Ebony Angel Read Online Free

of this.” She shrugged and shook her head. “I don’t know. You’re supposed to be my best friend.”
    “I am.”
    “This is unbelievable. If you’re my friend, why would you want me to marry a man you think would shoot someone? Trae is a drug-dealing gang-banger. His life isn’t a secret. He doesn’t even have enough sense to be ashamed of his criminal activity or try to change his life.”
    “He’s not that bad,” Jessica protested. “If you would marry him, he would change, but you won’t give him a chance.”
    “I’m not so arrogant as to think I can change people, and I shouldn’t have to. Don’t get me wrong. I love Trae. He gave me Crystal. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for him. But I don’t want the life he has to offer. I want—need—a security Trae doesn’t understand.” She also resented him for forcing her to remain a part of the drug world—a world she detested. The lives she’d seen lost to addiction weighed heavily on her soul. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take.
    “Trae wouldn’t let anyone hurt you, girl.”
    “I’m not talking about physical security. I don’t approve of his lifestyle. How long until he’s arrested? How long before the cops search my home because of his activities? How long before he’s killed? How long before Crystal discovers what he is? How long before she loses her father?” She trailed off.
    Voicing some of her greatest fears spiked a chill of reality along her spine. She had lost her father to the drug life, and couldn’t bear the thought of Crystal losing hers, couldn’t bear the thought of her baby seeking to fill a void that could never be filled. She had been trying for years to convince Trae to give up the drug life so they could all be free. She thought about the arrangement she had made with Trae when Crystal first came into her life. She thought he would change. Prayed he would change. Thought she could change him. But reality finally slapped sense into her. Changing had to start in Trae’s heart.
    “I don’t want what he has to offer.” She had also worked for years to provide the security her child deserved; soon, it would be hers. She could picture living in a nice quiet neighborhood where it was safe for Crystal to play hopscotch on the sidewalk, make friends with the neighborhood children and have a normal life.
    Ebony didn’t need a large home, just a home of her own in a safer neighborhood. Earning her master’s degree was the road to her dream, not dating a drug dealer, not counting on others to provide for her child. Now that the economy had finally turned around, her day was coming.
    Jessica stared at Ebony a long while. “You really like this white boy, don’t you?”
    “Stop calling him white boy. His name is Richard. And, yes, I really like him.” Talking about Richard sent excitement pulsing through her body. “Besides being fine as hell, we connected on an emotional level from the moment we met. He didn’t bat an eye when I told him about Crystal. We talked for nine hours, and it was like nine minutes. I can’t find the words to explain.”
    Jessica sucked air through her teeth as she rolled her chubby neck. “You know I got your back, girl. If you want this wh…Richard, I’ll help you.” She took Ebony’s hands into hers. “Just do me one favor. If Richard ever hurts you, don’t let Trae find out.”
    “Oh, my goodness. Aren’t you being a tad bit dramatic? I’ve dated other men, and guess what? Trae didn’t hurt any of them. We grew up on the streets. He’s only surviving. I just found a better way to survive.” Years ago, her uncle Dan used to be a drug dealer, but he turned his life around and was now a role model for the young men in the community. Many a night she wished Dan were her father. She didn’t see any reason Trae couldn’t do the same as Dan. Trae was an excellent father to their child, so she knew he had the potential in him to change. She silently prayed