Chapter 8
Greystone City
While we was on the way back to the resort, I sat in the passenger seat feelin’ quieter than usual.
My’Love was asleep in the backseat with her lil’ head leaned to the side in her car seat, and Kay’Lo had one hand on the wheel while the music played low through the speakers.
Usually, I would’ve been talkin’ to him or playin’ around, but my mind was still back at Grandma Glo’s house, replayin’ everything TeeTee stupid ass said.
It wasn’t even just the words. It was the way she said it in front of everybody like I was supposed to feel guilty for findin’ peace somewhere else.
That’s what the fuck kept botherin’ me.
I stared out the window, rubbin’ my fingers together in my lap while old memories kept creepin’ up on me whether I wanted them to or not.
Niggas loved to scream family this and family that, but when I was little, and them niggas was touchin’ on me, where the fuck was all that family energy then? Where was all that damn protection then?
Everybody always acted blind when it came to that shit, and now, suddenly, people wanted to question my heart and what I did for people. That hurt worse than I wanted to admit.
Kay’Lo ain’t ask me what was wrong, though. He knew me too well for that. He could feel when somethin’ sat wrong with me without me even openin’ my mouth.
After a while, he reached over and grabbed my hand out my lap. He pulled it over into his, settin’ it against his thigh while he kept drivin’. His thumb rubbed across my skin for a second before he lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. Then he kissed it again… and again.
I turned my head and looked at him quietly while he kept his eyes on the road the whole time.
Kay’Lo oved on me in ways that always caught me off guard, even after all this time.
“You need anything, baby?” he asked softly. “You want me to do somethin’?”
I shook my head. “No.”
He brought my hand back up and kissed it one more time before lettin’ it rest in his lap.
“Okay, baby,” he said real soft.
He ain’t push me to talk about it or keep askin’ questions either. Instead, he just kept holdin’ my hand and kissin’ the back of it while lettin’ me know in his own way that he was right here with me if I needed him.
And honestly, I was thankful for that ’cause I already knew if I told him exactly what TeeTee said, he would turn this damn truck around so fast it would make my head spin. Kay’Lo did not play about me, and I wasn’t in the mood for drama today, especially since My’Love was with us.
Eventually, we made it back to the resort, and Kay’Lo pulled underneath the front entrance while we waited for the valet to come over.
Soon as dude stepped up, Kay’Lo got out first. He walked around to the backseat and carefully unbuckled My’Love without wakin’ her all the way up. She whined a lil’ and curled right into his chest while he grabbed her diaper bag and threw the strap over his shoulder. Then he came around to my side.
I already knew better than to open my own door. Kay’Lo would’ve looked at me like I lost my damn mind.
He opened the passenger door and held his hand out for me. Soon as I stepped down, he pulled me right into him while still holdin’ My’Love against his chest.
His body pressed warm against mine, and I could feel him all on me without him even sayin’ nothin’. One of his hands slid around my waist while he leaned down and kissed me slow. Then he rubbed his nose against mine.
That lil’ shit melted me every time.
I twisted my fingers into the bottom of his shirt while lookin’ up at him with glossy eyes ’cause honestly, I ain’t know how I got so lucky with him.
“I love you,” I whispered.
Kay’Lo bit his bottom lip before pressin’ another kiss against my mouth.
“I love you too, mommy,” he murmured against my lips.
Then he stayed here another second just holdin’ me while My’Love slept against his shoulder like we was the only three people in the world.
We finally walked inside hand in hand, and soon as we made it back to our villa, I went straight over to the mini bar and poured myself a drink. I needed somethin’ to calm my nerves and slow my thoughts down.
Behind me, Kay’Lo was still holdin’ My’Love while she fought sleep. Her lil’ eyes kept closin’ and openin’, and every time they closed too long, her head would drop against his shoulder.
Kay’Lo looked over at me while I lifted my glass.
You want me to drink with you, baby?” he asked.
I looked over at him and nodded. “Yeah, I do.”
“A’ight then,” he said. “Make my drink too while I change ’Lo and lay her down.”
I smiled a lil’ watchin’ him walk off toward the room with My’Love hangin’ off his shoulder all spoiled and comfortable.
I fixed his drink the way he liked it with that brown liquor he always drank, then set both our glasses on the table before kickin’ my slides off.
A few minutes later, Kay’Lo came back out with My’Love still halfway sleep. He had changed her into one of her sleepers, and she looked so cute lying against his chest.
“She ain’t wanna go to sleep unless I carried her,” he said with a smirk.
