Chapter 8 #2
He handed me my things and walked off like it was hard for him to do.
He wanted to be strict so damn bad but the nigga was getting soft for me and he didn’t know how to take it.
I placed my laptop on the bed, and kept my phone.
The first thing I did was text my group chat letting my girls know I had my phone back.
Even texting them that felt crazy. It was like I was a kid just getting off of punishment and getting my privileges back.
Kaseem was strict as hell. I could only imagine how he’d be as a father.
As I walked out the room and down the hall, they started flooding me with messages.
They acted like we hadn’t talked or spoken in years.
When I walked into the dining room, Kaseem was already seated at the table but he stood up and walked over to pull my seat out.
My head was so deep in my phone that I didn’t immediately sit down.
When I looked up, he had a serious look on his face.
“No phones at the table. If you wanna keep it, put it up. Now.” He voiced.
This nigga really thought he was my damn daddy or something.
But the way he said it, I had to respect it.
I put my phone down and sat my ass in that chair allowing him to push it in for me.
The energy he had about himself damn near made me want to apologize.
I’d never met a man whose demeanor kept me wet like him.
The man didn’t have to do nothing but look at me, or speak and he had me soaking.
—
The breakfast spread was sitting in front of us.
There was shrimp and grits with honey butter crescents on the side and some fresh fruit.
Everything was hot and smelling so good.
I was actually starving after last night and this morning.
Kaseem sat down across from me after he’d just checked my ass.
I watched him as he bowed his head. It was quiet, just him with his eyes closed, his lips moving silently like he was saying something to God that only he could hear.
"Do you mind praying out loud?" I asked him. "Saying grace for us both?"
He opened his eyes and looked at me. Really looked at me. Like I'd just asked him to do something nobody else had ever asked him to do.
"Nah," he said, shaking his head. "My talks with God are private. That's between me and Him."
I set my fork down and looked back at him. This man was too stubborn and set in his ways. He had come and changed my whole life out the blue, but didn’t want to compromise for me.
"If you're gonna lead," I said, and my voice was steady, "then you gotta be okay with praying over us both. That's what a man does."
He didn't argue. Just picked his fork back up and started eating while ignoring me. But I could see something shift in him. Like he was hearing what I said and fighting with himself on it.
I decided to do it myself. I bowed my head.
"God, I'm thanking you for everything you've done and everything you will do for me and my husband," I said, and I kept my eyes closed.
"I don't understand how we got here, but I'm trusting you because you've never steered me wrong.
I'm praying that you keep Kaseem protected whenever he's away from me.
I'm praying you guide me in all the ways I need in order to be a good wife and woman of this house.
And most importantly, I'm asking you to bless this food and the hands that prepared it. Amen."
When I opened my eyes and looked at him, he was staring at me like he couldn't believe I was real. Like I was something he'd probably dreamed about but didn't expect to actually appear.
We ate quietly for a few minutes. Just the sound of forks on plates and the house around us. I was thinking about bringing up what we'd talked about last night - the baby requirement, the twelve months - when the front door slammed so hard it echoed through the whole house.
Zuri came walking into the dining room like she owned the place, her face twisted up with anger.
"Kaseem Amari Carter," she said, and her voice was sharp as a knife. "Who the hell do you think you are, making those kinds of calls and keeping things from me? Did you really think I wouldn't find out that my son got stabbed up because of some shit you stirred up? You're lucky he's alive!"
Kaseem set his fork down slowly. Deliberately. Like he was taking his time before he responded.
"I gave you orders to let me handle it," Zuri continued, stepping closer to the table. "I let you handle things and look what happened! This is exactly why I wasn't sure about giving you control in the first place!"
It took everything in me not to stand up and check her right then.
We were eating breakfast. I'd just finished praying.
The disrespect was crazy. And her energy was so negative it was literally draining the peace right out of the room.
Yes that was his mother, but she was too comfortable overstepping and being disrespectful. This would have to stop.
Kaseem stood up from his chair slow and calm, which somehow made it even more intimidating than if he'd jumped up angry.
"First," he said, his voice ice cold, "you need to learn how to knock. You can't keep barging into my house unannounced. If you can't respect that, I'm gonna need that key back."
