want me to, too? Fuck a…apology. You want me to say sorry for defending myself to some chick that tried to play me? What you think this is Jade, huhn? Fuck that!” he screamed. “Call me the fuck back or have my son call me! I ain’t playin’ games witchu!”

That ended that rant. It was the third in as many days. I lay my cell down on the coffee table next to the lounger I lay stretched over. I peeked behind me in the glass door. From my vantage point, I saw a long columnar leg stretched out, hanging from the bed. The sight of his muscular glutes as he lay sprawled on his stomach had me swallowing involuntarily. This was the third day of our honeymoon, and it had been enchanted.

I turned to take a picture of the water our bungalow faced. A distant image of the four wooden pillars connected and roped by white silk and tulle drapery couldn’t escape the parameters of the shoot. Neither could the jumbo white pillows and low table that was encompassed in our ‘dining room’ out here. I clicked two or three shots, wanting to be sure I got at least one decent picture. After viewing and deciding which one, I uploaded it to Instagram, needing no filter.

What’s more perfect than this? Him.

That was my caption. Simple and true. On a satisfied breath, I lay back and perused the gorgeous sky. It was clear without a dark cloud in sight. I’d never heard quiet like this in all my life. And at night the water illuminated at the shore level. It was unbelievable. Sparking neon blue water saturating our feet at night. It was serene.

“You reading the Word?” His voice was throaty, unprepared yet for the day.

I glanced down to the Bible on my lap, realizing the inspiration of his question.

“Yeah. I finally got around to reading the story of Joseph like you asked me,” I explained.

The morning we arrived here in Saint Justin, a few miles south of Vieques Island, a smaller Caribbean island off Puerto Rico’s eastern coast, he told me about a revelation he’d been developing since recovering from our wedding day. He said his family kept thanking him throughout the entire day for inviting them to the “fancy” shindig. Even his mother and uncle, Trick, approached him in a manner of expecting him to be haughty about his success. Trent didn’t understand it, then remembered the story of Joseph and how his brothers sold him off as a slave to merchants, traveling to Egypt. That set off a series of bad events in his life, including false imprisonment, and would cause him to question God. It would have me, too. But Joseph trusted God and in the end, would see his brothers again when he was Prime Minister and they had hit bad times.

“That’s what it felt like, yo,” he explained with more emotion than I was accustomed to from him. More spiritual insight than I’d seen from him, and I’d seen some since meeting Trent. “I felt like my wedding was that point—that pinnacle of success—that everybody recognizes. It’s like I had that moment where they saw me—not through me or over me either. They actually talked to me. Trick and my moms was acting like they had something to prove to me.”

He shook his head. “And I felt like Joseph through it all. I know what they did to me, but it ain’t matter, Jade.  I mean, I ain’t trippin’ off the endorsements, the new contract, or none of that. You know what made me feel like that tallest and freshest dude in the room? You. I was aligning with my soul mate, finally, in public. Now, I could stand before Ky a real man; not just somebody boning his moms and playing house. I could show the world you a honest and pure woman. That ain’t got nothing to do with them or what they did to me all these years. Just like Joseph. He was so blessed by how God advanced his life, he couldn’t trip about the journey. He was made by his storms. And that’s how I feel about mine.”

And he encouraged me to read it, something I did this morning after awaking lazily from another good night’s rest.

“Word?” he asked. “What you think of it?”

I turned to face him and give my own revelation, but I steeled midway with one leg on the ground and the other slapping down onto the lounger. My mouth fell open and eyes blossomed.

“Trent…” was all I could say.

His tight eyes hit me then followed my line of sight. Muscles…all hard slabs of muscle encased in almond marred skin. The top his tight grooves and curves were covered with ink. Toward the middle of the canvas was bare tanned skin and lots of hair and…a long, even tanner resting snake against his upper thigh, then his muscular legs that were a darker shade, thanks to the sun out here. Trent was completely nude… And unbothered, based on his recklessly confident posture, standing in the doorway with one arm above his head, gripping the doorjamb, and the other holding a coffee mug to his bearded face.

“What?”

My eyes went even wilder at his ignorance. “You have no clothes on!”

