Chapter 20 #2
I didn’t bother to respond to the last part of that because we both knew that I was going to respect his wishes. It was a little extra on my end to put the girls into two different playrooms.
“Be careful and come back to me, Jawan.”
“I got you. You gone give me some before I leave?” he asked, and I laughed.
“How about we put that on ice because then I’ll know for sure that you’ll be making it home to me.”
“Oh, I’m coming home regardless, but we can do that,” he responded before dropping a kiss on my lips and just like that he was gone, and my worries came back. I just prayed that God protected them while they were out.
When I woke up the next morning, I rolled over to see Lae’s small body curled up on her father’s chest and Jarae stuck to his side also curled into a ball.
They were all asleep with their mouths wide open, Jawan snoring like a grizzly bear.
After admiring my family for a minute, I got up to handle my morning hygiene.
I needed to get Jalae together before I left since Jawan still claims she’s too small, even though she’s gained so much weight.
Today was my first day back to school and I was super excited about it.
It’s the main reason that I couldn’t sleep in this morning.
I had to fight tooth and nail to get him to agree to let me go back right now with everything going on, I’m just glad he gave in.
Even if I did have to bribe him a little.
I moved around our room getting my stuff together for my shower and what I was going to wear for the day.
Once I was showered, I walked into the room where I saw Jawan and the girls were finally awake. I made my way into the closet to put on the matching bra and panty set that was waiting for me. After I had that on, I walked back into the room so I could get my baby together.
“Let me have her so I can get her together babe. We have an hour before we need to be leaving the house.”
“Leaving the house to go where?” he asked me without even looking in my direction.
“Jawan you know today is my first day back to school.”
“Oh yeah, that. Do you have to go baby?”
“Yes, I do so get up and get Jarae together. Or would you rather me drive?”
He didn’t give me a verbal response. He instead sucked his teeth and grabbed Jarae to bathe her in her bathroom while I did the same with Lae.
I knew he wasn’t happy about me going to school for a number of reasons, but he was the one that pushed this, so now I’m in it and dedicated.
It didn’t take us long to get the girls together and all I had to do was slip on the gray two-piece jogging suit from fashion nova and my midnight navy ones that Jawan had recently got me.
Once we were all dressed and ready to go, we headed out the door.
Jawan wasted no time annoying me about my choice in clothes for the day.
“You had to do all that for school?”
Rolling my eyes, I looked in his direction. “All of what baby?”
“That,” he used his index finger to point at my outfit.
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing, Jawan? You bought all of this.”
“Yeah, for you to wear for me, with me. Niggas gone be looking at your ass and shit while I’m not around.”
“Boy shut up. I don’t want nobody but you.”
“Yeah, because you know me. It’s not you I’m worried about anyway, it’s the muhfuckas that like to act like they don’t know.”
Instead of entertaining his stupid conversation, I changed the subject. “Are you sure you can handle them at the shop today? Granny said she would cancel her appointment to keep them for you.”
He sucked his teeth like he always did when he didn’t like my line of questioning. “They my kids too, Tio, I got them.”
I noticed that we were pulling up to campus, so I started gathering all my stuff to get out. I was kind of feeling a way because I no longer liked the thought of being away from my family.
“I know babe, I’m just making sure. You’ve never really had them alone.”
The car had come to a stop and I turned in his direction to kiss him goodbye. After sloppily kissing my man, I tried to climb out of the car, but he grabbed my arm, stopping me.
“I miss you already man. I don’t like this.”
“I know you don’t Jawan, but its only for a few hours two days a week, work with me okay,” I stroke his cheek with my thumb.
Running his hand down his face, he looked around the campus then back at me. “Okay, keep your detail close and on you at all times, Tiomi. The first time they tell me they don’t see you or some shit is off, I’m coming to drag you out of here.”
Rolling my eyes, I leaned in to kiss him again, “I know, I know. I love y’all and I’ll see y’all in a little bit. Keep that bitch out my kids face, too, Grim.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah remember what I said, and we love you more.”
After that I headed inside the building that I would be spending my next few months in so I could finally graduate.
As I walked the hall of the building, I was looking down at the schedule on my phone to see the name of my professor.
And because I wasn’t paying attention I ran right into a hard body, dropping everything in my hands.
“My bad little lady, let me help you with that,” I heard a sexy, deep voice say. When I looked up, I was staring into an equally sexy, handsome face. He bent to pick up all of the items that I had dropped and attempted to start a conversation with me before Jawan’s minion stepped in.
“I’ll take that,” Rex said grabbing my class materials from the very sexy stranger.
“I know where the classroom is Mrs. Jones, follow me please.” That was Dirk.
The guy stood off to the side smirking and Rex was looking at him with a deep frown on his face. I adjusted my purse and began to trail behind Dirk. The last thing I needed was for Jawan to come up here and turn these peoples college campus out.
“I’ll see you around shorty,” the mystery man said from behind me.
“Yeah, I doubt it,” Rex responded for me as we walked further away. “Do you want Jawan to come cut the fuck up, Tiomi?”
“I didn’t do anything, Rex. What that man was doing was completely harmless.”
“Yeah, aight.”
I wasn’t in the mood to go back and forth with this nigga.
I was a grown woman and could talk to whomever I pleased.
Finally making it to my classroom, I took a seat about halfway up.
When I first came in Rex and Dirk tried to follow me inside but that wasn’t happening, I definitely planned to talk to Jawan about setting boundaries with them.
I know he was all about my safety, but I didn’t want people looking at me crazy for having the secret service following me around.
I rolled my eyes just at the thought of that.
“Is it safe to sit here?” I heard the familiar voice from earlier. I looked up into that handsome face and gave him a small smile. It was just my luck and his that all of the seats were taken bedsides the one that was right beside me.
“I mean it doesn’t look like you have much of a choice,” I responded.
“Right. Noah,” he offered with an outstretched hand as he took a seat.
Taking his hand into mine, I introduced myself. “Tiomi.”
He held my hand a little longer than I should have allowed but he was admiring my wedding ring.
“Married? I can’t say I’m surprised. He’s a very lucky man.”
I blushed at the statement because not only was I flattered by his compliment, but Jawan told me all the time how lucky he was to have me. I removed my hand from his because the professor had just made his way into the room, and I welcomed the distraction with a smile on my face.