26. Kay’lo Mensah #2
She kept fussin’ until we made it halfway upstairs. Then her cries got softer, her head dropped against my shoulder and all that fight left her body. By the time we reached the hallway, she was knocked out in my arms like she hadn’t just been causin’ hell by the front door.
I stopped outside our bedroom and looked down at her. Her lil’ mouth was open, one hand was curled into my shirt and her lashes rested against her cheeks. I kissed under her neck first, then her cheek and forehead while she slept through every bit of it.
Toni watched me and smiled. “I knew she was gon’ pass out.”
“She could’ve passed out before makin’ me throw her in the air fifteen times,” I muttered while carryin’ her into the bedroom.
Toni came closer and rubbed My’Love’s back. “You might as well let her sleep and give her a bath when she wake up.”
“She got park all over her,” I said while lookin’ at the grass still stuck to one of her socks.
I shook my head but walked toward our bed instead of My’Love’s room. I laid her in the middle of the mattress and fixed the pillows around her so she wouldn’t roll too far if she woke up. I still planned on givin’ her a bath, but I could let her sleep for a lil’ while before I disturbed her.
As I pulled the blanket over her legs, Toni’s phone started ringin’. The FaceTime sound filled the room, and she looked down at the screen before answerin’.
“Hey, cousin,” Toni said while movin’ toward the other side of the bed.
Sha’Nelle’s voice came through the phone, but I couldn’t hear everything she said at first. Then she asked, “Kay’Lo around?”
That shit got my attention. I lifted my head from My’Love and looked toward Toni. There wasn’t no reason Sha’Nelle needed to know whether I was around unless she had somethin’ she ain’t want me hearin’.
Toni glanced toward me, and the look she gave told me she knew exactly why I was watchin’ her.
“He in here with My’Love,” Toni answered before turnin’ toward the bathroom.
Then she carried the phone inside and pulled the door closed behind her. I stared at the bathroom door for a second ‘cause that shit ain’t sit right with me at all.
Renza had been talkin’ about ‘Nelle for the last couple months, and I had been right there when the jeweler brought the ring to the crib. I watched my cousin pick the one he wanted, hand over all that cash and start talkin’ about buildin’ a house for her like he had already decided she was gon’ say yes.
I ain’t tell Toni none of that ‘cause it wasn’t my business to ruin Renza’s plan before he got everything in place.
My loyalty was with my wife, but Renza was my blood and my brother before anything else.
If Sha’Nelle had somethin’ goin’ on that could affect him, I needed to know what the hell it was before everybody else did.
Toni knew I ain’t like secrets between us either.
She tried that shit before and ended up in the Red Room ‘cause she thought she could hold information back and smile in my face like I wasn’t gon’ check that shit.
Now she was carryin’ Sha’Nelle in the bathroom to have some private conversation while I stood in our bedroom.
I looked down at My’Love to make sure she was still sleep, then moved toward the bathroom door. I stood close enough to hear without touchin’ it, and for a second, all I caught was Toni speakin’ too low for me to make out the words.
Then her voice came through clearer.
“Oh my God,” Toni whispered. “You gettin’ married?”
Everything inside me stopped…
Sha’Nelle said somethin’ on the other end, and Toni lowered her voice even more before she spoke again.
“Hold yo’ hand up so I can really see it,” Toni told her.
I moved a lil’ closer to the door and listened while my mind started runnin’. There wasn’t no reason for Toni to say that unless a ring was already on Sha’Nelle’s finger.
“That’s beautiful,” Toni said after a few seconds. “How you feel?”
“I’m shocked,” Sha’Nelle answered through the phone. “I’m still takin’ all this shit in.”
“Tell Couture I said congratulations,” Toni replied.
“I will,” Sha’Nelle said back.
I stood here with my eyes on the bathroom door while the news settled in my head.
Two weeks ago, Renza had bought an engagement ring for Sha’Nelle. Now she was on FaceTime showin’ Toni a ring from another nigga.
This shit was about to tear my cousin apart.
I heard Toni say she was gon’ call Sha’Nelle back once she really got by herself. Then she told her she loved her, and the call ended a few seconds later.
I moved away from the door before Toni could open it and walked toward the dresser. I pulled one of the drawers open and started lookin’ through it like I had been searchin’ for somethin’ the whole time.
The bathroom door opened, and Toni walked back in the room with her phone still in her hand. I kept my back halfway turned toward her before glancin’ over my shoulder.
“Wussup with ‘Nelle?” I asked while movin’ a few shirts around in the drawer.
Toni paused for half a second before answerin’. “She just wanted to show me somethin’.”
I turned around and looked at her. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” Toni replied, but her eyes moved away from mine too quick.
I nodded slowly while lettin’ my gaze travel over her face. “It look like you wanna go back in that room.”
Toni cut her eyes at me and shook her head. “I’on know what you talkin’ about.”
“You know exactly what I’m talkin’ about,” I said while closin’ the drawer. “You carryin’ phone calls in bathrooms now.”
Toni looked toward My’Love before walkin’ toward the bedroom door. “I’m about to go grab night clothes for My’Love.”
I watched her leave without sayin’ nothin’ else.
There wasn’t no point in pressin’ her ‘cause I already heard what I needed to hear. Sha’Nelle was engaged, and Toni had every intention of hidin’ that shit from me long enough to keep me from tellin’ Renza.
I looked toward My’Love sleepin’ in the middle of our bed while my mind went back to my cousin with that ring box in his hand.
I had never seen Renza that serious about any woman. He talked about houses, marriage and children like Sha’Nelle had changed everything he once believed about himself.
Now another nigga had beaten him to it.
I knew I had to tell him. There wasn’t no way I could let Renza keep buildin’ plans around a woman who had already agreed to become somebody else’s wife.
Toni wasn’t gon’ like it, and Sha’Nelle damn sure wasn’t gon’ want him knowin’. None of that changed what I had to do, though.
Some news hurt worse when it came from somebody else.
At least if it came from me, Renza would know he had his people beside him when that shit finally reached his heart.