Chapter 7 #2
He took her word for it, and they both took the elevator down to the car.
Upon seeing the trunk, back, and front seat of Amoura’s Jeep Cherokee, Kross smacked his lips.
“Man, how big was this fucking suite? She used to complain about how she ain’t have enough space in there, but she ain’t tell me it was because she had all this stuff. ”
Amoura laughed as she opened the trunk so he could grab the mannequins inside. “She had the biggest suite in the building, but you know Cass loves to decorate.”
He shook his head as he grabbed the two mannequins so he could haul them up. “Be careful with those please. Those are the last two dresses she made before she died,” she enlightened him.
Hearing that prompted him to sit the mannequins down so he could admire his lady’s work.
She was a beast when it came to sewing and creating.
She never really thought it would become her career until she dropped out of nursing school once she got pregnant with Aniyis.
She needed something to busy herself and make her money, so, with some support from Kross, she started her clothing line called Body Chemistry.
For the most part, she made the pieces by hand and even did some custom gowns for prom season.
It wasn’t until recently that she had gone into mass production and was working with a manufacturer.
It was a huge success, and sadly, she was gone before it could reach the new heights she dreamed about.
It was evident that the dresses weren’t finished yet, but from what Cassie had gotten done so far, he knew they would’ve been fire.
He had no clue what he was about to do with all her things from the suite because he knew if he decided to just leave them around the condo, it would cause him to bury himself in a deep pit of grief.
For now, he was just gonna have to deal.
Together, they made a couple of trips back and forth from the car to the condo to haul all of Cassie’s things.
Once they were done, Kross stood in the center of the living room with his hands in the pocket of his gym shorts, eyeing all the boxes and small pieces of furniture.
“I appreciate you for doing all this, Amoura. For real,” he expressed his gratitude for her.
Like always, she waved him off. “Cass would’ve done the same for me, no question.”
“I would try to break you off some paper as a thank you, but I know you ain’t gone take it.” He smacked his lips with a shake of his head, which evoked some laughter out of her. “I was just about to spark one before you came. You trying to smoke?”
“Depends on if your weed hitting or not,” she jested.
Arrogantly, Kross scoffed as he reclaimed his seat on the couch. “Man, don’t even play with me like that. My shit always hitting.” He lit the blunt before taking a pull from it.
Amoura grabbed a seat on the couch as well, allowing him to pass her the blunt. She took a pull from it, immediately nodding her head in a pleased manner. “Oh, shit. I guess y’all Paper Chase niggas know what the fuck y’all doing.”
“Always, shawty,” Kross laughed.
They had a nice little smoke session going, which prompted Kross to roll another blunt before the first one died. “My auntie been going in on your ass on Facebook. Have you seen it?” She raised a brow at him.
He scoffed carelessly. “My mama sent me the shit Joyce been saying, but I don’t really give a fuck. She know what she did for me to not let her visit Aniyis, so she can keep playing victim on the socials all she want. I be trying to keep the peace out of respect for my lady, but they be trying me.”
Amoura nodded her head, agreeing with him. “Joyce is just looking for somebody to blame for Cassie dying, and you’re just the easiest person to put it all on.”
“Crazy thing about it, I wasn’t even out when all this shit went down. If I was, none of this shit would’ve happened.”
“I know. I just want them niggas who killed my cousin and shot Aniyis gone. They don’t deserve to live after taking her away from us,” Amoura said as she leaned her head back against in the couch to keep from crying.
Being in a space with someone who shared the same sentiment about Cassie was nice.
Cassie was Amoura’s best friend through and through.
Not having her around was a major adjustment that she was struggling with.
Most of the time, all she ever did was cry.
The only time she found strength to put on a brave face was when it came to Aniyis.
Baby boy was the only piece of Cassie they had left on earth, and Amoura vowed to be there for him each step.
Kross blew out a stream of smoke as he nodded his head. “Don’t even say too much. I ain’t letting nothing slide.”
“How you holding up?” she asked him.
A heavy breath drifted out of him as his broad shoulders slouched.
“Shit, I gotta keep going. I’m all Aniyis got right now.
I just feel like she left this world without getting the life I owed her.
That girl dedicated seven years of her life to me and had my baby just off kicking it with me for six months.
That shit is crazy, but it just goes to show that what we had was real and she was fucking amazing.
