Chapter 17
“You’re stupid,” Cassydie said before she glanced at Cierra, who played a game on her iPad without paying the grown folk any attention.
Marcellus laughed while Cashmere frowned.
“Not our daughter got you scared,” Marcellus said.
Cassydie cut her eyes at him before she hissed, “Little girl thinks everything is a swear word. I’m sick of paying her every time I speak.”
“You makin’ my baby sound like Debo,” Marcellus joked as he tugged on one of Cierra’s ponytails.
The little girl snapped out of her iPad stupor and frowned at her father. “Hey!”
“Go play in your room for a bit,” he said.
Cierra frowned and then cut her eyes at her mother. “I heard you say the S word. Ten dollars.”
Cassydie’s eyes grew wide. “Ten? When did it go up? It used to be five. And I only said stupid. That isn’t considered the S word, Cici. Shit is.”
“Thirty dollars, Mama.” Cierra climbed off the couch and trudged out of the room, and Cashmere knew her goddaughter fully expected that thirty dollars to be in the swear jar in the kitchen by the end of the night. Cashmere had fallen victim to that jar one too many times herself.
“Little brat,” Cassydie muttered.
“Not too much on my baby,” Marcellus said as he pulled his wife’s feet into his lap and massaged them.
“Anyway, back to you calling me stupid,” Cashmere said with a grimace.
Cassydie shrugged. “What about it?”
“How am I stupid?”
“For pulling Savio off your detail without even speaking to him first,” Cassydie said.
Cashmere gawked at her best friend. She had just finished telling them what had happened a few days ago with Ivoree and Twizz, and then the argument she and Savio had.
“I really don’t get what the big deal is,” Cashmere grumbled.
She hadn’t spoken to Savio since their argument. Ivoree had a busy schedule, so she wanted to chalk it up to him being gone from sunup to sundown, but in her gut, she knew that wasn’t true. She knew Savio was upset with her, which she didn’t think was fair.
“I gotta agree with my wife on this one. If I had known y’all ain’t talk about the shit first, I never would have approved the reassignment,” Marcellus said.
Cashmere cut her eyes at him. “Nobody asked you.”
He chuckled, completely unfazed, which only irritated Cashmere more.
“Hey, not too much on my hubby.” Cassydie grinned at Cashmere in a playful manner. That was the thing about Aries. They knew how to get under people’s skin, and they would do so with a damn smile on their faces. The shit was beyond annoying.
“You guys make me sick. And besides, Vee asked for him, and I trust him. Honestly, me putting him on her detail is the highest compliment,” Cashmere argued.
“Is y’all fuckin’?” Cassydie asked as she picked at her pink nails.
Cashmere’s eyes bucked, but she shouldn’t have been surprised.
Both Cassydie and Marcellus were blunt like that.
They looked at her as they waited for her response, though they both knew the answer.
Cashmere had told Cassydie all about Savio in the past few weeks, which for sure meant Marcellus knew what was up too.
“Yeah, girl. What about it?”
“Y’all go together,” Cassydie pointed out.
“He seems to think so—”
“You do,” Marcellus said, cutting her off.
Cashmere shook her head and just let it rock. It seemed like everyone knew she was in a relationship but her.
“Which means y’all need to talk about things like a normal couple, including you getting him reassigned on a job that’s his,” Cassydie said.
“But he works for me,” Cashmere argued.
“He works for me, sis,” Marcellus said.
Cashmere gaped at him. “Fine, but—”
“Ain’t no buts, Cash. You was wrong,” Cassydie said.
Cashmere sat there deep in thought. Had she really been in the wrong?
She had only done what she thought was best for her sister.
It was what she always did. Breaking that habit had never been an option because it had always been just her and Ivoree.
As if reading her thoughts, Cassydie said, “Ivoree is a grown ass woman, and she needs to hear no from time to time.”
Cashmere’s brows dipped. Irritation flared within her.
“I don’t think you understand the fact that she was always told no.
Up until I met you and started making some actual money, it was always no because I didn’t have anything to offer her to say yes, so forgive me for spoiling her, even at her big ass, grown ass age. ”
“You mean to tell me you ain’t spoil her, even when you ain’t have a pot to piss in?
And don’t lie to me, Cash. I know you. I’ve seen how you move in all situations.
It’s why I worked so fuckin’ hard to put you on with the council.
You have heart. You know how to sacrifice.