His face tightened more. “So? You don’t either.”

My regard went down to my bare boobs that now tingled and their pebbled peaks.

“I am not naked. I have on bikini bottoms. My breasts are unbearably heavy,” I grabbed them, suddenly conscious about their exposure. “and I felt comfortable letting them be out here.” The grounds were private.

“Well…” He casually moved to take the seat in the lounger across from me. “My balls were heavy when I woke up. I feel like I can let them hang here, too.”

Trent was being facetious, groggy this late morning.

I tossed him a warning glare. “I’m serious,” he argued, exchanging his coffee for his tablet laying on the frosted glass coffee table next to him. “Now, tell me what you think of the story.”

I took a deep breath, seeing he was changing the subject. Trent wouldn’t be scolded into putting on clothes. That was fine with me because I didn’t want to cover up myself. The air was that perfect here that we had only turned on the air once since checking in. The temperature dropped at night, allowing us to sleep with the doors and windows open, hence him sleeping in the nude.

My regard went back to the beautiful sky. “It’s actually what I tried telling you I felt about my mother. I swear when talking to her, there was an unexpected peace that came over me. Weird, but true.” As I got revved up reliving the sensation, Trent let me know he was with me, he understood.

“Word up,” he muttered slowly, but emphatically.

“It was like… The fact that she didn’t even acknowledge—understand—all the hell she’d put me through and was determined to have a meltdown at my wedding didn’t faze me at all. I recognized it, but didn’t feel the need to address it. I was even willing to concede to her wishes of being back in Ky’s life. “Like…” I took a cleansing breath, searching for the right words. “I’m good.”

I glanced over to Trent and found him nodding while perusing his iPad. “It’s a joy that God gives. So many times, we pass it over and wanna be angry and vindictive. I’ve been praying for wisdom on this. I don’t wanna get in my feelings no more when people play me. I want to live in that joy that only God can give.” He nodded, eyes still ahead.

Man, I loved when he waxed spiritual knowledge with me. It was such a turn on. I had a glimpse of what must appeal to Lex about her husband. The confidence Trent exuded when he spoke about faith and all things worship was the new aphrodisiac for me. It started when I realized how dedicated to attending church he was. And when he complained of cursing too much… That drove me wild!

“Oh!” his boisterous yelped startled me. “I get a tag on IG? I’m the man!” He peered over to me with an unbridled smile.

The first of the morning.

I snorted, slighted by that dig. “What are you talking about?” It was more of a statement.

“I never get no social media love from you,” he exclaimed. “Like…ever! It’s all about you, Ky, your girls, ya hair, ya nails—everything but me. No love for TB. Ever.”

My face fell, tears threatened to spill.

“Trent, you’re my world. My fortune and not your money. Like you said, you’re my soul mate materialized. I would never slight you.” I was offended by the suggestion.

He didn’t look at me, behaving petulantly.

“I’m just sayin’…” he murmured, tapping at his screen.

“What are you saying?”

When he didn’t answer, I lay the Bible on the chair, but absentmindedly kept my phone in hand when I went over to straddle him. Gathering his beard in my palm, I forced him to look at me.

“Come again?” I lifted a brow.

I wanted to know because out of all my faults, not making him a priority wasn’t amongst them. I needed him to know how much I valued him in my life. It was because of Trent that I was stronger. No, he didn’t single-handedly bring about this transformation, but he introduced me to Christ, and I would forever be indebted to him for that. My confidence had grown, peace had taken residence in my heart and mind. I may have been stressed out about this pregnancy and what the world thought of me because of it, but even that anxiety was dulling in my heart. I was his and he was mine. Exclusively. That’s all that mattered. 

When Trent wouldn’t answer, an idea came to mind. I pulled my phone up, tapped to the camera app, and opted for a video. Then I drew closer to the bearded ogre and hit record. I didn’t speak, but angled it to record Trent. He didn’t regard the camera. His regard was pinned to me, angrily.

