More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
“Damn. Aight. Favorite, I’ma say Love Ballad by L.T.D.
“Preach by Young Dolph.”
“Nah. The other is Part Two On The Run by Bey and Jay.
“Fucking me like therapy. Gone and tell the doctor what you need from me, like oohh,” he lightly sang. I slipped further into his trance. “Part your legs just like it was the sea, ooh. Pullin’ out ‘cause you love drinking me, oohh.”
“Lock his ass up, son,” Ro instructed and Eazy did just that, continuing to wrap his body around Leon’s neck. His choking filled the air. “Yeah, nephew! Do yo shit, boy. Just like I fucking taught you,” Kylo hyped, waving his fist in the air as if he was celebrating. “Nigga, you ain’t teach him shit. You scared of him,” Ro shook his head at Kylo who shrugged. “So! Shit. I’m still proud of him.”
“When your heart is involved, everything is on the line. We just got caught in the crossfire, but I’m not tripping. I knew this would be a thing when Nova asked for me to keep it a secret. So, it’s me that is apologizing again for not telling you. That’s on me. The shit is on the table now, so I just want you to be honest with yourself and how you feel.”
“Why you think I be talmbout other folks’ kids? Shit, I know how ugly them mutha’fuckas can get. I tell you one thing, tho! Niggas can’t say that shit ‘bout me now. I’ll give y’all them lil’ ugly ass three weeks. Since then? I been fine as shit. Even as a baby! It’s been almost twenty-seven years and a nigga ain’t had a bad day yet. Get up with me!”
“Know that I love you, Kylo. There is no second guessing that shit, either. I’ve only loved one person that’s on this earth and that is Capri, but you rocked my world in more ways than one.”
“A woman that sees your pain and doesn’t shy away from that shit, is a keeper. Hold on to her feisty ass but don’t forget to love yourself while you’re loving her. Sometimes we give so much to others that we fall on the backburner. Regardless of what others may feel about you, I know your heart. It is big as fuck. Don’t allow your grass to die while you’re watering others. Innocent can water yours, but certain weeds need to be dug up and replanted by you and you only. Real soul work.”
“I’ll hate to see yo lil’ ass mad, then,” I chuckled. “My fault again. Shit wasn’t how it looked.”
in. “He ain’t get hard until you Bruce Lee’d her. Tell me what you gone do ‘bout that?” Innocent sat quietly, still slowly running her hand over my print. I kissed her lips. “Hmm? All that mouth yo ass got, use it. Let a nigga know sum, Cen.” “I..I want to make you feel good like you do me.”
“I’m so proud of you, love. Slow and steady always wins the race. Take yo time but be consistent. You gone win every time ‘cause you got God and me on yo side. I can’t wait to see you mentoring and shit.”
“Sauce ain’t never paid for no pussy. These bitches be freak hoes. All I did was walk in and they flocked like the birds they are. But, we all good. Just know if you do that shit again, I’ma do yo ass like Sharkeisha did.”
“About you. Time doesn’t exist to my fucking heart, Innocent. I love you. I love learning you. I love this beautiful ass body. This beautiful ass hair on yo head, even though it gets on your nerves. I love rolling over, seeing you slobbing out the mouth. It’s the simple shit that got me crazy in the head over you.”
Go read Song of Solomon chapter four verse seven.
“You do! Don’t say shit like that. Yes, you fucking do! Kylo, God can’t heal who you pretend to be. It is okay to have bad days. It is okay to cry. It is okay to let somebody else know that shit ain’t all good right now. You don’t have to be the anchor all the time. The sad truth is, we all sink. We all fail, baby. You made it out. If it wasn’t meant for you to be here, trust and believe, Keith would’ve taken you a long time ago. You have a fucked-up story that can be turned into a beautiful testimony if you just keep going. It pains me to hear you say that you are in pain, but pain is part of
...more
“Please don’t say shit like that. You’re gonna be okay, Kylo. You have so many people rooting for you. We need you to be okay. I need you. I don’t see life without you. You gotta push through for you. Be strong like I know you can be, baby. Win this battle. Pain is temporary. Joy comes in the morning.” “Joy is already here for me. That’s you. My Joy,”
Kylo snatched my head back to look into his eyes. “Aye, fuck I tell you ‘bout rushing, Cen? Always take yo time. It’s all yours. Relax yo throat and suck this mutha’fucka,” he slowly eased back into my mouth, still holding a handful of my curls. “Fuck. Just like that, Cen. Shit!”
