CHAPTER 42
NIYAH
“It was a beautiful service.”
“It was,” Bella agreed from the other end of the call.
“But what happened to everyone? Seems like fifteen minutes into the repast everyone disappeared.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Bella replied over a small cough. “I left because I’m not feeling well. I have a sore throat, and I might have a fever.”
Xander held the door open for Niyah to enter. “Thank you,” she mouthed to him before returning to her phone call. “Yeah, so, Taylor and Donna disappeared too.”
“They did?” Bella queried. “Well, Taylor couldn’t have gone far. She wouldn't have left her dad’s repast.”
Xander placed his hand to the small of her back as they walked over to the bank of elevators.
“I suppose. Either way, they put him away beautifully.”
“Yes, they did. And, speaking of beautiful, what you did for that family was one of the most beautiful displays of friendship that I’ve ever seen.”
The elevator arrived and the doors parted. Niyah sighed and stepped inside. “Bella, I didn’t do anything that I don’t do every day.”
She could hear Bella’s soft laughter. “Niyah, you did everything you could to keep Taylor’s dad alive. But tell me something. The things that you do every day… do you do them after watching a man get shot to death? Do you do them with a gun to your head?”
Xander pressed the button for their floor.
“Of course not.”
“And the way you stayed with him until he was released to the funeral home was above and beyond the expectations of what you do.”
Niyah squeezed her lids shut and tried to banish every memory of the gunman from her mind.
“You there?” Bella asked.
The elevator stopping on her floor snapped her back to conversation. “Yes. Thank you, Bella.”
They stepped off the elevator and walked to Niyah’s condo.
“You’re welcome. All right, I gotta go. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay. Feel better,” Niyah told her before ending the call.
Xander punched the code in and opened the door. As soon as they stepped inside, Niyah was thrown off by the smell of food. She turned to Xander. “You smell that?”
Xander frowned. “I do.”
Niyah dropped her bag on the hall table and kicked off her shoes. “Maybe it’s next door.”
“Maybe.” Xander stepped out of his shoes and dropped his car keys on the table.
Niyah entered the living room and discovered the Bears game playing on the television.
“What the hell?” Xander remarked when he entered the living room. He looked over at her, seemingly, to gauge her reaction. But Niyah had no reaction. Their uninvited guest had to be Naomi. She was the only one with the code to enter her condo. Only, Naomi didn’t cook.
“Finally!”
Niyah’s breath hitched at the sound of her mother’s voice coming from the kitchen. She froze and closed her eyes. The sound of footsteps warned that she had come closer.
“Well, it is about time,” her mother fussed before kissing her cheek. “Hallo, Liebchen.”
Niyah sighed and opened her eyes. “Hey, Mom. What are you doing here?”
“I missed you. And I made your favorite.” She smiled, completely pleased with herself.
“My favorite?”
Gretta Bauer wouldn’t have the first clue what her favorite anything was.
“Yes, darling. I made Labskaus.”
“Which is nobody’s favorite,” Naomi retorted when she entered the room. “Hello, Alexander.”
Xander smiled. “Naomi, how are you?”
“Peachy. But you, you’re the brother of the President of the United States.”
Xander laughed. “Does that make me cooler?”
Naomi grinned. “You couldn’t get any cooler, big guy.”
“That’s what I wanna hear.”
“Well, now, wait a minute,” her mom interrupted. “Who might you be?”
Xander offered his hand to shake. “I’m Xander Creed, ma’am. And it is very nice to meet you.”
Her mother shook his hand and giggled like a child. Niyah rolled her eyes and gave her sister a look. How long would it have taken for Naomi to call with a head’s up? Judging by the smirk on her face, she knew exactly what she was doing.
“I’m gonna go change,” Niyah announced on her way to her bedroom. After entering, she walked into her closet, took off her funeral dress, and tossed it in a pile meant for the dry cleaners.
“Hey?” Naomi entered the closet and started rummaging through Niyah’s clothes.
“Hey,” Niyah responded. She pointed toward the kitchen. “What’s that all about?”
Noami smiled. “You mean your loving mother in your kitchen cooking your favorite meal?”
“Yeah, right!” Niyah scoffed.
Noami raised a brow. “No, really. That’s what she said.”
“Okay. There’s a first time for everything.”
Naomi grabbed Niyah’s wrist. “Come here.”
She pulled her close until they were nearly nose to nose. “I--” she began, but her words faltered.
After a few seconds of pregnant silence, Niyah looked into her sister’s deep brown eyes. “You, what?”
Naomi blinked back a tear. “I want to thank you for what you did for me. I know what it did to you.”
Niyah dropped her head. “It’s fine.”
Naomi placed her finger under Niyah's chin and forced her to look her into her eyes. “It’s not fine. I know what your job means to you. I compromised not only that, but I compromised your freedom.”
Niyah reached up and caressed Naomi’s face. “I knew the risk. I made a conscious decision to protect what’s mine.” She kissed her sister’s nose. “And you belong to me.”
“And you me, sis.”
Naomi smiled, but she couldn’t hide the despair behind her eyes.
Niyah’s eyes blurred with tears because the control freak in her wanted to take her sister’s pain away.
But she couldn’t. Since the day Naomi announced that she was transitioning, Niyah knew or assumed there would be hard times ahead.
The world was not kind to women like Naomi.
A certain level of pain was expected. But what those men had done to her was unimaginably cruel.
Niyah grabbed her sister’s hand and held it tight.
“I love you and I am so sorry for what they did to you. Yeah, murder… that’s a lot.
I don’t know how to reconcile that. But, fuck ‘em! Maybe they got what they deserved.” Niyah laughed.
