Chapter 20
Twenty
BLEU
Every house on Aubry’s block looked the same, painted pale colors and lined with the same trimmed bushes.
His car was parked in his driveway; The house stuck out like a sore thumb.
It was the only house on the block with the porch light off.
There was no way he was asleep this early in the evening at seven pm.
The closer Dreu and I got to his door; I imagined my fist breaking his nose first followed by his jaw. This wasn’t the way I liked to handle things. Aubry forced my hand and proved that he didn’t plan on making things easy on Truly.
I breathed in, steadying myself as I adjusted the collar of my jacket and scanned the quiet street once more.
The night air felt thick, charged with anticipation as we approached Aubry's house.
Dreu fell in line beside me, his steps quick but uncertain, both of us were hyper-aware of what was about to go down.
I could almost feel the weight of the flash drive tucked in my pocket, ready to shift everything with a single confrontation.
Dreu cracked his neck beside me, then rolled his shoulders like he was warming up to fight. He wouldn’t have to, if Aubry stepped out of line, I’d handle him without breaking a sweat. My laptop was tucked at Dreu’s side.
I lifted my fist and knocked firmly. Minutes went by before the porch light came on. Aubry opened the door wearing sweats, a wrinkled T-shirt. His eyes widened the second he recognized me. I saw confusion first, then irritation. His eyes landed on Dreu and then I finally saw it…Fear.
Perhaps Dreu really do look like a Yn… I chuckled.
“Evening, Aubry.” I smirked.
“What the—”
Before he could finish, I put my foot against the door and pushed it open wider. He stumbled back a step then clutched the edge of the doorframe.
“You can’t just walk into my—”
“I can,” I said, stepping inside. “I told you; you’ll see me soon.” The corners of my mouth curved into a cruel smirk.
“I’d like to make this visit brief as possible with no violence. Dreu,” I turned to glance a Dreu. “Set up the laptop on his coffee table. Aubry close the door and have a seat in front of it.” I instructed calmly.
Aubry's brows drew together, and his voice rose, shaking with a mix of anger and panic.
“You two need to get out. Before I call the police.” His hand hovered near his pocket, probably where he kept his phone.
I met his glare, unblinking, and let my words hang in the air like frost.
“Before you dial the number, I’ll break your fuckin’ neck,” I gritted out.
“No one will hear you; no one will help you.” My tone was so cold, so matter-of-fact, that something in his posture wilted.
For a long, tense second, Aubry just stood there, frozen as if pinned by invisible threads.
Then, as if compelled, he shuffled to the couch and plopped down.
His eyes darted from me to Dreu, his mouth clamped shut, nervously he folded his hands in his lap.
Dreu silently set up the laptop on the coffee table, the room filled with a heavy, watchful silence.
Once the laptop was on, Dreu walked over to Aubry’s front door to close and lock it.
“Truly says you’re a very good father to Princess. While that may be true, you pose as a problem for me...I don’t like problems Aubry.”
I paused, letting the weight of my words settle in. Aubry shifted, his knuckles whitening as he clenched his hands tighter. “You see, I have very little patience for complications,” I continued, my gaze locked on his.
“Hand me the flash drive.” Dreu’s voice cut into our stare down.
Without taking my eyes off of Aubry, I held out the flash drive. Aubry’s eyes focused on my laptop. I scanned the room slowly. There were framed photos of Princess along with his wife along the walls.
“What the fuck is this?” Aubry yelled.
I snapped my attention back to him then spoke when I was ready.
“You like to play with Truly’s emotions, I think it takes away from you being a good father. Although my Truly thinks otherwise.” I took a seat in the love seat across from Aubry and ignored the panic in his eyes.
I crossed one leg over the other then pulled a pre-rolled blunt from my pocket and sparked it.
“Being a good father is something you should focus on…not keeping an innocent child from her mother, don’t you think?” I raised a brow.
“That’s none of your business! Truly is—”
“Mine!” I finished his sentence blowing a straight line of smoke in his direction.
“Truly is mine, and if you keep fucking around…life as you know it now will change drastically.” I spoke in a grave tone.
“You think you can just come up in my home and—”
“Yes,” I interrupted calmly again. “That’s exactly what I know, not think.”
Dreu blocked my view of Aubry. I wasn’t surprised when he cocked his fist back and punched Aubry right in the mouth.
