Prologue
"We did it Essi we are out of that joint it felt like a four-year prison sentence." Kimani said jumping up and down on my bed like she was a 6-year-old. "Would you get the hell off my bed before you break it I got to take this bed to my new apartment at the end of the month." I said looking at her like I'm her mother instead of her best friend, smirking. "Girl relax this bed is supposed to be able to withstand a good pounding." Kimani said laughing. "Well, my bed is still a virgin and I don't want her first time to be with you jumping like a crazy person." I said laughing."Well shit, you're a virgin so it looks like your bed will get some before you do." Kimani said laughing and dodging the pillow that I threw at her. "So, are you ready for Tampa, we leave in a few weeks?" Kimani asked sitting next to me on my bed. We were leaving at the end of June, so we can learn our way around Florida and get accustomed to the new environment. Plus, I can get my apartment ready and start work before school starts so it won't be too much pressure trying to do all that stuff and start school at the same time. "Yeah I'm, ready you know I like to prepare and plan things beforehand, so it won't be too overwhelming, and you will be with me until the dorms open up." I said thinking about how our life was about to change. That was something that I didn't do well but I deal with it by planning and organizing things in advance, so it won't stress me out and I can keep everything under control.
"Yeah me too, I'm so ready to see what Florida has to offer. I know the guys are going to be sexy and fine. We have a whole month to see what Florida will be like and I can't wait." Kimani said smiling, excitedly, and probably daydreaming about all the men she will be seeing. As for me, not so much, I don't get the same attention that she does. Although we are both plus size girls, Kymoni has all her weight in the right places to make her look sexy. Most guys would call her thick, but as for me, all my weight was in the wrong places.
Don't get me wrong I'm not insecure or lack confidence but I do understand the reality that I'm not most guys cup of tea, and I'm cool with that But most of the time when a guy acts like he's interested in me he tend to think I'm easy and have low self-esteem and feel like if they spend a little time with me that they can fuck but I shut that down real fast. So here I am still a virgin because I refuse to let Pretty meaningless words fool me into having sex with the wrong person. But who knows maybe Florida dudes were different, I guess we're about to find out.
Chapter 1Essence's POV: 3 weeks later "Are you going to help me move this stuff in the apartment or are you going to stare at all the guys who walk past?" I asked, glaring at Kimani. I have taken in six boxes compared to her two. "Yeah, yeah I'm coming geez, you so in a rush it's still early and we just got here can we take a breather?" Kimani reply grabbing a box and taking it inside the apartment. We left late last night so we could get to Florida early in the morning so we were running on fumes by now which meant we had little to no sleep. But I wanted to at least get most of the stuff in the apartment before we take a break. Because once Kimani stops it will be impossible to get her to finish moving everything in. "Let's just finish getting the bed and the couch in the apartment then we can go to the campus to look around and grab some food but that's after a shower and a nap." I said feeling tired myself. "Okay let's do that bec
Chapter 2Syncere POV: “Yo watch out! You walking like you about to go beat somebody ass for eating your last piece of cake.” I said, as a short dark brown skin girl ran into me as I was going to the pickup line to get me and Shawn's food. “Excuse me.” The girl said stepping to look up at me. At my six feet four inches height, she was maybe five feet and some inches in height. She was barely reaching my chest. “No problem you good.” I replied finally able to see who ran into me. She had a pretty face with slanted brown eyes that were so light it almost looked like you chould through them. For a big girl she was really pretty. “Hey, can I get by to pick up my food?” I asked, as she stared at me. Snapping out of her haze, she moved around me quickly. I smiled at how she blushed and seem embarrassed, that I caught her staring at me. “Oh yea, sorry I wasn't looking where I was going.” She responded, brushing past me like she was running from the cops. Just then my pho
