Chapter 8 Neha
A FEW DAYS LATER
My phone had been going off in my pocket for the last two minutes.
I was trying to finish up a meeting with a client, and it just wouldn’t stop.
Finally, deciding that it must have been important, I ended the meeting early and headed back to my office.
On the walk over, I pulled out my phone to see that it was Nayelli’s school. I quickly returned the call.
“Ms. Malone?”
“Principal Joe. What is it? Is Nayelli okay?”
“She’s fine. I have some upsetting news, however. Nayelli got into a fight at recess.”
“What!”
“Apparently, another student pushed her off the swings—”
“I don’t need to hear anything else. I’m on my way.”
I hung up the phone and sprinted to my office to grab my purse and keys.
After letting my supervisor know I had a family emergency, I headed to my car, then the school.
It took me no time to breeze through midday traffic.
I just knew it had to be those same little girls that had been fucking with her.
Pulling into the parking lot, I threw the car in park and jumped out, heading inside.
When I stepped into the front office, I saw Nayelli sitting on one side of the office and another little girl glaring at her from the other side.
The other child in question was holding a bloody tissue to her nose, and her hair was all over the place.
My baby, however, didn’t have a scratch on her.
“Nayelli,” I said, sitting beside her. “What happened?”
She folded her arms and didn’t say anything to me. She’d been giving me attitude since she found out about Kerrion, and I was about at my wits’ end with her.
“Nayelli Malone.”
She looked at me, then over my head when the door to the office opened.
“Mr. K!”
She jumped from her seat and ran around me. I turned to see Kerrion walking into the front office, a scowl on his face. Who the fuck called him?
“You okay, baby girl?” he asked, checking her over.
“I’m fine.”
“What happened?”
“She pushed me, so I hit her.”
Kerrion looked over at the other little girl. “This one of the kids bullying you?”
“Yes, sir.”
He turned to the child. “I bet you won’t touch her again. Let that be a lesson in keeping your hands to your damn self.”
“Kerrion!” I hissed his name.
He turned to glare at me just as the principal’s door opened, and Mr. Joe stepped out.
He motioned for me to come in. Kerrion guided Nayelli back to her seat and followed me.
Principal Joe looked confused with this big man, who towered over both of us, walking into the room and closing the door.
Not only did he lock it, but he closed the blinds as well.
While I chose to take a seat, he stood with his arms crossed in front of him.
“Who are you?” Mr. Joe asked, confused.
“Kerrion Dillinger, Nayelli’s father.”
Principal Joe’s eyes widened, and I could see the fear in them. What the hell was going on, and why did he seem so afraid of this man?
“S-she’s a D-Dillinger?” he sputtered.
Kerrion smirked. “A Dillinger. So you can see how I’d be upset that my baby called me saying some little brat put their hands on her.”
Principal Joe cleared his throat. “If you will allow me to explain—”
“You ain’t talking fast enough!” Kerrion barked. “Hasn’t her mother been up here several times about my daughter being bullied by these little fuckers?”
“Y-yes—”
“And we’re still having the same problems?”
“Mr. Dillinger—”
The next thing I knew, Kerrion had grabbed him by his lapels and pulled him over the desk.
“Kerrion!” I exclaimed.
He tossed me a look that made me purse my lips.
“Let me make something very clear to you, Principal Joe. I don’t play about my kids.
This has been an ongoing problem, and where I wasn’t involved before, I am now.
That means you don’t want a problem with me should this bullying continue.
Now, because this has been an ongoing problem, I really feel like snapping your fucking neck, but I’m not gonna do that.
I’m gonna give you a chance to redeem yourself, so here’s what I’m gonna need you to do.
Inform your incompetent staff that if my daughter comes home any way other than the way she was sent here, all of you are gonna have a problem with me.
If you have a problem with me, then you know that means—the whole family is gonna get involved, and it will really be a shit show. You don’t want that, do you?”
“N-no.”
“No what?”
“No, sir.”
Kerrion tapped his cheek with a sinister grin on his face. “I’m glad we could come to an understanding.” He released Principal Joe and straightened his lapels. “Don’t let me have to come back here.”
