Chapter 8
C aya
A few days later
When Rennix was shot, I dropped everything to get to him.
When G told me he lost a lot of blood, I felt the air leave my body and blood rush to my heart.
Had he said anything other than Rennix was fine, I probably would have died right there in my suite.
The cause of death would have been simple: cardiac arrest. The thought of this man bullying his way into my life and heart just to die didn’t sit well with me.
Rennix belonged to me now, so it was too late for God or anybody to start playing take backsies. My heart wouldn’t be able to take it.
“Damn girl, you did this shit nice and quick. I was sure we’d be here for a couple hours, but you got in here and did your thing. What put pep in your step?”
“That wasn’t my normal time?” I quizzed, knowing damn well I had worked extremely fast because I was trying to get home to my man.
It was just that simple. He hadn’t all out rushed me, but the six calls and constant social media video sharing let me know he was bored and staying in had done nothing but made him a fat ass and delirious.
The man sent me several recipes with the caption, “this too, bae” .
“Hell nah, girl you ate and left no crumbs. Thank you,” Bernice, one of my normal clients who came in every so often to either refresh her braids or get a new set, said.
After she paid, I dipped my head into the office section of my suite and spotted Adonis lying on the sofa asleep with his iPad on his chest. Though Rennix insisted I leave my baby with him, I didn’t feel right.
It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him, it was more of the fact that he had just gotten shot and didn’t need to be babysitting a five year old because he could barely get up and the meds they’d given him had him on his ass.
My body was tired, but after I cleaned up after myself and packed up all of Adonis’s toys, we left.
My first stop was a grocery store. I didn’t know anything about the inside of places like this, but I figured it out.
It also dawned on me that maybe I needed to stop at the supermarket to grab something to cook more often.
Tonight I told myself I’d make him and Adonis one of those damn recipes he sent.
I didn’t know how it would come out, but for them, I was willing to try.
I was walking through the store talking to Harlem, the only person I knew who could cook. Shit, she could do that shit with her eyes closed, which was one of the reasons I called. None of the videos he’d sent had any sort of breakdown on what I needed and where the hell I was to get that from.
“Mommy, I get us cookies. Me and Rennix.” Adonis walked over to the cart, holding a clear container of chocolate chip cookies.
“Damn what about me?” I peered down at my little munchkin with a fake pout.
“Mommy, you don’t like cookies… not like that.” He shrugged like it just made sense in his little mind.
“Not only are you going home to make that injured man some grub, but you’re taking your mushy ass home to lay up with your man.” Harlem laughed into the phone.
“And is. I missed him. Even though he technically didn’t give me much room to do so. The man sent me about fifteen recipes, called me several times, and texted me more times than I can count. Somehow I’m ju?—”
“If it ain’t my baby mama,” I heard from behind me and I froze momentarily. I hadn’t heard from him since the last time he reached out. I figured he’d found somebody else to bother.
When I turned around he was glaring at me, then his eyes went down to my son who clung to my leg.
His eyes were on Adonis for a while, then I turned and purposely blocked his view. I didn’t like the way he was looking at my baby.
“Bitch, you can have that lil boy. Especially since you sent ol’ boy after me.”
I was taken aback and lowkey confused. It didn’t take a rocket scientist for me to think about who I probably sent after him, the only man in my life I had ready to handle shit was Rennix.
“Who I send after you?” Yep, I still played confused.
“You know who. It’s cool though. I heard he got what was coming to him. See you around, bitch.” Then he turned to walk off like it was that simple.
Those words of his had me throwing the can of enchilada sauce at him.
I had impeccable aim so I cracked him upside his skull before he could turn the corner.
I had to calm myself though, because even though I was mad, I had my baby with me and it was never acceptable for me to let Adonis see my temper flaring.
“Caya!” I heard Harlem screaming my name through my AirPods. Sometimes… shit, most times my anger gave me tunnel vision.
“Yeah. I’m here, Harlem. Stop screaming, girl.”
“Don’t girl me. I was worried and seconds from calling Kinga. I told you he said he’d handle him for you whenever you said the word.” Apparently she had heard the exchange.
