Capone

20. Erin

20

erin

“Hey Erin!” Joie greeted, as she plopped down on my couch.

I was in the midst of changing out my purses so I could head out. Today was my off day and I had something planned for Capone. I don’t know how I could ever pay him back for getting me this car. All it took was one useless conversation and he got me my dream car. When we were discussing cars, it never once crossed my mind that he would purchase me one.

“Hey Joie, what’s up?”

“Jo is letting me make dinner tonight.” Joie clasped her hands together, clearly excited about the idea of making dinner tonight.

“She must like you because Jo doesn’t trust anybody to cook in her kitchen.” I snickered.

We both fell into a comfortable silence as I tossed my other purse onto the coat rack. I put my Glam-a-holic wallet on a chain purse on and fluffed my curls.

I was wearing a two-piece tennis skirt set from Old Navy that I had been excited to wear. The weather was perfect for it, so I eagerly tossed it on.

“I wanted to thank you for allowing me to stay here. My mom just tossed it on you both and hasn’t cared.”

“The situation isn’t ideal and it’s not something that I would want for you or Jaiden. You both are young and have your entire life to live. A baby will change that, and I just want the best for the both of you.”

“I’ve felt a connection to this baby that I have never felt before. I…I tried to get an abortion with my friend a few weeks back and ran out the room.”

“Oh, a “Can I Live” moment,” I sighed.

“Huh?”

“A Nick Cannon song that came out years ago.”

“Nick Cannon is a singer?”

I waved my hand. “No worries about that.”

Jolie was too young to understand the reference and I didn’t know why I even mentioned it in the first place. “I want to finish school and do everything that my mom had planned for me.”

“Um, you can bet you are. My niece or nephew won’t have a dumbass as a mother,” I smirked, letting her see that I was joking with her.

This was a change for her life, too, and I couldn’t just place the blame with her. It takes two to make a baby and she and Jaiden were both responsible. If her mother didn’t want to step up and help, then we would make it work like we always did.

“Period.”

“I’m going to be out for most of the day, but make sure you put a plate up for me,” I told her, grabbing my index cards off the counter.

“Okay.” She grabbed the remote and got comfortable on the couch. In the time that Joie has been here, she has made herself more than comfortable. Ryai had gave her a bunch of clothes that she didn’t use anymore, and Jo stopped by Target to grab some other things that she may need. Sharon’s ass needed her ass beat for the way she had been avoiding the both of us.

I hadn’t run into her because I drove to work now. Do you hear me? Me? Driving to work instead of catching the train or the bus. I felt a sense of pride when I backed my car into the employee parking lot.

Sharon acted like she was the only one impacted by the news of Joie being pregnant. We were all shocked and needed to get together and deal with it. She pushed it onto us and made her child our responsibility. I wasn’t heartless and I damn sure wasn’t about to use this girl to prove a point like her mother had.

Being a teen was hard enough, so being a pregnant teen would be ten times harder. As much as I loved my brother, I wasn’t going to give up my life to raise his child. This child was he and Joie’s responsibility, and I would help out however I could.

I hit the locks to my car and jumped inside, fixing my mirror, and using the GPS to take me to Capone’s house. Since I worked yesterday, I didn’t spend the night over his house like he wanted me to. Today was all about Capone, and doing my part to try and pay him back for what he did for me. Plus, Ryai had her surgery date so we would be heading to Miami soon.

I was able to use my time and had about two weeks off, which was more than enough time for her to heal enough to fly back home. This morning, I spent the morning booking flights with Ryai and Capri.

When I ran into Naheim the other day I wanted to choke the hell out of him. I never called Capri crazy for not having any proof because as women we knew. We knew when our man was acting different and moving a certain way. In my eyes, she didn’t need to show me any proof. No sane woman was going to spy on their husband if they didn’t have at least an inkling of proof. The entire time we sat out there I prayed he didn’t come out the damn house with another woman.

The Naheim I used to know would have never done something like that. It had been a bunch of years in between when I used to know him, so I couldn’t vouch for him. Even though I had just met Capri not too long ago, I was going to ride if he came out there with a different woman.

I could tell Capri loved Naheim, and if he didn’t pull his shit together, he was going to lose a good woman. Hell, I was almost sure Capone was going to put a bullet through his skull for breaking his baby sister’s heart.

When I pulled up to Capone’s gates, I hit the code he had gave me and pulled through. It amazed me every time I had come through these gates because people truly lived this way. I pulled around the circular driveway and parked behind a Lexus. Killing the engine, I went to the huge double doors and rang the doorbell.

A short woman with a gray pixie cut and cinnamon complexion opened the door. She stared at me confused for a bit before a little boy ran and grabbed her leg. “Nana, watch me do a jump in the pool?”

Ella’s genes didn’t even fight back when it came to their son. I didn’t need Capone to tell me this was his son because the resemblance was so uncanny. His smooth dark skin resembled his fathers, all he was missing was a beard.

