Chapter 12 Rule #1… Protect Yours #2
Key: My favorite cousin in the world…
I wasn’t about to play with her. Leaving the basement, I walked back out to my car. Leaning up against it, I pressed her contact and hit the FaceTime button. She appeared on the screen with a goofy smile.
“Hey, Mr. Grinch.”
“Stop playin’ so much witcho big ass head. Can you get to the pharmacy? It’s important.”
“I can. But I don’t think it’s necessary to test someone who’s already pregnant, and I just know you’re not bold enough to ask me to get a pregnancy test for the next bitch. I know Aunty Jess raised you better than that.”
“You done?”
“Yeah.”
“Cool. Listen.”
I told her about Alexis and what had gone down at the doctor’s office. I then proceeded to tell her that since I’d never put my hands on a woman, I needed her to be there in case she refused to take the test. Key listened on the other line, not saying a word until I was done.
“You got me?”
“I’ma get the Clear Blue and the First Response tests,” she said. “Meet me at my house so I can ride witchu.”
“Bet.”
I ended the call knowing two things. Key was going to come through like she always did, and Alexis was gon’ wish she’d just held it down. Hopping in my car, I headed in the direction of Key’s house. I knew the back and forth was going to take me out of my way but fuck it. It was worth it.
On the drive there, I sent a text to Adai to check on her.
She responded back that she was home, going over inventory and eating.
I took a chance and asked her to send me a picture.
I wanted to know if she really went to her house or was just saying that.
I set the phone down and focused on the road until it chimed.
The picture came up, and she was standing on business.
She sat back against her grey headboard in a pajama shirt that she couldn’t fully button due to her belly, her hair in flexi rods and under eye patches.
I couldn’t do nothing but shake my head.
Not wanting to show I was mad, I texted her back to get some rest and not work too hard.
Closing out of the thread, I sent a text to Key to let her know that I was turning in on her block.
I pulled up to her house, and she was standing outside, dressed in a pair of black jeans, a black hoodie, and a pair of Air Max 95s. She held a Walgreens’ shopping bag in her hand. Walking over to the car, she got in and put the bag on the floor.
“I got my stomp a bitch 95s on. Let’s go,” she said, strapping her seatbelt.
“You gotta let her take the test before anything, Key,” I advised as we pulled out of her development.
“I got that. Test first. Ass whoopin’ immediately after. Fine by me. I hope she not pregnant cause then I gotta wait.”
“You ain’t gotta hope. I know she ain’t pregnant. I strapped up the three times we fucked.”
“She could’ve poked a hole in the condom.”
“I brought my own shit. And I put it on myself.”
She nodded. “Condoms do break though.”
“Aye, pick a side. Cause it sound like you tryna convince yourself she is pregnant.”
“Yours of course. It just works for me to think the worst so that the best-case scenario works in my favor.”
“You ain’t even gotta do all that. She ain’t pregnant. I just want her to take these tests, so I can show Dai the proof.”
“Okay, cool.”
We made it to Alexis’ apartment in thirty-five minutes. Key grabbed the Walgreens’ bag, and we stepped out at the same time. She didn’t have a doorman, but you did need to be buzzed in to get upstairs. I rang the bell.
“Who is it?” She answered quickly, like she’d been waiting by it.
“It’s Pryce,” I replied, and she buzzed the door.
I looked over at Key, who shook her head. “I don’t know who sillier. Her for just buzzing you up or you for fucking a bitch who don’t care about her safety. But I digress.”
Pushing the door open, I let her walk in first. We took the steps to Alexis’ apartment, and I didn’t get to knock twice before she pulled the door open.
“He…”
She got cut off by Key pushing herself inside.
“What the hell, Pryce? What the fuck is going on?”
I used my sleeve to close and lock the door. “Need you to take these.” Key handed me the bag, and I handed it to her.
Peeking inside, she looked back up, confused. “Pregnancy tests?” she questioned.
“Yeah.”
“No. I’m not doing that.”
“You doing it, or I’ma have my cousin beat you until you’re unrecognizable,” I said simply with no room open for interpretation. “However you wanna do it. Either way the tests will be taken.”
She turned to walk away, and I followed behind her to make sure she didn’t try to pull no slick shit.
“I don’t need you to watch me,” she said, attempting to close the bathroom door.
“But I am.”
I watched as she pulled her shorts down and peed on one stick at a time and set them on the counter. She didn’t even bother putting down a piece of tissue to sit them on.
“You could’ve just asked me if I was pregnant, ya know.”
“And you could’ve not played these petty ass kid games, so we wouldn’t be here in the first place.”
Two minutes passed, and both tests read negative. Pulling out my phone, I snapped a picture.
“You got what you wanted. You can leave now,” she said.
Nodding, I walked back out into her living room where Key was waiting.
“She not pregnant. Work her.”
That was all Key needed to hear before she sent a right hook across Alexis’ temple.
Caught off guard, she stumbled. Key let her shake it off, but when she didn’t hit back immediately, Key hit her twice more, another right to the temple and a left hook to the eye.
I stood back and watched as Alexis attempted to windmill for her life.
Only that didn’t work with Key. She grew up fighting us, so I knew Alexis was no match for her.
I let it go on for a good minute and a half before calling Key off.
“Find you something safe to do moving forward, Alexis. Cause the next time you gon’ have to fight a bullet.”
Leaving her apartment with the picture of the negative tests in my gallery, I went to drop Key off then headed straight for Dai’s house. I wasn’t sleeping by myself no more, and if I had to go to her to make sure that I didn’t, then so be it.