You put everything and everyone ahead of yourself.
It ain’t shit you can say to convince me that you ain’t spoil the fuck out of Ivoree, even when you ain’t have a penny to your name.
” Cassydie glared at Cashmere stubbornly.
Cashmere glared right back, but she felt her defenses slipping.
Hadn’t she just thought about how she would always sacrifice the best parts of their shitty life so Ivoree could have more? All the food they got went to Ivoree, while Cashmere got crumbs. The warmth of a blanket and the last of the soap or hot water . . .
Had she ignored her own needs and spoiled Ivoree to the point of no return?
She tried to shake the thoughts from her head, but they wouldn’t stop.
Ivoree got ahead in life because of Cashmere.
She knew struggle, but not like Cashmere did.
Cashmere knew struggle and sacrifice. Cashmere understood the depths of unconditional love, but she had never known someone to feel that way about her . . . until she met Savio.
Her mind flashed to the way he always shared his food with her or made sure she was comfortable.
His forehead kisses secured her. His careful eye made her feel safe.
For the first time in her life, she felt like she could turn her brain off when she was in his presence and simply exist. And how did she repay him?
By putting her sister first. There wasn’t a lifetime where Ivoree wouldn’t have her heart, but maybe everyone was right.
Maybe it was time she let Ivoree go a little bit and start putting her own needs and Savio’s needs at the forefront.
Cashmere had been so lost in her thought that she hadn’t noticed the new presences step into the room.
“Yo, Cash. Sup?” Tato said.
Cashmere glanced up at him, and a genuine smile graced her face. Every time she saw the boy, he grew more.
“Hey, baby,” she said as she rose to give him a hug.
Her smile fell when she stepped away from him and noticed Twizz in the entryway of the living room.
“What’s he doin’ here?” Cashmere asked as she glanced back at Marcellus.
Marcellus shrugged. “He’s on Tato’s detail for now until we can get him reassigned.”
Twizz gripped the back of his neck and looked at Marcellus. “I was about to head out for the day. Same time tomorrow?”
“That works. Good work today,” Marcellus said.
Cashmere huffed. “Look, I’m gonna head out too.”
“Can’t handle the truth?” Cassydie giggled.
Cashmere stuck her middle finger up at her. “Fuck you. No, for your information, I’m tired.”
“Right.” Cassydie smirked knowingly.
Damn her, Cashmere thought.
The real truth was that she wanted to catch Twizz so she could talk to him. She knew Savio didn’t want her to speak to him, but this was one thing she felt in her heart she needed to do.
She quickly said her goodbyes as Twizz walked toward the front door.
After kissing Cassydie on the cheek and promising to call her after her attitude died down, she rushed toward the front door.
As soon as she stepped outside, she scanned the driveway and noticed her new head of security wasn’t there.
She frowned. Honestly, the nigga had been trash since the moment he started a few days ago.
She chalked it up to being used to Savio and him always going above and beyond to secure her safety, but now that she didn’t see him at all, she knew she had been wrong in giving him the benefit of the doubt.
She spotted Twizz getting into his truck and called out to him. “Twizz, wait up!”
He paused and sighed. Cashmere noted that he looked like he would rather be anywhere but there. The feeling was mutual. She didn’t want to have the conversation about him trying to rape her sister, but here she was.
“What’s good, Cash?” he said begrudgingly.
She walked up on him and cocked her head to the side. “We need to talk.”
“I don’t really think that’s a good idea. Feel me?”
Cashmere inclined her head toward his truck. “My security seemed to have clocked out early. I need a ride home. Come on. I’ll make sure you get paid for it.”
Cashmere made a mental note to text Marcellus and tell him about his funky ass security guard. He needed to be replaced as soon as possible. A few months ago, she would have felt the most comfortable on her own. Savio had her spoiled, and now she felt naked without security around her.
Twizz looked around like he thought that was the worst idea, but he finally relented. He walked around the truck and opened the passenger door. “Come on.”
Cashmere grinned in triumph. After he closed the door, she checked inside her purse to make sure she had her gun on her.
She’d be damned if a nigga tried some shit with her.
The small voice in the back of her mind screamed at her that she was safe, but Ivoree’s tears took residence at the forefront of her brain.
As soon as they were on their way to Cashmere’s house, she turned toward him and stared at his profile.
He was a handsome man. He’d already proved to be charming.
