Chapter Gills
Gills
“My flesh and heart may fail, but God, you are my shield. You gave strength to your people and blessed us with peace. But Heavenly Father, I need you to bless this piece of steel that’s about to take a few of these sinners out.
Forgive me for my wicked ways to come, and I pray you pardon me.
” Hunz had just hit my line again after a few missed calls, and I immediately started speaking to God.
These people had me messed up in the state of Tennessee.
Alexis started runnin’ on borrowed time when she made it up in her simpleminded head that I was the one to come for.
Jourdell Evans was gon’ be dealt with accordingly.
He had one time to go up on my baby or show any type of disrespect, and it was on.
Journei was gon’ see a side of me that’d been tucked in the cut.
There wasn’t no way she thought keepin’ my child away from me was the best thing to do.
I wasn’t about to miss out on a thing when it came to mine.
Whether we worked out or not, my child was gon’ hear my voice and see my face every day.
I was on my way to her condo with anger flowing through my veins. Hunz gave me all the details I needed. Even down to where his spare key was plus the alarm code. I wasn’t ’bout to play with Journei.
She was pregnant with my child but had a wife attached to her name. Married people reacted different, so wasn’t no telling how Alexis was gon’ retaliate when it came to her. She was in danger, whether she wanted to believe it or not.
Her place wasn’t too far from my crib, but it was a good amount of distance between us. When I got there, I followed what my brotha put in my ear.
The smell of her perfume smacked me in the face once I opened the door. Just like any other time, it took over my senses. I listened for the alarm and heard nothin’. She was either there already, or she never had her alarm on.
I closed the door and made my way further inside. Soon as I turned the corner to her living room, there was a pile of bags sitting in her floor. As bad as I wanted to search through her space, I didn’t.
Instead, I called her phone to see where she was. I could hear her phone ringing from the back. That was all the confirmation I needed. Hanging up, I got comfortable on her recliner sofa. Kicked my feet up and all.
A few minutes later, I heard her voice. “You ashy ass piece of chocolate. I asked you not to tell him, and you did it anyway. I needed a minute, Hunz, damn. Just know I’m puttin’ yo’ ass on punishment.”
I looked behind me to see Journei wrapped in a towel with a clenched jaw. She was pissed, and from what I heard, she just needed time for it to register before facing me.
Hunz wasn’t in the wrong for goin’ against her, but then again, he was. That was what happens when your best friends mess around.
“Come here, Journei.”
“Get out my house, Christian. You made it perfectly clear on what you wanted me to do, which doesn’t involve you, so leave,” she threw back.
“I will after we get done. I won’t repeat myself though.” I never budged from the position I was in.
It took her a minute, but she did as I requested. She took a seat next to me and started tugging at her fingers. The only thing I was concerned about was her thoughts on what we made. At the end of the day, it was her body, and if she wanted to get rid of our child, she had that option.
“First off, I’m sorry.” I apologized before I said anything else.
“For what exactly? The way you spoke to me, puttin’ me out yo’ shit, or gettin’ me pregnant? Please fuckin’ enlighten me.” Her attitude was evident.
“All of it. However, what I said still stands. You are selfish, Journei. In Chattanooga, you’re the wife to Alexis.
Up here in Nashville, you’re all of mine.
In the words of Jill Scott, ‘from your hair follicles to your toenails, that’s all me.
’ You have it all—a marriage, a side piece technically, and now a baby.
And what do me and Alexis get outta this?
Havin’ to share you to someone else. One or all gon’ end up hurt in the end. ”
Alexis was gon’ end up hurt for sure. That I knew. But what I didn’t know was the pain it would bring Journei. Her birthday night, she was hurt by her wife’s actions, which pushed her to me faster. There was no doubt in my mind that she was made for me. She needed to see that on her own though.
“Wow. That was an earful. And for the record, since we’re bein’ so damn honest…
you’re sharing me physically and emotionally.
My mind, however, hasn’t been on anyone but you.
Christian, you are the first in so many categories, and that scares me most of the time, but it doesn’t stop me from comin’ to you.
Whether I was on yo’ dick when I said it or standing in the grocery store, I need you,” she said, letting those pretty brown eyes pierce my soul.
All I heard from her was she needed me. I already knew that, hence the reason why I was there. She needed me in more ways than she knew. Her world was already shaking, and it would soon collapse, leaving nothin’ but debris.
Hunz hadn’t told her about Jourdell yet, which meant I had to. It wasn’t the time, but it had to get delivered, or else that pop-up was gon’ be brutal.
