Nathaniel
“WE GOT A call that there was a disturbance over here and didn’t think y’all would be the damn disturbance! They couldn’t reach either of you and assumed you were still at your meeting.”
Two sets of parents were looking at us as though we could beam a timeline of the night’s events into their brains. They were impatiently waiting for an explanation. When they rolled up the questions started and hadn’t stopped.
Daddy stood there with his hands on his hips looking at the two of us like we‘d lost our damn minds. Sampson just stared back since he hadn’t technically done anything wrong but I couldn’t keep the shit eating grin off my face.
“Daddy, you should’ve known. When they couldn’t reach either of us, clearly one or both of us was the problem.”
“Let me guess, your lil’ narrow ass is the culprit.” My mama looked annoyed like she hadn’t known me all my damn life. They’d clearly all come from hanging out back at the house and I hated their bonding with my future in-laws had been interrupted.
I felt phenomenal about how the meeting went and the way I’d finally beat that nigga’s ass, so I was in a joking mood. Glancing down at my hips I grinned at her knowing I was about to piss her off more. “I wouldn’t call my ass narrow, mama—”
“Noah, get your gotdamn son.” Mama was pointing at my daddy like he’d done something wrong and that shit made me cackle.
“The boy ain’t doing nothing wrong, Reenie.” Doc was standing there with his arms folded and of course he wouldn’t miss out on a chance to talk shit.
“Y’all wanna tell me what’s going on?” Daddy was attempting to calm everything down but that was about to get shot to hell.
Trent took that moment to limp his stupid ass out of the casita and I had to admit I’d fucked him up something serious.
He was bent over but when he lumbered out of the door holding his ribs and looked up, even I grimaced.
Trent’s head and shirt were soaking wet, his face was a weird mix of blood, snot and water.
Even worse his nose was noticeably twisted making his face look mangled.
Good.
“OH GOD!” Charmy’s mama looked ready to pass out and if it wasn’t for Mr. Reed she would have. He fucked up by looking over at me like he had a problem with me.
“Did you do this to him?”
I nodded proudly, “I did.”
I wasn’t about to deny that shit or explain myself. If they wanted to ask me a question they were free to but I didn’t need a defense.
“Charisma, why are you not helping Trent out? Look at what your boss did to him!”
“He attacked me. Being jealous that I was proposing to Charisma!”
That lack of oxygen must’ve fucked with this nigga’s memory to have him pulling this story out his ass the way he was. Her parents were now at the base of the steps and Trent actually pulled a fucking ring box out of his pocket like it was proof of his story.
Should’ve snapped his gotdamn neck.
“Hold on nie. What is really going on? My son might be a fool but he doesn’t just attack anyone out of nowhere.”
My mama was talking shit about me and defending me at the same time was wild but I appreciated her for letting her mama bear out. I ain’t need her to get too rowdy because we were gonna have to get along with the Reeds for the next four or five decades.
“Trent was not trying to propose to me.”
Charmy had been tucked under my arm but now she moved to face her parents. My daddy’s head tilted when he studied Charmy before he looked at me. His nod was filled with approval and let’s fuck him up again which made me grin.
“Charisma!” Even with him being babied by her parents he had the nerve to try to try to sound stern and everyone’s head snapped toward him because the threat was loud.
Daddy frowned but remembered he had to act like he was impartial despite seeing the evidence with his own two eyes. “Everyone, let’s act like adults—”
Charmy stepped forward and I knew what she was about to do. I reached out to her but she moved out of my grasp.
“Baby—”
“Mama and daddy I had an abortion when I was in college. Trent knew about it and used that against me for years. To keep me in a relationship that I didn’t really want.
I thought he was gay but then he said he wasn’t and he attacked me.
That’s when Nate came in and beat him up.
I hate that I’ve disappointed y’all, but I couldn’t live like that anymore.
It was convenient when I was single, but I’m not anymore. ”
I pulled Charisma back into my arms hating that she’d felt the need to protect me by blurting this out in front of everyone like this. I wasn’t ashamed of her and I doubted that anyone else was either but it was still her personal business.
“Attacked you how?” Mr. Reed was now looking down at Trent like he was ready to work him over himself. Trent was working his jaw back and forth now that the leverage he normally had on Charmy was gone.