“Or, maybe you’re Chicago’s zodiac killer. Either way, I love you.”
Noami pulled Niyah into a hug. “I love you too and I will never put you in that position again.”
“You better not. Because if you do, your ass is going to prison.”
Naomi giggled and stepped out of their hug. “I’ma go out there and save your man from your mother.”
“That’s a good idea,” Niyah agreed with a sigh. “I’ll be out in a minute. I’ma throw something on.”
“Hurry up,” Naomi said over her shoulder as she left the closet.
Niyah did hurry. She threw on some yoga pants and a comfortably old T-shirt. After an inner debate, she decided not to bother washing the makeup from her face. She slipped into a pair of fuzzy footies and left the bedroom.
“There she is!” her mother squealed when she entered the living room.
“Here I am.” Niyah looked around and didn’t see Xander. He must have gone to change. It was either that or her mother had said something offensive and run him away. “Where’s Xander?”
“I’m here.” Xander walked into the living room wearing a T-shirt that clung to the ridges of his pronounced abs. Niyah’s eyes grew wide with lust before she could help herself. And judging by his smirk, Xander had noticed.
“Dinner’s ready!” her mother announced from the dining area. “Get it while it’s hot.”
Naomi made a face that made Niyah laugh.
“What’s funny, Niyah? Get in here!” fussed her mother in a heavy German accent.
“I’m laughing at Naomi, Mom!”
Naomi frowned. “Um-mm, lady, don’t try to throw me under the bus.”
Niyah rolled her eyes and grabbed Xander’s hand. “You ready for this treat?” she asked sarcastically.
In full understanding of her sarcasm, Xander raised a brow. “I don’t know that I am,” he muttered.
Niyah giggled and pulled him to the table. Xander sat, and Naomi sat next to him.
“Mom, do you need any help?” Niyah called into the kitchen.
“Nope.” She entered the dining area with two bowls in her hand. She placed one in front of Xander and the other in front of Niyah. Xander smiled. “Thank you, Mrs. Bauer.”
Ms.,” her mother corrected. “I’ve never been married. Better yet, please call me Gretta.”
“Thank you, Gretta,” Xander complied. “Smells good.”
“Great,” their mother beamed before disappearing into the kitchen. She came back out with two more bowls. She sat one in front of Naomi and carried the other to the empty seat that she chose. “Bon appetit.”
Xander grabbed his fork and went to work on the stew. Niyah and Naomi gave each other a look. Niyah picked up her fork and fished out the ingredients that she was willing to eat. Naomi did the same. “You don’t have to eat it,” she whispered to Xander.
“I like it,” Xander admitted with a shrug.
“Stop lying!” Naomi whispered through gritted teeth.
Niyah dropped her head and stifled her laughter. Xander was white white. Bland, European food probably suited him just fine.
Her mother tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder. “What are you saying, Naomi?”
“Nothing,” Naomi lied.
She glared at her sister with pursed lips. Niyah just knew she was about to give her a good read. But to Niyah’s complete surprise, she didn’t. She turned her way with an unexpected compliment. “That dress you had on earlier… I love it.”
“Really?” Niyah studied her mother to see if she was serious. She didn’t give many compliments.
“Yes. I like it when you dress like a woman. You’re either wearing those Hilary Clinton pantsuits or those God-awful scrubs.”
Niyah shook her head. She just couldn’t help herself. “Okay, well, thanks,” she muttered.
“Would’ve been perfect if your hair were normal,” she remarked.
Niyah peered at her mother. “What is normal hair, Mom?”
“Combed!”
“Locs aren’t meant to be combed, Mother,” Naomi chimed.
Their mother blew out a frustrated breath. “I know that, Naomi! I just wish she wouldn’t walk around looking like a slave all the time.”
“Whoa!” Xander spoke up with bass in his voice. He looked from their mother to Niyah. “Is she for real?”
“She’s for real,” Naomi confirmed.
“What?” her mother questioned with wide eyes. “I’m sick of that nappy, dirty-looking hair!”
Xander slammed his hand down on the table and shoved the bowl from in front of him. “Now, that’s enough!” he shouted.
Niyah could see the rage in his expressive blue eyes. “Niyah’s hair is just like her… beautiful!
“Yeah, okay,” Gretta scoffed. “You don’t believe that.”
Xander glared at her like he couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. “If one more tone-deaf racist remark comes out of your mouth, I’m gonna throw you out of here.”
Gretta jumped to her feet and threw her hands on her hips. “You’re going to throw me out of my daughter’s house?”
“Damn right!”
Niyah stood, glaring at Xander. “Hey!” she shouted. “We need to talk!” She walked around the table, grabbed Xander by the hand, ignoring the smug look on her mother’s face as she dragged him from the room. They went down the hall that led to the front door.
Niyah pointed at his loafers. “Put your shoes on!” she demanded.
“Niyah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to dis--”
“Hey,” Niyah interrupted. “Put your shoes on.”
Xander sighed and slipped into his shoes. Niyah stepped into a pair of crocs. She opened the door and looked up at Xander. “There’s a bar downstairs. Let’s go get drunk.”
Xander chuckled. “Wait, you’re not mad at me.”
“Hell, naw! Let’s go.”
Xander’s brow wrinkled. “But my wallet is in the bedroom.”
“Don’t worry, I got a line of credit,” Niyah revealed. “Come on.”
Xander looked back toward the dining area. “What about Naomi?”
“Fuck Naomi!” Niyah yelled in a whisper. “She’s the one who set us up in the first place.”
Xander shrugged. “Fuck it. Let’s go.”
Quietly, he opened the door, and they crept out.