Zuri's face tightened but she didn't say anything.
"Second," he continued, "as the head of this family right now, I'm making the decisions.
What happened to Zaire is messed up, I know that.
But he's alive. That's all that matters. This war was already brewing before I took over, and the Carters have never run from nobody. So what exactly did you expect me to do? Roll over? Hide? And if I would have done that, niggas would have took us for pussy, and tried to get away with whatever else they could. Hell nah! They killed one of ours, unprovoked and delivered him to our doorstep. I think you forgetting or missing that part!”
He stepped closer to her and I could see the power radiating off him.
"And why are you so scared of going to war with the Brick Boyz?" he asked, and there was something dangerous in his voice now. "You raised me better than that. You taught me to stand on business and if I’m being honest, you ain’t seen nothing yet. We killed a few of they people, and took they work. You know that’s light work.
So go home, kick your feet up, and enjoy your retirement.
Let me do what I'm supposed to do. And on my last breath, I'm bringing Zaire home and we gone put an end too all this street shit so I can run a smooth business without some low level niggas keeping up bullshit. That's a promise."
Before Zuri could respond, the door opened again and Kadeem walked in. He took one look at Zuri standing there in front of Kaseem with that angry expression and his whole demeanor changed.
"Zuri," he said, his voice carrying that weight that made people move. "What are you doing?"
"I'm checking our son," she said, turning to face Kadeem. "Somebody needs to because clearly he's making reckless decisions."
Kadeem walked over to her and got close enough that only she could hear what he was saying, but his tone was unmistakable. Whatever he said, it made her face go pale.
"If you don't stop this right now," he said, loud enough for all of us to hear, "we're gonna have some real problems. You need to let him make his own way and call his shots how he sees fit. You understand me? You just waiting on the boy to fuck up, but you not even giving him a chance to do that. You gotta sit down Zuri. You have to learn how to play the background unless you are needed, or else, all of this shit we’ve done is pointless.”
Zuri looked between Kaseem and Kadeem, and I could see the moment she realized she was outnumbered. She turned to leave but stopped at the doorway.
"Kaseem," she said, and her voice was low and dangerous. "If something would have happened to my baby, I would have been burying two sons. Because I would have killed you myself."
She stepped closer to him and pointed a finger.
"This family moves strategically, not recklessly. Everything you do from this day forward shows me if I made the right decision giving you this position. Because from where I'm standing, Namier's goofy ass would probably make better choices."
With that, she turned and started to walk off.
I sat there for a second, and then something in me just snapped. I couldn't let that disrespect slide, even if it was family business. I stood up and looked at her before she could get to the door.
"Hey Zuri," I called out, and my voice was sweet as it could be, but laced with sarcasm. "You got a little something on the side of your mouth. Crust, I think. I wasn't sure if you saw it when you jumped out of bed and rushed over here to fuss without getting yourself together."
She turned and gave me a look that could have killed. A straight death stare. But she didn't say anything. She just rushed out of the house with her whole face red.
Kadeem followed her out and I heard the front door close.
I sat back down and picked my fork back up, trying to act like nothing happened. But I could feel Kaseem watching me.
When he finally spoke, it was just one word: "Damn."
Then he burst out laughing. Not just a little chuckle. Full on tears running down his face laughing. He couldn't even eat because he was laughing so hard.
"Your mama really came in here with crust around her mouth talking shit," I said, shaking my head. "Nobody told her to leave that house with her mouth white around the edges like lil Boosie.”
"She better stop playing with my husband," I joked, pointing my fork at him.
Kaseem looked at me and his whole demeanor shifted. The laughing stopped. His eyes got darker.
"Your husband, huh?" he said, leaning back in his chair with a smirk. "Don't make me get under this table right now. You know I'll eat it until you scream. You know I will."
And from the way he said it, I knew he wasn't joking. At all.
I felt heat rise up my neck and I had to look away from him to finish my breakfast, but inside I was ready to try my luck.
This man was something else. He’d gave me the best head of my life, but was teasing me when I wanted more.
He knew exactly what he was doing. And he had me exactly where he wanted me.