Chapter 8
I thought I was hearing things while I was showering, but when I cut the water off, I realized someone was beating on my door.
I wrapped a towel around my waist and went to answer, surprised by the sight of an angry Jayla.
The frown on her face was temporarily replaced with desire.
My brows lifted and mouth opened slightly as she eyed my wet body.
Licking her lips, she ran her hand down her neck and tilted her head as she stared at me.
She cleared her throat and pushed me to the side gently before storming into my apartment.
“You good, pooh?” I asked with a smile.
“No.”
“What’s wrong?” I followed her into my bedroom, where she pointed toward the bathroom for me to get dressed. I laughed and nodded as I told her, “Tell me what’s up while I dry off.”
“I’m frustrated. I just left my parents’ house and all they could talk about was you.
Us. The relationship they swear we’re going to have.
It’s always the same thing with them, Brooke, and the rest of the girls.
They all make it seem like I can’t be in a relationship with anyone else because I’m stuck on you. ”
“Are you?”
“What?” she almost shouted. “How could you even ask me that?”
“Are you?” I repeated, more seriously that time as I took my towel off to lotion down and quickly slip into my clothes.
“No, I’m not stuck on you, Kayne. We’re just friends, always have been and always will be.”
“Are you attracted to me?” I gave her a few seconds, and when she didn’t respond, I confessed, “I’m attracted to you.”
“You are?” she asked sweetly.
I waited until I was dressed in boxers, sweats, and socks to go out and face her, so I could answer while I looked in her eyes. “I am. I think you’re the most beautiful woman in the world.”
Jayla’s body relaxed as she blushed. “Oh. T-thank you.”
“Are you attracted to me, pooh?”
She nodded before the answer left her mouth. “Yes.”
“Sexually, or just physically?”
A nervous chuckle escaped her as she shook her head and took a step back, but I followed. Now that she’d opened this door, I was going to fully step in. I’d been waiting for the right moment to have a conversation about us taking things to the next level.
What better time than this?
“This is crazy, Kayne,” she muttered softly into her chest more than to me.
“Then call me insane, but I need you to answer my question.”
Her arms crossed over her chest as she rolled her eyes. “Both.”
“Good.” She took another step back, and I took another step forward. “Do you want to be with me?”
Her mouth opened and shut as her eyes widened. “I came to vent about people being wrong about us, but I feel like that’s not what’s happening here.”
Chuckling, I shook my head and wrapped my hand around her neck. “Nah, it’s not.”
Pulling her into my chest, I swallowed her gasp with a kiss. A low moan escaped me when she sighed and melted against me. Before I could deepen the kiss, Jayla pulled away and walked backward toward the door.
“W-what the helly?” she questioned quietly, making me laugh. “Where did that come from?”
“I’ve been wanting to do that since the moment I laid eyes on you.”
“Tonight?”
“No. Ten years ago.”
Cupping her hands in front of her, her head lowered and shook. “I um . . . I have to go, Kayne.”
“Okay. Compose yourself, and we’ll finish this another time.”
She didn’t respond as she quickly made her way out, and that didn’t bother me. Tonight, Jayla opened the door to our next level, and I did not plan on letting her escape this moment and run away like she normally did.
Two Weeks Later
June
School had been out for a couple of weeks now, and I thought my concern for Mateo and Miley had me seeing things.
I’d stopped by McDonald’s to get my mama some fries and an ice cream cone and saw a boy that looked just like Mateo.
He was standing by the entrance. I rolled my window down to hear what he was saying to the woman in the car.
“Hi, um, can I sell you this iPad for fourteen dollars so I can get me and my sister some food?”
I scowled and swerved my car behind theirs. “Mateo!” I yelled, gaining his attention. When he realized it was me, his eyes widened before his shoulders slouched and he headed my way. “The fuck are you doing out here, son?”
“My daddy ain’t been home in three days and Miley wanted McDonald’s. I tried to fix her a sandwich or some noodles, but she didn’t want that, and we are out of those frozen meals in the red box.”
“Get in the car,” I directed with more bite in my tone than intended as I unlocked the doors.
I wasn’t mad at him, and I certainly didn’t want him to think I was.
I was mad as fuck that he was out here asking strangers for shit.
He tried to get in the back, but I told him to get in the front. “Where is your father?”
Mateo shrugged as his head hung. “I don’t know. He said he was going out of town because he needed a vacation.”
“And he left y’all at the house alone?”
He nodded. “Yes. He said I’m in charge. We’ve been good. She just wanted something different to eat. I texted Dad and asked him if he could order us something, but he didn’t respond.”
I thought back on how far away his house was from here to calculate the distance. “You walked here?”
“Yes, sir.”
Trying to keep my anger under control, I confirmed, “I thought Mrs. Carla was cooking for y’all?”
“She was, but she got sick, so she didn’t cook anything this past week.”
“And what about the babysitter Sonny said he was going to hire?”
“I don’t know, Mr. Mathis. I guess he didn’t pay her because she hasn’t been at the house with us.”
Pausing the conversation temporarily, I went through the drive-thru to get what they wanted. My anger increased when he said, “I only have six dollars, so just get her a kid’s meal if that’s enough. I’ll eat some noodles when I get home.”
The sadness in his voice couldn’t be denied, but more than that, I had no choice but to respect his willingness to go without to make sure his sister had what she wanted.
“Nah, man.” I had to pause because the tears that wanted to fall made my voice thick with emotion. “Get whatever y’all want, and don’t worry about the cost.”
“Really?” Mateo confirmed, perking up.
“Yeah. What you want?”
He ran down their order—nuggets and fries for Miley and nuggets, a cheeseburger, and fries for himself.
I ended up getting a twenty piece for them to share, two cheeseburgers, and two large fries.
Once I got him home and them settled with the food, I did a grocery order for delivery and decided to pull up on Jayla so she could help me with this situation.
We hadn’t really been talking since the kiss.
I wanted to force the conversation, but I knew she’d shut down, so I’d been waiting for her to process what happened. Now, I could no longer be on her time.
I texted her and told her I’d be pulling up soon and that the situation was too important to be buried under what was currently going on with us. Once the food was delivered, I told the kids I’d be back as soon as possible, then headed to Jayla’s place.
My text must have delivered the urgency of the situation, because when I arrived, her door was unlocked. I found her pacing in the living room when I walked inside.
“Hey,” she said, looking at me with hopeful eyes. “Is everything okay?”
“No, not at all.” I walked over to her, needing to have her in my arms. “I can’t take you hiding from me anymore, pooh.”
“Kayne, I?—”
“I kept my distance because you’re denying me of you, like every part of me doesn’t belong to you.
I don’t know how to be around you and not look at you like I own you, because I want to.
I want you to belong to me.” She opened her mouth to respond but I continued.
“But I can’t focus on that right now, so whatever fear has made you punish me with the lack of your presence, it can win for a little while longer.
We have a more pressing issue to deal with. ”
She took my hand and led me to the couch. “What happened?” I told her about what happened, and the more I talked, the more her emotions shifted. Shock, sadness, rage . By the time I was done, tears had filled and fell from her eyes. “Those poor babies. We have to do something , pookie.”
“We will. I’m not letting up off them now. I ordered groceries, so I’m going to cook dinner for them tonight, but I’m hoping I can get in touch with one of their family members so they can keep them until Sonny gets home. And when he does, he gon’ have to see me.”
“Let’s go. I’ll help you cook, and we can make a few calls.”
Nodding my agreement, we stood and headed out of her apartment. I regretted not getting involved sooner and giving Sonny the benefit of the doubt, but now, that shit was over .