Chapter Twenty-Two.
A few days later.
Caresha didn’t know what was wrong with her.
Clearly, good dick had clouded her judgment.
There was no other logical explanation for why she was seated in the passenger seat of Danger’s Benz after her horrific accident.
Yet, there she was, on her way to visit Crown and Nivéa with him.
They were chillin’ at her place when he came up with the idea, and she went along, happy to see her sister and godbaby.
Texting her mama, Caresha told her she was fine, going to bed early, and just needed some time alone so she didn’t have to come over when she got off.
Danger had her lying like she was a teenager…
sneaking off to be with him while her mama was at work.
But she didn’t want Carla to worry that she was out and about, especially with him. So, she had to do what she had to do.
“You good, baby?” He asked, taking a pull from his blunt as he cruised through the city.
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
“You sho’? You real quiet over there. What you thinking about?”
“Nothing, baby.” Caresha lied.
As Lil Baby poured from the speakers, she glanced out the window, watching the city pass by with so many things on her mind.
So many questions. Why was she still dealing with a man who lived such a dangerous lifestyle that it had almost gotten her killed?
Why was she still dealing with him when he’d already shown her that he had communication issues?
Caresha couldn’t stand that flaw in a man.
Then there was her new job offer. What was she going to do about that?
She knew what Danger wanted from her and what he had promised her.
But was she really willing to go against everything she believed in and stay put for a nigga she’d just met?
That wasn’t typically her style. Caresha liked making her own moves and betting on herself.
“You still mad at me?”
“Sort of.” Caresha kept it real.
“Well, what I gotta do to make it right?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know yet. But you definitely can’t ever handle me the way you did again. I wanna be clear about that. Don’t let me forgiving you make you think I’m somebody you can play with or that you can do it again.”
“I know that, ma. I won’t ever do that shit again. I’ma communicate with you.”
“And the drinking and smoking when we going through stuff ain’t gon’ work for me either. It fucks your head up. It makes you cold. Don’t turn to a fuckin’ substance for nothing. You turn to me, especially considering your past with coke.”
“Aight, baby. I got you. No drinking. No smoking.”
“Mmhmm.”
Danger didn’t like her being upset with him.
He quickly put out his blunt, tucked it behind his ear, then reached over and took hold of her hand.
His ass was in the hot seat and was desperately trying to get out of it.
He kissed her hand before caressing it with his thumb.
Eventually, he softened Caresha up. She couldn’t help but rest her head on his shoulder, wincing.
“You took your medicine before we left the crib, right?”
“Yep, it should be kicking in soon.”
Nodding, Danger’s hand moved from hers to the top of her head, massaging her scalp while his other hand gripped the steering wheel.
Now and then, he would kiss her forehead as he pushed his whip.
He made it to his brother’s home in no time, pulling into the wrap-around driveway and parking behind his Maybach that he hadn’t even driven since it came out.
Crown’s shit looked like a fucking dealership.
Danger hopped out and carefully helped Caresha out of the car.
When he looked up, he noticed Nivéa was already coming out of the house with a big smile.
“Hey, D.”
“Sup, sis?”
“Nothing, just was waiting on y’all. You been taking care of my sister?”
“Fasho.”
“Hey, sis.” Caresha cautiously looped her arm into Nivéa’s.
“Hey, my love.” Nivéa kissed her cheek as they headed inside. “I love the bag, bitch. Look at you.”
“Thanks. Dee bought it for me.” Caresha had gotten dick down and came off that attitude, proudly rocking her Chanel.
“Sup, bro.” Danger spoke to Crown, who was seated on the couch holding Nyla.
“Sup,” Crown chunked up his head, glancing at Caresha. “You good, Reesh?”
“Hey, Crown. I’m okay.”
“I’m happy to hear that. Real talk. I’m so sorry that shit happened. Mama been praying for you.”
“Awe, I appreciate it.”
Caresha attempted to lean down to hug him, but Crown shot up from the couch. “Nah, hold up.” He said, leaning in to hug her. He didn’t want her bending.
