Chapter 15 #2
Grabbing Ivory’s hand, Irish stood. “Now, let’s go finish my birthday dinner.”
The sisters walked back out to the table and sat.
“Y’all good?” Noble, being the protector he was, asked.
“Yes, we’re fine.” Ivory simpered. “Noble, you gotta chill. You really came into my sister’s life and took over.”
Cali snickered. “I swear he did. He made sure he left his stamp on Irish.”
Noble shook his head while chuckling. “You know how it is when you find your person. You do everything not to let them go.”
Cali nodded. “Yeah, I know.”
Ivory lifted her glass. “Let’s toast to Irish’s birthday and to her and Noble’s new addition. Congrats you guys. I know that baby is going to be stunning.”
They all clinked glasses, including the children, then took a sip. Irish was back in her state of bliss, feeling so much peace that she never wanted to depart. If she could’ve stayed trapped in this moment forever, she would have without a second thought.
Ari Lennox’s Mobbin’ in DC played softly from Cali’s portable speaker as she laid in bed.
The night had been beautiful with them enjoying dinner by the ocean.
Afterward, Ivory and Cali had found a little bar where they danced the night away.
Irish had been booed up so she opted not to come.
Afterward, Ivory and Cali returned to the villa where they prepared to call it a night.
Cali had showered and was now going through her Facebook pictures, smiling at the memories.
She rarely got on the app and wanted to catch up.
“Damn, that was in Hawaii,” she mumbled, smiling at the photo of her and Rio.
They appeared to be a happy couple in the picture while she relaxed in his arms. She recalled having to almost threaten him to come on the trip because there had been drama in TLM.
When they did escape St. Parklynn, it had been one of the best getaways of her life.
Hot sex, strong drinks, and long talks on the beach—Cali secretly missed those days but knew they were long gone.
Cali went down the timeline and scrolled. Per usual it was nothing but ads, profiles she didn’t follow, and statuses of people whose opinion didn’t matter. She scrolled until she spotted Rozalin’s name.
“I forgot to block this bitch on here.”
Cali looked at the picture and quickly sat up. Her heart drummed so wildly she thought it was trying to escape her chest.
“What the fuck?” she whispered.
The sonogram picture had been posted without any context except a simple heart.
Under the post were congratulations from miscellaneous people but Rozalin didn’t thank them.
Cali closed her eyes, quietly fighting the dread from invading her body.
Her mind had accepted closure from Rio, yet seeing a sonogram from the woman he had been fucking, left her grieved.
The pain had grown so great within a couple of minutes.
Cali wanted to be unbothered but why her?
Why couldn’t Rio start his family with another woman who wasn’t Rozalin?
The sting of him fucking her was still present and Cali wanted to get over it.
Still, it agonized her when it shouldn’t have.
He was single and so was she. Cali shouldn’t have been concerned about what Rio had going on but damn, why couldn’t he choose another woman to share his legacy with?
Cali snapped a screenshot then went to Rio’s contact. She still had him blocked so she unblocked his number and sent him the picture with the message: Congrats! You did say you were ready for a baby.
Cali laid back and gazed at the vaulted ceiling.
She had been at peace with her divorce in the recent month.
Even when Rio came to see her, Cali still had it in her mind that this was the end.
Somehow, she couldn’t apply that same logic to this situation.
Cali was hurt. She hated Rio all over again.
He’d turned revenge into a permanent situation.
Ultimately, she didn’t know if she could ever forgive him for that.
Yes, she had cheated but he had broken what was left of her with this news.
Cali’s phone rang, making her turn toward the nightstand.
When she saw Rio’s name, she ignored him.
He called again and she did the same thing.
What would she say to him? Cali didn’t really have ground to stand on with this.
Answering the phone would show that she cared, and she couldn’t afford to showcase that to Rio.
The phone chimed, alerting her of a text message.
Rio: Answer the phone.
Cali didn’t want to. She couldn’t bear to hear him confirm her worst nightmare. Again, the phone rang and she reluctantly answered.
“What?” Her tone was dry. A big contrast to how she felt internally.
“Why you send me that, Calia?”
“I wanted to congratulate you on your new bundle of joy. How far along is she? Did you guys pick a name? How’s the pregnancy going?” she asked, sarcastically.
“Man say, stop playing with me. Her ass ain't pregnant by me.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because she ain't told me shit about her being pregnant. This the first time I’m even seeing this shit.”
