Chapter 20
A huge smile took over my face and I winked at Kiano as I walked over to the little glass table where he sat. I took a seat and plucked the phone up.
“What’s up?”
“Well you look like you’re in high spirits considering,” Kiano said.
“Nigga, I’ve been locked up for three days. You expected me to be crying and shit?” I asked seriously.
He chuckled. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “And honestly, after not hearing from you, I was thinking the worst.”
“Nah. This lil country ass jail just takes their time officially getting you in the system.” I tapped my fingers on the little counter. “I met with your mom and a lawyer earlier today.”
“Oh, yeah? And how’d that go?”
“Great, actually. He thinks I’ll be home by next week at the latest. My violent crimes were when I was a teen, so he’s going to pitch that I’m not necessarily a danger to others and your mom said they’ll get me bailed out and back home.”
“Good.”
“Yeah. They didn’t mention what would happen with the charges outside of them prioritizing getting me out of here, but it seemed like they had shit under control and I trust your mom so…”
“Yeah. The rest of this shit is being taken care of on the backend.”
I gave Kiano a look but kept my mouth shut.
“I’m not even going to ask what that means.”
“Good.” Kiano smiled.
I shook my head. I didn’t know what kind of pull Kiano had through his family, but I’d gotten pushed up for processing after his mom made an appearance asking why I wasn’t officially in the system.
She’d shown up in a full suit with a lawyer who looked like he was wearing my fucking mortgage on his wrist.
We’d been able to sit in the interview room and she’d secured me three phone calls, which I’d used to reach out to Morocco, Drake, and Jiselle.
My brothers said they were doing well and that Selle and Kiano were staying at the house and looking out for them. Jiselle, on the other hand, hadn’t answered my call.
“How’s Jiselle holding up?”
“She’s… trying to stay busy.”
“Y’all realize I’m not up for the fucking death penalty, right?” I asked.
Kiano smiled. “I think the whole thing was just overwhelming. She’s blaming herself for the altercation that kicked everything off. I’m blaming myself for—”
I cut him off with a quick whistle and shook my head. He nodded.
“Just let her know I’m good and I’ll be home soon. Tell her not to blame herself for anything. She was a victim and I don’t regret anything. I, uh, I called her but I wasn’t able to get her.”
“Yeah, well, she’s probably moping right about now.”
“The fuck you mean probably? I thought y’all were together at my spot.”
“Not really. She, uh, she found the cameras in her place and said she needed space.”
Kiano exhaled and told me the full story, starting at the text he’d gotten from Jiselle and going into how he’d felt so bad she was damn near hyperventilating that he’d just told the truth to help her come down.
“Well, damn. I’m glad I got my tracker off her car when I did…”
“Was that supposed to help me feel better?”
“Nah, but I mean, there’s no need for us to both be in the dog house.”
Kiano shrugged.
“Yeah. You’re right. You’re dealing with enough.” He looked around the small, dingy room and I snickered.
“You want me to talk to her?”
“Nah.” Kiano looked off and knocked lightly on the counter in front of him. “Do you think she’s going to come around?”
“Yeah. She loves you. That ain’t the kind of thing that just vanishes.” I tapped the corner of the glass so he would look at me. “You want advice?”
“Sure. You’ve known her for years. Let me hear what you’ve got.”
“I think you give her till tomorrow then reach out and come clean about everything. Let her know you care about her and take what she gives. You know how she is with men lying. She ties all that shit back to her pops. You just got to prove you’re not like him.
A good way to do that is by doing something he’s never done—take accountability, admit where you went wrong, and promise not to do it again. She’ll appreciate that.”
Kiano nodded. “Alright. I’ll give it a try.”
“Don’t try. Just do, Kiano. I’m serious. I ain’t coming home to a broken home. Fix it and do that shit quick.”
His eyebrows lifted and I could tell from the way he shifted slightly in his seat his dick was hard.
We smiled at each other basically in sync and I nudged my head toward the door.
“Get out of here. I’ll call you later tonight.”
“Alright.”
Kiano pressed his fist against the bottom corner of the glass so I did the same thing.
“I love you.”
“I love you,” he echoed.
I didn’t give him a chance to stall. I set the phone back on the hook and climbed to my feet. I meant everything I said. As much as I didn’t want to be in jail at this point, I was more worried about what the fuck I’d be coming out to.
I was escorted back to the designated outside area.
The large door had barely shut behind me before I took out a pack of cigarettes and lit one.
