Chapter 13 #2
“What?” He glanced at me momentarily, before reaching into his pocket going for his wallet.
He was literally the only hood nigga I knew that didn’t carry cash.
He claimed that it was too unclean for his liking which made me giggle every time I thought about it.
Shit, everything in the fucking world was unclean, but he had his logic and who was I to debunk it? My man, my man, my man.
While he was still paying for everything I slipped off and went to the restroom across from the store.
I had been holding my pee since we first left the house and that was hours ago.
After I was finished and had dried my hand I walked out of the washroom oblivious to my surroundings until I heard a semi-familiar voice.
“You look good. It’s been a while since a nigga laid eyes on you.” Requ’s voice sent chills down my spine especially because of Namari’s theory.
“Thank you, have a go—” I started.
“Oh, so it’s like that? You start messing with that nigga and now you diss me? Doesn’t matter though, because when I shoot I rarely miss. You’re lucky, love.”
“You son of a bitch. You did miss because I’m still here!” I yelled back at him as he started to walk off.
“Bullet wasn’t meant for you, baby. But next time…
” his sentence trailed off as he used his hands to act like he was pulling the trigger of a gun.
That alone sent a chill down my spine because he had just admitted to what he did and walked off like it was nothing.
The fact that he was bold enough to approach me and say the things he said didn’t sit well with me at all.
It meant that he was plotting on Namari and I needed to warn him.
I didn’t realize I was staring off into the distance until I heard Namari’s voice and it broke the trance I had. “Baby girl, what’s wrong?”
“He did shoot me.”
Ommy
I had some business to tend to in the city today which already had me ready to run back home.
Home was North’s house. Well I guess it was our house since I agreed I hadn’t been spending much time at my shop, but it didn’t do me bad because I finally had a full staff which.
I didn’t have to stay in the shop 24/7 because business was good.
The thing is I still needed to stop by my house and pick up a few things.
I had yet to adopt the just go buy it attitude that North had.
Not to mention I needed to get my computer, because I couldn’t use North’s any longer.
Shit, he even offered to buy me that a few days ago.
He was sweet and willing to do whatever was necessary to make me smile.
He was just that thoughtful. Everything seemed to be going good, but the fact that his ex-situation kept popping up outside the gates of the house did piss me off, because she was seriously nuts with all of her actions.
She literally stood out there screaming how much she loved him and that his actions were tearing her apart.
The shit was all annoying to me and honestly she’d better be glad the only thing I could do to her was call the police. I would’ve loved to beat her ass.
I had finally finished carrying the things that I was taking to North’s house down to my car when I felt my phone vibrating in my back pocket.
I half expected it to be North since I still wasn’t home after telling him I’d be on the road headed in that direction thirty minutes ago.
Pulling my phone out of my back pocket I realized that it wasn’t him, instead it was my father.
“Yes, old man,” I greeted in my own sarcastic way.
“What did I tell you about that? But I wanna run something by you.”
“I’m all ears.”
“So, you know Dana and I have been friends for a while. I wanna know if you think it’s okay if she and I beco—”
“It’s about time. I like her and she loves you. This is your life dad and neither Knoxx nor I can tell you how to live it. Everybody deserves to have somebody regardless of age and creed.”
“Well.”
I beamed just thinking about my father finally finding love after all that shit my mother put him through. He deserved to be happy.
“Thank you, baby girl.”
“Anytime. I’m gonna come see you tonight.”
“No, I’m coming to you. North extended the invitation for dinner at the house.” That sentence threw me for a loop.
“He did what now?
“Dinner at your new residence.” I could hear the amusement in my father’s tone because he knew how I was. In a sense I was just like him.
“Oh. Let me call you back.”
He laughed. “Love you too and we will see you tonight. Have my grandson’s bag packed too. I promised him a mourning of horse duties this weekend.”
After I hung up the phone I immediately called North to ask him what this dinner my father was talking about was.
“Are you calling to let me know you’re pulling up?” His deep voice filled the speakers of my car.
“Nope, but I might be calling to let you know that I’m not coming depending on what your answer to my question is.”