“You wait to long for the punchline bro. This nigga sitting in yo face talking to you like his life ain’t on the line.” Dreu pulled out a chrome plated gun that I didn’t know he brought along.
“Type in my passcode Dreu.” My top and bottom lip curled.
“Calm the fuck down while you’re at it.” I added.
Dreu always was the hot head with less patience and tolerance. He typed in the password then grilled Aubry hard.
“That there is proof.” I pointed at the back of the laptop.
“Emails. Transactions. Conversations you shouldn’t have had on a company device. You’ve been sloppy.” I chuckled tauntingly.
“Side gigs and code leaks you thought you could get away with. You’re one click away from HR finding out. Embezzlement can be a felony and—”
“Please.” He sat up straight with pleading eyes.
I remained silent and just watched him struggle to breathe. The sight was comical how his entire demeanor changed. He swallowed hard, words caught somewhere behind his fucked-up teeth.
“Don’t beg if you’re not ready to agree to a couple of things.” I smirked.
“You keep throwing Princess around like she’s a bargaining chip. That’s not real love, it’s manipulation dressed up as fatherhood.”
“I need my job; I’ll agree to whatever man.” He said with his jaw tight.
“Oh, I know you need your job, but I’m not done telling you what I think being a good father is.” I sat up in my seat.
My mind went back to my own parents and how they basically tried to control everything concerning my life. My stomach churned at all the things my mother did behind the scenes with me. I never stopped her because I covered it and used her love as an excuse for her actions.
“Being a parent ain’t about control…It’s about consistency, showing up, even when you as the parent don’t get what you want.
You don’t punish Truly because she found somebody who treats her right.
Keeping Princess from her momma don’t just hurt Truly…
it hurts Princess. A beautiful innocent baby girl shouldn’t have to suffer because of your selfness. You understand?”
I could see guiltiness trapped in his gaze.
He looked away from me then back down to the computer screen.
Slowly he nodded his head in agreement, but I was far from done with him.
Truly cried in my arms about his wife abusing Princess.
That infuriated me, I planned on having the both of them persecuted very soon.
There was no way, his wife was going to get away with that.
I already had Mr. Jackson putting things in motion for the child abuse Ashley caused.
If she planned to snitch on Aubry for beating her the night he found out of her abuse to Princess, that would be good. To me and Mr. Jackson, that would be killing two birds with one stone.
“No more threats to Truly. You owe her an apology, and I expect for her to receive that as soon as Dreu and I walk out of here. You will pick Princess up on time and drop her off on time when she’s due back with Truly.
You will not use her as leverage, nor will you flirt or touch Truly.
Truly will be included in everything down to Princess school. ”
I paused to let my words sink in his brain.
“Click to the video, Dreu.” I looked at my brother with a crooked grin.
Dreu wouldn’t be prepared for the video of Aubry that was getting ready to play out on the screen. I hadn’t been ready when I first saw it either.
“What the fuck?!” Dreu jumped away from the laptop as loud moaning played through the small speakers.
“I’m not against folks’ sexualities…You like what you like, you know?” I spoke above the moans as all the blood drained from Aubry’s face.
He was too stunned to speak.
“Your tranny side chick sold you out for one thousand dollars. He claims that you’re very aggressive and abusive. He’s in love and tired of seeing you flirt with other women at work. I see this situation becoming worse for you later down the line, but that’s none of my business either.” I shrugged.
“I’ll conclude this little meeting with telling you to strive for the best in fatherhood.
That’s if you cherish it. Leave Truly the fuck alone and stay out of my way.
I’ll eventually be involved in Princess life.
I can promise you that I will spoil her and be a great role model.
” I took a long pull from my blunt before standing up.
With the tension still thick in the living room, I glanced between Aubry and Dreu, making sure my message was clear.
The silence that followed was heavy, but necessary.
It was a stark reminder that boundaries had been set.
The devastation in Aubry eyes told me he wouldn’t cross those boundaries again without knowing he would face consequences.
My gaze lingered a moment longer before I finally exhaled, signaling that the conversation was officially over.
Dreu, was still rattled by the video, he snapped the laptop shut loudly then picked it up. He shot Aubry a nasty glare, who was shrinking further into his couch, his lip puffed and bruised from earlier.
“You need Jesus,” Dreu spat, voice shaking with disbelief and disgust.
“Seriously, man, you need help.” Dreu continued.
“Let’s go, Dreu.”