35. Baby
BABY
I’d been sitting in the waiting room watching TV for a little over an hour now, but everything in me wanted to be in the room with Love. I thought it was the right thing to do sending him inside alone, now, I was having second thoughts.
Feeling my phone vibrating, I looked down to see Jayda calling me. I hadn’t heard nothing from her since me and Love left them at the restaurant.
“Hey, hoe. You can’t call nobody,” I joked, crossing one leg over the other.
“Sorry, boo,” she giggled. “Messiah took my phone when he saw Kai’s name pop up.”
“Uh huh. Y’all was looking cozy earlier. Let me find out you still want him.” God, please let her say yeah. I couldn’t stand her man, and wanted his ass gone ASAP.
“Girl, ain’t nobody got time to get caught up with Messiah. You know how our relationship was back in the day.”
I could understand. Messiah lived for the streets, and he never had time for her. “He’s grown now, Jay. Maybe he’s changed his ways.”
“I’m not ending my relationship on a maybe, Baby.” This bitch acting like her man was prince charming.
“Okay, I'll give you that,” I told her. “I’m sorry, but how is Kai any different? From what you told me, he leaves you stranded, and don’t show you no consideration. I’ll take Messiah over him any day.”
She sucked her teeth. “Whatever, Baby. I just pulled up to the house, and wanted to know how Love was doing? You still with him, right?”
More people came into the room, so I stepped out to have more privacy. Leaning against the wall outside, I put my free hand in the back pocket of my jeans. “Yeah, but we at the hospital.”
She gasped. “Hospital? for what?”
“His mama had to be rushed here.” I glanced over my shoulder just to make sure I was alone. “Girl, we didn’t know what was going on. Love hurting real bad.”
“Dang. I feel so bad for him.” I could hear the concern in her voice as I wrapped my arms around myself to stay warm. “But Baby, you wouldn’t believe what went down after y’all left.”
“What?” It couldn’t be no worse than what already happened.
“How about T.K. walked in the restaurant with my sister and two other niggas?”
What!” My mouth flew open as my eyes widened in shock. “Bitch, you fucking lying!”
“Yes, girl. I asked her what they were doing together, and she made up some excuse about them coming to get food for Leah because she was in bed with morning sickness. Chile, I don’t believe that shit for a minute.”
I shook my head in agreement. I hated to think he running around doing my sister dirty, but it is what it is. You know what they say, what goes around, comes around.
“So, what you think was going on? They messing around?” I speculated. I didn’t put it past Tranae to do something snake-ish like that. Hell, she already did it to me. My sister wasn’t no exception.
“Bitch, them the vibes I get. You know she think she’s grown now; I can’t tell Tranae nothing. It seems like she does the opposite of what I say.”
She preaching to the choir. I knew all about that.
“You think he got her out here robbing folks too?” I added, inspecting my nails. Baby needed a mani/pedi.
“She better not, mama gone kick her ass,” she croaked out.
Knowing my auntie Mona, she just might. Her and my auntie in Texas, Marielle, be the worst ones when it came to discipline. No matter how old we got, they’d still grab the belt.
“Girl, you never know because the way these kids set up.” My phone beeped, signaling somebody else was calling on the other line. Moving it from my ear, I got mad seeing Leah’s name on the screen.
“Girl, why Leah calling me?” Her ass must be dying. I thought I made myself clear the last time we spoke. I wanted nothing to do with her.
“I don’t know, but I’m nosey. Answer it.” I sucked my teeth, hitting the button to switch calls.
“Girl, what you want?” I asked with an attitude.
“Baby, I need help.”
I could hear the panic in her voice but, unlike other times, I wasn’t eager to jump up and fix her problems. She needed to know that her actions had consequences, and I was not gone run to her aid, just because she’s my sister.
“Not from me, what I told you, Leah? You on your own.” A small part of me felt bad but not enough to change my mind.
“Please, I messed up real bad,” she cried out.
“Not my problem, Leah. You finna be somebody mama, learn to take care of yourself.” I hung up, switching back over to Jayda.
“Well,” she inquired after a minute of silence. I walked back towards the room to see that it was empty again. Taking a seat at the same place, I put one leg under the other.
“What she wanted?” she added.
My eyes rolled. “Help.”
She huffed out a breath when I didn’t elaborate. “With what?”
It didn’t matter. “I never asked.”
My eyes flickered towards the TV. A news anchor was on and, the next thing I knew, a picture of Tank appeared on the screen.
“Baby—”
“Shhh,” I cut her off, leaping from my seat to get closer. “Tank on the news, Jay.”
“Tank? From the mall? What he did?” she yelled.
Shit! I forgot to tell her ass what was going on. It said every police officer in the city looking for him. That’s what his ass got for being shady. I hope it was Valentine who snitched on him too.
“Baby, what he did?” she repeated.
“I’ll tell you later.... anyway, back to Leah,” I said, picking up where we left off.
I knew I needed to be getting home soon because I had that meeting in the morning, but I don’t wanna leave him.
I was dreading seeing Lauren again, especially now that I was assigned to her.
I was gonna try to be cool but, if she stepped out of line, I just might give her the ass whooping she deserved.