25. Reiana
Reiana
some time later…
“You want something to drink?” Gina asked when I walked into the kitchen. We had just got to Lennox’s and Gina and Lena came right on over.
“Water is fine,” I replied as I took a seat beside Lena at the island.
Gina grabbed me a bottle from the refrigerator before going back to dinner, while Lennox had taken our bags upstairs.
Rhyse and Lennyn were somewhere in the living room and judging by the way their voices kept getting louder, somebody was pissing somebody off.
A few seconds later Rhyse appeared in the kitchen with Lennyn right behind him.
“Mama, she keeps changing the rules every time I start winning,” Rhyse complained.
“I am not. You’re just doing it wrong,” Lennyn argued.
“How am I doing it wrong if I’m winning?” he asked, clearly offended.
Before Lennyn could answer, I looked between both of them. “Why did either one of y’all come in here? Whatever you’re playing, go figure it out without bringing everybody else into it,” I instructed.
“I was just telling you what she did,” Rhyse defended himself while Lennyn started talking over him about how he wasn’t following the rules.
Gina turned from the stove and pointed toward the living room. “Both of y’all gone back in there before I find something for you to do that I promise you won’t like,” she warned.
They didn’t have to be told twice. Lennyn took off first, and Rhyse followed her.
Lennox came back downstairs a few minutes later and walked into the kitchen. His attention came to me first before he glanced toward the living room. “What are they in there doing?” he asked.
“Getting on each other’s nerves over a game,” Lena answered.
“That sounds about right.” He shrugged.
Dinner was ready not long after that, and all Gina had to do was call out once before Rhyse and Lennyn came from the living room. Whatever argument they had been having was apparently forgotten because they were talking about something completely different by the time they sat down.
Rhyse took a few bites before looking across the table at Gina. “This chicken is good, Queenie,” he complimented.
“Thank you, baby,” Gina replied with a smile.
He took another bite, then turned toward me. “Mama, you should ask Queenie how she make hers,” he suggested.
“What’s wrong with mine?” I asked.
“I’ain say nothing was wrong with yours. I just said hers taste different,” he explained quickly.
Lena laughed while Rhyse looked toward Lennox like he was waiting for backup.
“Don’t look at me. That’s between you and your mama,” he told him.
“You too big to be scared of my mama,” Rhyse accused.
“Little ni—” Lennox started but Gina cut him off.
Gina reached over and rubbed Rhyse’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, baby. I know what you meant,” she assured him.
Before anybody could say anything else, Lennyn looked at Rhyse. “Your mama beat my mama up,” she announced.
I stopped mid-bite because I couldn’t believe she said that and so nonchalantly at that. Lena busted out laughing while Lennox was trying to hold his in.
“Lennyn, what did I tell you about grown people’s business?” Lennox asked.
“To stay out of it,” she answered.
“Aight then… remember that,” he chastised her.
“She ain’t lying though.” Rhyse grinned.
“Boosie,” I warned.
“What? She said it first,” Rhyse defended.
“Okay, cut it out,” Gina cut in before they could keep going. “Everybody eat and leave grown folks’ business alone.”
Thankfully, the conversation moved on from fighting. Gina asked Rhyse about camp and school, while Lena asked him what sports he liked. Rhyse immediately started talking about basketball before mentioning football too.
Once dinner ended, the kids went back to the living room while Gina and Lena started cleaning. I picked up a couple of plates, but Gina took them from me before I reached the sink.
“Go sit down somewhere,” she told me.
“I can help you clean up, Gina,” I replied.
“I know you can, but you’re not going to,” Gina said as she took the plates from my hands.
Instead of arguing, I trekked to the living room and got comfortable. As soon as I sat down, my phone started ringing. Taryn’s name came across the screen, and the second I answered the FaceTime call, Mona’s face popped up too.
“Hey, y’all,” I greeted.
“Hey, cousin.” Mona smiled and adjusted herself.
“What y’all doing?” I asked as I got tucked my legs underneath me.
“Not a damn thing. Taryn came over so we figured we’d call you,” Mona answered.
“Mhm.” I narrowed my eyes at the screen. “So what y’all want?” I smirked.
“Now why we gotta want something? We might just miss your ass,” Tay countered as she rolled her eyes.
“Bitch I see the lie all in your face,” I laughed and Mona joined in.
Mona shook her head as she reached for the drink sitting in front of her. “We really did just call to check on you.”
“I’m fine.” I smiled and relaxed against the couch.
