| You Knew Betta | |
| Cachet Johnson | |
| Triple Crown Productions (2011) | |
A Publisher's Note
To my dearest readers:
Triple Crown Publications provides you with the best reads in hip-hop fiction. Each novel is hand-selected in its purest form with you, the reader, in mind. Let That Be the Reason, an insta-classic, pioneered the hip-hop genre. Always innovative, you can count on Triple Crown's growth: manuscript notes -- published books -- audio -- film.
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Those prestigious honors have taken me from street corner to boardroom accreditation.
Undisputedly, Triple Crown is the leader of the urban fiction renaissance, boasting more than one million sizzling books sold and counting...
Without you, our readers, there is no us, Vickie Stringer
Publisher
You Knew Betta
BY
Cachet Johnson
This is a work of fiction. The authors have invented the characters. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
If you have purchased this book with a 'dull' or missing cover-- You have possibly purchased an unauthorized or stolen book. Please immediately contact the publisher advising where, when and how you purchased this book.
Compilation and Introduction copyright (c) 2010 by Triple Crown Publications
PO Box 247378
Columbus, Ohio 43224
www.TripleCrownPublications.com Library of Congress Control Number: 2010920094
ISBN 13: 978-09825888-6-4
Author: Cachet Johnson
Graphics Design: Valerie Thompson, Leap Graphics Photography: Treagen Kier
Editor-in-Chief: Vickie Stringer Copyright (c) 2010 by Cachet Johnson. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except by reviewers who may quote brief passages to be printed in a newspaper or magazine.
First Trade Paperback Edition Printing 2010
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America
Dedication
This book is dedicated to Solomon (Butchie) Hill,
July 23, 1978 - December 23, 2004.
A devoted father, son, brother, uncle, cousin and friend, you are gone but never forgotten. I love and miss you dearly. Tell Aunt Darcell and Aunt Deborah that I love them. RIP.
Chapter One
Sasha
"If I have to carry this baby any longer, I'm gonna lose my fuckin' mind!" I yelled at my slow-ass boyfriend, Raimone. "Hurry the hell up!"
I was having my baby today, and I couldn't get to the hospital quick enough. My original due date had been March 19th, and with today being April 2nd, I was two weeks well overdue. So my doctor had scheduled me to be induced.
I had an appointment for 2 p.m.; here it was 1:15, and we're still at the damn house. I was finally going to meet the little girl responsible for packing on all these extra pounds, and I definitely had a couple of words for her for kicking my ass constantly.
I heard Raimone yell from our master bedroom, "Here I come, Sash. Damn, can't a nigga brush his teeth first?"
My eyes instantly dart to the clock hanging above the entertainment center in the living room; it's now 1:20 p.m. Now he means to tell me, that his ass has been in the bathroom for the past hour, and he's just getting around to brushing his teeth? Taking a rest on the leather loveseat, I lay my head back and exhale because I'm really trying to remain calm.
Men kill me with their attitude. Shit, he acts like he's the one with this huge-ass stomach. I should go in there and pop him upside his head, but that's not going to do anything but slow me up more, so I'll give him a pass today. He betta hurry his monkey ass up, that's for sure!Look at me running my mouth, and I ain't even introduced myself yet. Well, my name is Sasha Denise Jones. Me and my boyfriend, Raimone LaShawn Ford, have been together for the past seven years. We've been going strong since the summer of 1997 when I was in the tenth grade; and life couldn't be better.
We live in a two-bedroom, two-bath condo in Stone Bridge Towers in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. After trying for about two years to have a baby, we gave up because honestly we didn't think it was our time. We'd just moved into this apartment, and I was still taking morning classes in nursing school, so I guess God saw it fit for us not to have a baby at that time. I've now finished school and have a full-time job as a registered nurse at Metro Health Medical Center. I was there for a little over a year when it happened; finally, we were gonna be parents! I was able to work up until my seventh month, then my doc put me on bedrest outta fear that I may have her early--what a crock of shit!
I was three months pregnant when I had an ultrasound, which said we were having a girl. Raimone couldn't keep the smile off of his face. He said that he always wanted a little girl; he even picked her name out. I was pretty excited. I always wanted a mini-me. I know that babies are not dolls, but I think it would be fun to dress her up in cute little outfits, put bows in her hair. She's going to be just like her momma--a diva!
"Diva" is the correct word for me, because that's exactly what I am. Other than being a big-ass blimp now, I am sexy! I stand at 5'2" and usually I weight around 128 pounds. But right about now I'm weighed-in at a whopping 165! I am the color of caramel, have doe eyes, a button nose, and full lips. I have naturally long eyelashes, so no need for the fake stuff. You can always catch me with my shoulder-length hair in a wrap. I'm hoping that after I drop this load, I'll get my old shape back. I guess we'll just have to wait and see, but until then I'll keep my fingers and my toes crossed.
After another ten minutes had come and gone, Raimone emerged though the door looking like the thug he was. He wore blue Rocawear jeans, a white tee, and a tan Rocawear hoodie. He topped the outfit off with some butter Tims, his signature diamond-studded cross and two-carat studs. My baby always looked his best, and I loved him for that. He was a tall chocolate brotha that I couldn't get enough of. At six-foot-one, Raimone towered over my small frame. He weighed 185 pounds, had dark brown eyes, and had the prettiest lips a woman could ask for. He always wore his hair low cut and lined up. He was pretty much flawless. The only thing that was even close to being a blemish was a scar that he had on his chest from being shot when he was younger.
With all that said--today was not the fucking day!
In the real world, I'm about to have this baby and this nigga upstairs is primping like he's heading to the damn club. I mean, I like to look good my damn self, but today I look average because I know there's shit to be done. I have on a pink and white Lady Enyce jogging suit, and all-white Air Force 1's. It's time to go, and I'm ready!
"Damn, baby, why you looking at a nigga like