5. Kase Madoxx #2
I stayed with shawty at the bar for a minute, nursed my drink, and pretended I was good.
But truth be told, she was doin’ too much.
Laughin’ loud, touchin’ too much, talkin’ ‘bout stuff I ain’t even asked her.
And with my emotions still all over the place about my pops, I couldn’t fake it no more.
I needed air. I needed peace. I needed to clear my head before I snapped on somebody who ain’t deserve it.
And the only person, besides my brother, I felt comfortable talkin’ to with my suit still on and my guard halfway down was Blyss.
So I hit her line. She ain’t ask no questions.
Just met me at the park like she already knew I needed her.
“Hey, is everything okay?” she asked, giving me a hug.
“Not really.”
She didn’t let go right away, just held me there for a second like she could feel the storm in my chest.
“Okay,” she said gently. “Do you wanna talk about it? It might make you feel better.”
I sat down on the bench, elbows on my knees, staring out at nothin’.
“It’s my pops,” I muttered. I went off at lunch.”
“Oh, I see. What happened?” she asked.
“That man... he ain’t never been shit. And I ain’t sayin’ that to be petty. That’s just the truth.”
She sat next to me but didn’t say a word, just listened.
“He wasn’t no dad. Not to me, not to Jace. Just a man who showed up when he felt like it and disappeared when it mattered most. Only time he came around was to talk slick or tell me I wasn’t enough. Said I was too soft. Too sensitive. Like bein’ human made me weak.”
I rubbed the back of my neck, jaw tight. “And now? Now he wanna show up actin’ like he’s proud. Like he got a seat at the table he ain’t helped build.”
I looked over at her. “Truth is… every time I see that man, I feel like that lil boy again. The one who used to wait on the porch thinkin’ maybe this time he’d actually show up.”
I chuckled, but it wasn’t funny. “He never did.”
“I know he played baseball,” she said softly. “Maybe… the game kept him away.”
I laughed, bitter, no humor. “Man, fuck that.”
Blyss’ eyes widened, caught off guard, but I wasn’t done.
“He wasn’t too busy chasin’ no dream. He was too busy cheatin’. Dippin’ off with women that wasn’t my moms, throwin’ empty promises at kids that wasn’t his. Tellin’ them they could be somebody while he left me feelin’ like I was nobody.”
My throat tightened, but I kept talkin’. “I can’t stand him, Blyss. I hate how I still want him to be proud, even after all this time. That’s the part that messes me up the most.”
I turned to her, eyes dark. “He the reason I got commitment issues. The reason I keep people at a distance and ruin shit before it even start. ‘Cause deep down, I don’t trust nobody gon’ stay.
I was trained by his absence, taught by his silence.
And now I’m out here tryna be a man, tryna run a business, tryna figure out my heart, and all I got is his damn shadow followin’ me. ”
She gave a small smile, but it wasn’t pity.
“You sound human. I understand,” she said.
“My parents died when I was in seventh grade. My dad had a heart attack at work, and my mom rushed to be with him. On the way to the hospital, she crashed. She died at the scene, and my father, he passed a few hours later.”
She looked down, fidgeting with her fingers.
“I ended up with my aunt and uncle. Tuesday’s parents.
They were good people, real good. Gave us everything.
Sent us to the best schools. Bought us clothes, took us on trips.
But it never filled that hole. I still missed my parents. I still wanted more time.”
I watched her as she spoke, feeling every word settle under my skin.
“Damn,” I whispered. “That’s… heavy.”
She nodded. “It was. It still is.”
I took a breath, voice low. “See, that’s the difference between me and you. Your pain come from love. From losin’ people who loved you. Mine? Mine come from bein’ invisible to somebody who was still alive.”
I looked at her straight in the eyes. “Sometimes I wish my pops was dead, so I’d have a better excuse for why he ain’t show up.”
The words hit me just as hard as they hit her. “Shit, why did I just say that out loud?”
Blyss didn’t flinch. She didn’t pull back.
“Because it’s the truth,” she said. “And you needed to hear it just as much as I did.”
I stared at her for a beat, chest tight, mind spiraling.
“What the hell is wrong with me today?” I muttered again. “Why do I feel like I’m unravelin’?”
She smiled, tears in her eyes this time. “Maybe because for once… you’re letting yourself feel and be truthful without holding back. ”
She gave a small smile, but it wasn’t pity. “You sound human.”
Without warning, I pulled Blyss into a hug.
She didn’t tense up. Didn’t ask questions.
Just melted into me like she knew I needed that more than air.
She smelled good too, like vanilla and some kind of soft magic.
And for a second, the noise in my head quieted down.
We started walking, slow and aimless. It didn’t even matter where we were going.
Then we spotted a hot dog standing up ahead.
My stomach growled like it had beef with me, so we grabbed a couple and headed over to the pond.
Blyss kicked off her shoes and sat cross-legged, takin’ little bites while I tore mine up like I hadn’t eaten in days.
She started tossing pieces of her bun into the water, and next thing I knew, a crew of ducks pulled up like she was the damn queen. She laughed, all soft and even snorted.
“Look at them waddlin’ over here like I got a buffet.”
I chuckled. “You do. They out here eatin’ better than me.”
Then, some old-ass man with a fishing hat and some ugly orthopedic sandals, marchin’ over like we disturbed his peace.
“Ma’am, you shouldn’t feed the wildlife. It throws off their natural behavior,” he scolded, all tight-faced and righteous.
Blyss got startled. “Oh, I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”
I stood up , hot dog still in my hand, and eyes locked on the suck ass bitch.
“Nah. Don’t talk to her like that,” I spoke through my gritted teeth.
He squinted at me, clearly not expecting pushback. “I’m just informing her of the rules?—”
“You don’t speak to her, you don’t look at her, and you damn sure don’t approach her when she’s with me. That clear?”
“Kase—” Blyss tried to touch my arm, but I was already locked in.
“You got a badge, old man? Or just a pair of opinions and too much time?”
His eyes widened. “There’s no need to be aggressive, young man.”
I stepped forward. “Then watch your tone. She wasn’t hurtin’ nobody. Just lettin’ some birds eat a piece of bread, not settin’ off fireworks.”
Blyss tugged at my sleeve gently. “It’s okay. I’m not mad.”
I looked down at her, breathing hard. Then back at the old man, who clearly regretted waddling over more than the ducks did. He mumbled something about “young folks these days” and scurried off, defeated. I sat back down, still tense as Blyss laughed under her breath.
“You really were ready to throw hands for me, over ducks.”
“I’m just sayin’. Ain’t nobody gon’ talk sideways to you while I’m sittin’ right there.”
She leaned her head on my shoulder. “Well… thank you, Captain Duck Defender.”
I smirked. “Don’t play with me. I’ll fight for pond rights again if I gotta.”
The two of us kept talking. Just vibin’, slow and easy like time didn’t matter.
Every now and then, we’d fall quiet, then start back up again like we didn’t want the moment to end.
She’d say something soft, I’d tell her something real.
I was always honest, but never this much.
Never this open. It was like the words kept finding their way outta me…
even the ones I thought I buried. But she never judged.
Simply just listened. I couldn’t explain why, but being near her made me feel lighter.
Like maybe I wasn’t as messed up as I thought.
Truth was, I ain’t never felt safer with anybody other than my mom and brother.
I ain’t know what was happening to me. I just knew it felt real.