“I will never be so simple minded to where I am opposed to criticism. And never will I be too prideful to say that I am wrong. I am not an angel. I fuck up, but I am gaining more wisdom every day.”
Black men could cry. Black men could feel. Black men could be depressed. Black men could have moments of weakness. Black men needed a shoulder. Black men could heal, just like everybody else. So, fuck it, a tear a day keeps the pain away.
“Nobody give a damn about those fish but you. Tell him, mama.” Nova smirked, nodding because her mouth was full. “They doing fine, before you start crying. Ro still has them.” I squinted my eyes at them. “How does it feel to be a dead-beat ass uncle and a sorry GG?” “Amazing,”
“If a nigga’s penis is less than two inches, that’s not a dick, that is a peter wacker!”
“The fuck I’ma do with a Vienna sausage? I can curl my index finger up there and tickle my own Elmo. Fuck is we talking ‘bout?”
face. “I love fucking this pretty mouth, Cen. I’m finna cum, love.” Innocent removed me from her mouth, tapping my dick against her tongue. Each tap was pulling webs of her saliva. Within seconds, I was painting the walls to one of my favorite daycare drop-offs. “Shiittt!”
Often, people think because you don’t initially react that they won’t suffer any consequences. Their response may be to forgive or let karma handle them. That shit never has applied to me because I am a firm believer in getting my lick back, especially when it came to the ones I love. It wasn’t part of my beliefs to charge shit to the game. I wanted niggas to forget, just so I could see the genuine shock on their faces when I reminded them of why they were about to die. I don’t care if we were in Pre-K. I remember, bitch, and I will seek revenge. Every time I see an opp, it’s smoke until
...more
“Both of y’all fine. Can I have your number?” Kai held his left hand up, flashing his ring, forcing me to do the same, except I flipped her off. “Hoe, not interested,”
You Lewis niggas take the fucking cake,” my cousin, Izzy, dapped me. With his free hand, he snatched his mask off. All four of the Campbell brothers were consistent, loyal, and reliable. We weren’t blood, but the streets made us family.
“I love it like this. Puffed out in a pretty ass curly afro. You ain’t gotta always tame black hair. That’s what the world wants you to do. Fuck the world and what they think. Wear that shit the way it grows out your head, wild and free. That’s the beauty of hair. Nah, fuck that. That’s the beauty of black hair. Even though it’s one of my favorite things on you Cen, it doesn’t define you. You’re beautiful with or without it. I’d love yo sexy ass, even if I had to grease yo bald ass head every day.”
“Capri asked you where the pathway of the boat leads you to, and the short answer to that is toward forever. Our forever.”
“I’on..I’on think I follow you,” I looked from him to the cards. “It means I’m about to fuck the Mario coins out of you, Innocent,”
“Fuck I tell you ‘bout thanking me for shit you’re worthy of? It took years for you to get justice, but all you needed was somebody that ain’t play ‘bout you. It’s me, I’m that mutha’fucka that don’t play ‘bout you. Black dresses, slow singing, and flower bringing behind you every mutha’fuckin’ time,”
“Moving forward, the only time sex toys will be used on you is as my teammate. Think of this shit like Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Kobe and Shaq, or for your New Orleans head ass, crawfish and turkey necks. The only thing I’m taking from you with these is some of this good ass nut. This shit ain’t to trigger you, baby, it’s for you to overcome.”
“Look at this pretty mutha’fucka. You finna cum already, love?”
