Chapter 24
Cayla
Iwalked into my bedroom and closed the door behind me.
I slid out of my sweatpants and then lay in the bed.
As soon as I snuggled up to Oriana, I knocked the hell out.
I didn’t realize how bad I needed the sleep that I was finally able to get until I woke.
I rolled over in my queen-sized bed, and that was the problem.
I never had the space to roll over in my bed when Oriana was lying next to me.
I patted the spot beside me and then shot my eyes open in a panic when I realized she wasn’t lying beside me.
I quickly sat up and then looked over the bed to see if she had fallen off.
I knew that if she fell, that shit would have woken me up because I would have heard it.
I don’t even know this nigga for real, I thought as I rushed out of the bed.
Time changes people, and although Kassidy and I were close in high school, that was then.
I didn’t even bother to put my sweatpants back on before I ran into the living room.
Kass was walking around with Oriana in his arms. He had this little bounce to his walk, and his phone was in his free hand up to their faces.
I recognized the voices of the Paw Patrol characters anywhere.
Kass’s back was facing me as he swayed from side to side with my baby girl in his arms. She had her head laid on his shoulder, and in her hand was her favorite blanket.
I just stood there watching. My daughter was a mommy’s girl for sure, so seeing her so relaxed in the arms of someone else was foreign to me.
“This little nigga Chase could have gotten that damn cat out of that tree. Cats don’t even like dogs for real, little mama. Don’t believe this bullshit.”
I giggled, and when I did, he turned around to face me.
He looked me up and down for a bit before his eyes locked in with mine.
When his eyes trailed back down to my thighs, I quickly remembered that I was standing in front of him in just an oversized shirt and panties.
I ran back into the room to put on my pants and then went back into the living room.
“I’m surprised she was chilling out with you,” I said as I walked in their direction.
When I reached my arms out for Oriana, she leaned her body closer into Kass, and that shocked the shit out of me.
“Chill out.” He moved away from me and continued walking on my beat down ass carpet. “She's hanging out. Leave her.”
“Were you bored and came and got her?”
“Na, I was sleeping, and I heard her crying. I tapped on the door before I walked in. Ya ass was snoring loud as fuck. So, I took her and came out here. I’m not sure if she’s hungry.
I don’t know what she likes to eat or anything, and I didn’t think it would be appropriate if I changed her, so I was waiting on you for that. ”
I looked into the kitchen and saw that it was definitely time for her to eat.
“Yeah, she’s hungry,” I said before walking into the kitchen.
He followed me with Oriana in tow. As I prepared baby girl's sippy cup of strawberry milk, I could feel him staring at me. When I looked at him, his brows were furrowed in concentration as he watched every little step, so I started saying the instructions. The way he paid attention made me smile. When I finished, I reached my arms out for Oriana, and that’s when she came to me.
Kass walked back into the living room, and I followed him.
He folded the blanket I had given him the night before and placed it back into the closet.
I sat on the couch, sat Oriana beside me, and then handed her the cup.
Kass took a seat on the other side of her, and we sat in silence.
When she finished her milk, I wiped her face and then just sat with her on my lap.
I knew that in a little bit, she would want some Cheerios or strawberries.
She wasn’t a fussy kid, and I thanked God for that.
She did have her moments, but overall, she was a pretty chill baby.
“Are you hungry?” Kass randomly asked.
He had already done enough for me since the night before, and I honestly didn’t want him to do anything else.
“I’m fine, Kass.”
I really appreciated everything he had done already. He twisted his face and then began to type on his phone.
“What’s the address here?”
Knowing he wasn’t about to back down, I gave him my address.
He read off some breakfast items for me to choose from.
I ordered myself some pancakes, eggs, and sausage, and Oriana just one pancake.
Her highchair was tucked away in the corner of the room, so I went to grab it and wipe it off.
When it was just me and her here, I didn’t even bother with it, but since I had company, I wanted to sit her somewhere isolated so that he and I could enjoy our meal together.
When the food came, he walked downstairs to get it.