His eyes were narrowed, brows furrowed, sour with me, stiff from recently awakening, and partially against the unabashed sun. He looked damn irresistible when sulking. I didn’t feel as at ease as I’d appeared recording this. My life with Trent was extremely delicate and therefore had to be conducted in private. His trust issues and my recovery from self-esteem problems shouldn’t be blasted to the world. Trent’s name was constantly in the media; we didn’t need to add on my presence being a target for speculation or attack. But I’d do anything to prove my dedication to him.

I turned the camera to me, tightened my face and pouted my lips, mocking my husband. The view went back to him. Trent glanced at the face of my screen and discovered I was recording. His face loosened, but he withheld his reaction. That’s when I felt him swell beneath me. I didn’t react to it. Instead turned the camera back to me and relaxed my face, pushing my sunglasses to my forehead. I was barefaced without lashes and all, but I didn’t care. I was, for once, giving the world my regular life with an extraordinary man. Soundless. That was until I turned the camera back on him, moved closer to his face with protruded lips and brushed them against his. Trent didn’t move until I, next, opened my mouth and bit his beard, yanking it back.

At that, he grunted, pulling me into his hardness by my butt. I squealed when I felt him growing even larger next to the bed of my bikini and recognized the new slant in his eyes. That’s when I quickly ended the close to thirty second video and went over to the IG app to upload it.

Trent’s thick arms moved beneath my thighs, his hands pushed to my back where he pulled me into him at the shoulders. He held me so close, I could feel his heart thunder in his chest. In a swift maneuver, he lifted me from his lap. I giggled hysterically while he lay me on my back and pulled my legs straight in the open air. Trent wiggled my bikini bottoms over my hips then up my legs. He tossed them over his shoulder.

“I’m ‘bout to eat your sweet pussy then ram my dick until I empty my sacs then watch yesterday’s From the Sidelines.”

He leaned over, licking his lips. And when his mouth touched my sex I moaned. His tongue soon followed, lapping up and down my slit. My arms fell to my sides and the phone rolled onto the lounger next to his bare thigh. And when his focus settled on my clit my moans turned to desperate cries.

How could he think I’d overlook this?

As I rowed the boat with my little lady inside, The Whispers played on my phone, and I couldn’t stop looking up at the stars. They were bright against the dark sheet of night. I’d traveled the world and seen lots of amazing things, but I can’t remember being so impressed as I’d been these past two weeks, here in Saint Justin. Maybe it was this particular island or part of the Caribbean.

Nah… Don’t make sense.

It was the same sky I’d seen from Aruba, St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, Antigua, and Trinidad. I’d been to them all, fucked in them all. Can’t remember not having a good time in any of them. But this was something to go down in the history books. Being here was like leaving Jersey for the first time.

My eyes went down to short bare legs that were arched and crossed in the boat, across from me as I rowed. My wife. She was on her phone, relaxed as I worked. All I could think about was how much love we made on this island. How hard we laughed together. I’d seen a deeper, more transparent side to her. She got silly with me, nasty with me, and even spiritual as we kicked it a few times about growing in Christ. This was the best time in my life. Everything I needed was on the island, except for Kyree. He didn’t need to be here while I’d been exploiting his moms’ body, but if we were to stay longer, he’d have to be sent for. I wasn’t trying to hog her from him. Jade seemed happy, though. She fussed when I had her wear a life jacket again tonight. She may have known how to swim, but I wasn’t risking her safety or my daughter’s life to her ego.

After dinner, we decided to come out here again. It had been our fourth time getting in a boat at night. This was peaceful: just Jade and me. The water was pitch black except for when it sparkled with turquoise lights. That was new to me. Just beautiful. There were light posts around. A lifeguard on duty, but we were a good distance from the shoreline. This had been the farthest I’d taken us out. I figured I’d explore more, seeing it was our last night on the island.

“Whoa!” She broke the silence.

“What?”

“That video I posted last week got mad hits and shares!” Jade looked scared as hell over it.

Good…

I wondered why she’d just found that out. That was over a week ago. We’d been pretty busy here, focusing on us and exploring the island, but she’d had her phone. It’s how we kicked it with Kyree and April. Jade spoke to her moms, too, when she took Kyree for the weekend last week.

“No surprise. It’s a first for them.” I tried playing it cool, but really wanted to talk my smack about her never having me on her social media.