“You won’t.”
Without another word, Kerrion unlocked the door and left the office. I sat there, stunned that he had really put his hands on this man. Principal Joe was visibly shaken after the encounter. He cleared his throat and adjusted his tie.
“I’m so sorry about all this, Ms. Malone. I assure you, there won’t be any further problems. You can take Nayelli home for the day if you would like.”
I stood and left the principal’s office.
When I walked out, Kerrion was standing outside the door with who I assumed to be the other little girl’s parents.
They, too, looked shaken up by him. The way he was speaking to them and the look on his face said he wasn’t playing any games with them.
I watched as they nodded frantically, agreeing with whatever he said.
When he came back into the front office, he had a frown on his face as he approached me.
“I need to be added to her paperwork. Now.”
I nodded, not putting up a fight with him there.
We both approached the secretary’s desk, and I told her what I needed.
It didn’t take long to fill out the forms to add him as another emergency contact, approved visitor, and on her approved list for pickups.
The secretary made haste in filing everything right in front of us, per Kerrion’s request. I decided to sign her out for the day.
“Come on, baby girl,” he said, reaching for Nayelli’s hand when we were done.
She eagerly went to him, and I followed behind them out of the front office. It was quiet as we made our way down the hall to grab her backpack from her class. The teacher gave us the rest of her work for the day, and we headed out of the school.
“I’m gonna take her for the day,” Kerrion told me as we walked to our cars.
I stopped. “What?”
“I’m taking her for the day. I’ll make sure she does her homework, and I’ll have her back by dinner.”
“Kerrion—”
He ignored me as he opened the front door of his truck and placed Nayelli inside. Closing the door, he turned to me.
“I’m not gonna argue with you. She’s my daughter, too, and I deserve to have time with her that isn’t under your watchful eye. She’s safe with me, Neha. I would never do anything to harm her.”
I wasn’t comfortable with this. My anxiety was already creeping in, and I didn’t like this feeling.
He and I barely had a conversation. Most of the communication with Nayelli was directly through her.
He’d been to the house three times this week, twice with his son.
Nayelli was happy with him, and he seemed happy with her.
I didn’t want to upset things any more than I already had.
“Fine,” I said, quietly.
He went into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. I watched as he fished out a credit card and handed it to me. Looking at the card, it had Nayelli’s name on it.
“What’s this?”
“I opened an account in her name. Whatever you need for her, get it. Ain’t no limit on this card.”
I looked down at the card, then back up at him before taking it. “T-thank you.”
“I don’t need thanks. I do for mine.” He opened Nayelli’s door. “Say bye to your mama, baby girl.”
She looked back at me with a blank expression. “Bye, Mom.”
I walked over to her and cupped her face.
“Mommy, stop!” she whined.
“Look at me, Nayelli,” I said firmly. She finally gave me her eyes. “Behave yourself. Call me if you need me. I love you.”
She sighed. “Okay, okay. Love you too.”
I stood there for a moment before closing the door and walking to my car. My phone chimed, and when I pulled it out, I saw that Kerrion had shared his location with me.
“You’ll know where she is at all times,” he simply said.
“Thank you.”
He nodded and hopped in the truck. The engine revved as he backed out the space and pulled off. I watched until they turned down the street. My heart was racing. I was nervous as hell, but I had to trust that he would take care of her. It wasn’t just Dinah, Nayelli, and me now.
Moving here was a risk, and that risk came knocking at my door.
“Wait! So he pulled that man over the desk!” Dinah exclaimed.
I’d just gotten home after going back to work.
She was in the kitchen cooking dinner when I went to grab a glass of wine to wind down for the day.
I texted her earlier to tell her that her niece got in a fight and was spending the rest of the day with her father.
She was shocked that I’d agreed to her going.
Technically, I hadn’t, but I really didn’t have a choice this time.
“Yes, girl. Like lifted his damn feet off the ground.”
“Shit. I love a man that doesn’t play about his kids. What did you do?”
“I didn’t have to do anything. He did all the talking. Principal Joe was so damn scared, I swear I think that man shit himself.”
