Didn't Mean To Love Him

By Regina

Have you ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn't have fallen in love with?

The moment Nicole felt herself falling for Cypress, she knew that she was dead wrong for loving him. But there was something about this fine man with swag and allure that rivaled any man she’d ever laid eyes on, that she couldn’t resist no matter how hard she tried. Months pass with Nicole resisting the urge to be with Cypress, having a hard time getting past the differences between them. But just like moths being drawn to flames... the inevitable occurs.

Cypress King is a young brother on the come up, who falls for a woman and can’t help the attraction he has for her, even though she is resisting him in every way possible. After nearly catching a murder rap by defending his mother, he’s pushed into a situation that brings him at the mercy of the one woman he never knew he wanted, Nicole. But major drama happens all around them and it threatens to keep them apart. Will they fight for their happiness, even though it seems wrong to want it, or will they let their new love fall apart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Royalty Publishing House
• Release date: Oct 4, 2017
• ISBN: 9781648405150

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Didn’t Mean To Love HimFull Page Image

Contents

Prologue

1. Cynthia King

2. Nicole

3. Cynthia

4. Cypress

5. Nicole

6. Cypress

7. Kameron

8. Kameron

9. Cynthia

10. Kameron

11. Nicole

12. Cypress

13. Kameron

14. Cynthia

15. Nicole

16. Kameron

17. Cypress

18. Cynthia

19. Nicole

20. Cypress

21. Kameron

22. Cynthia

23. Cypress

24. Kameron

25. Nicole

26. Cypress

27. Kameron

28. Nicole

29. Cynthia

30. Cypress

31. Nicole

32. Cynthia

33. Cypress

34. Kameron

35. Nicole

36. Cypress

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Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

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Copyright © 2017

Published by Royalty Publishing House

www.royaltypublishinghouse.com

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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Any unauthorized reprint or use of the material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage without express permission by the publisher.

This is an original work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Contains explicit language & adult themes suitable for ages 16+

Prologue

Isat at the kitchen table trying to finish my homework as fast as I could. Tonight, the BET Awards were coming on, and moms wouldn't let me watch them if all my homework wasn't done. She knew exactly what to say to get me to stop lagging around the house and get some work done. I appreciated her for staying on me about my work, even though she knew I had mad skills when it came to my real talent. Everybody in the hood knew that I was going to make it big. It was just a matter of time and getting my demos into the right set of hands.

See, I had goals and dreams since I popped up out of my mom’s womb. I knew I had to focus on my craft, and a part of it all was staying on top of what was hot and what was not.  Hip Hop changed as fast as the next BET Awards. One day I planned to be on that stage, thanking my momma for whipping my ass, making me do my homework, and pushing me to do what I loved to do, which was sing and rap. 

I'm almost done, I said aloud. 

You better be, my moms added. 

I smiled. I loved my moms more than I loved life itself. It had always been just me and her, until she met Heinz. I still wished it was just me and her. When she first started dating him, he was cool. He loved on her the way a man was supposed to love on a woman. Somewhere between moving in with us and losing his job, it all changed.

We both snapped our heads towards the door, knowing who it was and that our night was about to become a living hell; at least for the next three to four hours or until he fell asleep.

What's up, my mom’s piece of shit boyfriend asked as he walked through the door. I couldn't stand his punk ass. Any man that put his hands on a woman was nothing more than a piece of shit to me. And for the last three years, that's exactly what he had been doing. Every time I tried to talk to her about the way Heinz was treating her, she would tell me to stay out of it and let her handle it. I was sick of waiting for her to handle it. I was about to take matters into my own hands.

I knew he felt like he could do whatever the hell he wanted to my mom because he pegged me to be weak for not having stood up to his ass yet. This was partially true when he started beating on my moms. I had only been fourteen at the time. Initially, it would only happen about once every three or four months. Lately, it’s been happening about once a week and when I was away from the house.

When I turned eighteen a few months ago, I vowed to put an end to this shit. I had started running and hitting the weight room in our apartment complex. I was working out so hard the people working out in there with me thought I was trying to get ready for school ball. But that was hardly the case. I never told anyone my true intention. I was preparing for the fight of my life. I had no plans on losing either. 

