CHAPTER 5
BITCH, I DIDN’T TAKE YOUR MAN
Zaviyah read the message again.
I hope that nigga is worth losing your sister over.
“What the fuck?”
Kyren laid his head against her shoulder.
“Mama.”
“I know, baby.”
She carried him back toward the bedroom while calling Samaria.
Straight to voicemail.
Again.
Voicemail.
“Oh, so now you blocking me?”
Kyren lifted his head.
“Block?”
“Nothing.”
“Block.”
“Go to sleep.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Kyren.”
“Juice.”
Zaviyah stared at him.
This little nigga had been asking for juice through a whole family crisis.
“You ain’t getting no juice.”
Kyren frowned.
“Please?”
Damn.
She sighed.
“Water.”
“No.”
“Then be thirsty.”
His little mouth dropped open.
Zaviyah almost laughed.
“Get in the bed.”
She laid him down and pulled the blanket over him.
Her phone vibrated.
She snatched it up.
Not Samaria.
Malissa.
You alive?
Zaviyah typed back.
No.
Malissa responded immediately.
What happened now?
Zaviyah stared at the screen.
How the fuck was she supposed to explain that Kavon had shown up at her house, seen Kyren, damn near cried on the porch, and Samaria had
apparently broken up with him?
She typed.
Call you tomorrow.
Then she opened Samaria’s message again.
I hope that nigga is worth losing your sister over.
That shit pissed her off.
Zaviyah had fucked up.
She could admit that.
She should have told Samaria the second she recognized Kavon.
Maybe she should have told her years ago about the nigga from Tampa.
But how the fuck was she supposed to know the random man she slept with on vacation would eventually end up dating her sister?
And she damn sure had not taken anybody’s man.
Zaviyah typed.
I DID NOT TAKE YOUR MAN.
She stared at it.
Deleted it.
Typed again.
Nothing happened between me and Kavon tonight. I swear.
Deleted that too.
It sounded guilty.
She tried again.
Can we please talk tomorrow?
Sent.
No response.
Zaviyah put the phone facedown.
“Fuck.”
Kyren popped up.
“Fuck.”
Her eyes widened.
“No.”
“Fuck.”
“Kyren!”
He smiled.
Oh, this little boy was gonna get her kicked out
of daycare one day.
“Don’t say that.”
“Fuck.”
“Say truck.”
“Fuck.”
“TRUCK.”
“Fuck.”
Zaviyah covered her face.
“Jesus.”
Kyren giggled.
She grabbed him and kissed his cheeks until he screamed laughing.
For a minute, everything disappeared.
Samaria.
Kavon.
Tampa.
DNA tests.
All of it.
Just her and her baby.
Then Kyren touched her cheek.
“Man come back?”
Zaviyah froze.
“What man?”
“Outside.”
Her stomach tightened.
“No, baby.”
“Who dat?”
Zaviyah stared into his little face.
She didn’t know what to say.
Maybe your daddy.
That sounded insane.
She had spent two years not having an answer.
Now the answer had shown up on her porch wearing a black shirt and looking exactly like her fucking child.
“His name is Kavon.”
Kyren tried.
“Ka von.”
“Yeah.”
“Your friend?”
Zaviyah almost choked.
“No.”
Kyren frowned.
“Who?”
“That’s what Mama gotta figure out.”
Kyren accepted that because he was two and life was still simple.
Lucky him.
Within minutes, he was asleep.
Zaviyah wasn’t.
She stayed awake until almost four.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Samaria’s face in that bathroom.
Then Kavon’s face when Kyren stepped outside.
Then Samaria’s text.
By nine the next morning, somebody was banging on her front door.
Zaviyah sat up.
“What the fuck?”
Kyren was still asleep beside her.
Another bang.
“Hold on!”
She grabbed her robe and walked down the hallway.
If that was Kavon again, she was calling the damn police.
She looked through the peephole.
Samaria.
Her heart dropped.
Zaviyah opened the door.
Samaria walked right past her.
“Good morning to you too.”
“Where is he?”
Zaviyah frowned.
