Chapter 13
Chapter
Thirteen
SUGAR BABY
E ven when Cash’s presence wasn’t around, he still made an impact.
He told me that he wanted to take me out on an official date and hired a stylist to come and show me a few outfits.
I’d shared with him that my favorite colors were yellow and orange, but because red was my signature lipstick shade, he was curious about how I’d look in all red.
The bulk of the outfits were red, burgundy, and orange.
As I sipped my mimosa, I looked over the rack again.
“I honestly can’t decide,” I said, running my fingers over the red silk dress. “I also don’t know where we’re going and what we’re doing.”
“You don’t think he’s going to tell you?” Rittany asked.
She’d come over earlier to help me plan a menu for a start of the summer event I’d been hired to cater.
I really didn’t want to do it, but Aunt Terry said she’d do the bulk of the work.
I’d gotten to a place where I was really starting to resent my catering jobs.
I was grateful to God for them because they were how I paid my bills, but I really just wanted to bake.
With the money that Cash gave me, I could take some time off from catering gigs personally and let Aunt Terry and Tyreek handle it.
That would also keep more income flowing for their household as well.
Before I made that decision, I wanted to talk to Aunt Terry and she how she felt about it.
“I’m not sure. I guess I can call and ask.”
“Take your time,” Melanie said. “I cleared my schedule this morning when Cash called, so I’m in no rush to get you taken care of.”
“Okay, great,” I said with a smile as I grabbed my phone off the coffee table. I knew he was probably busy and was prepared to leave him a voicemail asking him to text me an itinerary for the date, so I was surprised when I heard his voice.
“Suge.”
“Hey, bae. I know you’re busy, but I just wanted to see if you could tell me where we were going for the date. I think that will help me choose an outfit better.”
“Melanie there?”
“Yes.”
“Just get it all, pussy cat. You don’t have to choose just one.”
“Oh. Are you sure?”
He chuckled. “Did you forget who your man is, Sugar Baby?”
“Quite frankly, I didn’t know you were my man. You didn’t ask me to be your woman. But no, I didn’t forget who you are, Cassius. I just didn’t want to appear greedy or assume you wanted me to have it all. ”
His mean ass sighed, and I held back my laughter. “Fuck would I have to ask you to be mine for? You were mine the second you puffed your chest out at me behind Reek. I’m telling you you are. You got a problem with that?”
“Not as long as you’re mine too.”
“I am, and I’on share. You know how I’m coming, so unless you want a nigga’s blood on my hands because he fucked with you, don’t even think about cheating.
Get all the outfits, bags, shoes, and jewelry she brought, and tell her she can charge my card and give herself 50 percent of the total as her tip.
Now I got some business to handle, so I gotta go. Is there anything else, Suge?”
I shook my head as if he could see me as I smiled. “That’s all, Cash.”
“Aight. If I can get this shit taken care of tonight, I’ma come see you. If not, I promise to swing through tomorrow.”
“Okay, bae. Be safe.”
“Always.”
After ending the call, I tossed my phone onto the couch and told Melanie I’d be taking all the options. Her syrupy grin spread as Rittany clapped and cheered, making me blush even more.
The only people that had keys to my house were my family, so when I heard someone unlock the door and slam it, I didn’t grow concerned.
More than anything, I was irritated because they’d slammed my door.
I quickly set the strawberry and cream cheese cupcakes I was baking on top of the stove, then headed out of the kitchen .
At the sight of Tyreek pacing, I sighed as my shoulders slouched. “Why aren’t you at school?”
His head jerked in my direction, and he looked at me with wide eyes. A few seconds passed before they lowered as he walked over to me. Surprising me, he pulled me into an embrace. I felt his heart beating rapidly and immediately grew even more concerned.
“What’s going on, Tyreek?”
“Nothing,” he muttered, avoiding my eyes.
“Don’t fucking lie to me. What did you do?” He groaned and covered his face with his palms. “Little cousin,” I called softer, realizing that might be a better approach as I wrapped my hands around his wrists and used them to lower his hands. “If you don’t tell me what’s going on, I can’t help you.”
“I’m going to tell you, but you have to promise not to yell at me.
