Chapter 18
CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN
Tiomi
Four days.
That’s how many days it’s been since we’ve been here at Granny’s and also how many days it’s been since my husband has called me. I had barely gotten any sleep. He hasn’t even had the decency to send me a text message saying that he’s okay.
“Tiomi just come and eat baby. JJ is fine. He wouldn’t go out and get himself killed or locked up because he don’t want nobody else to have you and these girls.”
I scoffed at her statement. At this rate he’s not even going to have us. I knew full and well what his line of work is, but that doesn’t warrant him the right to neglect his role as a husband and father.
I raised from the bed with Jalae in my arms. She had just finished eating and was now dozing off. Rae had just cried herself to sleep because just like me, she missed her father.
After laying Lae in her bassinet and grabbing the baby monitor, I made my way downstairs to put something on my stomach and to see my girls.
As soon as I hit the corner, Chy and Star stopped whispering which had my brows heightened.
They both smiled in my direction awkwardly, so I knew something was up.
Before I could say something, Ma Cheryl pulled me in her direction towards the table where she had a plate waiting for me.
“Sit and eat, Tiomi Jones.”
Doing as I was told; I took a seat, but my eyes were back on my two best friends. They took a seat at the table with me and we waited until Ma disappeared back into the kitchen.
“What the hell are you bitches not telling me?”
Again, they looked at each other. That gesture alone let me know that whatever they had to say wasn’t going to be something that I liked.
“Okay bestie. Don’t blow up after I tell you this because we don’t know what’s going on.”
“Cheyenne Shantel. Tell me.”
My gut was telling me that it has something to do with Jawan and if it does I ain’t promising shit. Chy knows that I’m definitely going to flip my shit, hell so does Star. All she did was sigh and drop her head.
“I saw Jawan in Lust last night.”
Dropping my fork, I drew my head back and asked for clarification.
“I’m sorry, you saw who? Where?”
“Mi—" I cut her off.
“No fuck that, don’t Mimi me. YOU SAW WHO, WHERE?” I asked in an elevated voice.
“Jawan was out friend. I didn’t get a chance to approach him because he was gone just as quick as he came. Hell, I haven’t even really spoke to Shad.”
I let my eyes travel the room until they locked with Darren’s.
“Don’t look at me, I don’t know what he has going on Tio, but—”
I held my hand up to stop him from talking.
He wasn’t saying shit I wanted to hear. I stood up and made my way out of the kitchen.
I was about to find out where his no-good ass was and go show the fuck out.
I kept my cool while I was downstairs with Ma and Granny, but as soon as I got up to the room with my phone I was physically shaking.
I called his phone three times only getting the voicemail, so I made a call to Tech.
“To what do I owe the pleasure, Mrs. Jones?” he answered.
“I need you to tell me where my husband is right now.” Fuck all the pleasantries.
“You know I ca—”
“No! I know you can. You better tell me right now Tech or I’ll tell Janelle all about the bachelor party.” He was quiet for a moment, then my phone vibrated with a notification.
“Thought so. Have a good day.”
Hanging up the phone, I grabbed my purse and headed back down the steps.
“Granny, I need you and Ma to keep an eye on the girls for me. Me, Chy and Star are going to step out for like an hour or two.”
“Sure, we have them. Is everything okay?”
“Yes ma’am.”
I answered her sweetly although it was everything but okay.
Satisfied with my answer she dismissed us, and we headed to Star’s Mercedes.
I was pissed knowing this nigga dumped me and his kids off and left us at his grandma’s house to live out of a fucking duffle bag while he went out to live his best life.
It didn’t take us any time to get to the barber shop, which was the location that Tech had sent me.
I barely let Star stop the car before I hopped out.
When I stepped through the door of the shop everything and everybody stopped. Jawan was sitting his big ugly ass in his own chair laughing it up until he turned in his seat and his eyes met mine. His once there smile was now a thing of the past.
“Baby what you doing up here? Where the girls at?”
He looked past me as if I brought my kids to see his tired ass. He stood from his seat and made his way over to where I was. The moment he attempted to touch me I snatched away from him.
“Don’t you dare fucking touch me Jawan Jones,” I gritted out.
He let his eyes roam the room and connect with a few of the people’s that were looking on, he then let his gaze drop to mine.