I cleared my throat, realizing I probably looked weird staring at the both of them. “Hi, my name is Erin. Is Capone here?”

“He is. Capone told me that you would be coming… he is upstairs,” the woman answered in a thick Caribbean accent.

It was nice that he at least warned his mother that I was coming because he damn sure didn’t tell me. Capone was slick, so he probably held off because he knew I wouldn’t have come. Meeting his mother was a lot, especially with his son.

“I wish he would have told me,” I laughed.

She surprised me when she laughed. “He told me you wouldn’t have come if you knew I was ‘ere.” I smiled when I heard her say ‘ere , now knowing where her son got it from.

“He is correct.”

“I don’t bite… always.” She waved me into the house and closed the door.

Capone Jr. was pulling on her linen pants. “Nana, please.”

“CJ, relax for a minute.” He settled down hearing his grandmother put some base into her tone. “He’s upstairs, Erin. I’m sure you know the way to the room.”

My eyes widened and I felt ashamed. “Hi Capone Jr.” I waved at him.

He blushed and hid behind his grandmother. “Hi.”

His grandmother kissed her teeth and smiled. “Come on so I can see that big jump you want to show me.”

Capone Jr. took off running while I slipped upstairs feeling like a hooker in church. When I opened the door to Capone’s room, he was taking his medicine without a shirt on.

Goodness. A body like that should have been illegal. He was built enough where he didn’t look like he lived in the gym, but there was still this thickness about him. I loved how when I wrapped my arms around him, I felt even smaller.

“So, your mom and son are here.”

He cocked his head and then smirked. “Word? When they get here?”

“Capone, stop playing with me.” I plopped down beside him.

“CJ’s birthday is tomorrow so I needed someone here when they start to set up the backyard. Ella is busy running around doing whatever she does.”

“I would have liked for you to tell me she was going to be here.”

He tossed back his pill without water and pulled me over toward him. “Why? So you could make an excuse not to meet her? I wanted you to meet before the party tomorrow.”

“I’m not going to be at the party.”

“If I want you there, you gonna be there. I want you there.” He kissed me on the neck, followed by a gentle bite. “How much time we got?”

“With your mother downstairs, no time at all.”

Capone knew he had better luck buying a unicorn before I had sex while his mother was downstairs. With how he fucked me, I couldn’t hide the fresh fucked face if I was being paid to.

“How was work this week?” This was something that I liked about him. He always asked me about work and got into my work drama.

“Well, my supervisor is on vacation this week, so it has been peaceful.”

He laughed. “You really don’t like that man, huh?”

“Is it that obvious? Anyway, I wanted to ask you for a favor.”

He took my hands into his and rubbed them while staring up at me. “Anything for you, Gorgeous.”

“Jaiden having all that money doesn’t sit right with me. I feel like he is hiding something from me. Can you have a conversation with him? I don’t have any other man in my life that could maybe knock some sense into him.”

“I told you I got you. I’ve been giving him some space before I have that conversation with him.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, why do you sound so surprise.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Guess I’m still getting used to the Capone way.”

He kissed the back of my hand. “You know what will make things better for you?”

“What?”

“Getting used to the shit because I’m coming behind you different, Erin. I ain’t letting the fuck up… ight?”

I put my hand on my hip. “Well, you better let all your chicks know, so nobody is coming to me as a woman.”

“Nobody ain’t ever gonna come to you as a woman because the only guts I’m in is yours. No need for that insecure shit or letting another bitch trick you out your shit. This dick ain’t getting hard for nobody but you, Gorgeous.”

The way my heart went to my panties and then to the sole of my feet had me stunned. When Capone spoke, I listened, and I trusted him. It was so weird to trust someone outside of my family, but I did.

“Are you ready for this day I planned?”

“Yeah, tell me about it.” He still held me around the waist as I fished into my purse to grab the folded-up cards. “Index cards?”

He tried to touch them, and I slapped his hands. “Nope. You have to pick one of the cards and that’s what we’re doing today.”

Capone laughed. “The hell?”

I had watched the trend on TikTok, and I never had a man to do it with. Now that I had Capone, I wanted to treat him today. “Everything is on me today.”

“Fuck nah.”

“Capone, come on. I have my own money, too, and I would like to spend it on you today.” I pouted and he finally agreed. “Okay. Pick your first card.”

The choices were between getting a manicure and a pedicure. “Pedicure.”

“Our first stop is the nail salon.”

He snatched the other card. “Manicure…the fuck is the difference.”

I laughed. “We’re going to get our feet done together.”

I walked toward the door. “You gonna make me have to punch a nigga’s head off wearing that tennis skirt.”

“It has shorts,” I flipped it up to show him the shorts.

“Yeah, ight.”

I shook my head as we left his room to get our day started. Whenever I spent time with Capone, I felt like I had drunk a million energy drinks. As we came down the steps holding hands, Ella barreled through the door with balloons and a cake.

Capone grabbed the cake and the balloons from her. She stared at me and rolled her eyes, biting back whatever words she wanted to say. “CJ, come give me a kiss before I leave.”

