Chapter 17
Itook a deep breath as I pulled up to Tiana’s house.
After our last conversation, I knew things could go either way.
She had been blowing my phone up for weeks, calling me all types of fuck niggas, and I let her.
Even though we weren’t together, I understood why she was so upset.
My problem was with the way she approached our issues.
“You got me fucked up, Key!”
“What are you yelling about?”
“Mothafucka, you know why. Why the fuck is my daughter coming home telling me about a brother and a sister? I thought she was talking about one of your jump-offs’ kids, but she claims they look like her.
What the hell is going on? You and I both know you don’t eat pussy or fuck raw, so how did this happen?
Hell, the only reason I got pregnant with Keyami was because you slipped up on a drunk night and I poked—I mean, the condom broke, so I need you to make this make sense,” Tiana fussed into the phone.
Her slipup wasn’t surprising to me, because I always suspected some foul play when Tiana turned up pregnant. As mad as I should have been, it was too late. My daughter was here, and I loved her more than anything.
“You ain’t slick, and that’s exactly why I’ll never trust your grimy ass,” I spat.
“You’re being dramatic. I didn’t mean to say that. Anyways, why have you been hiding your kids? If you didn’t think you did anything wrong, why the secrecy?” She continued to press me as if I was her man.
“I wasn’t keeping it a secret. I just found out about them myself.” I scratched the back of my neck, knowing this conversation would only get worse.
“Who the fuck is the bitch, and what do you mean you just found out? What kind of bitches are you fucking with that would keep a daddy from their children? Only a bird brain, if you ask me.”
My jaw clenched, but I was trying to let her make it.
“You’re doing too much right now. All of this is new for me, and I’m adjusting as best as I can.”
“You’re saying a whole bunch of nothing, Key. Who is the bitch?”
“It’s Naiari. She ain’t gon’ be too many more bitches, though. She has never called you out of your name, so show her the same respect, at least when you’re talking to me.”
“What! I fucking knew it. You tried to play in my face and make it seem like I was crazy, and the whole time you were fucking that ugly ass bitch!” Tiana shouted, breathing heavily on the other end. Luckily, my phone was on speakerphone and not directly up to my ear.
“Look, you need to calm down with all of that. I don’t yell at you, so you aren’t about to sit here and scream at me like you’ve lost your mind.”
The line went quiet for a moment, and then I heard what sounded like sniffing on the other end. Dragging my hand over my face, I sank down further into my seat to prepare for the bullshit I knew was coming.
“I can’t believe you, Key. After everything I did for you, you went and fucked the one bitch you swore I never had to worry about.
Then you got her pregnant, which means you were fucking her raw, something we both know you aren’t comfortable with.
You didn’t even want to touch me after I gave birth to Keyami, because I was too fertile, so I’m trying to understand how you managed to get that hoe pregnant. ”
We were going around in circles, and I was ready for the conversation to end, so I decided to give her all the answers she was looking for.
“You want the truth?”
“Yeah, nigga!”
“I was in love with her. My kids weren’t an accident because I was bussin’ my seed in her pussy with hopes of getting her pregnant. She was my first love, and I wanted a family with her. If I hadn’t gotten jammed up, things would have went differently, but life fucked us over.”
Silence.
“Hello?” I checked the phone to see if she was still on the line. She was but hadn’t said anything.
“I can’t believe this bullshit. The fact that you can sit on this phone and say some shit like this to me is crazy.
Where was she when you were locked up, Key?
I don’t recall her being at any of the visits or putting money on your books!
I’m the one who dragged my child up there to see you and made sure to answer every single one of your calls.
Then you get out of prison, and I find out that you’re a fucking rapper and you’ve got all this money put up.
I never thought I would see the day where you would be a fraud ass nigga, but damn.
I held you on a pedestal when I should have put your ass on child support and found me a real nigga,” Tiana vented.
“You got it, Tiana. I’m not in the mood to argue with you.
While I appreciate the visits and the calls, I’ve already compensated you for everything you’ve done for me.
