“We got to do something ’bout him,” Kevin said, reading her mind.
“Can you run me to the mall?” she asked. “I need to get a new phone.”
“Yeah, just let me change my clothes first.”
After Kevin was done, they went to Cheltenham Square mall. She went to one of the stands that sold Cingular phones, so she could use her old SIM car, and just bought a regular flip phone for now.
When they got back to Kevin’s apartment, Joy looked in the mirror. Her face was still swollen but it wasn’t bruised. Kevin went to the kitchen to make something for them to eat, while Joy lied down, only planning to close her eyes for a minute, but before she knew it she was sleep.
Chapter Eleven
Joy woke up to something warm and wet on her stomach. It was quickly moving down. For some reason, she wasn’t scared. She reached down and felt Kevin’s head as he went lower and started unbuckling her jeans. After sliding them down, he pushed her thong to the side and his tongue quickly found her clit. He sucked on it at first, and then he softly nibbled it. Instantly, she began to shake.
“Ohhh shit, baby, I’m … I’m … I’m coming,” she screamed.
Once Joy had caught her breath, she told Kevin to flip onto his back; he happily complied. She then turned around, ass facing him, and gently lowered her pussy to his waiting mouth. Then she got to work, taking his entire dick in her mouth. She felt the vibration from his moans. They stayed in this position for a minute. Every time Joy felt Kevin’s dick building up to explode, she’d stop and lick his balls. She came multiple times, and her whole body was tingling. Unable to take it anymore, Kevin rolled Joy off him and placed her legs on his shoulders. He stroked her deep and fast. When he felt he was about to come, he slowed down and waited for her to come again before he pulled out and busted on her stomach.
He put her legs down and moved to get off, when she pushed him down on the bed and started sucking him again. He thought he was done, until he felt his shit get hard. This time Joy hopped on his dick and rode him. He laid back and watched the different expressions of ecstasy pass over her face. He reached up and grabbed one of her nipples, and that set her off. She rode him faster, slowing only to engage him in a kiss, which she quickly broke and picked her speed back up. It was feeling too good, but Kevin tried to pull Joy up when he felt he was about to come. She just kept on going. At the last second, he felt Joy lift up just as he started coming. Joy licked every drop up and then laid next to him. He pulled her close to him and kissed her lips.
She started kissing from his lips down his chest; he had to pull her back up before she got too low.
“Let me rest right, quick. I need to gather some energy,” he said, laying his head back on the pillow.
Joy leaned back on the other pillow, resting her head on her hand, deep in thought. She only had a few more months left of school before she was done. She wanted to go away to college, only to get away from her parents. The thought of getting away from her parents brought a smile to her face. She rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling, then glanced at Kevin, who was sleep, before climbing out the bed.
She went into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Her face looked normal but was still sore to the touch. She looked around for some Tylenol or something. She opened the medicine cabinet and found some aspirin. She popped three, swallowing them dry, and sat down on the toilet. After she was finished, she went back in the room and got dressed. She went over to Kevin’s side of the bed and kissed his open mouth. She then left the room, grabbing Kevin’s car key off the dresser.
She didn’t have her license, but she knew how to drive. She prayed that she wouldn’t get stopped by the cops and that Kevin wouldn’t be too mad when he realized what she’d done.
Chapter Twelve
Joy drove carefully, making sure she stuck to the speed limit. Every time she passed a cop car, her heart would beat fast. Nothing happened, though, and she made it to her destination without incident. She drove down the block, and right there in the middle of the block she spotted a black car. Surprisingly, there were no other black cars on the block.
She picked up her new phone and dialed. As she waited, she stared at the house she was parked in front of, before looking in the bag she had grabbed from Kevin’s house before leaving. She hoped again that he wouldn’t get too mad and would understand. No answer. She dialed again.
“What?” Josh answered.
“It’s me,” Joy said.
“What do you want?”
“Josh, I called to apologize. I want to see you so we can talk face to face,” she said, praying that he wouldn’t suspect anything and would just go along with it.
“Oh, really? I knew you would change your mind, bitch,” he said cockily.
“Yeah. Uh, hun, I’m outside your aunt’s house. Are you alone?” she asked, trying to sound casual.
“Yeah, you could say that. Joey’s here but he sleep in the other room, so we’ll have some privacy,” he said, trying to sound sexy which only irritated Joy.
“I’m walking to the door now,” she said, and hung up.
Josh opened the door and stood back as Joy entered. He led her into a bedroom at the back of the house and quietly shut the door behind him. Joy regretted her decision to come there the moment he shut the door. As soon as he turned fully around, Joy pulled out the gun she had found in Kevin’s closet the time he left her there by herself.
“Don’t move,” she ordered, knowing there was no turning back now.
“Joy, what the fuck are you doing?” Josh demanded, moving forward.
“Stop right there. I just want you to listen,” she said, her voice shaking.
Josh smiled. “You won’t shoot me.” But he stayed where he was.
“Josh, I want you to leave me alone. Don’t call me or come by my house, or I will kill you.”
“Is this about earlier? I was only taking you somewhere we could talk without interruption,” he said, now moving closer again.
“I mean it—stop moving, or I will shoot you.” Joy took a step back, bumping into the bed.