“I only have one question, and after that I’ll give you your space. What’s yo’ decision on the baby?” I asked.
“Haven’t thought that far. My mother was a damn good mom, but my father made me scared to have a child of my own. Anything can change, and if I change for the worse, I didn’t want my kid to suffer from it. It’s just a lot to think about,” she answered truthfully.
“Allow me to take this parenthood journey with you. You won’t have to do this by yourself or feel pressured about anything if I’m there. I want you to keep it, but it’s your choice. While you’re in your thoughts, think on that too.”
I let the recliner down, then stood to leave. I was keeping her spare key though. There wasn’t no telling when that would come in handy. She stood shortly after saying she would.
I brought her in for a hug and placed a kiss on top of her head. In that moment, I was at ease. She was safe, and I didn’t have to worry while she was in my arms.
As I headed toward the door, that angelic voice asked what I intended on doin’. “Christian, do you wanna stay for a while? We can order some food and watch some movies if you want.”
I was smiling like a child in a candy store.
I was happy that my back was to her because I didn’t want her to see how excited I really was.
Gaining my composure, I turned around and nodded.
The smile that appeared on her face was infectious.
She could light up the darkest room with how bright it was.
Everything about that woman had me wrapped around her finger. Journei came into my life unexpectedly and changed it within a few months. I was willing to do anything for her and the child she was carrying. They shot their way to the top of my list, sharing a slot with Granny.
Journei had gone and put on some pajamas that barely covered anything.
I had a feeling she wanted this night to end with me deep in her, rearranging everything inside.
And as bad as I wanted to do that, we needed to share a moment where sex wasn’t involved.
As good as it was, it clouded everything and didn’t allow us to actually talk.
“Where you want these bags at, mama?” I wanted to clear out her sitting area.
“You can just put them in my room. Second door on the right,” she said and grabbed the last bag.
I did as I was told. When I dropped the last bag on the floor, money flew out. Bending down, I opened the bag to see a pile of money. I looked back at Journei, and she wore an expression on her face as if I wasn’t supposed to see it. My eyes didn’t find another target until she started talking.
“It’s Alexis’s money. I took it because I wanted to. She won’t miss it, and she won’t come for it. I know Alexis, and regardless of what’s goin’ on between us, she won’t hurt me or leave me with no money.”
“That’s your wife, so you know how she moves, but this is different, Journei. She’s not that person you married right now. She’s hurt and mad, so what you know went out the window the minute you told her I was the one who got you pregnant.” I tried to explain it to her from a different view.
No matter how much people thought they knew a person, they always proved to be somebody else when least expected.
Alexis might still love her, but her body was filled with rage and revenge.
She didn’t care about Journei or their marriage right then.
All she saw was red, and most people with that vision no longer thought sensibly.
“Get this outta here, mama. Do you have a separate account away from hers? This needs to go from physical to digital. To be honest, you need to divide it up into numerous accounts. How much is this?”
She dropped her head and mumbled somethin’ I couldn’t understand. When she lifted her head, she saw the confused expression on my face, so she repeated herself and spoke clearer this time. “I said it’s over five hundred thousand.”
“Journei, you took half a million dollars from your wife. She not about to play with you about her money. Split it up, and when you ready, we goin’ to a few banks tomorrow,” I said, shaking my head.
Alexis wouldn’t be alive much longer to miss it, but while she was still breathing, chaos and bull were about to be her forte.
Finally being able to sit and relax, we got started on a few movies off Netflix. Usually, Netflix had attractive titles but wack storylines and plot twists. The movies she selected had my attention though. I had a thing for thrillers.
We ordered food after the second movie. My son had her ready to eat a whole cow. Enjoying her without being in her was a different vibe. We laughed and kicked it without sexual energy surrounding us.
Journei was snuggled under me with her leg thrown across mine and her arm wrapped around my waist. Just her being that comfortable had me at ease. Too bad I had to ruin that. She needed to know about Jourdell.
“Baby, wake up for me.” I was squeezing her shoulder lightly. “C’mon, mama. I got somethin’ I wanna put in your ear.”
“Christian, stop. I wanna sleep,” she whined. I moved her leg off me, which woke her up. “What, Christian… damn.”
“I met your pops, and he’s supposed to be gettin’ outta jail soon.
Like today, tomorrow, or next week soon.
He shared somethin’ while I was at the prison that didn’t sit right with me.
He said when he was released, he was comin’ to make things right with you.
He wanna be in your life again, baby.” I laid it out with no hesitation, making sure she heard me when I said he was comin’ for her.
She lay there with no response. I had no idea what she was thinking or how she felt.