Chapter 35 LEWIS
LEWIS
With a frown resting on my face, I stood at the entryway of the kitchen, wondering when the hell my mama was going to let go of Shyah so that I could actually spend some time with my girl.
Night had already peeked through, and they were in the kitchen laughing it up while making dinner together.
I loved my mama to death, but I was about to put her ass out.
Shyah had an entire room full of gifts she knew nothing about simply because she was cackling and swapping stories with my mama. They hadn’t checked on me once, and I was a little salty about that.
Done listening to them cackle about one of my mama’s co-stars, I entered the kitchen and grilled them.
“I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m ‘bout to put both of y’all out.”
They burst out laughing and slapped hands like I was gnat telling them to build me a pile of shit.
“Oh, that’s funny?” I was around the island in a second. I threw my mama over my shoulder and carried her towards the front door. She squealed and laughed harder. Shyah was right behind me and jumped on my back. If I wasn’t built like a tank, we all would’ve fallen to the floor.
I placed my mama on her feet, then they proceeded to jump my ass. Of course, their little punches didn’t feel like anything but feathers, but I fell and pretended like they were beating my ass.
“Soon as I get up, y’all done for,” I warned them. Mama ran back into the kitchen and Shyah took off towards the living room. I followed her. Before I could catch her, laughter had her doubled over and clutching her stomach.
I lifted her small ass up and playfully body slammed her on one of the couches. Tears were now falling from her eyes, and I was sure her cheeks hurt too. I fell on top of her and tortured her some more. I tickled the shit out of her.
“Okay! Okay!” she shouted in defeat.
I rolled over onto the floor and gave her a break. She sat up and wiped her tears as she continued laughing.
“You supposed to have my back,” I said.
“I do,” she answered. Her voice was hoarse from laughing.
“Yeah, aight. Let me find out you don’t fuck with me for real.”
She scoffed, then giggled. “Aw, baby, come here.” Her hands cupped my jaws, and she brought me close for a kiss.
Standing, I took her hand. “I wanna show you something.” I led her to one of my spare bedrooms, where I revealed the cache of gifts I had for her.
She dropped my hand and gasped loudly.
“I’ve been waiting to show you this since you got here,” I said.
From racks of designer dresses and outfits to boxes of designer shoes to several designer purses and multiple pieces of jewelry, it looked like a boutique inside the room.
“Are you crazy?” she expressed, astonished. She crept towards the bed and zeroed in on a pair of heels that weren’t even in stores yet. My mama loved attending fashion shows, and sometimes, she’d send me pictures of items she wanted. When I saw the heels, I knew I had to have them for Shyah.
“These are stunning,” she stated.
“They will look great on you.”
She nodded, retraced her steps, and placed a kiss on my lips.
“This is really too much.”
“No, it isn’t. Now, open what you can while we wait for my mama to finish dinner. We can shower and change after dinner.”
“Okay,” she replied and went back to her gifts.
Smiling contently, I leaned against the chest of drawers and observed her many expressions of surprise as she went from gift to gift. This was just the beginning.
***
Over dinner, I was cool with Shyah and my mama carrying on again.
They hit it off, and after I got my mind right, I saw how serious this shit was.
My mama dated since my father died, but nothing serious to the point where it led her down the aisle.
As a man, I wanted someone to come along and sweep her off her feet, respectfully so.
As her son, I watched every nigga, observed their intentions, and quickly squashed any connection that I felt wasn’t right for my mama.
She was a fifty-year-old woman walking around looking beautiful as fuck, but she was so much more than that.
My mama was a force, a partner, someone who would have any nigga’s back and hold that same nigga down, good or bad.
My thoughts shifted to Shyah, who hung on every word my mama said. Although so fucking innocent, I knew I had a rider in Shyah. She didn’t play about her family, and one day, I hoped to hold a place in her heart.
After dinner, my mama hugged us, then left but not without telling me to be on my best behavior. I was going to take heed for the simple fact that I wanted Shyah to feel comfortable here and come back in the future.
“Can I have that shower now?” she questioned.
Smiling, I replied, “Sure.”
I showed her around the rest of the house, then led her back upstairs to my room, where I showed her around and to the bathroom.
I’d already brought her duffle bags inside, and they were tucked inside the walk-in closet.
While she picked out what she wanted to wear, I started the shower for her.
Once I was done, I turned around to find her standing there in a body towel. I nearly swallowed my tongue.
“Talk to me while I shower,” she said.
A nigga sat his ass on the countertop so fast, I about broke my legs getting there.
She giggled and traipsed her sexy ass to the all-glass encased shower.
Her towel came off, and she tossed it at me.
Eyes wide, I only got a glimpse of her naked body before she shrouded herself in the enclosed shower.
“So, what does a trust fund baby get out of joining the law?” she asked. She couldn’t see my face, but I scoffed.
“Who said I was a trust fund baby?”
She cracked up. “Well?”
“My mama hasn’t always been a movie star, baby. She and my father weren’t exactly upstanding citizens. They had a whole crew and everything.”
“Oh, wow! I’ve never heard anything about her.”
Chuckling, I said, “That’s not the type of information anyone wants to splash all over the news.”
She giggled. “True.”
I licked my lips and tried hard to make out her body behind that damn fogged glass. Peeks of her dark brown skin teased me, and she knew that shit. My dick agreed, stirring behind the fly of my joggers. I adjusted him and winced when he grew some more.
“You okay?” Shyah questioned. “Sounds like you’re talking to yourself.”
“Yeah, I’m cool, baby.” I stood up, turned the cold water on, and sprinkled that shit down my drawers. “Sit yo’ ass the fuck down!” I hissed.
Shyah burst out laughing. “Who are you talking to?”
“Nobody, baby.” I splashed some more water on him, and he finally sat his ass down. Scrubbing my hand across my waves, I wondered how the hell I was going to make it through the weekend without showing out.
The trill of my phone gave me a reason to flee the bathroom. I ran out of there like Shyah chased me with a dirty tampon. Relieved to see Von’s name on my screen, I answered his call.
“‘Sup, big dog?”
“We need to go back through the evidence of the other murders.”
For a second, I contemplated revealing what I knew. Then again, Von and I didn’t see eye to eye on the vigilante. Sure, I was all about my badge. But I still had my reservations about said vigilante.
“Aight, cool. What are we lookin’ for?”
His heavy sigh was laced with frustration. “I don’t know, bruh. Just pull the boxes and go through everything. I’ll hit you back soon.”
“Bet.”
When I hung up with Von, I gave myself a pep talk before going back inside the bathroom. My dick started up before I even crossed over the threshold. I shook my head at his foolishness.