While he was downstairs, I tried my hardest to straighten up a bit.
Although he had been sitting in my junky place since last night, I still felt the need to clear some clutter.
When he came back through the door, I was wiping down the kitchen counter.
I knew the food we ordered came in platters, but I wanted to set out some plates for us.
Oriana was already sitting in her highchair, banging her sippy cup across the surface.
“What are you in there doing?” he asked with a raised brow.
“Getting us some plates, so we don’t have to eat out of Styrofoam.”
I grabbed the bag from him and started plating our food. When I came back into the living room with Oriana’s little bowl first, I saw Kassidy stomping out a roach.
I was so damn embarrassed, but when we made eye contact, he simply went to the kitchen to get a paper towel.
He then picked up the dead insect and went back to the kitchen to toss it in the trash.
He didn’t make me feel a way about it, either; he took a seat on the couch and waited for me to bring his plate.
He had his cellphone propped up on the candle on my coffee table, and he had sports highlights playing. Silently, all three of us ate.
When it was time for Kass to go, I swear I didn’t even want him to leave. But for most of the day, the three of us vibed. By the time lunchtime came around, he went to leave, and I tried my hardest not to pout. But after he texted me so I could have his number, I felt better.
Now that I had direct access to him, I had all the intention of showing him that I was interested. When he walked out the door, I ran to my window to see if I could catch him when he walked out of the building. While he walked down the block to his parked car, I smiled as I texted him.
Don’t forget that you got this number. Make sure you use it.
My smile quickly faded when I saw Orion walking up the block toward my building, but from the other direction.
The last I checked, he was still in his feelings about me putting him on child support.
He came and got Oriana for her birthday months ago, and then I hadn’t heard anything.
Even when I sent him pictures of her, he would love the picture without responding.
I rolled my eyes and sucked my teeth at the same damn time, just knowing he was coming here.
If I were going to move on and start dating, I would have to set some serious boundaries between us.
Popping up at my house was unacceptable.
I waited for my bell to ring, but when it didn’t, I just figured that someone else had let him in the building.
In no time, there was a bang at my front door.
I didn’t even bother to look out the peephole or ask who it was.
I just swung the door open and went straight to my kitchen to finish unpacking the box that was in there.
“You just open your door without asking who it is?” he said as he closed the door behind him.
“There was no need to ask who when I knew who it was. You should try actually picking up your phone and using it to let your presence be known before popping up at my house.”
He didn’t even bother to offer me a response.
“Hi, mamas!” he had this excited tone.
Oriana being giddy made my stomach hurt because she loved her dad, and that was something I couldn’t deny.
“Dadaaaa,” she sang happily.
“Hi, my sticky face baby,” he said in his baby tone, and I rolled my eyes at him actually being good with her.
I guess my serving him with child support had stung him, but he missed his daughter more than that. When I came out of the kitchen, I stood against the doorway as I watched the two interact. He had taken her out of the highchair. She had pancake bits all over her face.
“Had company?” he casually asked as he bounced Oriana in the air.
A knot formed in my throat, and I shifted my weight onto one leg as I tried to read him. Just when I was about to open my mouth, he did instead.
“There are two cups on your coffee table.”
I looked at the table and instantly got pissed for not grabbing both before I opened the door for him. Honestly, I shouldn’t have even felt the way I did because we were done. It didn’t matter if I had company or not. It was no business of his.
“Ya mommy had a nigga in ya face, huh?” he asked Oriana in a playful baby voice.
She was showing all eight teeth with a smile, not even understanding what he was saying to her. I started to get that feeling in my chest that he always put there. It was a fire that filled me every single time he said something slick to me. This time, I wasn’t going to let him get the best of me.
“Orion, it’s time for you to go.”
He cut eyes at me and then turned his attention back to Oriana, as if what I just said didn’t matter. Like this wasn’t my fucking place. When my phone vibrated on the kitchen counter, I quickly picked it up.
I intend to, Mama. Ima hit you when I get home.
I smiled at Kassidy’s text.
“Aw, ya new nigga texting you?”