19. Zara
19
Zara
K enyon had been in a weird place since Sydney’s interview. I wasn’t sure if he noticed it, but his eyes were darker, and he was quieter. He had gone back inside himself to that place where I couldn’t reach him. Some days, being in Kenyon Keyes’ world was fun and exciting, and others, it had you on eggshells, not knowing what to expect.
His frown wasn’t as deep today, and he’d even made a sarcastic joke this morning. Now, Kenyon was shirtless, hunched over his grandfather’s old car. He hadn’t noticed me at first, just nodded in my direction when I came in, but I liked watching this version of him.
“Are you going to get her painted?”
“ Her ?” Kenyon lifted his head just a bit. “How do you figure it’s a her?”
My shoulders hunched, “How you take care of it says so.”
“I don’t know yet,” he sighed, throwing the towel over his bare shoulder, “Nostalgia says no, but I think it would look good wrapped in Olive with red accents.”
“Olive?” I huffed, causing him to chuckle, “Do you always have to stand out?”
“Somebody has to do it.”
“What are you doing now?” I asked, leaning forward on the stool I’d dragged beside the car.
“Replacing the spark plugs.”
I nodded like I knew what Kenyon was talking about. “What do they do?”
“They’re like small lighters inside the engine. They create the spark that ignites the fuel, making the engine run.”
“You know a lot about cars,” I commented as he carefully fit the new spark plug into place. “You shouldn’t let that go to waste. Just leave the color schemes to me.”
I was about to dig deeper into that part of him when my phone buzzed on the workbench beside me.
“Hey, Bran,” I answered, but sobs filtered through the speaker, forcing me to stand up. “Brandy? What’s wrong?”
“Nana.” Was all she could manage before her cries pierced my ears.
“Brandy, what happened to her?” I yelled as if raising my voice would snap her out of it.
Kenyon took the phone because I began hyperventilating, thinking the worst. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Banana Girl. After a brief conversation, Kenyon directed me to change so we could go to the hospital. His car, usually filled with loud music, was silent tonight. The tires rolling against the rocky Northbridge roads played on a loop until we reached the parking lot.
When the automatic doors opened, I searched for Brandy. Then Kenyon tapped my shoulder and pointed to her sitting in the corner.
“Where is she? What happened?” I rushed out, approaching Brandy.
She lifted her head at the sound of my voice.
“I-I don’t know. Miss G called and said they had to send her to the ER. She was acting confused and complaining of a headache. They won’t let me see her yet.”
“Why?”
“They said somebody was already back there, and I have to wait,” Brandy explained.
Kenyon looked at me, and I shrugged because I had no idea who it could be.
“Who’s back there?” I asked.
“I don’t know. They wouldn’t tell me, but I’ve been waiting since I called you.”
“What do you mean you don’t know? Make them tell you.” I cut myself off, looking for the nearest nurses station, but Kenyon grabbed my forearm.
“I need to know what’s going on! I won’t sit here and wait while she’s back there alone or with God knows who!”
My palms rested on my forehead while I gripped my hair to manage my frustration. Kenyon didn’t say anything. He just held on to my waist until I collapsed into him.
“I can’t lose her, Kenyon.”
He stood firm as my safety net, allowing me the space to be whatever I was.
“You’re going to pop a vessel in this big ass forehead if you don’t stop crying,” Kenyon’s jokes usually irritated me, but tonight, it was welcomed as he lifted my chin and kissed me. “Sit with Brandy, and I’ll go figure it out.”
She patted the empty seat next to her with a forced smile, but the sudden shift in her demeanor made me turn around. Misa had always been Nana’s twin. Despite not seeing her in a long time, that hadn’t changed.
Brandy walked around me, paused short of Misa, and asked, “What are you doing here? Who called you?”
“This isn’t the time or place!” Misa spoke in a hushed tone.
“Then when? It’s not like I’m invited over for dinner. You got a new husband and kids and forgot about the one you already had.” Brandy’s neck rolled with a sass that made Kenyon and I both share a look.
“I didn’t come here for this! If you were doing such a great job, the hospital wouldn’t have called me,” Misa defended, finally realizing I was standing there. “ Zara ? Where’s Shana?”
“She’s not here. It’s just me,” I replied.
“Figures,” she chuckled in a tone reserved for two enemies instead of sisters.
“What the fuck does that mean? I’ve been here for months, and this is my first time seeing you.”