Chapter 3 Syncere's POV: continued “Well since we're introducing ourselves, I'm Jasmine, but everyone calls me Jazz and Syn's girlfriend.” My girl Jasmine said Sarcastically, as her and her friends Leah walked to our table like they owned the place. I know how my baby attitude is, she can go from zero to a hundred real quick. I didn't want her and her dumb ass friend Leah attacking these girls for no reason. So I needed to put an end to this real quick. Getting up, my lunch forgotten at this point. “Hey bae, we had to share this table to eat, because this place is crowded as hell. Essence and Kimani were nice enough to share their table with us.” I said, quickly to defuse the situation. Jazz looked around, and sucked her teeth. “Seriously? I see three open booths, that they could have sat at.” Jazz said with an attitude, pointing at three empty booths, and damn if the crowd hadn't thinned out and they were tables available too. Here comes the bullshit, now Essence and
Chapter 4SYNCERE'S POV: "Yo! What the hell was that about? You had no reason to act the way you just did." I said sitting down in my chair to finish my lunch. "Because you never gave me a reason to." Jazz answered back. "Please tell me what I did? Because we were eating and laughing that's it." I said shaking my head. "Those chicks were clearly flirting and that's the problem; yall can't see when chicks be flirting with yall." Jazz's friend Leah chimed in. "You sound dumb, how the hell you know they were flirting? When you couldn't even hear what we were talking about." Shawn cut in. "Shut up Shawn you ain't nothing but a man whore, so you don't care that those girls were flirting. Knowing you're nasty ass I'm sure you got their number and will be hooking up with one of them before the week is out. You don't care if they're ugly, fat, and nasty looking, as long as they're easy. Which I'm sure they are, you could care less about looks or size." Jazz sai
Chapter 5Syncere's POV: Continued She gave me the kind of kiss that makes my dick jump every time and she knows it. "The movie starts at eight so come to my spot like six." She said with a devilish smile, getting into her car. "Alright bet.” I replied closing the door once she was in. "Come on let's go, before we’re late." Shawn said already crossing the street. I had to jog to catch up with him. "Damn, wait up." I said. "Shit you over there wasting time sucking up to your girl, trying not to get your ass beat for talking to those girls earlier. I'm not trying to run drills after practice." Shawn said, laughing. "Fuck you, nobody getting their ass whipped, but I will be tapping that ass later tonight, while you're lonely ass, is at home watching TV by yourself." I shot back. "Shit if I am it's by choice I don't have the money or the patience to deal with these girls. You see that shit you have to go through with your girl, we were supposed to BnD Jazz
Chapter 6 Essence POV: August 4th My alarm clock blared angrily, groaning I rolled over and peaked at the clock to see if I can get a few more minutes of sleep, but it was six forty-five a.m. which means my clock said, “if you don't get your ass up you're going to be late for class, so it's above me now I have done my job.” Then my second alarm goes off and says, “get the hell up before you're late for the very first day of college.” Whining as I got up, looked for my robe, finding it on my love seat. I went into the kitchen, turned my oven on three hundred degrees, grabbed some biscuits out of the fridge, then grabbed a cookie sheet. I place a biscuit on the sheet and put it in the oven before walking out of the kitchen. Then I headed to the shower while my biscuits baked. My cell started to ring with the sound of DMX you're gonna make me lose my mind. I answered without looking because I already know who it was. "What the hell do you want Kiki?" I asked? "Rise and shine
Chapter 7 Three weeks later: “Where the hell is this dude?” I said to myself. This tutoring session was supposed to start at six thirty and it’s nine forty-five. I still had an assignment I needed to complete for my marketing class, that was due tomorrow at eight a.m. So I already know, I'm going to be up late to finish my own assignment. Last week the dean’s secretary text me with, the dates and times of my first tutoring session. “Hey, are you Essence Nelson?" A tall, sexy, light skin guy with curly hair asked me, as he walked up to my table. Lord let me tell you, this man is fine, fine. Realizing I was still sitting with my mouth gapped open and staring, I snapped out of the lust fog I was in. "Yeah that's me.” I said in response. "I'm Trenton, but most people call me Trent. Sorry I'm late, practice went over the usual time." He said putting his books on the table with a thud. I was trying to be understanding, but he still smelled like outside, because of practice, and