“Who?”
“Don’t play with me.”
“I’m not.”
“Kavon.”
“He’s not here.”
Samaria looked around.
Zaviyah’s eyebrows lifted.
“Bitch.”
“What?”
“Are you checking my house?”
“I asked a question.”
“And I answered.”
Samaria walked toward the kitchen.
Zaviyah followed.
“You really think I got that man laid up in here?”
“I don’t know what the fuck to think about you right now.”
That hurt.
Zaviyah folded her arms.
“Well, think better.”
Samaria turned.
“Excuse me?”
“I said think better.”
“You fucked my man.”
“Before he was your fucking man!”
“You had his baby!”
“I DIDN’T KNOW!”
Kyren started crying down the hallway.
Both sisters stopped.
Zaviyah closed her eyes.
“Great.”
She turned.
Samaria grabbed her arm.
“Wait.”
Zaviyah looked down.
Samaria released her.
“Does he know?”
Zaviyah hesitated.
Samaria laughed.
“Wow.”
“He suspects.”
“Suspects?”
“He saw Kyren.”
Samaria’s face went blank.
“When?”
Zaviyah swallowed.
“Last night.”
Silence.
Samaria stared at her.
“At the lounge?”
“No.”
“Then where?”
Zaviyah didn’t answer quickly enough.
Samaria’s face changed.
“Where did Kavon see Kyren?”
“Mari.”
“WHERE?”
“My house.”
Samaria stepped backward.
“You had that nigga here?”
“He showed up!”
“Of course he did.”
“I told him not to!”
“But he came anyway.”
“Yes.”
“And you let him in?”
“No.”
“You just said he saw Kyren.”
“On the porch.”
Samaria laughed.
It was ugly.
“So after I broke up with him, he came straight to your fucking house.”
Zaviyah froze.
“He told me y’all broke up.”
“Did he tell you why?”
“Because of what happened.”
“No.”
Samaria’s eyes filled.
“I asked him if he still had feelings for you.”
Zaviyah’s stomach tightened.
“What did he say?”
“He said he didn’t know.”
Silence.
Zaviyah stared at her sister.
“Mari.”
“No.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Would it matter?”
“Yes!”
“Why?”
“Because you’re my sister!”
“Apparently that didn’t matter in Tampa.”
Zaviyah’s temper snapped.
“STOP SAYING THAT!”
Samaria froze.
“Tampa happened before you!”
“I know!”
“Then stop acting like I flew over there specifically to fuck your future boyfriend!”
“That ain’t what I’m mad about!”
“Then what the fuck are you mad about?”
“EVERYTHING!”
Kyren started crying harder.
“Auntie!”
Samaria’s face broke.
That shut both of them up.
“Auntie!”
Samaria wiped her eyes.
Zaviyah stared at her.
“Go get him.”
Samaria shook her head.
“You go.”
“He’s calling you.”
“I can’t.”
“Mari.”
“I said I can’t.”
“Why?”
Samaria looked toward the hallway.
“Because now when I look at him, I see Kavon.”
Zaviyah’s chest cracked open.
“That’s fucked up.”
“I know.”
“He didn’t do anything.”
“I KNOW!”
“Then don’t punish my baby.”
“I’m not trying to!”
Kyren cried again.
“Auntie!”
Samaria covered her mouth.
Zaviyah walked past her.
“I got him.”
She reached the bedroom.
Kyren was sitting in the middle of the bed crying.
“Hey.”
“Auntie.”
“She’s here.”
Kyren held up his arms.
Zaviyah picked him up.
“She coming.”
Kyren sniffled.
“Auntie Mari?”
“Yes.”
Zaviyah carried him toward the kitchen.
The second he saw Samaria, he reached for her.
“Auntie!”
Samaria broke.
Completely.
She grabbed him from Zaviyah and hugged him.
“My baby.”
Kyren wrapped his little arms around her neck.
Samaria cried into his shoulder.
Zaviyah looked away.
She couldn’t watch.
Kyren pulled back and touched Samaria’s face.
“You cry?”
Samaria laughed through her tears.