Shana had many faults, but none would make her forget Nana existed while she lived in the same city.
“And wasn’t around much before that either,” Brandy murmured, but Misa heard her, and so did I.
“Well right now I’m here and Shana’s not.”
“Watch your mouth! If she could be here, she would’ve been by Nana’s side doing whatever needed to be done.”
I didn’t even feel my feet moving, but Kenyon held on to my elbow, pulling me back.
“Shoulda, woulda, could have’s don’t matter. Shana’s not here now and hasn’t been for a long time. Who had to pick up the slack when she got herself in trouble?”
“Nana picked up the slack raising your child! You’re not so fuckin’ perfect,” I yelled.
Misa stepped forward, looking at Kenyon, “Like mother like daughter, I guess her type rubbed off on you.”
Kenyon reached for me, but I was too quick closing the gap between us, "Say something else and I will drag you up and down this motherfuckin’ hallway!”
Before I could get a hand on Misa, he pulled me back.
“Let me go!” I yelled, but Kenyon didn’t budge. He just kept holding me in place even though I thrashed against him.
“Out of respect for my mother, I won’t have you thrown out. . . yet . So I suggest you calm down. She’s okay for now, and I know she wants to see you both. They think it might’ve been another stroke, but they’re running tests,” Misa shared.
I stopped struggling, my breath coming in hard, angry bursts. I glared at Misa over Kenyon’s shoulder, smirking like she had won.
“I need to see her,” I started toward the double doors when the man she walked in with interjected.
“Let the doctors do their job first.” The older man said, causing my face to scrunch.
“Who the fuck are you?” I asked.
“Andre is my husband!” Misa declared in a way that made Brandy suck her teeth.
I spun around, confused as to why he was even speaking while Kenyon’s jaw ticked, before delivering a warning.
“Nigga nobody was talking to you! Stay out of women’s business,” Kenyon groaned, annoyed that he’d opened his mouth.
“Who the hell do you think you are? Nobody was talking to you either!” Misa fussed, but Kenyon didn’t budge or repeat himself.
He stood there devilishly handsome with his hands in his pockets, “I’d be careful talking to me crazy. That lil’ chain of pizza shops might encounter problems your pockets can’t handle.”
Andre’s eyes grew wide, confirming Kenyon wasn’t just blowing smoke. I didn’t even know about his chain of pizza shops so how the hell did Kenyon.
“We just wanna see Nana,” Brandy explained, trying to keep the peace.
“Andre said she’s resting, so you can either wait, or I can have all of you thrown out! It’s my name on the paperwork, not you, or you,” she bitched, pointing at me and then Brandy.
“Your name on that paperwork won’t matter when you get to those gates, and God asks why you hate your own child.” Brandy quickly spun on her heels, not giving Misa time to reply.
My gaze narrowed, wondering how my favorite Auntie turned into this selfish ass bitch standing before me, clenching her purse strap. I was stuck, learning so much about my own family in real time.
“I’ll come get you if the doctor comes out, but Brandy needs you right now.” Kenyon nudged his head toward Brandy.
“Thank you.”
I appreciated Kenyon’s support but didn’t know what to say. Misa was still leaning against the wall with her husband planted in front of her, stroking her arms. I didn’t understand Andre any more than Aunt Misa because Rodney would never.
Tearing myself away from the visual, I walked down the hallway, which looked much further from the other end.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Brandy fussed, halting my steps.
“Like what?” I asked because the script in my head had yet to tell me how to navigate this situation.
“Like I’m broken or something.”
Lowering into the seat, I grabbed her hand, interlocking our fingers. I let the silence wrap us in a warm hug while resting my head on her shoulder.
“I don’t think you’re broken, but I do think it hurts. You pretend to be fine because you can’t change her. I also think you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself for not being fine. She’s your mom-.”
Brandy chuckled, cutting off my sentence. “Misa has never been a mother to me. Not like her other kids.”
“Have you met your siblings before?”
“A few times. That’s all it took to learn they were a family, and I was a painful reminder of her past.”
“When did this happen? I always thought you guys were close.”
“That’s because Nana made her. Whenever you guys visited, she’d wear the mask and pretend she cared. That’s why I never wanted you guys to leave. I even begged Aunt Shana to move back.”
“Wow, and all along, I thought you used to cry because I was leaving you,” I joked.
“I was sad about that, but also because once you guys left, I knew my mom would too. Now Otto’s gone, too, for God knows how long. What if-?”
