6. Staten
Staten
T he night was slowly catching up to me, but now that I was home, the only thing I wanted was to slide up in Cambrie and pass out.
Seeing that she was packed and ready to go gave a nigga PTSD.
I’d been on the giving and receiving end of that in the past, but I wasn’t sure I’d be the same if it came from her.
I decided to shower quickly so I could make sure she was good.
I know she struggled with coming back here, but she needed to know that nothing I did was out of malice.
With Nadia here, it was awkward enough, but I wasn’t doing no faking for her either.
I’d respect her as the mother of my children, but she wasn’t my woman and hadn’t been for a while.
I didn’t owe her shit, not even an explanation.
With my back to the shower door, I let the hot water wash over me, kind of waking me up.
A cold breeze slid up my back like someone had stepped inside.
My dick bricked almost instantly, hoping it was Cambrie.
Instead, when I turned, I found Nadia after she’d dropped her robe.
There was no denying she still had it like that and kept herself in shape, but I didn’t feel shit when I looked at her.
Her seductive eyes wandered over me slowly before she licked her juicy lips.
“Hmm, nice to know some things don’t change.” She tilted her head. “I can help you out with that.”
“Nah. He good. We was just thinking about somebody else.” My answer left her face wilting in embarrassment before fire ignited behind her orbs.
“You didn’t used to be such an asshole,” she shot at me, snatching her robe from the floor and quickly pulling it back around her curves.
She tied that muhfucka closed angrily before flaring her nostrils and pulling her hair back up into a ponytail. I finished rinsing the soap off me, still facing her, dick swinging while rubbing my balls.
“Always been that. You used to think it was cute when I laying this pipe to you though.” I reached for my towel on the metal bar outside the shower door and stepped out.
I tied it around me just as the bathroom door swung open.
I expected it to be one of the kids, because Rogue didn’t give a damn and would walk in on anybody.
It was just my fucking luck that it was Cambrie of all people.
Her oval-shaped brown eyes bounced from me to Nadia and back to me while her hand remained on the doorknob.
Smug, my ex faced her, and I shook my head, just knowing she was about to be on some bullshit.
“This ain’t what you think it is,” I sighed, water still dripping off me onto the bathmat.
“No?” Cambrie queried with a cocked brow.
“Don’t be stupid, girl. It’s exactly what it looks like,” Nadia taunted.
“You right. You came in here trying to throw the pussy at me, and I said no. End of fucking story. Get the fuck out of my room, Nadia!”
“You want to throw away everything we are, everything we could be for a bitch you don’t know shit about, Staten?
Really? I want you to think real long and hard about that too.
She better be fucking worth it!” Nadia tried to push past Cambrie, but she shoved that bitch into the door and got in her face.
Nadia wasn’t no punk bitch, but she wasn’t a match for Cambrie.
“That’s the last bitch I’m going to be from you. I’m willing to be cordial, even respectful, until you come at me wrong. Now I gotta get disrespectful like you, and I don’t want to show my ass around these kids like that.”
“You think I can’t see your type?” Nadia pushed herself off the door and searched Cambrie’s eyes.
“You can come in here on that mother earth, nurturing bullshit all you want. This ain’t nothing but a come-up for somebody like you.
I don’t give a fuck about your credentials or none of that either. I know a hood rat when I see one.”
“I bet. Looking in the mirror is always eye opening,” Cambrie clapped back.
I half smiled because she wasn’t wrong. Nadia was raised in the Bluffs in the projects and could get grimy with the best of them.
The more I upgraded her life, the more bourgeois she became.
She was one of those people Marcella always said forgot where she came from.
Cambrie was humbling her in this moment, and Nadia flinched from her words.
“You are the help!”
“Nadia!” I barked, making them both jump before taking a step back and facing me.
“This shit ends right now! Don’t ever let me hear you talk to her like that again.
Cambrie is a part of my life now. Our kids aren’t in any kind of danger around her, and she’s not going anywhere.
So deal with that shit or move the fuck around! ”
“So you’re just going to let pussy blind you to this?—”
“Tread lightly,” Cambrie reminded her.
Walking up, I stepped between the two of them to play referee since it seemed neither of them was backing down.
“Get out.” I aimed a finger at the door just as Tavi emerged in the doorway.