“A little.”
“Mama cry too.”
Zaviyah turned.
“Why you telling my business?”
Kyren pointed at her.
“Mama say fuck.”
Samaria stared.
Then laughed.
A real laugh.
Zaviyah pointed at him.
“Snitch.”
“Fuck.”
Samaria’s eyes widened.
“ZAVIYAH!”
“I told him truck!”
Samaria laughed harder.
For about thirty seconds, they were sisters again.
Then Samaria looked at Kyren.
Really looked at him.
Her smile slowly disappeared.
Zaviyah saw it.
Samaria touched his cheek.
His dimple.
His eyebrows.
His nose.
Kyren frowned.
“What?”
“Nothing, baby.”
Samaria kissed his forehead.
Then she looked at Zaviyah.
“He really does look like him.”
Zaviyah swallowed.
“I know.”
“You knew before last night?”
“No.”
“How?”
“Because I hadn’t seen Kavon since Tampa.”
Samaria looked back at Kyren.
“Who did you think his daddy was?”
Zaviyah hesitated.
Samaria caught it.
“Who?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It mattered last night.”
“Mari.”
“Who else could be Kyren’s father?”
Zaviyah walked toward the kitchen.
“I don’t wanna do this.”
Samaria followed with Kyren on her hip.
“Well, we doing it.”
“Not in front of him.”
Samaria looked at Kyren.
“You right.”
She put him down.
“Go get your trucks.”
“Juice?”
Both sisters answered.
“No.”
Kyren frowned.
“Damn.”
Zaviyah’s mouth dropped open.
Samaria slowly turned toward her.
“Girl.”
“I didn’t teach him that one.”
Kyren ran toward his room.
Samaria waited until he disappeared.
Then she looked at Zaviyah.
“Who else?”
Zaviyah sighed.
“There was somebody I was dealing with before Tampa.”
“Name.”
“Why?”
“Because if Kavon is about to take a DNA test, you need to know who the other possibility is.”
“I know who he is.”
“Who?”
Zaviyah rubbed her forehead.
“His name is Rashaad.”
Samaria went still.
Zaviyah immediately noticed.
“What?”
Samaria said nothing.
“Mari.”
“You mean Rashaad Bell?”
Zaviyah’s stomach tightened.
“How you know his last name?”
Samaria stared at her.
“You gotta be fucking kidding me.”
“What?”
“Rashaad from Dillard Park?”
Zaviyah nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
Samaria laughed.
“Girl.”
“What?”
“That nigga got married last year.”
Zaviyah frowned.
“Okay?”
“To Jalisa.”
Silence.
Zaviyah blinked.
“Your friend Jalisa?”
“Yes.”
“The one who introduced you to Kavon?”
“Yes.”
Zaviyah stared at her sister.
Samaria stared back.
Then Zaviyah sat down.
“You lying.”
“I wish I was.”
“Jalisa married Rashaad?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“You don’t know shit apparently.”
“Damn!”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, you ain’t.”
“I’m a little sorry.”
Zaviyah rubbed her face.
This shit was getting ridiculous.
Samaria sat across from her.
“Were you still sleeping with Rashaad when you went to Tampa?”
“No.”
“How long before?”
“Maybe a month.”
“And Kavon?”
“On the trip.”
Samaria nodded.
“So either one could be Kyren’s daddy.”
“Technically.”
“Did you ever tell Rashaad?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because we were done.”
“That don’t mean he wasn’t the daddy.”
“I know.”
“Viyah.”
“What?”
“Why the fuck didn’t you test either one?”
Zaviyah looked at her.
“Test who? I couldn’t find Kavon and Rashaad had already told me he was getting back with his ex.”
Samaria frowned.
“Jalisa?”
“I guess.”
“You didn’t know her then?”
“No.”
Samaria leaned back.
“This some Fort Lauderdale shit.”
Zaviyah laughed despite herself.
“Apparently.”
Samaria’s face became serious again.
“Do the test.”
Zaviyah looked at her.
“With Kavon?”
“Yes.”
“You sure?”
“No.”