I waved it off. “Apparently somebody already has. Let me call you right back, girl.” I rushed her off the phone and focused on my son who was now pulling at my pants and hitting my leg.
“Yes, Adonis?”
“Why you hit that man with a can?”
I just looked at his little innocent face. He was truly confused, while it dawned on me that my baby didn’t even recognize Syke’s stupid ass.
“Because he was rude, now let’s go get the rest of the stuff for dinner and head home.” I grabbed his hand and pushed the cart in the direction of the can I threw. I still needed it. Once I picked it up, I went to get the last few things Harlem noted and checked out.
When we arrived home, I could hear the TV in the living room as we walked in through the garage.
I was expecting him to be asleep, but he walked his hardheaded ass into the kitchen like nothing was wrong.
Then, to make matters worse, he tried to grab the bags from me.
I swatted him away and moved around him to set the food on the counter.
“Shouldn’t you be sitting down?”
“I been sitting down all fucking day.” He ducked his head and kissed the side of my face.
“Well. That’s called healing,” I retorted.
“Rennix, look. I got us some cookies before Mommy hit a man in the head with a can.”
The moment my son said that shit, Rennix cut his eyes in my direction momentarily before his attention went back to Adonis. “Damn, you did? That’s what I’m talking about, Lil G. What are we gonna watch while we eat them?”
Adonis shrugged. “I don’t know. I gotta go charge my tablet and then I’ll be right back.” Adonis snatched his backpack from where he’d thrown it on the floor and took off to his bedroom.
I could feel Rennix’s eyes the moment Adonis was upstairs out of earshot. “You hit somebody in the head with a can?” He couldn’t help himself.
“You went to see Syke?” I turned and those usually heavy, wide eyes were tight.
“Why the fuc— Oh yeah, I went to see his bitch ass. Why?”
“Because he said something to me in the store. Then he said he heard you got what was coming to you, so I cracked his ass in the head with the can.”
He just looked at me for a minute, his eyes scanning me. “So his bitch ass said something to you?”
“Did you hear anything I said? Yes, he said something about you.”
Rennix nodded as if he was just hearing what I said for the first time. “So his bitch ass didn’t heed my warning, bet.”
I was about to ask what he meant by bet, but then he gripped my hand, bringing it to his face. He kissed it a second later. “Don’t be out here getting out of character. That’s what you got me for. I’ma handle that.”
When he said that, my eyes immediately went to his side. “Um, you do remember you’re recovering.”
“Don’t worry about that. I said I got it. Why don’t you let me help you bust down these bags, so I can bust you down in a few.” He winked and I sucked my teeth. This was his way of changing the subject. Instead of fighting it, I allowed the change and moved around, taking things out of the bags.
“How about you take a seat and let me cook. Matter of fact, let me get you something to drink. Tell me about your day.”
“Nah wasn’t shit good about it. I been cooped up watching TV. If I see another fucking commercial about food, I’ma turn into that shit.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you went to see him?”
“Because why the fuck would I? Ain’t nothing about him your responsibility. Fuck, if he’s alright or not ain’t your responsibility. Shit, you care about him or something?” His face immediately went from blank to angry. It was like he thought I truly gave any sort of care about Syke. What the fuck?
“Um, excuse me? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I was quickly fuming because what? Why would he even think something like that?
“Exactly what I said. You wanna be with him? Even after he d?—”
“So, let me stop you right there. I don’t want nothing about Syke, if he was on fire I wouldn’t even spit to put him out.
But you should know that. And the fact that you’re questioning me like you don’t know how I feel about you or that situation speaks volumes.
As a matter of fucking fact, look where I’m at right now.
” I threw my hands up in irritation, watching his expression change.
He knew he had fucked up, but the damage was done and my feelings were hurt.
Rennix had been through trauma, and so had I, but that didn’t give him the right to take whatever he was feeling out on me. “Maybe this all happened too fast.”
“Caya.” He called my name but I was already moving away toward the stairs.
I needed a minute to think because I damn sure wasn’t cooking.
As a matter of fact, even though I didn’t want him to leave, he probably should.
Things with Rennix and I had moved fast, too fast, but maybe we hadn’t taken into account the trauma we both carried from our pasts.