CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE #2
She could feel the frustration sitting heavy in her chest, but she swallowed it down. Whatever she was carrying, it wasn’t his to feel, and she refused to let it touch him… Not today. Not ever. It’s in you…not on you. She reminded herself, taking a slow breath before pulling out her phone.
Jackie was just about to call Kormia, who she knew was somewhere hungover and half dead.
Last night was Wheezy’s birthday, and even though Kormia wasn’t a big drinker, she always pushed herself too far trying to match his energy.
Wheezy’s birthday always ended the same for Kormia.
Either she left the club over Wheezy’s shoulder, drunk off her ass, or worse, in cuffs after throwing hands with one of his bitches and ending up on some local gossip blog.
Still, hungover or not, Jackie knew Kormia would come.
She’d talk her shit, complain the entire way, but she’d come.
Jackie lifted her thumb to hit call, already bracing herself for the bitching and moaning she’d have to endure just to get her baby some breakfast, but before she could even connect the call, her phone buzzed so hard it startled her.
The screen lit up bright, and Najee’s name popped across it on FaceTime.
Jackie stared at it longer than she meant to.
They hadn’t spoken since that heavy session two days ago, the one that left her with more questions than answers.
She had even considered switching her breakout sessions to Dr. Ish afterward, because Thursday had been a lot… . Too much, even.
And if she were being honest? She still wasn’t sold on Najee’s explanation or his intentions.
As far as she was concerned, too many truths sat between them— with nowhere to go.
And Jackie wasn’t sure she had the energy or the willingness to unpack it anymore.
Maybe it was her trauma, or better yet her pattern recognition.
Either way, Jackie wasn’t convinced the good doctor… was good for her.
At least that’s what her head said. Because her heart was beating like a snare drum the longer she let the phone ring. Finally, she exhaled and answered. Najee’s face filled the screen, and it took her a second to process what she was looking at.
He was clearly at the gym, fresh off a workout, a sheen of sweat still clinging to his forehead.
This morning, he had on an all-black Alo compression outfit, but that wasn’t what caught her eye first. It was those goddamn glasses. They were the same readers he wore in their sessions.
They gave him this quiet, Clark Kent vibe she hated that she noticed, but lowkey turned her on.
For the first few seconds, neither of them said anything.
Just looked. Jackie couldn’t take the silence, so she did what she always did when she needed to deflect.
“You always work out in glasses?” she asked finally, forcing her voice to land somewhere casual.
A slow smile pulled at his mouth, dimples making an appearance like they always did when he was amused. “Nah,” he said. “Not normally.”
“How you this morning?” he asked, still holding her gaze like he wasn’t about to let her hide behind jokes. Jackie’s throat tightened, and for a split second, she wished she could just be honest.
She wanted to tell him she was anxious because she didn’t know if her car would start later.
She wanted to tell him she was frustrated because her baby was hungry, and she had no idea how she was supposed to feed him before practice.
A dozen answers pressed against her chest at once, but she swallowed all of it and decided to keep it player instead.
“We outside,” she joked, flipping the camera to give him a slow 360-degree view of the beautiful campus from her vantage point.
“That’s right,” Najee said. “Today is Max’s first football practice.
He been talking about it all week in session.
He even drew a cool picture of his jersey.
Number seventeen, right? “Jackie’s smile slipped just a little.
“Fat Daddy’s jersey is eleven,” she said, then paused like something clicked in her brain too late.
That jersey Max had been drawing in therapy, was MJs.
“That’s his brother’s number,” she added quietly.
Najee’s expression shifted like he caught it instantly.
“Why y’all there so early?” he asked, smooth, redirecting the conversation to something lighter.
“I thought practice didn’t start until noon.”
“Well… we just wanted to be proactive and get a head start,” Jackie lied, looking away from the phone. Najee didn’t say anything at first, just watched her. “A three-hour head start,” he said finally, slow, and too even. Jackie’s stomach tightened, but she kept her face straight.