Smiling, Caresha hugged him, then spoke to Nyla, kissing all over her face. “Look at nanny’s stink. Hi, pretty girl. Me miss you so much.” She put her arms out to get her, but Nivéa stopped her.
“Aht aht. Don’t even think about it, heffa. You can’t hold her right now. You’re still sore. Come on.” She said, walking her toward the theater room.
Danger walked over to Crown, and they slapped hands.
“I see you handled ya business.” Crown told him, hinting at Caresha.
“You already know.” Danger took a seat, his attention going to Nyla. “Let me hold her.”
“Nigga, say what?” Crown eyed him like he’d just grown three heads.
Danger smacked his lips and leaned back against the couch, tossing one arm across the back. “Ole protective ass. Come on, bro. How she ever gon’ get to know Uncle D if you always guarding her and shit?”
Crown stared at his brother for a moment before glancing down at his baby girl. He kissed the top of her head, not liking the idea of her leaving his arms.
“I’ll kill you over this one, nigga.”
“Shiddd, don’t I know it. Apparently, I’ll kill a mu’fucka too. Almost put a hole in that nigga Boe’s head at the market. Ain’t that right, baby girl?” Danger said with a devilish grin. “And if it wasn’t for you present, I would have.”
He and Crown chuckled.
“Go wash them hands and grab a shirt from my room. You ain’t touching mine smelling like weed.”
Danger kissed his teeth. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. But Crown didn’t relent; he was serious. Dead ass. He wasn’t releasing Nyla until Danger followed the rules.
“Man, come on.”
“Go. I ain’t playing.”
Danger sighed before shooting up and heading upstairs. By the time he came back down dressed in one of Crown’s white tees, Kerri had made her way to the living room.
“Hey, son,” she spoke. “I didn’t know you and Reesh were coming by.”
“Yeah, last minute.”
“Y’all made up, huh?”
“Yep.”
“I know that’s right. Do better.”
Nodding, Danger pulled his mother into his arms, and something about the way she hugged him made him pause.
Kerri held him a little tighter and longer than usual.
Just like she knew them well, they knew her.
She tended to let her hugs linger when she was feeling emotional about something pertaining to them.
“You aight?”
“Yeah, just a little sleepy. I was taking a nap before I heard your loud-ass car pulling up.” Kerri lied to throw him off. She had a lot of shit on her mind and was nowhere near tired.
“My fault.” Danger chuckled before refocusing on Nyla. “Aight, hand her here, bro.”
“Oh, Lord. You holding the baby?” Kerri asked skeptically.
“Why everybody questioning me like I’m incapable of holding a baby?”
“You so rough. Sit yo’ butt down and put your arms up. Make sure you hold her head.”
Danger waved them off, irritated by all the instructions. He was sure he had this as he reached over and carefully took Nyla from Crown. She squirmed in his arms, her little body wiggling as she gazed up into his eyes. Then she kicked her tiny feet.
“Yeah, you know ya daddy, huh?” Crown said with a proud smirk.
Nyla had been perfectly content in his arms, and now she seemed determined to make sure everybody knew she preferred him.
Danger shook his head at Crown, then looked back down at Nyla.
“Look at you,” he said, smirking. “You done got chunkier since I first met you.”
Nyla stared up at him, her eyes moving between his face and the space around them. Then out of nowhere, her bottom lip trembled, indicating she was about to cry.
“Oh, nah. You good. Don’t cry.” Danger lightly rubbed his thumb across the back of her tiny hand, rocking her.
“You know who I am, right? Uncle D. I’m the fun one. Your pops gon’ have you on a schedule and shit, but me? We gon’ have some fun.”
“Don’t be filling her head with no bullshit.” Crown cut his eyes at him.
Danger laughed. “She ain’t even old enough to understand me yet.”
“Don’t matter.”
Danger ignored him, grinning down at Nyla. She made a small sound, her little hands opening and closing as she cooed.