“Daddy, what’s going on?” she asked, her bright brown eyes skimming each of our faces.
Just what the fuck I needed. With my hands on my waist, I bowed my head.
“Why don’t you tell her, Staten,” Nadia encouraged, using the opportunity to play victim once again and make me the bad guy in the situation. “Tell her that you don’t want to be with me or be a family anymore because you want to be with the nanny!”
“Stop putting fucking words in my mouth!” I belted, getting in her face.
“I don’t want you. Let’s make that perfectly clear.
I love my children and would do anything for them except sacrifice my own happiness.
I may have love for you as their mother, but I’m not in love with you Nadia, and we will never be together again.
Tavi, that is something you are also going to have to accept. ”
“But . . . it’s not fair! Mommy came here because she loves us. How come you can’t see that?” my daughter cried.
“Life ain’t fair, baby girl. I’m always your daddy though, whether I’m with your mama or not. That’s not going to change.”
“But you want to be with Cambrie? You in love with her? Why? Why can’t you just give Mommy another chance!” Tavi demanded with tears streaming down her face.
“I’m not about to sit here discussing grown people situations with you! I said what I said, and that’s it!”
“I hate you! And I hate her too!” Tavi shot daggers at Cambrie and stomped down the hall.
“I hope that makes you happy.” Nadia turned to me with narrowed eyes and a snarl on her lips.
“I’ll be spending the day with my children.
You’ve made it clear that the only person you’re worried about around here is you and her.
” Nadia had that same glare in her eyes when she looked at Cambrie before she turned to go.
I moved closer to my bed, dropping on the foot of it and lowering my head into my hands.
“I’m sorry,” Cambrie whispered, shaking her head.
“For what?” I asked, reaching for her wrist and pulling her toward me. “You ain’t got shit to be sorry about.”
“I can’t help but feel like this is my fault.”
“It ain’t nobody’s fault. It just is what it is. I love my daughter, but she has to know she can’t get her way all the time. Nadia got her all delusional about us, and she needed to hear the truth.” I pulled her across my lap and held her there. “I stand on every word I said.”
“I just don’t want to be the reason there’s tension between you and them. You and Nadia share custody. What if she tries to pull some shit with that and keep you from Tavi and Saga?”
“She knows better,” I replied. “You don’t need to worry about that.
I’ll still sign your paychecks and make sure your benefits are good around here, but I don’t consider you my employee, Cam.
You my woman, and I ain’t lying or hiding that from anybody, least of all my kids.
I just need you to hold us down like you been doing. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“I’m not good with being dependent on anybody.”
“First time for everything, mama. Let me lead. I got you,” I assured her, cupping her cheek and drawing her closer for a kiss.
Her warm, supple lips against mine had my dick bricking once again. She fell into it, arms locking around my neck as we rolled onto the bed together.
“Just don’t drop me.”
“Nah.” I shook my head. “That ain’t what I’m here for. I’m carrying you and all your burdens, you just gotta let me.”
“I don’t need to be some kept woman either.
I want to be the one you can come home to and talk to about anything.
Good or bad. A listening ear, a safe place, your partner in every way.
You don’t have to hide or lie to me about anything.
I know being a man of your caliber comes with a lot, but you don’t have to shield me from that, Staten. ”
She had no idea how good it was to hear that shit. I didn’t plan on making her an accessory to anything, but it was nice to know when shit got real, she would be ready to ride it out with me.
“I’ll keep that in mind. My job is to make shit light for you though, mama,” I said with a smile. “How about me, you, Piaget, and Rogue go out for dinner later?”
“I’m good with that. I kind of told my daddy I’d bring him some roasted chicken and potato salad for dinner Sunday too. So I need to marinate that before we go. He’s doing so good, and I haven’t had a chance to see him lately. What do you think?”
“I think that sounds cool. How about we take the kids with us, and we all visit him?”
“You sure about that?” Cambrie slightly pulled back to stare into my eyes.
“Yeah. I like your pops, and I know you want to take advantage of this time with him.”
“I do.”
“Then that’s what it is.” I gripped her thigh and pecked her lips once again.
“You should try to get some rest. I know it’s been a long night. I’ll keep Piaget and Rogue occupied for a while.” She stroked the back of my neck, and her almond-shaped nails dug into my skin.