“I’m just glad I didn’t get more than our faces.”

“You wouldn’t let nothing like that slip,” I spoke underneath my breath, throwing a jab. Then I thought about something. “You uploaded that to Facebook, too?”

“Only IG, but I have my posts go to Facebook and Twitter from there.”

“Why?” I didn’t even know that was possible.

I liked social media. Instagram blew up while I was locked up. When I came home, I dabbled on it, but never did more than lurked. I had people posting for me, for the most part.

“It’s something I set up a while ago for my nail business. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have the time to post anywhere else.” She looked up from her phone. “You devoured me two point five seconds after I hit Share.”

I rolled my eyes out to the water. Little did Jade know, that shit turned me on something dangerous. When I realized she was recording us on her phone, my dick got hard and heart started racing. It was crazy.

“Oh, my god!” She lifted her head, eyes still on her phone. “Tineka from N.B.P. commented on the video!”

“Who? What’s N.B.P.?”

“Nubian Beauty Products. The company I met with last year about the nail salon chain.”

“What she say?”

“She big upped my nails, asking if I did them myself.” Jade pulled her nails to her face, inspecting them.

“That’s what’s up.” I liked Jade getting shine. She was talented in so many ways. She deserved it.

“I guess she still keeps in touch.” Then she frowned. “Or maybe seeing you on my post reminded her of why they were interested in the first place.”

Using the left oar, I started rowing a new angle, turning us around for the shore. TiTo, the water sports guy, taught me how to row last week. I hoped I could remember the technique to teach Ky.

And my baby girl…

“Or maybe she never forgot how skilled you are. Maybe you should have Minnie Chew hit her back up and see what y’all can work out.”

“Negative,” she came back quick. Jade took a deep breath, sitting up.

“That’s it? You don’t even give it thought?”

“I thought about it back then. My hands are full now. I don’t have time to upstart a business now anyway.”

“You’re just about done with the house, the wedding’s over, Shank’s ball’ll be here before you know it, then you’ll be freed up. So what else you gone do, Jade?”

I watched as she licked her lips, thinking.

“So, I’ve been thinking about culinary school.”

“Culin—” My head jerked back. “You already cook your ass off.”

“This is Polynesian cuisine. I’ve always wanted to learn a new type of food. You know that.”

My neck gave out and head dropped. Maybe I’ll get a drink when we’re done. I hadn’t had one since the night of the wedding. It was sounding good to me the more she spoke.

I tried calming myself.

“Okay. I’ll roll with you on that. How much?”

“Oh.” Jade blinked. “You don’t have to worry about that. I’ve got it covered.”

“You? How?”

“Through a grant the state offers to low income applicants.”

I slapped my forehead with my right hand, forgetting what I was doing. Then I jumped to grab the oar that shifted into the lock hole. Jade bit her lip, looking guilty. I couldn’t look at her and shot my eyes into the distance instead. I could feel my nostrils flare. 

“You can’t do that, Jade. You don’t qualify anymore.”

“How do you figure?”

“Did you forget you’re Jade Bailey now? You got seven zeros behind your name as her. You wanna scam the government now, Jade?”

I watched her look out into the water now. It took her a while to speak as I got us back to shore.

“I didn’t think about that,” she whispered.

“Yeah. I get it.”

“You get what?” She looked at me with big eyes.

“I know that state of mind. I get when you don’t trust someone to do what they say they’ll do.”

She sucked in air. “I do—”

“No, you don’t!” I yelled, and probably unnecessarily.

I was expecting her to chew me up about that slip. Jade was no pushover. She was one of a few that could hem me up with just words. But my girl never uttered a comeback. She folded her arms under her chest and turned to face the side of the boat. That had me more messed up. Where was her defense? Her assurances? What was going on?

We were back at shore. TiTo and his crew were in the water, pulling the boat in and holding it steady. I jumped off first. Then I turned to see where she was. I reached for her hand to help her off. At the same time, one of Tito’s guys extended his hand. She went to him instead of me.

“I got her, man!” Quickly, I moved in front of him and grabbed Jade as gently as I could, laying her in my arms. 