“Yo what the fuck is your problem? Matter fact come in the office right quick.”
He turned to move in that direction, and I didn’t budge. When he looked back over his shoulder, he noticed that I wasn’t moving with him, he stopped as well.
“Tiomi you don’t wanna really play this game with me ma, and you know it. Move, NOW!”
My feet were planted, and my arms were folded underneath my breast. He had been gone for days and thought that he was going to come back and start boss in me the fuck around. Moving back in my direction, he mugged me until he was close enough to whisper in my ear.
“Unless you want me to nut the fuck up on your stupid ass, I’d suggest you start moving your fuckin’ feet.” He didn’t even give me a chance to respond before he walked away.
Unfortunately, I obeyed his order this time and began to walk behind him. As bad as I wanted to be defiant, I knew better, and that bald headed hoe was watching us with a smirk on her face. I wanted nothing more than to knock it right off.
As soon as the door to his office closed and he faced me I smacked the shit out of him. He didn’t react that time, so I raised my hand to do it again and he caught my wrist.
“Tiomi hit me again and I’ma snap your wrist yo. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“You! You’re what the fuck is wrong with me. Are you out of your mind? How the fuck could you, Jawan?”
“How could I what? I ain’t did shit!”
“You dropped me and the girls off and forgot we existed. For four whole fucking days Jawan Jones we lived out of a fuckin’ bag.
Then you out at the fuckin’ club and shit.
Weren’t you the one that told me that I’m a wife and mother before anything?
Does that not apply to you just as much as it does me?
Your child has been crying herself to sleep every night for you! Were we not even worth a phone call?”
The tears had started. Not because I was sad. Well, I was kind of sad, but more so because I was pissed.
“I literally put my all into this relationship Grim, and you run around doing whatever it is that you please. If you don’t want this then you need to say that so I can move the fuck around to find a nigga that wants me and my kids.”
He quickly moved in my direction with a deep scowl on his face.
“So, you can do what my nigga?” he closed all the space that was between us.
“Say that shit again. I fuckin’ dare you to let that shit slip past your teeth again.
” He was so close to my face that our noses were touching. “That’s what the fuck I thought.”
I was no fool. I knew how far to go with him. I knew damn well that I wasn’t going to repeat that shit again. Hell, I was terrified to say it that time, but my emotions were high, so it came out.
“Tiomi I was out handling business. You act like a nigga been on vacation without his family. I literally been grinding and looking for this nigga since the moment I dropped y’all off.
I put you and our kids before everything, Tio, and you know that.
” He ran his hand down his face likely because he was frustrated but fuck him, I was, too.
“Look, I was coming to get y’all today anyway.
Just come on man, let’s go get my kids.” We exited his office and headed out of the shop, but not without him bidding everyone farewell.
When they spoke to me, I offered nothing in response.
If Jawan thought that this was over he was in for a very rude awakening.
Sitting on the couch with my feet folded underneath me, I watched Rae run around aimlessly with what seems like every toy that she owns.
No matter how girly I dressed her, and how many girl toys we bought her, all she cared about were these stupid ass hot wheels.
Sending her to the store with her father was a lost cause because he was literally going to give her whatever she asked for.
She never came home with Barbie dolls and stuff that normal little girls played with, but her toy box would make the average little boy envious.
“You don’t plan on cooking or something? A nigga hungry as fuck.”
Jawan interrupted my thoughts. I rolled my eyes at his request because I didn’t want to do shit for his stupid ass. Standing to my feet I grabbed Lae out of his arms because I know both her and her sister are hungry.
“Come on Rae, Mommy is going to heat up your food that Granny sent home with you for lunch.”
She shot to her feet and followed me into the kitchen.
She always dropped any and everything at the mention of food.
Granny had sent me and Rae food home because I’d already told her that I wasn’t cooking.
She was equally upset with Grim because she didn’t send him shit.
Just like myself, she didn’t understand how he could up and abandon his family for days.
I got our food in and out of the microwave and got Rae situated at the table in her seat while I breastfed her sister.
“Daddy come eat-eat.” Jarae called out to her father which prompted me to roll my eyes in his direction. He was standing in the doorway staring at me while I fed our kids like a creep.