Chapter 8 The Kickback at Syncere and Shawn's house:Syncere's POV: 9pm "Baby can we please hear anything other than rap. I mean damn females are in here too." Jazz said with a whine as she handed me my Henny and Coke. Me and Shawn were having a kickback at our spot for our teammates and a few friends. It was nothing major just some snacks, drinks, with the music playing, while we hung out, played spade, and Pity Pat for money of course. Right now I was kicking everybody's ass in Pity Pat at five bucks a game, my pockets will be looking right this weekend. "Damn nobody wants to listen to that soft shit, Jazz." Shawn said before I could answer. "Shut up Shawn, I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to Syncere. This is not just your spot, it's his spot too, so shut the fuck up with your nasty ass." Jazz clapped back with her nose turn up in disgust. I Interrupted them before things got out of hand. "Will yall just chill out damn. Jazz, you can change the
Jazz's Dorm: ContinuedSyncere and Jazz: Jazz smiled and snuggled into him, she hoped that once he forgave her about earlier, maybe she could convince him to stay or take her to his place. She had loved living with him while she recovered from her accident, it felt like they were already married. She knew she had to do damage control, it would be best if she spoke first. Syncere sat at her desk chair and not next to her, that made her frown and become even more nervous. “Baby, I want to apologize for telling everyone about our engagement. I know we promised that we would only tell everyone once we graduated, but with the shooting it was like my life flashed before my eyes. Either one of us could have died and no one would know that we were engage. No one would know that we loved each other so much that we had taken the steps towards solidifying our relationship, by getting engaged. We knew we were it, for each other, that we were soulmates.” “Jazz, please just stop, I came
Outside Jazz's Dorm:Syncere: Syncere sat in his truck as he tried to gather his thoughts on everything he wanted to say to Jazz. He knew that what he was about to do will hurt her, which is the last thing he wanted to do to her. They had been through hell and back and stuck together, he would be lying if he said he didn't love her. But the truth is, it wasn't the kind of love that went with being in love with someone. He had to face the truth that he and Jazz formed a trauma bond because of the loss of their baby. He was going to try and do this with as much patience and understanding that she will be hurt and grieving all over again. He also admitted to himself that she wouldn't be the only one feeling the pain of their breakup. He knew Essence was right that he would need time to get himself mentally together before he could step to her. A knock on his truck window scared the shit out of him. “Damn Shawn what the hell man, I almost had a heart attack, w
Leah's RoomShawn and Leah: `` Shawn stormed into Leah's room, it was completely dark, he felt around for the light switch. When he finally found it, he spotted Leah laying on the floor flat on her back. Her night gown was up around her waist, blood was seeping through the top of her shirt. “I'm so sorry Shawn, I didn't want to call the ambulance because they would call my parents. I just need to get to the bathroom and check my wound. Then you can go back to whatever you were doing.” Leah said as she cried. “Damn it Leah, why the hell are you trying to do this shit by yourself. You're going to mess around and end up in the hospital with some kind of infection.” Shawn said picking her up, taking her to the bed, he ran to the bathroom and got a wet cloth and a fresh towel. When he got back to the room, he stopped in his tracks seeing Leah with her shirt lifted revealing her breast. He was just now noticing that she was completely naked underneath her gown. Alt
Leah's Dorm Room:Leah and Shawn: “I'm sorry Shawn I told my roommate not to call you, I am trying to do this on my own. My parents would make me leave school if they found out that you had to come all the way over here because I fell in the bathroom. I don't know what happened I was trying by best not to wet my wound, that I didn't see my body wash was leaking on the floor, and the next thing I know I slipped. I didn't think it would be this hard, then I have this ugly scar from the operation, everything is just so messed up.” Leah said crying as Shawn stepped into the shower, getting wet as he turned the shower off and picked Leah up off the floor. his hair and clothes were now wet from the shower and Leah’s wet body. He quickly grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her and walked out of the community bathroom. “You got shot a few days ago and had major surgery, and you left the hospital against the doctor's orders. He told you that you can't do this
