24. Autumn #2
Shad doesn’t pack anything; just turns off all the lights and lock up. Wyn’s sitting on the hood of my car smoking a paper when we finally exit. I don’t bother telling her to get off, since she slides off as I round my car.
Shad walks to her, resting his hands on either side of her on the car. My nosey ass starts the car and rolls down my window.
“When did you go to rehab?”
Wyn rolls her eyes and blows smoke in his face, but he doesn't budge. “You know, I thought Set took pity on me because of his mother, but the way you insert yourself in my business too, I’m starting to think you guys get your savior complex from your father’s side of the family.”
He just keeps peering at her, and eventually her shoulders drop. “Earlier this year… Clearly it didn’t take, huh?”
“So go back. And this time it’ll take because you’ll have more than one person rooting for you.”
He leans in, and I swear my hands are squeezing the shit out of my steering wheel. Brothers, Wyn? Okaaaay!
But he just kisses her cheek and whispers something in her ear. When he backs up, she wipes her face and nods.
“You held up your promise, so I’ll hold up mine, aight?” Shad kisses Wyn on the forehead and backs up, and she scurries into the backseat.
He swaggers into the front and I pull off, but I can’t hold my tongue at all, because what?!
“Are y’all sure–”
“Yes!”
“It’s ain’t like that.”
They speak over each other, but I glance at Shad as I make my way back to the city.
“So what’s it like then?”
Wyn groans so I know she’s not gonna answer.
But then she surprises me. “Shad’s my Rico.”
And just like that, I gain clarity instantly.
“Hell nah, that nigga’s psycho!”
I smack his arm. “No talking about my friend! Besides, I’ve heard about you.”
Wyn snickers with me as Shad mumbles under his breath all the way to Brina and Set’s crib.
*
It’s a lot of cars parked at Brina and Set’s new house. Good. I don’t have to fucking repeat myself.
I texted my baby daddy and told him to meet us there. He’s coming from G-Pops’s house, so I have just enough time to show Nut the video so he doesn’t put him in a headlock.
We bounce out and I put in my own special code to the house. We all had one, so Set knew who was coming over. The system announces your name and all, so I grin when I hear Haze. Front Door.
Wyn and Shad follow me to the family room where everyone is. It’s Brina, Set, Nut, Dal, Ty, Reem, and a pretty girl holding an even more adorable baby girl.
Everyone turns and says wassup to me, so I notice the exact moment they see Shad and Wyn behind me.
Brina’s up in a flash, tackling Shad to the ground. “Where the fuck have you been, bestie?” she cries out, kissing him all over his face.
“I guess I’m chopped liver, huh?” I pout, before going to hug Set.
He’s shirtless so I see the bandages on his shoulder and stomach. His messed up arm is elevated on a pillow, and his hair has grown out more than he usually keeps it.
“What’s good, sis?”
I mussel his short curls. “Don’t you be giving my girl a scare like that.”
He smirks at me, showing those dimples. “C’mon now, Haze. Can’t nothing keep me from that one over there… B, you bet not be laying on my babies.”
Set tries to get up but I see him struggling so I help him as best I can. By the time he’s sturdy on his feet, Brina and Shad are up, too. Shad runs his eyes over his big brother, and I swear they get misty.
Set scoffs and starts walking toward him. “See you finally found Wynter.”
That makes Shad chuckle. “Glad to see yo funny bone still intact.” They do that weird bro hug thing slow as hell because it’s obvious Set’s not on any pain medication, and Shad and Brina help him back on the couch.
“Mace, close your mouth,” I hear Dal hiss, and I turn to see the girl holding the baby staring at Wyn with stars in her eyes.
Poor girl, Wyn is just on her phone scrolling, none of the wiser.
I walk up to her and hold my hand out. “These hoes are rude. I’m Autumn.”
She shifts her eyes to me and nearly blinds me with her smile.
She tucks the baby in her arm and shakes my hand.
“Macy Davenport. I feel like I know you with how much Dal talks about you guys. She didn’t mention knowing Wynter Snow and Shotta though.
” She whispers the last part and cuts her eyes to Dal, who just shrugs.
The last name rings bells, and I see a resemblance from her and Denver immediately. “Aw, you’re Lil D’s auntie? Gimme a hug, girl! Your daughter is adorable.”
“Oh, she’s not mine,” she says, handing her to Reem before getting up and hugging me.