Heinz had beat my mom two nights ago when I was at my friend’s house laying down some tracks. By the time I'd gotten home, he had done his damage and was nowhere to be found. It had become his new thing to do. He would wait until I wasn’t home, act a fool, and get ghost. This was the first time that he had come back to the house since then. Moms was a beautiful woman before Heinz started going psycho on her. She probably could have gotten any man she wanted, but fell for his lame ass instead. He had wooed her right out of her dignity and pride. I wished that she had seen his true colors before she decided to move him in with us.

I casually put my pencil down and waited to see what this fool was about to do. I finally felt like I was ready to take his bitch ass on. I was easily bench pressing 180 pounds, which was probably his weight, give or take a few. 

Moms spoke back to him. I just looked. 

You can't speak, little nigga! he shouted to me. 

Normally, I would have spoken just to keep the peace, but tonight I was feeling froggy.

Nope, I blurted angrily. It was about to go down. I was ready. 

Cy, my moms called.

I ignored her, never breaking the shitty ass look that I was giving Heinz.

Heinz Lamont Jamison had been making my life a living hell, and I was about to return the favor. It had already been decided, and there was nothing or nobody that could keep it from happening. 

Boy, what did you say to me? Heinz growled. 

I responded, nope, I can't speak, I told him. I could see my moms getting antsy, wringing her hands as she looked back and forth between Heinz and me. I felt bad for her, but she would thank me for this later, or so I thought. 

Lamont walked towards me and pushed a chair over just before reaching the table. I guess he did that shit for effect because it definitely wasn't in his way of reaching me. Intimidation wasn't going to get his ass anywhere tonight. 

My moms tried to round the table. I'm sure she was trying to put a barrier between me and old boy, but I quickly stood up and blocked her path before she could get in front of me. I gently held out my arm to keep her from passing me. 

Oh, so you ready to take me on, huh, little punk? Heinz grumbled. 

I held my head high and stuck my chest out. I flexed my muscles that he could clearly see with the tank top that I had on. I was scared as shit, but I was more than prepared to go toe to toe with him. He was getting his ass up out my mom’s house tonight. 

So you turn eighteen and think you’re man enough to step to me, huh? Heinz questioned.

I kept my eyes glued to his. I'd seen him fight out in the hood. I knew his moves. He was a sneaky son of bitch that would try to sucker punch you when you least expected it. He could be in the middle of a sentence and break out swinging. He often used that tactic to get the upper hand when he knew he was getting ready to fight somebody who had skills. 

Just as I predicted, he started talking, and before he finished his sentence, he jabbed his right fist towards my face. I dodged it and swung on him, connecting my fist right on point with his left eye. When he grabbed his eye, I used it as an opportunity to unleash the beast that had been quietly stirring in my soul since the first time that he had laid hands on my mom. 

I could hear my mom screaming for me to stop. Blood was splattering all over the walls. Heinz was screaming like the little bitch that he was. I zoned out. With each punch that connected with his face, I felt a little bit of anger leave my body. I thought about how many times his fists had touched my mom. I wanted to double that number and then some. 

I guess moms started feeling bad for him because she grabbed my arm and began jerking as hard as her small 125-pound frame would allow. She eventually pulled me out of my zone. It was just enough time for Heinz to turn the tables on me. Within minutes, he had knocked me backwards, causing me to become dazed. He turned his anger onto my mom once again.

I lost it. I was sick of this shit. At that moment, I decided to put an end to it all for good. I scrambled over to my backpack. It didn’t take me long to locate my heat. I took the safety lock off, held the gun up, and blasted three pieces of hot lead into the back of Heinz’s head. I’ll never forget the thump that his body made as he crashed to the floor. I felt a sense of accomplishment.

I thought that our nightmare was over, but it was just beginning.

Oh my God, Cy! Where the hell did you get a gun?

One

Cynthia King

Istood there not able to move. I didn’t know what I should be feeling after watching my son take another person’s life. But I did know that I didn’t feel an ounce of sadness for the man lying on the floor in front of me. Heinz brought this shit on himself. Heinz had finally come up against someone who wasn’t willing to put up with his shit any longer. I had no idea that it would be my son to step up and hand him his ass.