I bought you a brand-new car, a house, and I send you twenty thousand dollars every month.
Let’s not forget, the money you put on my books belonged to me, and I made sure you and Keyami were taken care of when I was locked up.
“You’re sitting on this phone acting as if I sold you a dream and left you hanging.
I never once promised we would be anything more than what we are.
I appreciate you picking up the phone so I could speak to my daughter, but I never forced you to stay on those calls.
True enough, you helped me get through some tough moments, but I never gave you that jail house talk.
Hell, once I started talking about my music and you started shitting on my dreams, I decided to keep my shit to myself.
You obviously weren’t supporting it, so why would I waste my time telling you anything? ”
“How was I supposed to know you actually had talent? Do you know how many dudes are out here trying to become a rapper? I thought it was just a phase or something.”
“Well, I guess my phase lasted longer than it was supposed to. Anyway, I need to get off this phone.”
“Oh, now you don’t want to talk?” She scoffed.
“To be honest, I never wanted to talk, but you kept blowing up my phone,” I replied, shrugging my shoulders in irritation. I loved my daughter, but I wished I would have never messed with her momma.
Tiana wasn’t a terrible person, but she wasn’t someone I wanted around me. She loved drama and negativity, and I wasn’t in the mood.
“Wow. Well, at least I know how you really feel. I thought you had changed, but you’re the same dog ass nigga you’ve always been. I hope fucking that bitch was worth it, because you won’t be getting my daughter again. I don’t want Keyami around those bastards.”
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. Tiana wanted a reaction out of me, and my kids were the magic word to get me activated.
“Tiana, you got me fucked up, and I’m not even about to entertain your bullshit, because I’ll really fuck around and hurt your feelings.
All of my kids are gonna have a relationship with each other, and there ain’t a mothafucka alive who can stop it.
If you want to try me, go right ahead, but I promise you won’t like the outcome.
You seem to forget that you don’t work, and I fund your entire life right now.
It would be in your best interest to tread lightly with me.
“As far as my kids, don’t ever in your fucking life call them bastards.
That’s my flesh and blood, and I’ll drag any mothafucka for trying to play with them.
If anyone is a bastard, it’s yo’ ass because I know for a fact your daddy is still married to his wife, and he ain’t ever claimed your ass in public.
Don’t play with me. Now, I’m getting off this phone, and I pray you find your fucking mind because it’s obvious you must have misplaced it.
” I was seething as I hung up the phone in her face before she got a chance to respond.
Now, here I was sitting outside her house, praying she got her shit together because I wasn’t in the mood for any more drama. I pulled my pants up and stood outside her door. Of course, I had my own key, but I tried my best to respect her space because it was her house at the end of the day.
It took a while for her to come to the door, but both of her cars were in the driveway. I hadn’t called first because I expected her to be on good bullshit.
“Umm, Key, what are you doing here? You should have called first.” Tiana’s eyes were wide, and I could tell her ass was hiding something.
“I don’t need to call before I come to the house where I pay the bills. Besides, I only came here to get my daughter. I have to leave town tomorrow, and I want to spend time with her before I leave.”
“Umm, where are your other kids gonna be?”
My brows furrowed as I stared at her as if she had two heads.
“My kids are none of your concern. Now go get my daughter so I can go,” I instructed through gritted teeth.
“Aye, baby, who is that at the door?”
My face twisted up when I heard the sound of a man’s voice.
The guilty expression on Tiana’s face told me everything I needed to know.
Without warning, I moved her out of the doorway before stepping inside.
When my eyes landed on the young bull sitting on the couch with his shirt off, I chucked angrily.
“Aye, who the fuck are you, nigga?” He sat up, reaching over to the table for his gun. It pissed me off to see his pistol sitting on the table carelessly. Keyami was still a child, and anything could happen.
“The better question is, who the fuck are you? I don’t recall my baby momma mentioning she was entertaining someone.”
He glared at me when his eyes locked on my chain. His face softened as something must have clicked for him.