“Ooh, you talking to me now? What you saying? You telling me pops be getting on your nerves?”
Nyla cooed more loudly, as if he were right, drawing a laugh from Kerri.
“I knew it.” Danger looked over at Crown with a smug grin. “You really be getting on her nerves, too, on the cool.”
Crown waved him off. Meanwhile, Kerri stood to the side, smiling. She loved the men her boys were becoming.
Danger looked back down at Nyla, his expression softening. He carefully adjusted her against his chest, supporting her head as he had seen Crown and Nivéa do on occasion.
“You got your uncle, D. Ain’t nobody gon’ mess with you. You hear me?”
Nyla stared up at him, blinking slowly before breaking out into a half smile.
“Ah, shit. Peep her.” Danger was so proud as he tapped Crown’s shoulder. “Me and her already locked in.”
“Whatever, nigga.” Jealous, Crown hopped off the couch and went to grab his bottled water from the fridge. But he couldn’t front…part of him was happy about his little brother bonding with his baby.
Meanwhile, inside the theater room, Nivéa and Caresha caught up while watching a movie.
Nivéa had already had the flat iron ready before they got there, and now she was straightening Caresha’s hair.
Normally, Caresha did their heads, but with her down bad right now, Nivéa had to take over and get her girl right.
She wanted to make sure Caresha was okay mentally after everything that had happened.
She knew looking good couldn’t heal the physical trauma she’d been through, but if she could do something as simple as getting her hair right, maybe Caresha would feel a little better when she looked in the mirror.
Sometimes, a girl just needed to feel like herself again.
And Nivéa was going to do whatever she could to help her get there.
“So, you and D good now?”
Caresha shrugged. “Something like that.”
Nivéa nodded, understanding that. “You scared?”
“Yeah, a little. But I do care about him, so…”
“I feel you. Definitely understand.” Nivéa sighed. “Wish I could give you good, wholesome advice, but girl, I done fucked around and married the Crown Knight. Who am I to preach and judge?”
They snickered as Nivéa went over a section of her hair.
“What Mama talking about now? She knows y’all back rocking?” She asked when she noticed Caresha had paused and picked up her phone, texting Carla.
“Baby, please. Carla ain’t about to have me committed to the psych ward.
I ain’t told her nothing. Literally sneaking and hiding with this nigga like I’m sixteen again.
Every night she falls asleep on the couch, and I’m bringing him through the window.
She won’t stay away. Dee refuses to stay away. Lawd.”
Nivéa laughed so hard her tummy started hurting. “Not you sneaking him through the window.”
“Yes, girl. It’s crazy. Sneaking him in my own shit. Tonight, I had to tell her I just need some time alone. I think I hurt her feelings, but she says she understands. I don’t know. I feel bad.”
“Well, I think you’re just trying to figure everything out and truly do need some space. Just make sure you make it up to her. Maybe take her out to eat and to see a movie when you’re healed. She almost lost you. I feel her pain.”
“Yeah…you right.” Caresha nodded.
“So why were you and D fighting? You ready to tell me?”
“Nope.”
“Bitch, don’t play with me.”
Caresha laughed, then sighed heavily as she stared at the massive screen ahead.
“I’m listening. No judgment zone. Come on. Spit it out.” Nivéa pushed.
“I got a job offer in North Carolina. I told him about it, and he felt some kind of way about me leaving. And instead of telling me that, he distanced himself and became an asshole.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Nivéa paused, setting the flat iron down and stepping in front of her best friend. “You got a job offer where?”
Caresha stared at her, sympathetically. She already knew this was about to hit Nivéa hard.
Another perfect day had just gone sour in their world, and Caresha couldn’t even blame her for reacting that way.
She would’ve initially felt the same. They had never been apart, not really.
For as long as they could remember, they’d always had each other close enough to call, pull up on, or meet for whatever they needed.
And now, North Carolina meant distance, starting over, and possibly changing the friendship they’d always known.