Dinah laughed. “Well, I guess we shall see if she has any more problems. Beat that ass, Niece!”
“Dinah! You know how I feel about fighting.”
“I do, but sometimes you have to bully the bully. You wouldn’t let me go show my ass, so baby daddy handled it. Thank you, Mr. Dillinger.”
I rolled my eyes as I sipped my wine.
I had to admit, even though he went to the extreme, seeing him stand up for our daughter made me smile. She felt comfortable enough with him already to call him when she was in trouble. They’d been spending a lot of time together at the house. One day of him taking her wouldn’t hurt.
“Get outta your head, Sis,” Dinah said. “I’m sure Kerrion is a good father.
The way he’s shown up for Nayelli so quick speaks volumes.
Then, he has his son all the time. Only a slack ass mama would let the father have the kid, even if he isn’t good to them.
You see that little boy. His chunky self is fed, happy, and healthy.
I’m sure you don’t have anything to worry about when it comes to her. Y’all got those DNA tests back yet?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I knew what it would say, so I wasn’t nervous.”
I thought back to the day we took the test. I’d picked Nayelli up from school and met him at the testing site.
He’d looked at me with so much hatred in his eyes that day.
We’d filled out all the paperwork and gone through the process.
He’d held Nayelli’s hand while they drew her blood because she hated needles.
When it was over, he walked her to my car without saying a word to me.
Within twenty-four hours, we had the test results, and I had an email from his lawyer stating they were filing a motion to have her birth certificate amended.
I half expected him to request a name change.
He hadn’t yet, but if he did, I wouldn’t fight him on it.
There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that our daughter would eventually be a Dillinger.
The sound of the doorbell ringing broke my thoughts. I got up from my stool and went to open the door. Nayelli stepped in, with Kerrion behind her carrying a handful of bags.
I know this man didn’t take her shopping after today.
“It’s just clothes,” he said, noticing my gaze.
“Did she behave?”
“I don’t have behavior problems with kids.”
“Hmm.” I folded my arms. “Is her homework done?”
“Yeah. So is the take-home work.”
“Thank you. Go wash up for dinner, Nayelli.”
She turned to her father and hugged him tightly.
“Thank you for today, Mr. K.”
“No thanks needed, baby. Daddy’s got you. I love you.”
She smiled big like she did every time he told her that. He kissed her cheeks and handed her the bags. She skipped off upstairs, and he turned to leave. I followed him onto the front porch.
“Kerrion, can we talk?”
“If it ain’t about Nayelli, I don’t have shit to say.”
He kept walking down the step. I was right on his heels.
“Kerrion!” I said, touching his arm.
He jerked away as he turned around. “What!” he snapped.
“We have to talk about this. You need to understand—”
“Neha, ain’t nothing to understand.”
“Yes the fuck there is! I’m trying to tell you what happened.”
“You left and kept my child from me. That’s what happened. That’s all that matters.”
I scoffed. “Have you always been this fucking stubborn? Once upon a time, you listened to everything I had to say.”
“You really wanna take it there? I loved you, so yeah, I listened. That’s the difference between then and now. Right now, you’re looking like an enemy I’m forced to play nice with.”
“I’m not your enemy.”
“Well, you ain’t very familiar, either.”
I sighed. “I don’t wanna do this with you. Can we please talk, and you hear me out?”
“I have to go get my son,” he said coldly.
“You’re very much on my shit list, and until I’m no longer livid, I’m not gonna be receptive to shit you have to say if it’s not directly about that little girl.
She’s the only reason I’d piss on you if you were on fire right now.
In spite of the fucked-up shit you did, I know you’re a good mother.
That’s the only reason I’m sparing you.”
My brows furrowed as he walked off.
“What were you gonna do, huh? You wanna beat my ass too?”
“I don’t put my hands on women. I was raised better than that. Take your ass in the house.”
I watched as he climbed into his truck and pulled off from the curb. I stood there, tears streaming down my face. Maybe I was trying to force a conversation that might never happen. We were all the villains in somebody’s story.
I guessed I was his.