That small voice in the back of her mind screamed at her that he didn’t need to steal no pussy.
She ignored it and asked, “What happened between you and Vee?”
Twizz’s jaw clenched. She watched as he took a moment to collect his thoughts before he said, “I’ma tell you like I told Sav. I ain’t touch that girl. I drove her home, just like I’m doin’ for you, and that’s it.”
Cashmere squinted her eyes at him. “Y’all ain’t talk? You ain’t say somethin’ that may have made her think—”
“Nah, man. I don’t want that girl. She was cool in the beginning, but shorty is really touched in the head, bro. No offense,” he said in frustration as he glanced at her.
Cashmere’s lips turned down. “Be real careful ’bout what you say, nigga.” She pulled her gun out and set it on her lap. She didn’t threaten him, but she wanted to make her message clear. She wouldn’t tolerate disrespect.
Twizz glanced at her lap and chuckled. “Shit must run in the family.”
“You really tryin’ me.”
“I ain’t tryin’ to. You just don’t want to hear the truth.”
Why does everyone keep insinuating that? Cashmere’s nose scrunched as she tried to understand why everyone thought she was being delusional. Defiantly, she asked, “What makes you think my sister’s touched in the head? And speak with respect, my nigga.”
She tapped her gun in warning as she gazed at him, genuinely trying to open her mind up and see Ivoree the way everyone else did.
Twizz sighed as he switched lanes and glanced in all his mirrors. Cashmere noted how a lot of his mannerisms reminded her of Savio. Savio. He was the only real reason Cashmere hadn’t put a hole in Twizz.
After a moment, he finally spoke.
“I don’t really know how to explain the shit.
Around you, I ain’t gonna lie. She’s normal as hell.
Almost too perfect, feel me? But when you aren’t around, .
. . she’s different. I thought she was just a little weird at first, and I rocked wit’ that.
Who don’t love a nerdy, weird ass woman?
But that shit quickly passed. It’s almost like she’s bipolar or somethin’.
And shorty is super nosy. Too nosy for my liking.
She asks too many questions, specifically about me and Savio.
We street niggas at heart. Don’t let these new jobs fool you.
Anyone digging into us like Ivoree tried to do is a red flag, for sure.
“She was especially interested in your relationship wit’ my nigga.
I thought that shit was weird because y’all are close.
She coulda just asked yo’ ass instead of sitting in my face and asking questions.
And if I ain’t give her the response she wanted, she would throw a whole ass tantrum like a damn two-year-old. I ain’t ever seen anything like it.”
Cashmere couldn’t even picture that. Not Ivoree. Not her sister who was always so cheery and put together.
“Why didn’t you quit?”
Twizz scoffed. “Because this job means a lot to Sav. He thinks I don’t get it, but I do.
I ain’t tryna hustle in the streets forever.
I made a lot of money. Enough to live a decent life wit’ if I ain’t want to work.
Ain’t no point in runnin’ the streets no more, ya know?
I don’t want to end up dead or in prison.
But I also don’t want to sit around. This job gives me somethin’ to do, and it pays a pretty penny too.
I’d be stupid to quit, and Savio ain’t teach me to be stupid. ”
The corner of Cashmere’s lips twitched upward. Savio definitely wasn’t the kind of man to teach anyone to move stupidly, so she believed him there.
She shook her head. “I just can’t see it. I don’t know what to believe,” she admitted.
It got harder to ignore that small voice in the back of her head that had been trying to get her attention since the incident with Harold.
Something hadn’t been sitting right with her for a while now, regarding her sister, but it was really hard for her to take those rose-tinted glasses off and see her sister as anything other than her baby.
“I don’t blame you. Like I said, she acts real different around you, but I honestly think shorty needs help.
She can act real crazy when she wants. But I’ll say it again, Cash, I ain’t ever do anything to that girl.
I ain’t even want to take her to that party a while back.
I did everything I could to be as professional as possible, but she has a way of getting what she wants.
Be careful wit’ that. That’s all I’m sayin’. ”
Cashmere allowed her thoughts to settle as she absorbed his words.
Every fiber of her being screamed at her that he was being truthful.
Slowly, she tucked her gun back in her purse as she got lost inside her head.
She wasn’t sure where to go from here, but two things were certain: She needed to make things right with Savio, and she needed to have a hard conversation with Ivoree—sooner rather than later.