This really wasn’t my fault, and I swear I wouldn’t have gone if I knew what was going on.
And you have to promise not to tell nobody—especially Cash.
He said if I didn’t get into any more trouble this year he’d have something for me when I graduated, and I’m not trying to miss out on that, big cuz. ”
“Okay, okay, slow down. Come on.” I took him by the hand and led him to the living room. As we sat on the couch I said, “I can’t promise I won’t yell at you, but I’ll try not to. I do promise not to tell Cash or anyone else unless it’s something I need help with.”
“That’s good enough,” he agreed before releasing a shaky breath and running his hands up and down his thighs.
“Aight, so I was at school and Rell was telling me and Brandon about this job his brother had for us. He didn’t give us any details, but he promised us it would be worth it.
We skipped class and left to meet him. When we got there, Rell said Rapheal and his friends would meet us soon.
As we’re waiting, that’s when Rell tells us they about to rob Sko. ”
“Sko?” I repeated, because I couldn’t have heard him correctly. “Sko from the Mound?” He nodded, and my leg began to shake.
“Yeah. Now you know if I would have known that, I wouldn’t have gone.”
“Why didn’t you leave, Reek?”
“Because as soon as he told us, a big ass truck pulled up. Rapheal and nem got the front and we took the back. I couldn’t even process what was happening quick enough because Rell hopped out and cut the lock on the truck.
He made me get behind the wheel and told Brandon to help him take the shit.
One of the men with Rapheal gave us masks, then he tossed something in the back of the truck that put everybody to sleep while we grabbed the weed.
I said no but he put the gun on me, so I did the shit anyway.
If Sko people find out we did this, I know they gon’ come after us, cuzzo, but I swear it wasn’t my fault this time.
I promise I wouldn’t have gone if I knew what they were going to do. ”
Since I’d promised him I wouldn’t yell at him, I took a few deep breaths. I couldn’t really be too mad at him because he was at the wrong place with the wrong people at the wrong time. At least he’d tried to leave.
“I have to tell Cash. He can help you get out of this.”
“No!” he yelled, using my arms to pull me back down. “He can’t know. I told him I’d stay out of trouble.”
“And I commend you for trying, but this isn’t really your fault. Yeah, you shouldn’t have left school, and you should have asked more questions before going, but if you tell me you didn’t know what they were up to, I believe you. ”
Tyreek sat back in his seat. “I really didn’t know, Baby. I swear. I would’ve stayed my ass at school.”
“I wanna tell you that’s what your ass gets for leaving school to make some quick money, but I don’t want to make you feel worse than you already do. At least you tried to leave. Let this be a lesson to you.
“You’ve got to stop following behind Rell and Brandon, Tyreek.
I don’t care how long they’ve been your friends.
Rell, especially, is up to no good. You have far too much potential to get caught up in his schemes.
I literally just got you out of a situation with Cash, and if Sko finds out, he will not be as merciful. You really need to let me tell him.”
“I will tell him myself if Sko finds out it was us. Otherwise, I don’t want him to know. We had on masks, so I don’t think he will know it was us.”
My head shook. “I don’t feel good about this, little cuz. I feel like you need to tell Cash . . . and your parents. Now I helped you hide the shit with Cash, but I can’t help you cover this up.”
His jaw clenched as he stood again and began to pace. “I can’t, Sugar Baby. I have to at least try and fix this myself first.”
“God, sometimes you are far too stubbornly independent for your own damn good!” I yelled.
“You took a month trying to figure shit out with Cash and look how that played out! Are you really willing to risk that with someone like Sko? He crossed his own brother for six figures. Do you really think he’s going to have mercy on y’all? ”
“Look, I know, okay? Just give me at least a day to see if Rapheal planned well enough to have this covered up. If the streets start talking, I promise I will tell everyone. I give you my word, Baby. I promise.”
All I could do was shake my head as I stood to leave.
I felt like I was literally between a rock and a hard place.
If I spoke too soon, that might do more harm than good.
If I didn’t speak soon enough, my cousin could be seriously hurt or killed.
Ugh. This was one time I hated how much Tyreek trusted me, because I honestly didn’t know what the fuck to do.