22. Love
LOVE
I should’ve known Lauren’s ass was up to something.
I knew she was crazy, but I ain’t think she would have taken it this far.
She had to have planned this before I stepped into the office.
It’s no way she came here that fast to drop it; the shit was already in-route.
Her ass needed professional help, man. She was outta her mind.
“Your supervisor Lauren?” she asked me.
“Yeah, we had a little situation.” I rubbed the back of my neck, not sure how I felt saying this in front of her.
“How little?” she responded hesitantly as if she really didn’t want the answer.
“We fucked a few times,” I confessed.
“Oh, okay. So, that's why she was looking at me crazy in your office,” Baby observed, putting the pieces together.
I grabbed her hand and tugged her closer to me. “I’ll talk to her. This don’t have nothing to do with us though.”
“Of course, it does,” she countered with a frown. “It became about us when she sent me these fucking photos.”
I could see the situation was getting outta control, so I pulled her back into my lap. I was not letting Lauren stop this from happening. Getting to this point took too long, and I ain’t letting another bitch come between us.
“Listen, Baby.” I ran my tongue over my teeth. “I fucked her a whole lot, but I told her up front it meant nothing. I’ll never lie to you.” She sucked on her bottom lip in a nervous gesture, and I took my hand, and pulled on it with my thumb.
“You believe me, don’t you?” I looked her in the eyes, hoping she could see the truth for herself.
She nodded her head. “I believe you, but what are we gonna do about her? I don’t wanna go back to jail.”
If somebody saw those pictures, she would, but I don’t think Lauren planned it to get that far.
“I’ll take care of it,” I reassured her, squeezing her thigh. I wanted to know this for years, but now I had my chance and I was taking it. “Can I ask why you did it?”
She looked in her lap before peering up at me through her lashes.
“I walked in on him by Leah’s bed. She looked scared, and I thought...
” her voice trailed off, but I knew what she was gonna say.
I met her sister once at a party T.K. had, and I’d never say this to her, but those muthafuckas were looking at each other all night.
Baby ain’t noticed none of this because most of the time, her eyes were scanning the room for me.
“You went to jail to protect her,” I uttered. It all made sense not, and she earned mad respect from me. You couldn’t find nobody around here loyal like that.
“It was all a lie, though,” she spoke so softly, I could barely make out her words. “They were together that whole time.”
She reached up and wiped her face with the back of her hand. “I found out the night you got arrested when I caught them in her bed.”
I shook my head. “Damn, Baby. I’m sorry that happened, but this just shows me how good your heart is. You did something so selfless for somebody you loved, and sacrificed your life for them. No matter how it turned out, that doesn’t change what you did.”
I grabbed her face.
“Look at me, Baby.” When she did, my heart seized at the longing in her eyes. “I see your heart, and it’s the most beautiful thing about you. Don’t let anybody change that.”
The womb was still fresh in her mind, so I could understand why she was angry. However, I hoped with time, she’d find a way to move on and live her life the way she’s supposed to. With me right there by her side, because ain’t no way I'm ever leaving her now. She stuck with me.
When she laid her head on my chest. I felt something wet hit my shirt and realized she was crying.
All I could do was sit there, rub her back, and let her get it all outta her system.
I’m sure this was the first time she broke down and let herself feel everything.
I’ll give her a couple minutes but, after that, I didn’t wanna see her crying over that nigga again.
Lifting her head, she averted her eyes in shame. “I’m sorry. Can’t believe I’m doing all this over him.”
“Shit, me either,” I admitted, and she sucked her teeth, hitting my arm playfully.
“I’m serious, Love,” she continued with a smile on her face. “Now, he got Liah out here robbing people for money. I don’t know what I ever saw in him.”
My eyebrows shot my hairline. They on Bonnie and Clyde type shit?
“Can I tell you something?” I asked, and her head bobbed up and down. “My brother robbed that store, and that’s why they thought it was me.” Her face remained blank. “Him and T. K.’s cousin, Tank, planned the whole thing.”
She jumped from my lap and started pacing the floor.
“What’s wrong?” I asked in worry.
“That’s the one from the probation office, right?” When I nodded, she added, “He tried to talk to me today in P.F. Chang. He started flashing money and when I mentioned something about it, he got paranoid as hell.”
I was stuck! Why he so damn comfortable when he just robbed and tried to kill somebody days ago. But the bigger question was, if he was in the P.F. Chang, where the fuck was Valentine?