“That sounds like an excuse,” I told him.
I watched him while he laid My’Love down on the couch beside us with a blanket over her legs.
Kay’Lo grabbed his drink, then dropped down beside me and instantly pulled me to him. His lips brushed along my earlobe while his hand rubbed slowly up and down my thigh.
“You want me to rub yo’ feet, baby?” he asked against my skin.
I finally smirked for real then ’cause I knew exactly what he was doin’.
He was tryna love me out my mood.
I turned my head and looked at him while he stared right back at me with them flirtin’ ass eyes, bitin’ his lip a lil’ while his hand kept slidin’ over my leg.
Love sat all in his eyes when he looked at me, and sometimes it got so intense I ain’t even know what to do with it.
“Yeah,” I admitted. “I do.”
Kay’Lo took a sip of his drink before settin’ it down. Then he scooted lower on the couch, grabbed my leg, and pulled it over into his lap.
Soon as his hands started rubbin’ on my feet, I let my head fall back against the couch and closed my eyes for a second.
“Mmm,” I breathed.
“I know,” he said, cocky as hell.
As time passed, I could feel myself finally startin’ to relax. The tension in my chest wasn’t sittin’ as heavy no more, and the alcohol mixed with Kay’Lo’s touch had my whole body feelin’ warm.
After a while, I finally looked over at him.
“TeeTee pissed me off earlier,” I finally admitted.
Kay’Lo didn’t interrupt me. He just listened while his hands kept movin’ over my feet.
I told him everything she said and how she tried to make it seem like I abandoned family or thought I was too good for them now.
When I finished, I looked at him. “How you feel about everything I just said?”
Kay’Lo leaned forward and grabbed his drink. He took a slow sip, then set the glass back down before goin’ right back to rubbin’ my feet.
“I don’t expect less from them,” he said honestly. “That’s just what it is, baby.”
I stayed quiet while he talked.
“At the end of the day, you gotta leave muthafuckas where they at,” he continued. “Everybody ain’t gon’ understand you. Everybody ain’t gon’ deserve access to you neither.”
His hands slid higher up my ankle while he looked at me.
“My mama love you. My daddy love you. All my aunties and uncles love you. Pressure love you. Renza love you. Sha’Nelle love you. My grandma and all my cousins love you. All the people that actually matter and got substance see yo’ heart, Toni.”
My eyes started burnin’ listenin’ to him.
“And that’s ’cause your heart good,” he said. “You love hard. You take care of ya people. You a good mama and a good wife, and anybody that can’t see that can kiss my ass.”
A tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it. Kay’Lo’s expression softened immediately when he saw it.
“Aw, baby,” he murmured.
I laughed a lil’ through my tears.
“I’m sorry,” I said, feelin’ embarrassed as hell for cryin’ over this shit.”
“What you apologizin’ for?” he asked. “Don’t do that.”
He scooted back up beside me and wrapped one arm around my shoulders while wipin’ my face with his thumb.
“I’m always gon’ be here for you,” he said. “Always. That’s a job that pay me real well too.”
I laughed again, shakin’ my head while more tears slipped out.
Kay’Lo grabbed the back of my neck gently and stared into my eyes so long it made my stomach flip.
My hand came up to the side of his face, rubbin’ along his face while he looked at me with them same intense eyes that always made me feel safe.
Then he leaned in and kissed me slow, takin’ his time with it while his hand stayed wrapped around the back of my neck.
It was the type of kiss that made me melt into him without even realizin’ I was doin’ it.
His tongue slid against mine while his hand stayed on my neck, and when he pulled back, he kissed across my cheek, down my jaw, and all under my neck until I was smilin’ and squirmin’ against him.
Then he looked at me with that slick ass grin.
“You know you ain’t gave me no pussy in three days,” he said. “The rent due, mommy.”
I rolled my eyes so hard, but I still smiled.
“You so damn aggravatin’,” I muttered.
“And you still gon’ pay that rent,” he shot back.
I laughed and kissed him again while he wrapped his arm over my shoulders and pulled me against him.
After that, we just sat together on the couch, sippin’ our drinks while My’Love slept beside us, and for the first time since leavin’ Grandma Glo’s house, I finally felt okay again.
After a while, Sha’Nelle finally came through with a small bag in her hand like she already knew she wasn’t leavin’ no time soon.
After that shit that went down with TeeTee, she decided to stay with us at the villa for the rest of the trip, and honestly, I was glad she did.
It was a three-bedroom anyway, so it was more than enough space for all of us without nobody feelin’ cramped.