The south side of Diamond Cove, North Carolina is all Shaiheem West knows. His father and most of his cousins and uncles are all hustlers. Hustlers that don't tend to migrate too far outside of the their side of town. Shaiheem roams the city freely, but anyone not affiliated with the south side were most often nobodies or the opps. Fights, beef, prison sentences, loss, and disappointment became a normal part of life for Shaiheem, but he can't cope with it the way everyone else can. With each loss that Shaiheem takes, it places a heavier burden on his shoulder and an aching pain in his heart. His goal is to run away from it all. He doesn't think anyone will get it, but Khelisi Knight does. She's a breath of fresh air for Shaiheem. Instead of kickbacks and hood activities, she likes to venture to the north side of town to poetry and jazz nights. The peace and comfort they both feel on a foreign side of town are nostalgic. But when Shaiheem makes his money in the hood, he can never stray too far. Then there's also Zariya. Bound by history, he's waiting for her to come home from prison but when she comes home, Shaiheem isn't sure they're on the same page and for that reason, he's not sure she's the one for him.
Khelisi is smitten with Shaiheem, but she's never had to be number two. When he makes it clear that Zariya will be in the picture, she explores other options as well and ends up with E. Even when they're both occupied with other people, Khelisi and Shaiheem can't seem to get each other off their mind. Even when outside forces are trying to pull them apart, it only seems to pull them closer, but are there really ever any happily ever afters in the hood?
Genre: Urban Fiction
Khelisi is smitten with Shaiheem, but she's never had to be number two. When he makes it clear that Zariya will be in the picture, she explores other options as well and ends up with E. Even when they're both occupied with other people, Khelisi and Shaiheem can't seem to get each other off their mind. Even when outside forces are trying to pull them apart, it only seems to pull them closer, but are there really ever any happily ever afters in the hood?
Genre: Urban Fiction
Used availability for Natisha Raynor's Tales of a Gangsta