“Don’t.” I closed my eyes, swallowing the lump in my throat. “She’ll be fine. As for you, I’m sorry about Misa.”
Brandy's expression was saddened yet understanding. “I’m sorry, too.”
“What are you sorry for?” I asked, furrowing my brow.
Brandy sighed, her eyes briefly darting away before returning to meet mine. “Neither of us have a mom anymore.”
Her response hit me like a wave of realization that Brandy and I shared a similar void. The absence of a mother figure in our lives, whether by choice or circumstance. It was a sobering moment that forged a deeper understanding.
“I guess it’s good we have each other even when you drive me fuckin’ crazy,” I replied, cracking a sarcastic smile.
For the first time, I understood what she saw in Otto. Brandy’s damaged heart settled for his bullshit because he was there, unlike Misa or anyone else other than Nana.
Kenyon’s gray sweatsuit appeared in the hallway, waving Brandy and me toward him.
“The King has summoned us,” Brandy joked, standing up.
I waited until I was upright to hit her with my shoulder, walking back to the waiting area.
“You two can go,” Misa announced, and Brandy quickly pressed the button to open the doors.
“You need me, or you got it?” Kenyon asked.
I wanted to be a big girl, but I wasn’t sure. Kenyon didn’t give me a chance to lie, draping his arm around my shoulder and guiding me to room seven. I paused in the doorway, where Brandy kneeled beside her bed.
When I saw her eyes open, I breathed a sigh of relief that opened the floodgates.
“Banana Girl!”
Her weak voice cut through my sobs. “Oh, hush all that noise, girl, and get over here.”
Complying with her request, I slid my hand inside hers and kissed the back.
“You scared me. You know that?”
“You worry too much. Just like that daughter of mine,” Banana Girl complained.
“Somebody has to worry about you,” Brandy chimed in.
“Sir, would you like me to grab another chair?” The nurse asked, easing past Kenyon into the room.
“Who is that?” Nana asked because Brandy and I were blocking her line of sight.
Brandy tried to smother her chuckle as Kenyon stepped up and kneeled beside her.
“Nice to meet you, beautiful. I’ve heard a lot about you,” he said, wearing that charismatic smile that made women blush. Even my sixty-seven-year-old grandma.
“Mr. Soul Snatcher himself,” Nana’s lips curled into a crooked smile. “He’s handsome.”
Kenyon’s head tilted toward me. “You’re giving me nicknames I don’t know about?”
“She’s obviously delirious,” I gritted, bulging my eyes at Banana Girl.
“Sorry to interrupt. I need to check Ms. Prescott’s vitals,” The nurse announced.
The three of us allowed the nurse space and opportunity to do her job. The tension in my chest finally eased when the doctor informed us it wasn’t another stroke. Misa had joined us because she was so concerned. Thankfully, it was a severe UTI that sent her into a fit of confusion. Once the doctor assured us she would be fine, Misa told Nana she would be back tomorrow, but I wasn’t holding my breath, and I hoped she wasn’t either.
“I think I’m going to head out, too. I need to get some sleep before work,” Brandy announced.
“Good, and take this one with you,” Banana Girl said, pointing at me.
“I think I’m going to stay,” I said, glancing over at Kenyon, who sat at her bedside, per Banana Girl’s request. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she was trying to steal my man.
“Oh no, you’re not.” She slid her hand from his palm and patted the backside, “Take her home, Soul Snatcher.”
“I’m not leaving,” I protested while my eyes bounced between them.
Brandy sat back down like it had just gotten to the good part of her favorite movie. I folded my arms, watching Kenyon stand up and kiss Nana’s cheek.
“My peace is based on hers, and she loves you more than anything. So get some rest and don’t give these people a hard time. We can’t have Babygirl stressing.”
Banana Girl’s lips curved into a soft, playful smile like they had a joke no one else knew. She nodded, and his finger padded against her nose before turning to me.
“Are you going to make me carry you out, or can you walk like a big girl?” Kenyon asked.
“Somebody needs to stay with her,” I fussed.
“That’s what the staff is for. Get some sleep and come back in the morning,” Kenyon replied.
We stared each other down, trying to make the other break. Realizing I was stalling, he smirked, “You have sixty seconds to decide before I decide for you."
I had no doubt that Kenyon would drag me out if he had to, so I threw in the towel.
“I guess he told you,” Nana chuckled as I dropped my arms, accepting defeat.