“He tried to kiss me and I slapped him.”
“That can’t be all because your shirt is hanging off of you. I know it ain’t come like that.” Charisma’s mama was now backing away from Trent toward us. Her dad was standing over him still looking like he was going to put in work.
“You put your hands on my daughter?” That rage was quiet, not silent, but quiet enough that Trent apparently missed it.
“We had a misunder—” His words were cut off when Mr. Reed raised his foot and started to stomp on him.
“Darius!”
My daddy and Samp rushed to get Mr. Reed off him but me and Lou stayed put. Trent’s ass was on the ground now holding his other side and I didn’t feel a lick of sympathy for him.
“Misty, I don’t give a fuck about nothing when it comes to our kids.
That nigga put his hands on my baby and you think I’m not going to return the favor?
Lil boy, you lucky I don’t fucking kill you.
But I know one thing. I’m about to remove all our financial accounts from your mama and daddy’s firm.
That means the business and personal accounts.
Have you explaining why every business I’m connected to no longer wants to do business with them.
Blackmailing my daughter over a medical decision?
And for what? You wanna play in booties or sleep with women don’t matter to me.
But when you use my child as a shield to do it, that’s where you got me fucked up.
” Mr. Reed was talking cash shit and I didn’t know if my family were going easy on him or if his rage strengthened him.
They were straining trying to hold him back and I wished they would just let him loose.
Trent looked worried and he struggled to get off the stone paver Mr. Reed had stomped his ass into. “Mr. Reed, please. It was a misunderstanding. I love Charisma—”
“No, you don’t. You love the idea of her.
Of having someone to fall back on. I noticed that about you the last few times you came over before she left.
You went through the motions. Treated her as an afterthought, which is why I encouraged her to come out here.
So much of her adulthood had been spent with you hovering around.
Now I see why.” Mrs. Reed was next to us but she looked ready to run over and get her lick in as she told Trent off.
“I can be better—”
“She don’t want you, nigga! Did that lack of oxygen damage your brain?” I was tired of him talking and needed him to get the hell from by us.
“Lack of oxygen?” Now Charisma’s mama was looking at me funny but I just grinned because again, I wasn’t ashamed of shit I’d done.
“I thought he needed to cool off some since he wanted to act like such a hothead with Charmy.”
“Oh my God, I was there and that actually sounded like such a logical explanation for that madness.” Charisma looked stunned at my thought process making sense.
“I told you baby, I never act rash.”
“Are we pressing charges?” My daddy gave me a look and I shook my head since I was going to handle Trent’s ass myself. Him sitting in a jail wasn’t going to do shit for me. I was going to help Mr. Reed destroy his damn life since he wanted to control Charmy’s.
“I might need an ambulance.” Trent’s ass coughed up some blood before spitting it out on the pavers leading into the casita.
“Well, I’d advise you get in your car and GPS the nearest one. Nobody is calling for help for you out here.”
“Oh, you must want a lawsuit on your hands.” And there he was still making enemies while he was at our mercy.
“You think somebody is going to side with you once they see the state this girl is in? When one of the co-owners of this property defended a guest against an assault? She’s already said she had to fight you off.
Whatever pain you’re in right now you more than deserved.
” Daddy now looked like he wanted to get his lick in with this nigga trying to threaten to sue and shit.
“Mrs. Reed—”
“Don’t talk to my wife, boy. You think she gives a fuck about you being injured? You brought that shit on yourself. I’m glad my baby’s man put you on your ass but I had to do the same.”
Mr. Reed acknowledging me as Charmy’s man made him alright with me.
Trent stood up slowly and I was happy to see that his eyes were black and his face was swelling.
“Lou?”
“Yeah, Bucky?”
“You mind walking this dickhead out to the road?”
“How am I supposed to get back to the cabin to get my stuff?” This nigga thinking we gave a fuck made me kicking him out even more pleasurable.
“Oh, that’s done. If we have to have your shit shipped to you, we’ll do that.
I’m sure you’ve got your wallet and your phone.
You make your way back home with that.” Sampson wasn’t about to have this nigga on our property for longer than necessary and I didn’t blame him.
We’d been handling business that was still unfinished but I knew he was ready to get back to Yzzy.
“You can’t do that.”