“You know I don’t say things just to say things. Never felt, never held, never had no love like you,” His silky-smooth voice was alluring me in even more. Every other lyric he sang turned into a moan. Releasing my curls, he moved his hand to my throat while he tongued my earlobe. I couldn’t do shit but hold my mouth open. Kylo was fucking me into another dimension. This was the type of dick that had bitches boxing the other baby mama in their bonnet. The type where you let that nigga drop you off at work while he takes the car for the day. Yvette, I understand now. This dick was always a
...more
“I’on know if you know this, but that pussy is about ninety-nine point nine nine nine percent of the reason you got this ring on your finger today.”
“What we have is much more than they can see.”
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts, Isaiah 55:9.
“Baby, I’m a grown man. A grown, loving, rich ass nigga – might I add. I knew what nutting in you resulted in. The fuck I’ma trip on my wife carrying my baby for? That don’t even make sense, Cen. A nigga don’t run from shit. You know me. So, check this out. I’ma keep watering these seeds and if them mutha’fuckas grow, then they grow. We ain’t counting no numbers. We got all we need to continue being the best parents: God, love, time, patience, money, and anything else you can think of. Ain’t shit to worry about.”
“To answer your question, I’m too fucking happy. The first appointment already scheduled with Mama I for Monday. All you need to do is get on the flight.” He pecked my lips. “Kyi, you about to have another sibling, mama,” he bounced her. She had one hand on his face, in and out of sleep. “I got you. I got us, I promise.”
“I just wanna thank y’all for coming today, man. Frank Amiri Junior Lewis is now resting in fish heaven.” Harlee covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. “While I am deeply saddened by his passing, I find solitude in the fact that he lived a good life. Now, I’on know what fish believe in, but I hope that lil’ nigga had his life right with my Lord and Savior. If not, that mutha’fucka most definitely in hell.”
Dennis tore his ass up. Nigga had four years of anger built up inside of him. Still, I beat his ass then threw him over the fence. Regardless of how you saw it, DJ killed his brother, so he had to get the fuck on. Shiesty shit like that wasn’t going down under my roof.
“This the longest funeral I’ve ever been to!” Capri commented. Ro’s high ass started chuckling at her. “Fuck y’all! I told you niggas to wear black. Y’all disrespectful. If it was a dog, y’all would all be out here sobbing and shit, rolling around in the fucking dirt! Don’t be out this bitch showing discrimination against pets and shit.” “Kylo, please. You don’t even care about the fish that much,”
“Who did the body? He looked like himself,” Harlee fanned her face. “Who the pallbearers? Come get the body,” Ken looked over the program. Everybody was hollering.
“Boy, come bury this damn fish!” I sucked my teeth, going over to grab the box he was in. We were just steps away from the ocean. I was so irritated that I flung the box with him in it in the water. Everybody started fussing. “Ahhh, whatever! Y’all acting like I flushed him! The nigga in the ocean with his cousins!”
“You know I’on hate y’all niggas foreal, right? Yall niggas family to me just like everybody else.” Parker and Trigg smiled. I always gave them a hard time to get them to loosen up. These niggas were both so peaceful that didn’t shit bother them, not even me. Talking shit was how I expressed my love for them. Their kids were still ugly, though. I did mean that.
My best advice for people that are struggling is to hold on. I know what they did. I know how they hurt you. I know that person may have left you alone, but you’re here. You’re not your past. You’re not a failure, nor a mistake. God got you. Wait and trust Him. Keep trusting. Keep fighting. Keep pushing. Know that you’re here for a purpose and on purpose. You got this. You are so strong. You. Are. Loved.
“So are you, sweet baby. God knew when I needed you. I love knowing that love started and will end with you.”
“I still fall in love with you every second of the day,” I whispered against her forehead, my thumbs stroking her cheek. “That shit will never get old.”
“Ditto, baby. My favorite part of our story is that God had already written it, stamping that our love is a good thing. My favorite part of you will always be how you love. You transcend. Your love is safe, intentional, boundless, and oh so passionate. You came in and put me in my soft girl era and I never want to leave. I never want this feeling to...
This highlight has been truncated due to consecutive passage length restrictions.
“Within you, my soul found its missing piece, Innocent. Thank you for showing me that there is beauty on the other side of Troubled Waters.”