Josh moved towards her and grabbed the gun, but Joy held onto it. They struggled.
“Josh, let go,” she screamed, panicking.
“Give me the gun, bitch. I’ll show you how to use it,” he said, pulling her arm.
There was a loud boom and a flash of light. Joy let go of the gun. Her arm hurt from her hand to her elbow, and her ears were ringing. At first she thought she had been shot, until she looked at Josh. Shock was all over his face. A spot of blood, initially the size of a small fist, expanded slowly across his chest, then he fell to the floor. She looked down at him; he wasn’t moving, and his eyes were wide open and dull.
“Josh get up.” Joy yelled down at him. She took a few steps toward him and stop. He wasn’t moving. Joy picked the gun up off the floor and grabbed the bag she had carried it in. She then opened the door and ran back through the house and out the front door.
Joey, who was hiding in the other room, didn’t come out until he heard the front door close. By the time he reached Josh, he was dead. After dialing 911, he slid on the floor next to his cousin and cried.
Chapter Thirteen
Joy raced to the car and started it, then pulled out slow, not wanting to attract attention to herself. She twice glanced in the rear view mirror as she drove. She couldn’t believe she killed him. She let out a sigh and began a deep cry. “Josh.”
Feeling sure no one followed her, she parked the car. She turned the key ignition and rested her head on the steering wheel. Several deep breaths later, she tried to slow her pounding heart. When she closed her eyes, all she could see was the look on Josh’s face when she shot him. She shook her head, hoping to shake the memory from her mind. Snot flowed out her nose. She used the back of her hand to wipe it away then leaned back against the headrest. She felt trapped with nowhere to go. She had no money to leave. In order to get herself together Joy knew she had to find a way to get out of the city.
She smoothed her hair down and wiped her face. Josh’s face flashed across her mind. To make it go away, she thought of the horrible things he did to her and her heart hardened. Calmness came over her as she started the car and pulled off.
Twenty minutes later she was back at Kevin’s apartment. Kevin was sitting on the back stairs with his head in his hands, but he looked up when she pulled up. He jumped up and started coming towards her. He was shouting something but Joy couldn’t hear just what he was saying.
“What you say?” she asked casually.
“Where the fuck were you?” he asked, anger written all over his face.
“I had to take care of something right quick. Let’s talk inside,” she said, looking around.
“After you took my car, you think I’m letting you in my apartment again?” he said, snatching the keys from her. That’s when he noticed the bag in her hands. He grabbed that from her too. “You went through my closet? What the fuck is wrong with you?” he said.
Joy thought he sounded like a bitch. “Now can we go inside?” she asked.
Kevin didn’t say anything; he just walked towards the stairs and turned around to see if she was following. She walked towards him and they went up to the apartment and into Kevin’s bedroom.
“Okay, so explain what the fuck you were doing with my gun?” Kevin demanded, trying to calm down enough to not want to beat the shit out of her.
Joy told him about trying to scare Josh into leaving her alone, then how she accidentally shot him when he grabbed the gun.
“Is he dead? Did anybody see you? Did you call the police?”
“Wait a minute, calm down.”
“What do you mean,
calm down
? Are you crazy? Why do I meet all the crazy bitches?” he said, pacing back and forth.
Joy went over to him, grabbed his arm and sat him on the bed.
“Here I was, trying to figure out why you took my car and if you were coming back, and you done shot somebody with my gun. Didn’t you think that the gun could be traced back to me?” he asked, looking at her. “Shit, I thought you went to the store or something. I was worried about you getting my car took. I didn’t know if you have a license or not.” “I don’t know if he’s dead. I didn’t even mean to shoot him, I told you.”
Kevin turned the TV on to the six o’clock news. The reporter was talking about a fire in the northeast. They both looked at the screen and waited.
“A father of four was gunned down today in the Kensington section while shielding his children in a shootout police believe to have been between rival drug dealers. Police don’t have any leads at this stage, and no witnesses have come forward.
“A young male, believed to be in his late teens, has been found dead in the northeast of Philadelphia. A cousin, the only other person home at the time, said he didn’t see anything but heard a noise he believed to be a gunshot and a door slam. When he went to check it out, he found his cousin’s dead body. He is not a suspect but is being held for questioning. This makes the crime rate higher than last year … ”
Kevin turned off the TV and looked at Joy. “We have to get rid of the gun,” he said.
“I know, but where?”
“I’ll figure it out. We have to wait until it’s dark, though.”
“I’m sorry. I never meant to jeopardize you in any way. He grabbed the gun … It was an accident; but for some reason, I don’t feel guilty.” She moved in front of him when he wouldn’t look at her.
He turned and stared hard at her. “After we get rid of this gun, I don’t want anything else to do with you.”
Joy said nothing. She tried to kiss his lips but he pushed her away. Tears fell down her face. She needed him. He was the only one in her life who made her feel special. She had to make him see how much she needed him. Still sitting on the floor, she looked up at him, seeing the hurt and anger in his eyes. He turned away when he noticed her looking at him. Joy stood up and removed her clothes. Kevin saw the movement out of the corner of his eye but refused to acknowledge her. She moved in front of him but he just turned his head away again. They played this back-and-forth game for a few minutes, then Kevin snapped.