Cy, I called as I shook his arm to get his attention. Look at me. He was dazed. I felt like shit for putting my son in this situation. He shouldn’t have had to deal with Heinz. I should have left the first time that Heinz raised his hand to me, but I’d wanted Cypress to have a male role model in the house. Someone that he could depend on to help him grow into a responsible man. I failed him. Instead of a positive father figure, I’d given him a monster. But now was my chance to protect him like I should have from the start.

Listen to me, Cy. I placed my hands on his face and looked into his eyes. I want you to go to Nicole’s house and stay there until you hear from me.

Nicole was my closest friend. Actually, she was my only friend. Heinz had systematically caused a distance between me and every other friend that I had. Nicole and I had worked together for the last six years. Heinz didn’t know how close we had become or else he probably would have insisted that I quit. He wanted to control everything about me.

What? Cy questioned. Why?

Cy, I am going to call the police to let them know that Heinz is dead, I told him. And I don’t want you here when they get here.

That doesn’t make sense, Mom, Cy stated. I need to explain to them why I killed him.

Don’t ever repeat those words again, I raised my voice. I needed him to really get what I was about to say. You didn’t shoot Heinz. I did.

What? Cy questioned for the second time. No, he added, finally realizing where I was going with this.

Yes, I shot Heinz. I am not going to let you throw your life away over this low-life. I pointed down at Heinz.

I won’t be throwing my life away, Mom. No judge or jury would lock me up after we tell them what Heinz has been doing to you, Cy stated.

"All that sounds good, Cy, but I am not about to take a chance with your future. Baby, your future is bright. You have a God given gift. I am not going to let it go to waste over a mistake that I made by bringing him into this house.

But, Mom—

No but, Mom. Have you not been watching what’s been going on in the country? You are a young Black man on the verge of doing something positive with your life. I am not about to leave it up to a jury to decide if you get to walk free or not. I shot Heinz, and you were not here. Now go!

Mom, was all that Cy could get out.

Dammit, Cy! Do what I said. Leave. Tell Nicole it’s time. She’ll know exactly what I want her to do.

Cy knew that there was no way he was going to be able change my mind, so he decided to do what I told him to do.

I love you, Mom.

I love you too, baby, I told him.

As soon as Cypress closed the door, I picked up the gun. I grabbed a towel and wiped it down. I wanted to make sure that Cypress’s fingerprints wouldn’t be on the gun. Then I held the gun up and fired a shot into the wall. I wanted to make sure that my hands had gunpowder residue on them. I dropped the gun next to Heinz’s lifeless body and walked over to the counter to pick up the phone. I dialed 911 and spoke to the operator that answered the call.

I just shot someone, I stated. Can you send the police?

The 911 operator asked question after question after telling me that the police and an ambulance were on the way.

Ten minutes later, the police were knocking on my door. I quickly looked around to ensure that everything looked the way it was supposed to look. I already had bruises all over my body so that would be a plus. I took a deep breath, sighed, and opened the door.

I answered every question that was thrown my way. If I didn’t know the truth about what really happened, I would have believed my own lie. I even managed to shed a tear or two. Those were real. Just thinking about the chaos that I’d brought into my son’s life, pained me.

Most of what I was saying was actually true. Cy might have been the one to pull the trigger, but I knew that by me not leaving Heinz, I was solely responsible for the events that led Cy to do what he felt he had to do. I would never be able to forgive myself if Cypress went to jail.

After the detectives were done asking questions, they read me my rights and placed me under arrest, just like I knew they would. It didn’t matter that Heinz had beat the shit out of me over the past several years. It never mattered when the victim and the perpetrator were black. I knew in my heart that I was making the right decision for Cy. They would have locked him up and thrown away the key and never gave him a second thought. I was just grateful that I sent Cy away. It was best that he didn’t see me being handcuffed and placed into the back seat of the squad car. I couldn’t be sure that he wouldn’t put an end to my made-up story and tell the officers what really happened.

As the squad car pulled away from my home, I prayed a