Un-break my heart
Say you'll love me again
Undo this hurt you caused
When you walked out the door
And walked out of my life
Un-cry these tears
I cried so many nights
Un-break my heart
My heart
-Toni Braxton

Walking away from Petite Trois could be the best or the worse thing she had ever done. Right now, she did not know just yet.

It hit different though. She was expecting to be relieved, but she missed them immediately. For the next several days, she spent it staring at her phone hoping they would call and apologize to her. Or hell, just say what's up like nothing happened.

After a week of no calls, she was back to raging mad at them. Fuck, she was Ginger Hollands, she didn't need their asses. She packed a bag and headed out of town, to Springfield, Missouri where Craig was. She had never been to his home town, like ever. Why? Ain't nobody care about Springfield, Mo unless they went to college down there, that's all that little city had.

Craig had bought a warehouse-style loft atop an office building in downtown Springfield. She took a private elevator up and it opened right into his place.

"Shawty, what's up," Craig said when he walked over to her. The place was dope and she knew he had professionals keeping that place together. No man was that neat.

"I bet it ain't no Black people around here," she said.

"Ain't that many of us in Springfield at all," he said, pulling her in his arms. "I missed my girl. I wanna taste all yo goodies."

They immediately went at each other, Craig going down on her right there in the living room. She returned the favor.

Then they laid out on his couch and fucked like animals.

"Come here baby, I want you to try something," he said, going to the end table drawer and pulling out a baggy.

It was pills. He put one in his mouth and put one toward her mouth.

"What's that? You just want me to take something I'on know what it is?"

"Come on babe, it'll stimulate the sex more," he said.

The sex was already great, she didn't need drugs for that. Still, she liked life on the edge, so she took it. When that shit hit, she did feel hornier. She climbed on top of him and he was extra hard and it was a lot better. She collapsed on him breathing hard.

"Damn!"

"I told you," he said. "I got you ma, Imma take care of you."

"Craig, do you even love me?" she asked him.

"What? Girl, come on, you my shorty, we kicks it, why you getting mushy and shit?"

"That's not being mushy," she said, looking at him. "I just...the shit I went through with Spitfire, I don't want that with you."

"That nigga a fool okay, a fool. He didn't deserve you."

Yet, she still came running back to him any chance she got. If Spitfire said the word, she would be there. Besides, he did hold her future in his hands even more now. She was breaking a contract by leaving Petite Trois. He could force her to come back, but there was no way she was going back.

"I left the group."

"What are you talking about? You still high?"

"No, I'm saying I left Petite Trois."

"Oh shit!"

He sat up on the couch. "You okay? Is that why you ran to Da Field? You hiding out."

"No stupid, I wanna be with you. I mean, far as I can tell, nothing has come out. We missed a couple of shows, but no one has been in contact with me."

"Maybe they doing a Destiny's Child and just replaced yo ass."

She pushed him. She did not have time for his jokes.

"Them bitches ain't call me or nothing to see if I'm okay or what. That bitch M'Liyah thinks she is everything. How is she gonna sing with Tempo like that?"

"Who's Tempo?"

She rolled her eyes. "New singer on the label. Anyway, they did a song together and it's nice."

"So? She did a side project, everyone does it. I have. You should. I told you I wanted you on my song babe."

"I told you I don't do hooks!"

"When you doing it, it ain't just a hook, it's a smash," he said, kissing her neck.

"Whatever," she said, snuggling up to him. "I gotta figure out what my next step is. But right now, I want to be out the public eye for a while."

"You hungry? I'm starving like Marvin. Lemme cook something for us," he said, getting up and pulling his boxers on.

She smiled. He was going to cook for her? This she had to see. She pulled on his shirt and followed him into the kitchen to watch all his sexiness at work.

"Why do you know how to cook?" she asked as he pulled out chicken wings, potatoes, and a whole lot of ingredients she knew nothing about.

"I was raised by a single mom and she ain't have time to cook all the time, so I had to cook for myself."

"Hmm," she said, watching him season the flour mix before dropping in raw chicken. She could honestly say she never cooked a real meal in her life. When foster parents didn't cook for her, it was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or noodles.

"You need to learn, Ms. Pampered Princess," he said.

"Why? I have you now to cook for me," she said.

"I like that," he said, leaning over to kiss her. "You sexy in my shirt. I just wanna fuck yo brains out right now."

"Boy stop and don't burn the food."

He peeled potatoes and cut up his own fries. She was amazed by watching him work. He had two pans going, one frying chicken wings, one frying the French fries. She was watching him like she was watching one of those cooking shows.

"You just gonna watch and not help?"

"Uhhh...what do you need help with? Look like you got it, bruh."

