Page 18 of Zinc: Black Metal Gang

“Fuck her and you, too. Fuck on.” That was the last thing spoken and it tore me in two.

He really was done, and this baby was about to be another fuckin’ statistic. My heart was racing from embarrassment and hurt all at the same time. I damn near sprinted to the car to make sure my tears weren’t seen. He was giving me his ass to kiss but mine was bigger. This shit wasn’t ‘bout to end the way he thought it would.

“Take me home, Dior, and then you can go. I just need a minute alone.”

She nodded and we filed in her shit. I blocked him from my phone and tossed it to the cupholder. I could be just as cold. The only difference is, no matter how much I miss you, I can adjust and get the fuck over you.

Chapter Seven

ZINC

Iwas a lot of things, but a deadbeat wasn’t it. It had been about a month since she told me about the baby. My father wasn’t around and neither was my mother. Was a nigga ecstatic? I wanted to be, but I was so pissed at my woman that I couldn’t be. She really fucked a nigga head up with that stripping bullshit. I knew it was my kid. I mean, I was in that pussy so much another nigga didn’t have a chance to be.

Seeing her at the wedding made me want to jump the broom myself. Hell, seeing her at the hospital only made a nigga concerned. All I wanted was her raggedy ass but nah, she had to get on a pole like that shit was cute.

“Aye Zinc, Chrome on the phone,” Lead called out.

“I got a phone. Tell him to hit me!” Next thing I knew, my cell was ringing. I chuckled and answered with a smile. I missed my brother. “What it doo, foo?”

“Yo’ reckless ass been chilling or what? I got to have them niggas duct tape yo’ ass down or something?”

He gained a hearty laugh from me. I knew he was gon’ check on that first. “Nah, I been in the crib. I’m straight.”

“Cool. What’s new with you and sis;? Y’all fixed that shit yet?” I knew he was gon’ get straight to the point of his call. He wasn’t a patient nigga the way he portrayed to be.

“Fixed what? It ain’t shit to fix. She decided to lie and taint what we had. It ain’t on me to fix a bitch ass thing.”

“You right, but like Steel asked me, it hurt yo’ pride to reach out first or something? What makes you think another nigga won’t console her and fix shit for you?”

“That’s my bitch, and I know my bitch better than she know herself. She ain’t going nowhere, especially carrying a nigga seed. She got a lesson to learn. I ain’t fuckin’ with her right now, though.”

“Oh, you think you bigger than the program. Nigga, the dynamics change when a kid involved. I almost lost mine, don’t end up in my shoes. You acting like she ain’t told yo’ goofy ass from jump that she ain’t want kids. Sis’ stand on business. She ain’t like Fade. You might want to get yo’ shit together before you lose it permanently or to another man.”

“The fuck is you, a therapist or some shit now? Onyx ain’t even on that type of timing. She knows better than to try me like that.”

“That ain’t what I heard. Be careful with that tough guy shit. It’s gon’ break yo’ lil’ heart when yo’ family pop out on another nigga arm. We don’t move like that, and I wouldn’t expect you to be mirroring yo’ people mistakes. They weren’t around, bruh. You trying to give yo’ kid the same treatment?”

“Nigga fuck you!” I shouted. His response hit a soft spot. A spot I never let heal.

“I’m flattered but I’ll pass. Get the fuck off my phone and go handle yo’ business,” he said disconnecting the call seconds later.

I couldn’t lie, the conversation me and Chrome had fucked my head up. I wasn’t expecting him to come with shit like that.I figured it was a simple check in, but I should’ve known Onyx would confide in Kosha. Sis’ was her lifeline outside of me.

My parents weren’t caregivers, nurturers, providers, protectors, none of that shit. They were selfish and forgetful. I was forgotten on more than one occasion. My mother tried to give me that bullshit about stripping to keep the house together, but she was only doing what she wanted to do. My father walked out before a nigga could learn his name, so she was all I had. He dropped the ball, and she followed behind him. All I had was me, and I thugged that shit the fuck out until I met Chrome. If it wasn’t for Steel and Neon showing me what the fuck real parents looked like, I would never know.

Did that short ass nigga have a point? Hell yeah. I wasn’t ‘bout to let a soul do for mine when I was fully fuckin’ capable. Onyx not wanting kids, it didn’t register while I was cussing her ass out at the hospital. A nigga was lowkey still embarrassed and hurt that she was stripping. I bragged about that woman different, so it fucked with me. I wasn’t gon’ deny that. Most of my peaceful moments came from her so I knew what I had. A nigga was just pissed the fuck off.

The longer I sat there in thought, the more Chrome’s words ate at me. Permanently or on another nigga arm, huh? We all knew that Onyx wasn’t gon’ make it a day ‘round this muthafucka if she chose the latter. Her and whatever nigga she chose was gon’ meet the OG together. However, her losing it permanently wasn’t really soothing a nigga either. I wanted everything that woman offered, and a child wasn’t in the plans but now that it was, I wanted that plus more.

Releasing a deep laugh, I stood grabbing the keys to my bike off the coffee table. I fucked around at the clubhouse for far too long. I was doing any and everything to avoid facing my fuckin’ problems. I guess I ain’t have a choice but to man up and gosettle this shit ‘cause I was gon’ be sick if I lost her pretty ass for real.

I walked out the front door and didn’t stop moving until I was mounting Bumblebee. The key was inserted, and I was on my way out the hood. Myers Park wasn’t too far from the condos Onyx resided in. However, it was midafternoon, and the traffic was bananas. The normal fifteen-minute drive turned into thirty. I gave no complaints as the sun tanned my skin. I was on a mission.

Finally making it to Lakeview Condominiums, I parked in my usual space and headed upstairs. I knew Onyx didn’t change shit about the passcodes simply because she was a woman of her word. She granted me access and swore I had that as long as I loved her. Well, a nigga ain’t stopped doing that shit. I was still very much in love with her ass and had been since she called out a nigga name.

I made my way to her floor with no problem and was able to access her condo with my key. Smirking, I opened the door to boxes piled along the wall. It was cases of diapers and wipes and other shit the baby would need. It warmed a nigga heart knowing she wasn’t gon’ let our bullshit fuck up what we made. Her preparing for it said a lot. Whatever Kosha put in her ear, I was grateful for it.

The crib was silent, and I wondered if she was even home. I followed the trail of boxes that led down her hall to her bedroom. When I peeped my head inside, she was sprawled across the bed curled up. Seeing her relaxed like that made a nigga miss her even more.Damn, Zinc. Get yo’ bitch and sit the fuck down.

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