56. Corinthians #2
“Nah, I’m just fucking with you. I thought I could do a trick and missed my bike.”
“Oh no, that’s it,” I stood and walked to the back door.
Just as I opened it, Uri’s phone rang. He answered it while keeping an eye on Judah. A slow smile spread across his face, and he nodded before hanging up. He looked up at me, put his phone away, then approached me.
“Hey, come here, let me talk to you real fast,” he said, stepping into the house. We walked to our room, and he closed the door. “That call was to come pick up Isaac and Paul.”
“Okay,” I replied, nodding. Uri pulled me to him by my belt loop.
“You want to go?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “You promised me one thing; that’s all I want.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, then kissed me. “I’ll be back later.”
“Take the Lidells with you,” I said, and he lifted his brow. “Please?”
“Alright. Where’s Psalms?”
“Around here somewhere, why?”
“She asked to be there when I kill them,” he said.
Thirty minutes after Uri and the Lidell brothers left, I sat on the couch with Psalms. Judah had showered, ate, and was in his room playing the game until it was time for bed.
Psalms' head was in my lap, and I raked my nails through my hair. It was longer than it had been in a long time, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do with it.
“You're happy,” Psalms said. Her attention was on the TV, but she turned and looked up at me. “It wasn’t a question.”
“I know,” I replied with a nod. “But even if it’s not, the answer is yes.”
She nodded then turned back to look at the TV. “I keep waiting for you to tell me you changed your mind.”
“Would that make you happy?”
“No,” she snorted. “I love seeing you happy. I’ve told Four for years that I would kill him if he hurt you. I think he finally got the message.”
“I’m the older sister, Psalms,” I smiled. “You don’t threaten people over me.”
“I didn’t threaten Four,” she said, waving me off. “I prepared him for the consequence of not stepping up.” She smiled sweetly. “I figured you two would end up together no matter what. He couldn’t stay away. Always lurking, no matter what. It was exhausting keeping his secret.”
“You could’ve told me,” I replied.
“I almost did a few times, but then I saw how you looked that day.”
“What day?”
“The impromptu girls trip.” She sat up and sat with her back against the arm of the couch, facing me.
She pulled her legs to her chest and rested her chin on her knees.
“At first, I thought you were just coming out of your shell, and the trip was a good thing. Then, that night I went to your room to check on you and Judah, and I saw y’all.
” She smiled. “Y’all were asleep; his back was against the window and the wall, in that corner.
He was holding you, and you were holding Judah.
” She moved, grabbed her phone from the coffee table, took it out, and swiped.
It took her a minute to find what she was looking for, but when she did, she handed me the phone.
It was a picture of exactly what she described.
“I didn’t wake y’all, just walked out of the room as quietly as I’d come and went to my room.
I always knew he loved you, but I think that was the moment I realized you loved him just as much. ”
“From a picture?” I said, still looking at the picture.
“No, from the peace he gave you,” she answered, and I looked up at her. “That was the first time in years you didn’t cry in your sleep or go to sleep in the closet. You laid there, in his arms with your baby and slept. Both of y’all did.”
“Do you have that peace?” I asked her, thinking of how Script looked at her earlier. If there were a chance he gave her the same feelings Uri gave me, then I would make sure they ended up together. I liked Wednesday, but her happiness meant more to me than his did.
“I do, but…”
“It scares you?”
Psalms nodded and nervously licked her lips. “I have enough issues. I’m broken-“
“You aren’t broken,” I quickly corrected her. I cupped her chin to make her look at me. “Do you hear me? You aren’t broken.”
“You’re my sister; you’re supposed to say that.”
I picked up my phone from the couch and dialed Krude’s number. If anyone was going to tell her the truth without a second thought, it was going to be him.
“Hello?”
“Is Psalms broken?” I asked him, watching her.
“You a crack head?” he countered, then kissed his teeth. “Man, I can't say that shit since Cross' parents were crackheads, huh?” He sighed. “Fuck, what’s another drug? You a meth head? Wait, do niggas do meth?”
“Genesis,” I sighed.
“Don’t get impatient with me; you called me,” he fussed. “Now answer the question.”
“Which one? You asked five. I don’t even understand why you asked.”
“Pop quiz,” he replied. “Now answer the damn questions.”
“No, I’m not a crack head. Yes, you can still say that, but I would double-check with Cross first. Meth will do, and I’m sure at least one did.”
“I’m not asking The Murderer shit; she cussed me out in sign language the other day.”
“Do I want to know why?”
“Not your business,” he replied. “Now that you got your answers about my cousin, what else you want?”
“She’s my sister.”
“And?” he said. “You think I care?”
“Bye, Genesis.”
“Bye, Corinthians.” I hung up the phone and dropped it on the couch. “Krude said you weren’t broken.”
“And when did we start listening to him?”
“When he started making sense,” I answered with a shrug. We looked at each other then started laughing. “No, but seriously, you aren’t any more broken than I am. I refuse to carry that title, so we aren’t broken.”
“What are we?”
“DeCortes,” I answered with a shrug.
Psalms watched me for a few seconds, then nodded. She put her purse back on the table, then reached across the couch and ran her hand through my hair. “You’re trying to grow it back?” she asked, and I shrugged. “I think you should. To see if you like it.”
“I don’t know what to do with my hair,” I laughed. “If I’m going to grow it back, I’m going to keep it braided.”
A smile blossomed on her face, then she picked up my phone and dialed a number.
“Hello?”
“Wryanne, what are you doing?” she asked her best friend.
“Nothing just got left my grandma’s headed home. What’s up? Why are you calling me from Corinthians’ phone? Did something happen?”
“No, you want to help me with something?”
“Will it result in us going to jail?” she hesitantly asked. “Because if it will, I need to call Morning so he can be on the lookout for our call.”
“Oh no, not today.”
“Awe man,” Wryanne pouted, then sighed. “I guess I will still help then. What you wanna do?”
“Stop by the hair shop and get some hair. We are doing Corinthians hair together.”
“Really?”
“No!” I quickly said, shaking my head. “I’ll cut all this shit off before I ever let y’all in my head.”
“Aw, come on, Corinthians, let us braid you up!” Wryanne replied. “We promise to behave. We won't dye your hair or cut you bald.”
I cut my eyes to my sister, who was sitting there smiling. “You promise?”
“Pinky promise!” Wryanne laughed, and Psalms nodded.
“Fine,” I reluctantly agreed. “Grab the hair; I’ll start parting now.”
“Yes!” Wryanne and Psalms said in unison.
“Alright, I’m hitting a U-turn right now. I’ll be there within the next hour.”
I stood and stretched my arms over my head. “I’m going to shower and wash my hair. If Uri calls, answer.” I headed towards my room.
“Sissy?” she called out, and I turned around and looked at her. “Why didn’t you go with him tonight?”
“Because he already promised me the heads of every person that hurt me,” I told her. “And if Uri ‘Four’ Strong doesn’t do anything else, he’s going to follow through with his promise. I’ve already gotten a few.”
“Damn, I wonder if Wednesday loves me that much,” she sighed.