I closed my eyes as I inhaled the nicotine.
It hit just right and I inhaled before heading over to one of the little tables.
I took another hit of my cigarette and let my head tilt backwards to look up at the sky.
I didn’t know what was going with Kiano and Jiselle but was praying they would get their shit together. Soon. The last thing I wanted was to be in the middle of an argument when I got home.
“Stone?”
My name came from the right of me and I lifted my head to look at my caller. I blinked a few times to make sure I wasn’t losing my mind.
“Pops?”
“Stone?!” he repeated.
I climbed up as he walked over and we dapped each other as soon as he was close.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I asked.
“I’m being held in county temporarily for court date I have coming up. What are you doing here? You got locked up?”
“Temporarily.”
“How? I thought you weren’t moving work anymore.”
“I’m not.”
“Then how’d you end up in here?”
“Bar fight.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Bar fight?”
“That’s right.”
“You got bail?”
“It’s in progress. How you holding up, old man?”
“You care now?” he countered.
“Not necessarily but figured I’d ask.”
He snickered and shook his head. “I’m good. I’m real good.”
“You got a boyfriend in here that got shit feeling real good?”
“Bitch, do you?” My dad laughed.
“I mean I’ve got a boyfriend but he ain’t built for jail.”
My dad’s laugh stopped short and mine started. I hit him in the shoulder and he shook his head.
“Well, fuck. I didn’t see that coming.”
“Yeah, well it’s not like you see much from in here.” I shrugged.
“Right.” He held a hand out. “You got a cigarette?”
“Yeah.” I handed him one and he nudged his head toward the table.
We sat together while I lit his cigarette and he took a long drag.
“How’s your brothers?” he asked after a while.
“You don’t talk to them?”
“I talk to Morocco a lot, and uh, I get Xy and Joss sometimes through him but I don’t know the last time I spoke to you or Drake.”
I nodded.
“My brothers are good. Drake was shaky for a little minute but he’s got a little part-time job and he’s about to graduate.
We’re going to, uh, get him in a car for his graduation.
I don’t know what he wants to do after that but I’m ready to get a third job if he says college.
He, uh, he can get grants because he doesn’t have biological parents around and I think I can get him the rest of the way there, even if I need to fundraise or get a loan or some shit.
Xy and Joss are doing good. Neither of them niggas good at math though so they’re getting tutored but they don’t complain about it the way Drake used to. So that’s a plus. They’re growing up.”
“I’m proud of them.”
“Me too.”
My pops exhaled. “How’d you end up in here for real?”
“I told you—”
“Yeah, a bar fight but you’ve never been sloppy or rash, Stone.”
“Nigga, when you knew me I didn’t even have hair on my chest. You don’t know how I get down now.”
“I doubt your fucking personality just changed you into a completely different nigga.”
“Bitch, you the nigga doing damn near twenty-five to life. Don’t look me in my mothafuckin’ face and act like you can give me life advice when you bummin’ cigarettes from me.” I hopped to my feet. “Worry about trading honey buns for smokes, bum ass nigga.” I turned around.
“Stone!” He grabbed my arm and I spun around.
“You got two sons in jail and the other four being raised by me, nigga, and you think you can preach to me?!”
“Stone, calm the fuck down.” He hissed. “I’m just trying to talk to you, alright?
I know you handled business and took care of your brothers.
We all know that. We all saw it and we all appreciate it.
Okay? I’ve made some fucking mistakes in life but that’s why I’m qualified to stand in front of you and tell you what comes after making stupid moves back to back, to warn you against the worst because I’ve done it and faced the consequences. That’s all I’m saying.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a little late for you to want to parent me, man.”
“It’s never too late to turn a new leaf and you’re never too old, too smart, or too rich to hear good advice and not take it. I want you to take care of yourself. You out the streets?”
“Been.”
“So what the fuck were you fighting about in a bar?”
“A woman.” I exhaled.
“You in here behind some bitch?”
“You think I won’t beat yo’ old ass up and go sit in solitary with a smile on my face?
” I closed the space between us and looked at him.
“Don’t call my future wife out of her name ever again.
This is your one and only warning. You think I came to sit down in here for her and I won’t go sit down a few yards to the left behind her too? ”
“You can’t beat everybody.” He smirked.
“It ain’t got to be everybody. Nigga, I can beat you so don’t act like you didn’t hear me.”
“Nah. I hear you, and like I said before, I don’t want to argue with you, Stone. I want to give you fatherly advice.”