Chapter 108The Cleanup:Essence's apartment: “What type of cockamamie stuff was that? I have never seen such shameless young ladies like that before. The fact that their mothers just stood there and allowed their daughters to come into this house and disrespect the owner, that's the devils work right there. I'm glad I live in a town where we know better than to disrespect a person in their home, because that's the fastest way to get a buck shot to the ass.” Momma Nelson said putting her jacket on as Kiki's dad carried their luggage to the rental car, they had to catch their flight back to South Carolina. After everyone left, they put the food in the freezer and clean the house. Unique had stayed around trying to get some alone time with Essence, but Momma Nelson always found something for him to do. After about an hour, Anthony said they had to leave because Sundays were early nights for the football team. “Momma, ever since I been here, I have seen and hea
Chapter 107If what could possibly go wrong was a person: Syncere was pissed, what the fuck was Jazz thinking. He couldn't believe that she would bring that shit up without talking to him first and what would possess her to do this shit at Essence's house. “Baby, I know it's a surprise, but I couldn't hold it in any longer. This is a new start for me; getting shot really made me put everything in perspective for me. I don't want to keep secrets from our family anymore. I hope you're not upset with me.” Jazz said crying when she saw Syncere was staring at Essence. “Hold on, I don't care about none of the crap you just said, who the hell gave you, my address? I didn't invite you and yes me and you don't get along so you knowing my address is a problem especially if it was given without my permission. Sorry for cussing momma.” Essence said interrupting the congratulations party. Her momma looked at her and saw her feelings were threatening to come out so s
Chapter 106Sunday Dinner: ContinuedThe Living room: “Jazz, Leah, what the hell are you doing out of the hospital?” Syncere said, with Shawn right behind him. “The real question is how the hel.. I mean how they found out where I live?” Essence said coming to the door also. “Can we please come inside it is a little chilly out here and we can explain why we're here.” Jazz's mother said as she covered her daughter with a blanket. Momma Nelson looked at the weak girls and decided she wouldn't let those girls’ actions send her to hell. She was a caring person by nature and their actions wouldn't change or stop her from doing what's right even, if she isn't fond of them. “You can come in and say what you have to say and leave, and I will tell you the first disrespectful thing that comes out of your mouth will have my foot in your mouths and a belt across your asses even with bullet wounds. You don't believe me try me and find out.” Momma Nelson said as she stepped
Chapter 105Sunday Dinner: The Living room: “Before we eat, I want to welcome all our guest, I am so glad to have met everyone of yall even though it started off on the wrong foot for some of us. Mr. Jamison, I heard it is your birthday and this feast is in honor of you and the fact that you have never had Southern food before, which is a crying shame. But we are about to fix your problem, I must tell you that I am not responsible for any addiction that my food may cause you.” Momma Nelson said with a smile that made Syncere’s mother frown and had Kiki and Essence looking at each other oddly. “Please call me Thomas, and I would like to thank you for this wonderful meal. This is by far the best gift I have ever gotten, and I will walk into this addiction happily with no regrets.” Mr. Jamison said smiling like a fool. “Uh, how about let's say grace so we can eat because I don't know what is happening.” Essence said as Kiki's father said a prayer. Essence and her mother
Chapter 104Sunday Dinner:Essence's Bedroom:Syncere and Essence: He had only seen the bruises on her face when they were at the hospital. “I didn't say anything because I didn't want my mother and brothers to worry, and it's none of your business. You made it clear where your concerns lie, so stick with that and leave me alone.” Essence said, knocking Syncere's hand away from her, his touch made her skin burn and her body crave him. Syncere looked at Essence as she headed back into her closet. If she thought she would get away with what she said just now, she made a big fucking mistake. He thought as he went to her door and locked it, before storming into the closet to confront Essence. Syncere stormed into the closet as Essence was on her tip toes trying to reach the top shelf. She hissed again when she tried to do a little jump to reach it. Syncere reached above her easily and grabbed the tablecloth, and walked out of the closet. Essence followed with an atti