“Yeah. You know me. I’m either too early or too late. No in-between.” She laughed, but it didn’t land. Najee didn’t smile. Didn’t blink. He just watched her, the kind of look that made her feel like he was doing math in his head. Which, of course, made her lie more.
“Besides, I needed to bring Max’s birth certificate up here anyway, so—”
“Have y’all eaten breakfast yet?” he asked, cutting her off mid-lie. Jackie opened her mouth to lie again— but right on cue, her messy-ass son ran right up to the car and shouted their business to the high heavens. “Mommy, I’m sooo hungry, like real bad!” Max groaned clutching his stomach.
“Can we please go to Dunkin’ or something? Coach Cash said we gotta eat good on game days and we ain’t even eat nothin’ this morning!” Jackie’s eyes widened. “Max—”
“What about the granola bar I told you to get out my purse?” she asked low, trying her hardest to mute her phone.
“Mommy, that granola bar had an eyelash and a bobby pin stuck in it. I threwed it in the trash!” he yelled, disgusted, like he was reporting a crime.
Jackie just stared at him. Then he reached for her phone like he was about to snatch it out her hand.
“Who you talkin’ to? Auntie Kormia or Auntie Syxe?”
“Maximus,” Jackie snapped, using his full name so he knew she meant business.
“You do not reach for my phone while I’m speaking. That is rude, and you know it.”
“I’m sorry, Mommy,” he said instantly, eyes filling with tears.
Jackie felt her frustration seeping out in real time, and before she did the one thing, she promised herself she wouldn’t do, she took a deep breath and regrouped.
“C’mere,” she said, pulling him close as she set the phone down beside her on the hood.
Max laid his head on her stomach and wrapped his arms around her like he was still small enough to fit there.
“Mommy is sorry for raising her voice,” she said softly, kissing his forehead.
“But we must respect boundaries, baby.”
“And get consent before we touch other people’s things. Even Mommy’s, okay?”
“Yes, Mommy.” he mumbled. “Do you accept Mommy’s apology?” she asked genuinely as he nodded his head and hugged her tighter. “Always. But I’m still hungry though,” he added, flashing those missing front teeth that made him look just like his brother. Jackie’s chest squeezed.
“I know, baby. Mommy’s working on it,” she said, letting out a tired sigh.
That’s when she remembered, Najee was still on the phone. Fuck. She thought before glancing down at the screen, and he was still there. Watching her attentively with that quiet focus he carried so effortlessly. He didn’t interrupt her because he was processing. Jackie could see it in his face.
For a few seconds, it was silent. A silence neither one of them bothered to disturb with words.
Fat Daddy wandered back toward the leaves, already distracted again.
Jackie sat the phone down, swiped under her eyes, more out of reflex than tears, finally picking the phone back up.
“My fault,” she started, not even sure what she was apologizing for.
Najee didn’t respond to that. Instead, he adjusted his glasses slightly, eyes steady on her.
“Send me your location.” He didn’t raise his voice, still something in his tone shifted.
And all that cool, laid-back doctor shit he usually exuded… disappeared.
What replaced it, was something firmer. Jackie blinked, completely caught off guard, but it wasn’t the request itself that rattled her.
It was the certainty. He wasn’t asking to be polite, or out of curiosity.
He was asking because he already decided what needed to happen.
And for a split second, Jackie didn’t know what unsettled her more, the fact he’d overheard everything, or that her pride wouldn’t allow her to stand down.
“Look, I don’t know how much of that you heard but—”
Najee’s stare sharpened just slightly. It was in that moment, Jackie realized this man was not asking permission—and he wasn’t about to repeat himself.
He went quiet instead. Wore that same measured expression she’d come to recognize from Cassius.
And that’s when she finally clocked it…the resemblance.
Jackie never paid it attention before, but their eyes were damn near identical.
Cash’s might’ve been a shade or two lighter, but the energy. The energy was the same. That cold, no-nonsense stillness that radiated off Cassius when he’d already made up his mind. Najee had that in him too. His was much quieter, and a tad more polished.