He chuckled. “Lay it on me.”
“What dinner is my father talking about?”
“The one I invited him to. Now stop fucking around. Where are you?”
“About to bust a U-turn in the middle of the E-way. How do you know I wanted to entertain?”
“It’s only family, and plus it’s necessary. This shit right here with you is the long hall for me, which means it was only right to invite your pops and brother over to the house.”
I bit into my lip looking for something to say, but truthfully I had nothing. He was right, but I kind of wished this was something he planned and not today. “Why today though?”
“Because I knew if I would’ve put it in your lap it would’ve never happened.”
I nodded my head in agreement like he could see me. He was right, so instead of fighting him I let it go… kind of. “I’m not cooking nor am I entertaining.”
“Done and done. Now bring your stubborn ass home woman.”
After I hung up with him, I called Luna. She’d been MIA lately and every time I asked my brother about her he said she was dealing with some family shit. The thing is I missed my friend and I wanted to make sure she was fine and not doing that suffering in silence thing that she was so good at.
“Yess, Ommy,” she greeted the moment she picked up the phone.
“Where are you and why have you deserted me, woman?” I asked dramatically.
“Dealing with some tough shit that I promise to tell you about when I get home.”
“When will you be home? What do you mean? Are you not in Chicago?” I asked.
“Nope, but I promise when I can clue you in I will.” She and I talked for the rest of my drive, then she had to go when I turned into the driveway.
I keyed in his code, then pulled right into the circular driveway.
This place was like a fortress, shit kind of like my father’s place.
It had a way of keeping the outside world out and whatever was inside it.
I don’t know why North insisted on having dinner at the house tonight, but he was serious as fuck about it.
He had invited my father and brother. When I got into the house he claimed that these types of moments were necessary and I couldn’t shut the world out.
I responded letting his ass know that contrary to his belief it was totally okay to ignore the fuck out of and avoid most of human population.
Besides him Niema and my son I was missing in action a lot and I needed that in order to recharge on most days.
Honestly, the only reason they even saw me was because we resided in the same space.
“How do you feel, Avery?”
“Like you’re forcing me from this fortress of comfortableness to entertain, because you haven’t met your socialization quota this month.”
That earned a laugh from him, because seconds later he approached my side of the bed with a smirk. “Yo, you’re really fucking sick. You know that, right?”
I chuckled. “So I’ve been told. Now are you going to let me take this nap or are you about to keep interrupting it?” I was completely exhausted from my day in the city today.
“The latter. I feel like fucking with you. Especially since lil’ man and that ugly ass dog are on the other side of the house with Niema.”
“And that means?”
“Exactly what I said and some.”
I shook my head no. “I distinctly remember telling you that you weren’t getting anything from me since your little friend keeps pulling up outside and acting like a freaking lunatic.
” Toy had not only showed up here several days in a row, but she had also seemed to dedicate her life to calling and hanging up any number she could get ahold of.
The one time I answered the phone she started whining into the phone and I could barely make out shit she was saying. All I made out is her repeating why.
“And you had security remove her, plus I changed the number. Right?”
“Not the point.”
“Then what is the point? The fact that you keep tryna punish me for the actions of others?” He looked like a petulant child at this point.
“Not others. One bitch. One female. One person. One woman who seems to feel like she has some sick claim over you.” I got out of the bed and started walking around the room. It was obvious I wasn’t getting any type of nap.
“But who's living in my house? Carrying my child? And building a family with me? Who has my fucking heart in the palm of her stubborn ass hands?
“Me,” I murmured slowly, because him putting things that way made me feel silly for the way I had been acting.
“Nah. I wanna hear you say that shit louder. I need to hear it and you do too so you’ll stop copping those dumb ass attitudes.”
I shook my head, and I was about to say something slick, but his hand had made contact with my arm and he was pulling me toward him. He took a seat on the bed and pulled me into his lap.
“I’m waiting, Avery.”
“What am I supposed to be saying again?” I had honestly forgotten because any type of physical contact with this man was always enough to erase whatever I was thinking at whatever moment.