“I saw you over here holding his hand too. I’m watching you,” I joked, kissing her cheek.
“Don’t worry yourself to death tonight. I’m fine,” she smiled, stroking my cheek.
I walked out with Kenyon behind me like I would turn around and run for it. Even though Nana was fine, Kenyon’s hand rested on my thigh as he drove, but my mind was stuck on my argument with Aunt Misa.
I wished I could call Mom and ask her about Misa’s comment.
Like mother, like daughter . It stuck out the most as I glanced at Kenyon reclined in the driver seat, loosely holding the wheel. He wasn’t anything like Rodney, but maybe she was referring to my biological father. I knew nothing about him to assess, so I didn’t even try as I climbed out of the car and walked inside to shower.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think yo’ ass was homeless the way you’re always in my closet stealing shit,” he groaned, sliding in bed with me.
“Suck it up. What’s yours is mine,” I smiled, sliding my feet underneath his thigh.
Kenyon gave me a look that might have scared most. A few months ago, it probably would’ve scared me, too, but another side of the Big Bad Wolf was reserved just for me.
“Where did the name Banana Girl come from?” he asked.
“When I was little, I said she was yellow like a Banana. It just kind of stuck.”
“Damn, you’ve been shady your whole life.”
“Whatever.”
He grabbed the book off his nightstand and tried but couldn’t focus on the words. After about ten minutes, he finally gave up. Another reminder that Keyon was off. It was how his kiss lingered in the shower, like he needed comfort.
“Did being in the hospital make you think about your dad, the baby, or both?”
His eyes briefly found mine before picking up his phone.
“All of it.”
I knew he’d call me nosey for asking, but I couldn’t help it. He had become my favorite subject to study.
“Did your dad have freckles too?”
“No, he didn’t, but our kids might.”
I didn’t know how to respond because I wasn’t ready to be a mother. Since it didn’t feel like the right time to point that out, I kept the conversation on the other topic Kenyon kept hidden.
“Do you look like him?”
“Not at all but let Mom tell it, we act like him.”
“Hmm, I might need a crash course from your mom on how to put up with you.”
“You’re doing better than most,” he pecked my lips before turning off the lamp.
The list of things he cared for seemed short, but the emotions ran so deep that he locked them away because anything else would break him. Kenyon Keyes wasn’t as carefree as I thought.
His lips moved against mine, desperate, almost bruising, and I could feel the weight of everything he wasn’t saying pouring into that kiss. It was overwhelming, but I didn’t pull away. I closed my eyes, my fingers threading through his hair as he kissed his way to my neck.
“So this is why you really made me come home?”
“To make you feel better?” he flirted, sliding his fingers inside my panties, and sure enough, they were soaked.
His comment made me chuckle. “Because you’re horny.”
“I’m not horny, just thirsty,” Kenyon smiled, his thumb on my clit while he slipped another finger inside of me. “One lick, please. My mouth is dry, and you’re always so wet,” he slid a second one inside, filling me and stretching me, causing sweat to bead on my forehead.
Sex with Kenyon was such a different experience. Calvin never made me see stars when I closed my eyes. Hell, Calvin never made me crave sex, but Kenyon did, so I parted my legs wider, granting him access with one stipulation.
“Say something in Spanish first.”
He smirked, likely never begging for anything, but gave in. “Por favor, bebe? * .” He rubbed the side of my neck with his lips, “He sido un buen chico.? * ”
He made Spanish sound so sexy my stomach twisted. Kenyon kneaded my breast in his tattooed hand, and I couldn’t help the way my hips twitched. “That means, please, baby. I’ve been such a good boy.” He slid down, his face resting between my legs. “Let me make you feel good.”
Kenyon always said he wasn’t in control of himself inside me, but I thought it was just talk. Watching him have a personal heart-to-heart with my pussy while I caressed the length of his back told me it might’ve been some truth to that, listening to his confessions.
I might not have been your first, but I’m damn sure your last.
Let me fill you up and make you scream tonight.
Let out all that frustration.
I don’t know how to hold back with you.
How did you get in my head like this Babygirl?
I can never tell you no. Even when I know I should.
You make me do shit I’ve never done for anybody else.
Are you even real?
Kenyon’s hand wrapped around my throat because he didn’t want answers. He just needed to release everything in his head, so I gripped his wrist to keep his hand in place. How Kenyon praised me made me wonder why I ever thought I didn’t deserve the world.
* ? Please, baby
* ? I've been a good boy.