“That’s it?” Taryn asked. “You’re not going to tell us what you’ve been up to? I know you been over there letting baby daddy slut you out to the gawds,” Taryn countered as she did a little dance.
I laughed and shook my head while Mona tried to hide her own smile behind her glass.
“You so damn childish,” I laughed at her dumb ass.
“Am I wrong, though?” Taryn challenged.
“You’re not, but that’s not the point.” I pointed out.
“How’s Rhyse doing?” Mona asked, cutting off Tay’s foolishness.
“Good… better than I expected, honestly. He loves being around everybody, and him and Lennyn have gotten close,” I responded with a smile.
“That’s good,” Mona said. “He deserves that.”
“I know.” Seeing how naturally Rhyse had fallen into Lennox’s family still got to me sometimes. There had been so much I worried about when all of this started, but watching my son finally have the relationships he had been missing made most of those fears feel unnecessary now.
“What about you?” Tay asked. “How are you for real?”
“I’m good too,” I simpered.
“That smile says more than that,” Mona teased.
I rolled my eyes, but there was no point pretending with them. “Me and Lennox are good. Things have been peaceful, and I’m just enjoying it instead of trying to figure out what could go wrong.”
“Well, I’m happy for you. Anything is better than Dorian’s bitch ass. May he rest on a dick or whatever they be saying,” Tay joked and it caused me and Mona to holler in laughter.
“Bitch, you need help,” I said through my laughs.
We continued our conversation just as Lennox walked into the living room. His eyes went from me to the phone before he leaned down and kissed me.
“Who you talking to?” He asked.
“Nosy and nosier,” I responded with a smirk.
“I heard that,” Taryn complained.
“Wassup, ladies,” Lennox greeted.
“Hey, Lennox,” Mona spoke
“When you gone send our girl back? You a stingy nigga,” Taryn fussed.
“Damn, Tay. You had her all this time. Let me love on my lady for a little bit. I promise I’ll let y’all get y’all time in.” He looked at me. “But right now… it’s my turn.” The look he was giving me had me ready to hang up in their faces.
“Bye, bitch. I see it all in your face,” Mona stated.
“Mhm… bye hoe,” Taryn input.
“I love y’all… bye.” I hung up the phone so fast and gave my man my undivided attention.
The second the call ended, Lennox reached for my phone and set it on the cushion beside me before pulling me into his lap.
“What they talking about?” He asked as he gripped my thighs.
“Just checking in,” I started. “Oh, and Tay wanted to know if I was letting you slut me out to the gawds,” I laughed.
“Shit, I’m trying,” he admitted as he gripped the front of my neck and brought me into another kiss.
Before I could say anything else, a crash from the playroom made Lennox stop kissing me. We both looked toward the hallway, and when Rhyse and Lennyn immediately started arguing, his head dropped back against the couch.
“Man, I’m about to beat both their asses,” he grumbled.
“You know you’re just talking… go see what happened,” I urged, still in his lap.
“I already know what the fuck happened. They knew I was about to fuck you to the gawds and their little asses hated.” He frowned. “Come on.”
I followed him to the playroom, where a bin of toys was turned over across the floor and Rhyse and Lennyn were standing in the middle of it arguing.
“She knocked it over,” Rhyse said as soon as we appeared.
“Because he snatched the controller from me!” Lennyn shot back.
“I didn’t snatch it. It was my turn,” Rhyse countered.
“No, it wasn’t!” Lennyn argued.
Lennox stared at both of them. “I’on care whose turn it was. Why does the whole damn room look like this?” He fussed.
Neither one answered.
“Clean this shit up.” He pointed to the mess on the floor.
“But Daddy—” Lennyn pouted.
He gave her a look that made her get right and quick.
Lennox looked at Rhyse next. “And don’t stand there looking all innocent. Help your sister clean this shit up, then both of y’all get upstairs, brush your teeth and get ready for bed,” he instructed.
“Already?” Rhyse frowned.
“Yeah, already. Y’all should’ve thought about that before y’all started tearing shit up,” Lennox asserted causing both of the kids to groan and pout.
I started to head out the room, but Lennox grabbed my hand and stopped me.
“Where you going?” He asked as his eyes scanned over me.
“To let you deal with your kids.” I smirked.
“That shit ain’t funny, Ree.” He frowned. “But yeah, gone head and get yourself together while I get them together.” The look he gave me let me now exactly what he meant and I had not one issue with it.