"See, you can't be wifey material if you can't even help yo man in the kitchen, yo," he said.

"Nigga, please! We in a new millennium, you cook, I bring da bread home. You lay that pipe right I ain't gotta burn in the kitchen."

"Yo ass wild," he said, laughing. "Okay, grab some plates and shit, I'm ready to eat!"

For a pretty mother fucker like Craig, who rapped about licking na-na all night long, he sure put in work in the kitchen. That fried chicken tasted like something you pick up from a restaurant. The fries! They were extra salty with a lot of pepper and just a touch of garlic. She was licking her fingers and sopping up every last drop of that food.

"You ain't have no man cook for you or sum?"

"Naa," she said, finishing her plate and grabbing some fries from his.

"You been dealing with dead weight, ma. Girl, my Pops told me-"

"About the licking it, that shit? Well, let me tell you, if a man cook for me like this err'day, I'm licking dick and his balls till they go soft, then Imma keep licking it till it's hard again, then soft again."

"Sheeiiit!"

She had fun with Craig, but after a few days, he had to hit the road again, and she had to go back to Atlanta to face the music. Or lack of music. She headed right to The Spit Pit to see the man himself. He had to have her back in this.

"Where you been?" he said when he saw her.

"Clearing my damn head."

"It's clear now? You know you costing me a lot of mother fucking money. I'm 'bout my music, not the drama. The girls may let you back if-"

"Fuck them! I'm done Spitfire, I meant that shit."

"You trippin."

"And if you care anything about me Spitfire you would have my back on this. I'm tired of playing background. It's my time to shine. I want a solo deal."

"Word?"

"I said, what I said! Mother fucker, sign me up as a solo artist. I want to get into the studio and prove to all the naysayers I don't need them."

"Look, this is business Gin, you know that. And I'm a businessman. You're either in the group or you on your own."

"Hell does that mean? On my own. I just said I wanted a solo deal. I know the other two heffas gonna get one, I want mine!"

Spitfire walked close to her.

"I love you girl," he said, trying to kiss her, but she moved away.

"Stop!"

"You still love me?"

No, she wanted to say, but her body got weak. She just fucked Craig for days straight, and thought he was enough, now her body was craving this man.

He closed his office door and locked it.

"Come on baby, let me give you some of this dick," he said, sitting her on his desk, his hand going between her thighs. "Pussy so wet it makes me wanna scream."

"Stop playing with it, fuck me!"

He whipped that massive dick out and stuffed it in her. She screamed and didn't care who heard. She would never stop loving Spitfire, even with Craig in her life. She knew it was wrong, but what was she supposed to do. Spitfire had given her a life, he was her everything.

"Damn baby, I love being inside you," he said, holding her hips as he thrust deep in her. "Yo shit so tight and wet, baby. You ain't been fucking around on me, huh? You gave it up to Tempo, huh? Who else? I want my pussy every day from now on."

"Just shut up and fuck me!"

She let him cum inside her, even though they did not use a condom. She wiped herself off and straightened her clothes. Spitfire put his dick away and sat at his desk like nothing happened.

"I can't sign you," he said.

"What?"

"I can't sign you," he said, not even looking at her.

"Mother fucking what you mean you can't sign me? I am signed. I just need a solo contract."

"You broke your contract when you walked away from PT. That is in your contract. I can't sign you baby."

"I don't give a fuck what contract I signed when I was a mother fucking kid! You gone give me a solo deal and that's that."

"I can't, and I won't. Cuz even if I could, you not solo material baby."

She picked up the closest thing she could, his AMA for best Producer, and threw it at his head, but he ducked.

"Nothing personal Gin, this business."

"This is personal, nigga! You're supposed to love me! You just fucked me and now you telling me I ain't shit? I will kill you!"

"And see, this is why I can't work with yo ass! I'm trying to be real with you but you won't listen. I'm about my money, and my money is on M'Liyah."

"What?"

"I signed her solo deal three days ago."

"Bitch ass nigga!" She grabbed him around his throat, but he was strong enough to just pull her away.

"Gin, you still my girl. I still have mad love for you."

"Go to hell!"

No group. No friends. No Spitfire. No label. No deal.

"You can't keep a bad bitch down!"

She went to Spitfire's car in the lot and bust all the damn windows out of his car. Flattened every tire and set the bitch on fire and walked away Angela Bassett style.

The police came to her place later that day and arrested her. She spent three nights in jail before anyone came to bail her out. The only one able to bail her out was Craig. He flew in after a show in St. Louis to get her out. He was mad she went crazy over Spitfire, but he didn't know she was still sleeping with him.

She was done with Spitfire for sure now.