She felt tense in my arms like she didn’t want to be there. When we made it to the dry sand, I put her on her feet. She started toward the bungalow without looking at me.

“J—”

She leaped in the air, turning toward me with tears in her eyes.

“Why am I always feeling like the only one proving myself here?” she screamed at the top of her lungs, standing on her toes. Her index finger swung in the air. “I’m always the one reassuring, always the one begging you to believe I’m sincere and my love is true. Maybe I’m not secure in this thing! Maybe your constant need to be coddled emotionally is your lack of trust showing its ugly head! I’ve brought all I have into this. I’m having a second baby and my only income is tied to you. Damnit, Trent, reassure me, too!”

That hit me hard. My eyes closed, feeling her pain. Had I been this hard on her? I swear, I was good with Jade. My head and heart totally with her. I didn’t know I’d been sending mixed messages.

“Baby,” I stepped to her, grabbing her in my arms. Jade covered her face as she cried. “I’m sorry. I get you been out there hustling, tryna find your way all these years. I slipped up. I’m sorry.” That was all I could say.

Jade had been on her own for so long with nothing but Kyree and half supported by her baby’s father. She’d gotten used to hustling on the government. She wasn’t used to being with a man with my type of money. And then on top of that, she probably kept in mind how tight I am with money and didn’t want to ask for too much.

God, what am I doing?

I began the walk back to the bungalow with her still in my arms. Jade cried into my side half the way. When she was done, we finished the hike in silence, the ocean waves playing the backdrop. I felt…stupid for just now seeing this new perspective of her struggle. I’m sure she felt attacked on the boat. She had been carrying all of this on top of the nasty things said about her in the media—really on social media. All of it wasn’t bad, but I was used to being attacked by people who’d never met me. That had been my experience my entire career, but the tradeoff was my passion. The ball. Jade’s was just me, a suck ass, who was scared of embracing something real. Something he never had. Love.

I followed her up the stairs, into the bungalow. Jade went straight to the bathroom, turning on the shower. She came back out to drop her phone and take off her short dress and underwear. I tossed my clothes off in no time and followed her into the shower, needing to be next her. I moved so fast, I almost tripped over her small frame, not wanting to be far away. We washed and I watched her, looking for an “in” to end this madness. I wanted her: all of her. I wanted Jade forever.

I waited for her to be done to turn off the shower. I dried off next to her, eyes glued to her for clues of a mood change. She walked out into the bedroom for a shirt to toss over her head and I was behind her. So close that when she lay her first knee on the high bed, I waited for the next before I grabbed her by the hips and buried my face in her cheeks. My tongue stroked until it found her clit. Jade moved to widen her hips, opening her legs to me. And I stroked, tasting her special flavor mixed with the perfume of her soap.

The first hint of a moan sounded as though it slipped, like she didn’t want it to be heard. The others that came after were choppy, not fluid as she usually delivered them. Jade threw up a guard. I didn’t want her protected against me. I wanted to protect her. I pulled back and pushed on her hips, telling her to move up the bed.  As I followed, I jerked my cock in my hand, feeling lightheaded about being inside her soon.

I reached over and kissed her, turning her away on her side as much tongue moved in her mouth.

“Mmmmm…” Jade moaned, helplessly this time, bringing her arm around my neck.

I situated myself behind her, bringing the head of my dick to her opening. I could feel Jade arching to me as I rubbed my head over her clit. I didn’t let her come, so I knew she was ripe. Our tongues moved against each other, her hand reached up to grip my head.

I hadn’t been inside her since yesterday morning. Last night we debated names for the baby and where we’d build the nursery until we fell out. This morning, Tessie sent over the link to the digital copies of pictures from our wedding. We spent most of the day going through them and deciding which two we’d release to the media. The rest were separated by the photo album we’d have printed, the picture we’d use in our “thank you” messages to guests, and which one we’d have blown up for the living room at the crib. See, we vibed, talked about our plans, mapped out our future.

When I slipped inside her from behind, there was no way I would end this honeymoon beefing with Jade. I needed her. I made sure to tell her with every stroke I made. When I rubbed her nipples and nibbled on her bottom lip. I stroked her slow, not in a rush. I took cues from her breathing to know when she needed me to pound and not caress her walls.