My eyes bug out when I see Reem settle the baby doll into his arms and get back on his phone like nothing.
“Um–”
“Hey girl. I’m Wynter. Just call me Wyn. Can you show me where Brina’s kitchen is? I’d love to tell you all the hot gossip about the Shotta/Cochise feud.”
Wyn turns the charm on a thousand, and Macy buys into it immediately. Once again I’m chopped liver, as Macy and Wyn hook arms and she leads her out of the room.
I move to the middle of the room and turn off the tv. “Okay first; who’s baby is that?”
Ty smirks and swings his head dramatically to Reem, who just sighs. “Mine. Don’t matter. Waiting until everyone’s altogether. That should cover everything.”
Ty snickers and takes her from him. “Your daddy’s so mean, lil mama. Good thing yo Goddad isn’t.”
“And how you know you the Goddad, muthafucka?” Nut fumes, rubbing his Choc’s legs.
I scowl up at my bro and point a finger. “You finna not be Pay’s baby’s goddad in a second.”
He looks me up and down. “Man, fuck–”
“Nigga I wish you would,” I seethe. “But since no one can beat you up better than yoself, I got something to show your ass.”
I unzip the case and set up the DVD player, putting the CD inside and the walk over to set it on Dal’s lap. Ty hands the baby off to go behind Nut to watch it as well, but no one else goes to look.
“Damn, that’s so blurry. But the car swerves so bad that’s probably the only reason why no one else got hit,” Dal surmises.
Nut pauses the video and hands it to Set, but he shakes his head. “I don’t need to see nothing I already knew. Turk a lover boy, but he’d never ho us over no opp bitch. Pay ain’t no opp, Dub.”
Nut rolls his eyes but when he passes it to Reem, he waves him off, too. “Don’t need to see shit. Them Get Money niggas didn’t know enough to plan no shit out like that. And the way Set got hit up, I know it’s some shit on our side. Prolly some new niggas. We on it already though, Dub.”
“Oh, so I’m the only dumb nigga then?” Nut yells, slamming the DVD player shut.
I snatch it from him and put it in the case. “No, you not dumb, P. You jump to the absolute worst conclusion when you don’t have all the facts. Pay wasn’t forthcoming, I give you that. But she’s still my girlfriend, and she’s pregnant. We wasn’t finna torture the shit out of her.”
“Man, I wasn’t–”
“Lie to someone else, Nut. We know you,” Shad says.
“Autumn and Pay and Turk got whatever they got going, and he was handling it how any of us would handle our situations. If he thought one of us was in danger, we would have known, like I know he put y’all on game the second Set went down.
And it’s looking like that shit and Pay is unrelated. ”
Turk. Front Door sounds off and Dal looks like she’s putting all her weight on Nut to keep him seated.
“In here,” I call out, and my whole body zings when Turk steps into the room. “Right on time,” I coo.
He smirks, coming right up to me. He grabs my head with both hands, turns it around and lays a fat, sloppy kiss on my lips, tongue and all.
“Oh my God.”
“Damn.”
“I’m never gonna get used to that shit. Blecht.”
“Okayyyy tongue down yo man, girlie!” Dal’s squeaky voice shouts, making me and Turk chuckle on each other’s lips.
He kisses my nose then my forehead before wrapping his arm around the top of my chest. He looks right at Nut, and I feel him relax when he makes no move to get up.
“You my brother, but other muthafuckas we’ve called bro have been snakes in the grass, so I’ll never take it personally when you think my head not on my shoulders right.
But you gotta understand, that’s why I don’t come to you if I don’t have all the facts.
You all gas no breaks, and sometimes, shit needs time and finessing.
I still love you all the same… but if you ever disrespect this one or Patience again, I’m knocking yo ass clean the fuck out, on my mama. ”
Set stands and walks over to us, dapping Turk up in their special best friend handshake. “Niggas be sensitive because they be the last to know shit. Been that way since we was in diapers, Dub.”
He looks back at Shad and nods for him to follow him before walking out the room. “I need to holla at baby bro. I know y’all finna turn this shit into a war room, and as you can see, a nigga’s still out of commission.”
Shad walks up to us and Turk palms the back of his head and brings him forward to touch foreheads. “You straight?” he asks.
Shad nods and Turk lets him go. “We gone figure out who did this and then it’s lights out. I’ll hold it together until then.”