Chapter 18 #2
“Mommy, mommy I sowyyy, I lovee youuu,” Sunshyne laughed as I continued to tickle her. We both were so caught up in our moment that we didn’t hear anything else around us.
“I’m happy to see y’all in this muthafucka livin’ y’all’s best life.” Mikael’s deep voice echoed through my skoolie.
He stood in front while Marlo was behind him looking concerned the turned to annoyance.
“Unky!” Sunshyne broke free from me hopping off the bed running towards Mikael full force. “I missed youuu!”
“I missed you more.” He said scooping Sunshyne off her feet hugging her tightly. “I’m tryna figure out why ya big-faced mammy being weird,” Mikael glared at me placing Sunshyne back on the ground.
“We weren’t feeling good,” I quickly lied sitting on my knees in the middle of my bed. Marlo stared at me intensely, but I refused to look him in the eyes.
“So why you ain’t been answering ya phone or the door,” Marlo rudely questioned me.
“I told you I wasn’t feeling good.” My eyes shot down to my fingers. I couldn’t look Marlo in the face and lie to him. He could read me like a book, he would know I was lying as soon as our eyes met.
“I feel good,” Sunshyne happily said and I wanted to pinch her snitching ass. “Can you take me to my fwends Unky?” Sunshyne batted her eyes at Mikael.
“They outside in Lo’s car let’s go see them.” Mikael said and my eyes shot up to him. He winked at me then grabbed Sunshyne’s hand and lead them off the bus.
Leaving me and Marlo alone and I was scared shitless for some reason. As soon as the door shut Marlo walked over to me stopping at the edge of my bed.
“What the fuck is wrong with you…and think long and hard before you lie to me again. Cause I ain’t goin’ for you lying to my face twice.”
“I’m okay Marlo, I am.” I tried to say with a straight face, I still couldn’t look him in the eyes.
“Lie to me again Solana, can’t nothing keep me from getting in ya ass.” He gave me a death glare, daring me to lie again. He wanted me to lie so he’d have a reason to do something to me.
Stubbornly I sat there weighing my options on whether I wanted to tell Marlo or keep my mouth shut.
I didn’t even know why I didn’t want to tell him.
I guess I didn’t want him to pity me or feel bad for me.
Marlo would want to help me fix all my problems and as bad as I wanted to let him, it wasn't his responsibility. He didn’t have to save me every time I had an issue.
He wasn’t my man; he didn't owe me anything. But even if I tried to explain my reasoning to Marlo he wouldn’t listen to anything I had to say. He’d only hear what he wanted to hear.
I smacked my lips annoyed because I knew I only had one option and that was to tell Marlo the truth. He would eventually find out somehow. “Somebody called child services on me, and they were at Sunshyne’s school.” I blurted out everything and Marlo didn’t flinch. He looked unfazed by my words.
“What you scared for?” Marlo asked through squinted eyes.
“What you mean?” I replied feeling offended that he was acting like this wasn’t a big deal.
“I’m sayin’ you scared for what? You take care of Sunshyne right?” I nodded my head Yes in reply. “She don’t want for shit, she got clothes on her back, shoes on her feet and food in her belly. Y’all got a place to lay y’all’s head?”
“Yeah,” I lowly replied twirling my thumbs together. For some reason hearing Marlo speak I felt silly for being worried. When I had nothing to be worried about.
“So, what the fuck you scared for?”
I shrugged my shoulders, hating how goofy I felt for having doubt in my ability to take care of Sunshyne. “I guess, dealing with this by myself made me nervous…”
“Fuck that, you wanted to deal with this shit alone cause you wanted to. You know you should have come to me,” He grunted at me with his lip turned up angrily.
“For what though? I’m not your problem. It’s not your responsibility to fix all my problems. I can fix my own issues sometimes.” I was annoyed as I finally met his angry gaze.
“You sound dumb as fuck! If you got somebody willing to help ya stupid ass out take the shit!” He yelled at me, raising his voice at me.
“I don’t need your fucking pity!” I screamed right back at him. Marlo had me fucked up if he thought he was going to make me feel bad for protecting myself and my child. He couldn’t always be there for me, and I wasn’t about to set myself up for failure depending on anybody.
“I ain’t never pitied ya silly ass until now.
God damn, how many more times do I have to tell you I got you and Imma always be there for you ‘til you believe that shit? Ion want shit from you Solana but to be there for you. Fuck, you really think Imma let anybody take Sunshyne from you. You know me better than that. I’m annoyed as fuck with you cause I should have been the first person you called.
Yet you hiding from me.” Marlo’s eyes bored into mine and my heart sped up.
“Marlo,” I breathlessly said, my shoulders dropping in defeat. I had so many words I wanted to say but nothing came out of my mouth.
“Ion wanna hear shit else unless it’s an apology,” He grunted angrily.
“Apology? For what?”
“Keepin’ shit from me. We don’t do that,” Marlo said pulling me into a deep hug that I needed.
The next thing I knew I was crying in Marlo’s arms and he held me, consoling me as I cried like a baby.
“It’s gonna be alright I got you.” Marlo tenderly stroked my back while he was rocking me in his arms.
I hated this was my safe space but there was nothing I could do about it.
Being in Marlo’s arms easily wiped away any fears I had.
He gave me the extra reassurance to know everything was going to be alright.
With Marlo I was in a sticky situation that I saw no end to anytime soon.
If I was being truthful I didn’t want it to ever end.
Marlo was becoming a permanent fixture in my life that I never wanted to lose.
I knew everything he had with him was a recipe for disaster. But disasters could be beautiful…Right?