“I love you,” I whispered to her.

She couldn’t keep her heavy eyes open as our skin smacked against each other, over and over again. When Jade’s head fell on my arm as I sucked on her neck, I knew she was ready.

“Trent…” she breathed and I sat up, keeping my dick inside of her.

I squatted on my thighs, keeping her on her side and hammered into her. My fingers grabbed the meat of her cheeks for leverage and my hips moved faster, plummeting into her. One of her hands went to her belly and the right one, closest to me swung back, hitting the mattress and made her tit bounce erotically.

My teeth clenched and I could feel chills in my spine and a twitch in my sacs. I let out a moan I couldn’t hold back. It was loud and…free. That’s what marriage had been for me these past six months. I was free to express my feelings without having to worry about Jade taking advantage of them or not feeling the same way. As I emptied inside her, recklessly spraying with my head tossed back, I felt a bond a man should only feel with a wife like Jade Renee. 

“Don’t forget to look around for all the chargers we brought,” she shouted from the bathroom as I was pulling on my socks.

I grabbed my sweat shorts, but stopped before putting them on. Not wanting to forget, I walked around the small suite and looked behind furniture. We didn’t have a lot of time before needing to head to the airport. Jade was in there flat-ironing her hair, but was dressed.

“My hat,” I whispered to myself, reaching for it.

It was on the floor, next to the couch. The first night we were here, Jade had tossed it. It hadn’t been a thought until now. After seeing there were no more chargers left, I picked up the ones she already had together on the dresser and put them into the pocket on the front of the suitcase. Then I finally put on my shorts. While kneeling over, I heard the bed squeak before I felt her at my back. Jade’s arms were around my shoulders and she bit my ear while laughing. My shorts fell to the floor.

“You found my favorite hat!” She reached over and kissed my mouth. “This is the first one you wore when going down on me in the kitchen. You remember that?” She couldn’t stop giggling, arms pulling me tighter and tighter.

“I done ate ya pussy more times than I can count. No way I’m gonna remember the first time I wore a cap.”

My arm was draped around her, holding her leg in case she lost her balance.

“You don’t wear caps on me, remember.” Her dark lined eyes blinked then she busted out laughing.

“Jade, easy! The baby, yo.”

“You are my baby. My biggest, forever, best-booty-rubbing, future-rocking-chair-companion baby.”

“I’m not playing, girl!”

“Okay!” She stopped moving in her long fitted dress. “I just want to say sorry about last night. I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way. I know you love me deeply and I can have patience with the rest.” I was able to turn in her arms while she stood securely on the bed. Her face turned serious. “I had a magical wedding. This was the best honeymoon I could ask for. Thank you, babe.”

I kissed her, sucking on her bottom lip when pulling back.

“You’re welcome. Anything for you. Now get down. Please,” I begged.

She dropped her head, agreeing and I helped her off the bed. Jade reached from her toes and kissed me again. Then she strutted back to the bathroom. I went for my shorts again.

“One last thing.” I looked over at her while pulling them up and tossed my chin to her. “I want to be your best friend.”

I grabbed my shirt off the bed. “Best friend, huhn? What’s that about?”

“About the fact that you don’t have one.” She shrugged with her palms in the air. “Neither do I. No one loves you the way I do, and nobody has the patience for me that you have. So…” She shrugged again. “I think if we’re stuck with each other, we should make the best of it.”

I chuckled quietly, pulling my undershirt then t-shirt over my head. Jade waited for an answer.

“I’ll be whatever you need me to be.”

A goofy grin broke out on her face. Jade leaped on her toes cheerily. “Well, cool then!” She turned for the bathroom, and I went for my sneakers. “One last thing.” While bending over, I looked her way. “You have to be open with me. Best friends share the good, bad, and ugly.”

I stood straight, still looking at her. Jade spoke those words with a straight face, silly smile seemed to have never existed. She dipped her chin asking if I agreed.

After snapping into the moment, I nodded. This was a different woman from last night.

Maybe it was the pregnancy…