I don’t really know what’s next for me, especially not knowing how things could end up with Aniyis.
I just want to do right by her. How you holding up?
Y’all were together damn near every day. ”
Amoura pursed her lips as her gaze shifted down to her hands, where she traced the outline of the matching heart tattoo she got with Cassie. “I miss her. We were the outcasts of the family, and no one really fucked with us, but we didn’t give a fuck ‘cause we fucked with each other.
“Weeks before she died, we went out for drinks, and she kept talking about how she wanted to go to the courthouse and have papers drawn up and signed so I could officially become Aniyis’ god mom.
I kept brushing her off like she was crazy ‘cause I felt like we had all the time in the world to get to that, and if we didn’t, then so be it because she would always be around.
I wish I would’ve just done it. Evidently, it meant a lot to her.
Almost like she knew her time was coming. ”
Hearing this sent a chill down Kross’ spine.
He recalled his mother telling him that before death, the spirit called for a nesting phase to get all affairs in order.
When he was a kid, Raquel told him about his father’s nesting phase that happened before he was gun downed.
Hearing that Cassie went through a similar phase hit him deep.
“Damn,” was all he said as his shoulders sauntered down.
“Yeah. I felt alone before since our family turned their backs on us, but now that Cassie’s gone, I’m really out here by myself.”
“I feel you,” Kross agreed. “But you’ve been solid since day one when it comes to my son, and I know how heavy Cassie rocked with you, so I’ll look out for you as long as you stay solid.”
Hearing him say that pulled something out of her heart.
She had been struggling without Cassie and was in desperate need to just feel something.
Kross made her feel safe and less alone, the two things she had been craving for a while.
Her fleshly desires consumed her and propelled her to crash her plump and glossy lips into Kross’ tender ones.
The kiss was one-sided at first. She dominated with power and landed herself right on his lap, straddling him.
Kross found himself ambushed by her lips and the rock that was forming in his briefs as her juicy ass pressed down on his dick.
He was a man who hadn’t had consistent sex in seven years.
His body was yearning to slide into some wet and tight pussy, but his heart just couldn’t allow him to take Amoura down.
Once he registered who he had on his lap tonguing him down, he quickly snapped out of the lust and horniness he was drowning in and pulled away from the kiss.
The bewildered look that masked his handsome face was enough for Amoura to come to the realization that she had just fucked up.
“What the fuck you on, Amoura?” He used one hand to wipe her lip gloss off his lips while the other was used to push her off his lap.
“I’m sorry! I wasn’t thinking with my head!” she quickly rattled out in sorrow.
“Then what the fuck was you thinking with? Your pussy?” He continued to eye her with a crazed look etching his face.
“C’mon, now. You’re tripping if you think I was about to fuck you in my lady’s condo a couple of weeks after her funeral.
That shit not right. You as her cousin and best friend should know that.
Cassie turning over in her grave right now. ”
The shame was enough to bring Amoura to tears.
She couldn’t wrap her head around what had come over her.
Sure, Kross was handsome and had an appealing reputation, but she had not once saw him in that way once Cassie marked her territory and claimed him as her man.
Amoura wasn’t that type of girl to secretly plot, but emotions were in the air, and her grief blurred her principles.
Now she looked like the same women she and Cassie used to judge and side eye.
She had just crossed a line that should’ve never been crossed and had no clue how to recover.
“Fuck, Kross. I know,” she cried in defeat. “I fucked up.”
“You did more than just fuck up. Us kissing and fucking would never happen. I respect Cassie too much for that, and you should too.” He shook his head. “Aye, it’s time for you to slide, Amoura.”
Getting her out of his space was the best call for him to make.
In his eyes, what she did was a grimy-ass move, and he just couldn’t fuck with her the same anymore.
Without protest, Amoura grabbed her purse and her keys before making her way to the door.
Before she stepped out and exited the condo, she looked back at Kross with nothing but regret and sorrow filling her brown orbs. “I’m so sorry, Kross.”
He wasn’t in the right headspace to hear her out, so he just opened the door a little wider for her to catch the notion she needed to leave instead of sticking around to apologize. She accepted her defeat and headed out of the door.
“It’ll be best if there’s some space between us so you can get your head right. I’ll let you know when you can come visit Aniyis.”
Before she could object, Kross shut the door right in her face. There was nothing that needed to be said. Amoura did some snake shit, and he was going to treat her accordingly.