That answer hurt.
Samaria wiped her face.
“But I need to know too.”
“Why?”
“Because if that’s his baby.”
She stopped.
Zaviyah waited.
Samaria looked toward Kyren’s bedroom.
“If that’s Kavon’s son, then this shit ain’t going away.”
“No.”
“And if it’s Rashaad’s?”
Zaviyah sighed.
“Then we got a different fucking problem.”
Samaria laughed bitterly.
“Jalisa gonna lose her shit.”
“She doesn’t need to know anything until I know.”
“I agree.”
Zaviyah stared at her sister.
“You agreeing with me?”
“Don’t get excited.”
Zaviyah smiled a little.
Samaria didn’t.
“Me and you are not okay.”
The smile disappeared.
“I know.”
“I love you.”
Zaviyah’s eyes filled.
“I love you too.”
“But I don’t trust you right now.”
That hurt worse than the slap.
Zaviyah nodded.
“I understand.”
“And Kavon?”
“What about him?”
Samaria’s eyes narrowed.
“You stay away from him unless it’s about Kyren.”
Zaviyah stared at her.
“Mari.”
“I mean it.”
“You don’t have to tell me that.”
“Yes, I do.”
“No, you fucking don’t.”
“Then prove it.”
Zaviyah’s face hardened.
“I never wanted your man.”
“Maybe.”
“No. Not maybe.”
“You fucked him once.”
“BEFORE YOU!”
“And according to him, it wasn’t just fucking.”
Zaviyah froze.
Samaria watched her face.
“What did he say?”
Zaviyah asked.
“He said y’all spent the whole weekend together.”
Zaviyah said nothing.
“He said you ate together.”
Nothing.
“Went to the beach.”
Nothing.
“Stayed up talking.”
Zaviyah looked away.
Samaria laughed softly.
“There it is.”
“What?”
“That face.”
“It doesn’t mean anything.”
“He remembers you.”
“It was three days.”
“So?”
“So people remember vacations.”
“Does he remember everybody he fucked on vacation?”
Zaviyah had no answer.
Samaria nodded.
“Exactly.”
A knock hit the front door.
Both sisters froze.
Zaviyah looked at the clock.
10:17.
Samaria looked at her.
“You expecting somebody?”
“No.”
Another knock.
Zaviyah stood.
“If that’s him.”
Samaria stood too.
“Mari.”
“If that’s Kavon, I swear to God.”
“Stay here.”
Zaviyah walked toward the door.
She looked through the peephole.
Her stomach dropped.
Not Kavon.
Worse.
She opened the door halfway.
“Rashaad?”
Rashaad Bell stood on her porch.
Same light brown skin.
Same low haircut.
Same pretty boy smile that used to get on Zaviyah’s damn nerves.
He looked her up and down.
“Damn, Viyah.”
She tightened her robe.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
His smile disappeared.
“Jalisa called me.”
Zaviyah’s stomach twisted.
“Why?”
“She said Samaria called her asking questions about me.”
Zaviyah slowly turned her head.
Samaria stood behind her.
“Bitch.”
Samaria lifted her hands.
“I only asked when they got together.”
“You called her already?”
“I needed dates!”
Rashaad frowned.
“Dates for what?”
Nobody answered.
He looked from one sister to the other.
“What the fuck going on?”
Then Kyren came running down the hallway holding a toy truck.
“Auntie!”
Rashaad’s eyes landed on him.
Everything changed.
Zaviyah saw the exact moment he started counting.
Kyren stopped beside her.
Rashaad stared.
Then looked at Zaviyah.
“When was he born?”
Zaviyah closed her eyes.
“Not today.”
Rashaad stepped closer.
“Zaviyah.”
“Rashaad, go home.”
“When was your son born?”
Samaria whispered behind her.
“Oh, shit.”
Zaviyah turned.
“You not helping.”
Rashaad stared at Kyren again.
Then at her.
His voice dropped.
“Is that little nigga mine?”
Zaviyah covered her face.
Because apparently every possible father in Broward County had decided to show the fuck up before breakfast.