“So, it could be a possibility that she’s pregnant by you?”
“No, did you not just hear me tell you that?”
Pursing her lips, she asked, “So when is the last time you fucked her?”
“Months ago. I told you we ain't even been rocking like that. Why you even care?”
“I don't.” She pursed her lips. “But don't act like just because you fucked her months ago that you can’t be the father of her baby.”
“I strapped up the last time we fucked so fuck what you're saying.”
Cali’s eyes narrowed. “That’s the only time you strapped up, huh? You fucked her raw, didn’t you?”
“Cali, what the fuck?”
“Answer the question. Did you fuck her raw or not?”
“You doing too much. I don't have to tell you shit, anyway. I didn’t ask you about that nigga you been fucking on in Diamond Falls. So stay out my shit. I didn’t get that girl pregnant so that’s all that matters.”
Cali sat in silence, wishing she had never gotten on Facebook. She was on a private island, enjoying the beautiful rays of the sun. Why was she still caught up on Rio? He was the past and should've stayed there. Once again, she had betrayed herself.
“You right, Rio. Congrats again.”
“Cali, chill—”
She hung up and blocked him again. That was the best thing for them both. She wasn’t strong enough to hear details of Rio and Rozalin’s love affair. Her wounds were still fresh and she cursed herself for even asking about them.
“Fuck him.”
The moment was so serene as Noble sat on the balcony.
It was the middle of the night. The warm air hugged his bare chest as the waves from the ocean created the most soothing melody he’d ever heard.
These were Noble’s favorite hours; when the world was asleep and he could ponder without interruption.
Things had gotten chaotic in his life. So, whisking Irish and Kenji away wasn’t just for them but for him as well.
With him being at Nirvana Sky Island, Noble was able to have an alibi.
He’d set some plays into motion and waited for the confirmation.
A subtle smile rested on his face, knowing he would bring Tuck to his knees.
The first mistake he made was not killing Noble when he had the chance.
Now, he was determined to make an example out of Tuck so everyone knew he wasn’t to be fucked with.
Noble’s phone vibrated, surprising him, since he ordered that no one contact him. When he saw his Uncle Dame’s name, he answered instantly.
“What’s up, Unc?”
“You good?”
“Yeah.”
He paused then replied, “Do I need to grab my soldier rag?”
Noble chuckled at that thought. Bringing Dame out of retirement wouldn’t have been good for anyone. He was ol’ school and vets like him handled shit differently, sometimes more brutal, and Noble knew the streets weren’t prepared for him.
“No, you know I got it handled.”
“Don't lie to me, Noble. You know I don't like the shit I’m hearing. I’m always on standby.”
“Heard you, Unc, but I’m good. Trust me.”
“A’ight,” he skeptically replied. “How is everybody?”
“Straight. We got our heads on a swivel but you know us.”
“Yeah, I do. Next time your life in danger, call me. I made a promise to your father, and I don't wanna break it. You hear me?”
“Yeah, I got you.”
“A’ight, I’m going to bed.”
“I’ll hit you later.”
Noble finished the call and sat back in the seat.
He was mentally tired, counting down the minutes until his life was legal again.
The risks of being the general of TLM was one of the reasons he’d bowed out before.
He not only had his son but he had Irish and their new baby to be present for.
Noble couldn’t bear to be taken away from his family.
The idea of that happening clenched his jaw.
“Papa.”
He turned his head and saw Irish peeking out from the door.
“Come here.”
She stepped out, pulling the white sheet over her body. A satin scarf covered her ginger tresses. Irish’s bare face gave him a full display of her freckles that he loved so much. Noble positioned her on his lap sideways and kissed her cheek.
“Why you ain't sleep?”
“‘Cause you're not next to me. Why you out here?”
“Just enjoying the view.”
“Do you have something on your mind?”
He peered at her, smirking from her observation. “Why you ask that?”
“Because I can tell. I’m in tune with you. You think I don't know when your mind is heavy?”
Noble thought for a moment. People rarely were able to gauge his mood. He wore his poker face well and assumed he was doing it on their vacation. It was no surprise Irish figured Noble out, since he was so in tune with her as well.
“You can tell me,” she pressed. “What is it?”
“A’ight…” He dragged his teeth over his bottom lip, soundlessly waiting for any red flags to emerge. He waited for his intuition to interrupt what he was about to do but nothing came. Only certainty because Irish was his sure thing.