CJ came running from a different part of the house toward his father. Capone picked him up and kissed him a bunch on the cheek. “Be good for your nana, you hear?”

“Yes. Mommy is that my cake?”

“Yep. You can’t see it because it’s a surprise. I thought you and your father would have been out doing something together, guess I was wrong.” I knew shade when I heard it.

“Chill out, El. We went out to breakfast with my parents, and I was in the pool with him for most of the morning.”

I started to greet her and decided against it. Ella didn’t like me, and she made that clear with the way she glared at me holding Capone’s hand on the way down the stairs.

“Pony, can you go with your nana while I talk to your father?”

Capone put his son down and he ran off while Ella stood there. “She’s not invited to the party. Capri sent her RSVP and added her as the guest she’s bringing.”

I had no clue that Capri was doing that. We discussed the party, and I told her I wasn’t going to come. “I don’t know why Capri would RSVP and put her as a guest,” Capone said, and I watched the relieved expression come across Ella’s face. “My girl doesn’t need a RSVP or to come as a guest.”

Ella had this look that sent chills down my spine. She looked at me like she wanted to jump on me and never let up. “Since when do we just bring random chicks around our son?”

“I do what the fuck I want to do with my son on my time,” Capone raised his voice.

I removed myself from the steps and went outside. This conversation was something for them to have without me listening in. As a woman I could understand her frustration since I had technically met her son for the first time today.

Capone came out the house a few minutes later and then nodded his head. “We not taking your car today.”

“Yes, we are… come on and get in.” I giggled.

I could tell he wanted to fight me on it, but he also wanted me to have the day I planned for him. When he got into the car, he reached across, grabbing my face and kissed my lips a few times. The last kiss, he bit my bottom lip, pulling it.

He was so rough in a good way.

“Everything all good in there.”

“Hell yeah. She doesn’t run shit under my roof.”

“I don’t have to come to the party, Capone.”

“If I want you there, you gonna be there… end of story.” I put the car into park, leaving the subject alone. If he wanted me there, then I guess I was going to be there.

Capone nearly sucked the bone off the sticky wings he was devouring. We were eating at Dallas BBQ’s and splitting a Texas size drink. I could never finish one of their drinks alone, and I was a light weight when it came to alcohol.

“Damn, I haven’t had BBQs in years. Forgot this place existed.”

“See, you need to hang with the regular folks more often,” I teased. “Jaiden always requests to come here for every birthday or occasion.”

“I feel like I lost touch with a lot of the shit I used to do.” He said it more to himself than to me, but I understood what he meant. “Thank you for today, Gorgeous. Nobody’s ever done something like this for me. For real.”

I touched his hand and smiled. “You’re welcome. I wanted to show that even though I can’t pour into you the way you have for me by getting me a car, I can do things for you… in my way.”

“You don’t need to pay me back for anything that I do for you. I do that shit because I want to do it.”

“Blah, blah. I’m going to continue to show up the way you showed up for me… on a smaller scale.”

We started out the day getting our feet done, then we went to the mall where I bought him a pair of sneakers. The cashier was dying of laughter at us arguing when it came to pay. Capone refused to put his card away and even tried to bribe the worker to let him pay for the sneakers. Eventually I got my way when I pretended I liked a pair of sneakers, knowing he would make someone go get them for me to try on. Soon as he turned his back, I tapped my card and paid for the sneakers.

Capone had been used to always giving and taking care of his family in his brother’s absence. It was easy to become lost in your role as the provider. It was natural for him to take care of those he cared about. I wanted to show him that I had a little pocket change, and I could pour into him, too.

“Your sister and I booked our flights to Miami today.”

He smiled. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Taking her under your wing. I worry about her all the time. Capri acts like things are good when deep down she’s spiraling.”

I didn’t want to tell him how we ended up sitting outside of a random house watching Naheim. He didn’t need to know that, plus, as her friend I wasn’t going to tell her business. It didn’t matter if I was sleeping with her older brother.

“I want to make this clear, I am not her friend because of you. Honestly, I don’t even want you to have anything to do with our friendship. Capri is cool and I like her, and that is why I invited her to Miami.”

The way he looked at me with pride in his eyes didn’t need words. “Alright, I hear you.”

He reached across the table and kissed my hands, getting sticky sauce on my hands. “Come on now… you got sauce on me.”

Capone stared me in the eyes as he licked the sauce off the side of my hand. “What’s the last card?”

I smiled, grabbing the last two cards. He tried to snatch one card and I held on tight, then he finally took the card I wanted him to take.

“Fuck… get the check, we out of here.” One card read eat dessert and the second said eat me. This man had his hand up waving over the server so we could leave as I laughed watching him. “You playing now, don’t be trying to tap out later either.”

“Wait, I didn—”

“Nah, ain’t no tapping… you holding that shit all night.”

I put my head down not knowing what the hell I had gotten myself into. Capone was about to have me going all damn night.