There was a huge water fountain across from the restaurant, and he saw a pretty female standing in front of the waterfall taking a selfie. Canyon took a moment to take the woman in. She stood 5’7 with sienna colored skin and her natural hair was up in a high ponytail and was dyed honey blonde. Shorty was petite and dressed in a black dress with spaghetti straps that showcased her flat stomach and tiny waist. Her nails were super long and painted a light pink color. She had the same color on her toes, and her wrist was decorated with several Pandora charm bracelets. After watching her for a second, Canyon made his way over to her.
“Let me help you with that.”
She looked over at him, and a sheepish expression covered her face. “My stylist wanted a picture of my hair, and the lighting is good right here.”
“No explanation needed.” Canyon reached for the phone, and she passed it to him. She looked nervous now because he was the one taking the pictures.
“Get on your model shit, ma. The way you were before I came over here.”
Shorty blushed and looked down at the ground for a minute. When she looked back up, she had composed herself, and Canyon was able to snap several good photos of her. “Thank you,” she stated when he passed her phone back to her.
“It was my pleasure. How old are you?” His eyes scanned her face. He could tell she was grown, but she looked young.
“Twenty-two. You?”
“Twenty-three. You can pass for eighteen easy as hell. So, you single?”
Cheyenne was very much single and very much tired of trying to get her lame ass ex to act right. They had beentogether off and on for five years and them being out of high school was putting a serious strain on their relationship. He was no longer the football player with the cheerleader girlfriend. Sean was now an adult that could drink, go to the club, he had his own place, etc. and suddenly, the thought of being in a relationship didn’t excite him.
Cheyenne had changed too. She was into make-up, and she had gained a little weight in the right places. But no matter how much attention she got from guys when she went out with her friends, she wanted Sean. Just the night before, she cried herself to sleep over him. But now, there was a fine ass man standing in her face asking her if she was single, and she couldn’t have been happier that Sean had been cutting up.
“I am. My name is Cheyenne, and you are?”
“My name is Canyon.”
The two exchanged numbers, and he called her the next day. The rest was history.
Canyon snapped back into the present. Cheyenne was cool. Aside from her being a little clingy in the beginning, he had no real issue with her. They kept dating, and he kept getting more money by the day. When she realized for real how much clout he had, how much money he had, and how much respect he got in the streets, she couldn’t stand the thought of another woman having him. Cheyenne did everything in her power to get Canyon to cuff her, and he did. He didn’t talk to her crazy or abuse her. He was a really good boyfriend aside from the occasional cheating. At one point, fear of losing him made Cheyenne feel like she was having a nervous breakdown, and she had to catch herself before she completely lost herself.
As much as it hurt, she had to distance herself from Canyon for a while. Like most men, he didn’t realize what he had until it was gone, and he proposed to her. She didn’t even accept right away, and it made her feel powerful. Cheyenne made Canyonsweat for a few weeks before agreeing to marry him. Once they got married, things were good for a while but eventually, he cheated again and that time, Cheyenne really did go off the deep end. She had cried many nights and told him that she was scared to lose him. All she wanted was to be with him, and he would look her in the eyes every time and promise to stop cheating. He would do so good for a minute then boom, one day he’d just do some dumb shit. For a long time, Canyon beat himself up for ruining Cheyenne’s life. But at some point, they had to move on from that. They were going to forgive each other, or they weren’t.
Canyon grabbed a trash bag and started with the clothes that were hanging up on hangers. After he got most of those down, he opened one of her drawers and began cleaning it out. Near the back of the drawer were some folded up papers, and Canyon pulled them out. They were probably nothing because she hadn’t mentioned anything of importance being among her things. Before she went in, she gave him her birth certificate, social security card, her passport, and other important documents to keep safe for her. Still, Canyon unfolded the papers, and his eyes darted over the one that was on top. Canyon’s eyebrows snapped together as he took in what he was reading and the dates on the paper.
Canyon’s blood started to boil as he thought back to the date of the incident with Cheyenne killing ole girl. He would never forget. Cheyenne killed her on a Friday. It was June 10th. That was also the day that she went to jail, and she wasn’t given a bond. The papers in his hand stated that Cheyenne had an abortion on June 8th. The day after she found out he cheated on her. He never even knew his wife was pregnant by him, and she had gone behind his back and had a whole ass abortion.
CHAPTER 8
Raven kissedher teeth when her doorbell rang. Once again, Canyon’s rude ass associate was at her home to make her do some shit against her will. She had no desire to go bag up heroin. The fuck did she look like? But she didn’t really have a choice. Xander’s mother had the nerve to text her earlier and tell her that Xander was asking about her and wanted to talk to her. Raven kindly blocked her ass too. Fuck her and fuck her son. It was safe to say that she was agitated and in a bad mood. Raven still didn’t understand why Xander’s baby mama wasn’t the one working off his debt.
Raven snatched the door open, and the sight of the man standing there smirking made her angrier. “What is your name?” she snapped. “You keep popping up at my shit to pick me up, and I don’t even know your name.”
“Your period on or some shit, ‘cus your attitude is crazy? That’s not how you ask someone what their name is.”
Raven’s eyes narrowed. “You’re trying to be funny, and I don’t have time for games.”
Gold teeth walked right up on her and invaded her personal space. “Games? I’m too G for that shit. But check the fly shit shorty, you need to have all that attitude and shit with yo’ hoeass nigga.He’sthe reason you’re in this shit. All that attitude and shit isn’t gon’ do shit but get on my nerves, and that might get you hurt. Get ya shit and come on.”
Raven had to literally bite the tip of her tongue to keep from going off on his ass. She was mad enough to spit nails if that was humanly possible. With an attitude, she stalked off behind him. After locking her door, she followed him to a blue Acura. Raven got in and crossed her arms underneath her breasts. He sped down the street blaring NBA Youngboy which seemed fitting ‘cus they both had anger issues.
Diric snickered to himself when he saw how pissed Raven was. She was cute as hell, and he was just obnoxious by nature. She was being forced to do something she didn’t want to do, so her having an attitude was to be expected. She did also say that she was no longer with Xander, but that didn’t matter too much either.
“My name is Diric,” he said after turning down the music just a tad.
“I don’t even give a fuck anymore,” she snapped still staring out of the window, and he chuckled.
“How long have you and Xander been broken up? You need some dick, ma.”
Raven’s head whipped in his direction so fast it hurt, but she ignored the shooting pain in her neck. “Were you raised by humans?”
