CHAPTER TWENTY
Mia
The last three months had been the best of my life. I hadn’t heard a word from Cash, nor had I heard a word from Bundy, and I’d been living in nothing but peace since then. CJ and I had been great, also. He’d been in day care for the past two months, and I’d been working. Yup, that’s right. I went and got a job. I also went and got my GED. So that was a huge accomplishment for me. Just to be in this peaceful place and to be able to support my son on my own felt so awesome. Even though I was used to Cash giving me money, I was independent now, and I had Keyon to thank for giving me all the advice and wisdom that I so desperately needed. Speaking of her, she was now calling my phone.
“Hello,” I answered happily. I didn’t know why, and people might have said I was foolish, but talking to Keyon was actually a good feeling for me. I always waited for her to give things to me straight, no chaser.
“What are you doing? Do you have work today?”
“Nah, I’m off today and tomorrow. What’s up?” I asked.
“I’m calling to see if you wanna do dinner with me and my family at Applebee’s tonight.”
“Oh, so I finally get to meet your fiancé, huh?” I asked, surprised that she was even about to allow that to happen.
“Yes, and even though I know that my man absolutely loves me, I don’t wanna catch you looking at him all funny, because I will cut you behind that one,” she said, but laughed. I laughed too, but I could also hear the seriousness in her voice.
“Man, I’m not even on that shit no more, and I’ve apologized to you a million times already. So make this a million and one. I’m sorry for messing with Cash and causing you so much trouble,” I said seriously, even though I was tired of saying it.
“Girl, go ahead somewhere with all of that. Cash was and will forever be a nobody. So fuck him,” she said, and I agreed. “Where’s my baby at?”
“He’s right there sleeping. Girl, it feels so good to be able to relax and shit without him crying for this or that all the damn time.”
“I know you’re going to leave him alone. That child doesn’t bother you that damn much,” she said, laughing again.
“Girl, whatever. You’ll see when I be shipping his ass off to stay with you and your damn family,” I told her.
“And I’ll be happy to take him too, but I gotta go. See you later, boo.”
“All right. See you all later,” I said before we hung up.
I sat there as my heart began racing. I couldn’t believe that Keyon was finally allowing me to meet her fiancé. I was quite surprised that she was allowing to meet him after everything that went on with Cash. I wouldn’t do her like that again because we’d become a little close, and I didn’t want to jeopardize any of that this time. But I was pretty sure they’d talked about me and everything that went down with Cash and me, which meant that he already had an opinion about who I was. He probably thought I was all kind of thots and whatnot, which was what I desperately wished to change. If Keyon could really forgive me, he could too.
* * *
“I’m on my way out the door right now,” I told Keyon as I grabbed CJ’s car seat with him in it and headed to the garage. Opening the car door and placing him inside, I ran back in the house to get my purse and lock up. When I was done, I went back to the garage and got in the car. Opening the garage door, I started the car and backed out. When I made it to the end of the driveway, I closed the garage door. I almost had a heart attack when I thought I saw someone standing a few feet away from the house, but when I shined the bright lights on the spot, no one was there. Figuring that I was just tripping, I pressed the button to close the garage door and continued out of the driveway and pulled off. Keyon already had sent a message and said that they were leaving the house, so I had forty-five minutes to make it there in time to meet them. So I really had to hurry my ass if I wanted to get there.
As I drove down the highway, I decided to call my cousin Brittney. Since she was the only family I had, I wanted her to know that I was all right. She was probably worrying her little head off, so this was the least I could do to put her mind at ease.
“Hello,” she said, answering the phone on the fourth ring.
“Girl, you sound so different,” I said, shocked. “What the fuck have you been getting into?”
“Mia?” she asked, catching on to my voice.
“Yeah, it’s me,” I replied, smiling from ear to ear. It felt so good to be able to hear her voice.
“Oh, my God, girl, where the hell are you?” she asked.
“I’m living,” I simply said, knowing that I couldn’t tell her exactly where I was. “How’s everything been going in Chicago?”
“Everything’s been the same. Except them niggas Bundy and Cash been by here looking for your ass like clockwork. I don’t know what you did to them niggas, but they surely been by here a lot.”
“When was the last time they came over there?” I asked, hoping that she wouldn’t say anytime lately.
“Cash ain’t been here in a minute, but that nigga Bundy was just over here about a week ago looking for you. Looking all bad and shit. I ain’t seen his ass since then though.”
“What the fuck did Bundy want?” I asked her. I hadn’t been talking to his ass, so I wondered what he could want.
“He been looking for you like every fucking body else been doing,” she replied, laughing as if the shit were funny. “I don’t know what the hell you did to that boy, but he looks so damn bad. I think his ass is on some type of drug or something.”
“I didn’t do one damn thing to his ass, and if he’s on drugs, then that’s his own damn business, not mine,” I said.
“Shit, could’ve fooled me, but seriously, where the hell are you, and when the hell are you coming back home?”
“Girl, I’m never coming back home. I done found myself a little spot, and I’m very much content.”
“What?” she yelled. “You’re not coming back to Chicago? Never?”
“Never, bitch. I’m not coming back to that hellhole. I done got myself a job, I done got my GED, bought a beautiful home, and me and my son are doing just fine.”
“You go, girl,” she said, making me smile hard. “When will you let me and your little cousin come and visit you? You know he’s been asking about you, and you know I miss your ass. Plus, you’re talking about not coming back to Chicago. Just tell me where you’re at so that I can come and visit you.”
“If I tell you, you better not tell no damn body either,” I said as serious as a heart attack.
“Bitch, you know me better than that,” she replied, which caused me to stop and think. Not one time did she ever cross me or rat me out. She’d been in my corner since forever and a day, and yet here I was questioning if I should really tell her where I was or just lie like I did about everything else. “Come on, Mia, we really miss you all.”
“All right,” I said just as my phone began to beep. Pulling the phone from my ear, I looked at it to see Keyon calling. “Hold on, Brittney, let me call you right back.”
“Wait. Are you goi—” she began to say, but I was already hanging up.
“Sup, Keyon?” I asked her.
“Girl, where are you? We just got here, but we’re waiting to be seated,” she said, sounding like she was whispering.
“Actually, I just pulled into the parking lot,” I said once I realized exactly where I was. I guessed Brittney and I were on the phone talking so much that I hadn’t noticed. It was either that or I was really speeding. Either way, I was here, and I was nervous as hell, too.
“All right, I’m about to come out and get you.”
“Okay, cool,” I said before I hung up. I was thankful that the place wasn’t packed and that I was able to find a parking spot quickly. After parking, I turned off the car, got out, and grabbed CJ from the back seat just in time to see Keyon wobbling our way.
“Girl, you’re huge,” I said, looking at her already-big belly. She wasn’t even at five months. I didn’t care what she said. She was going to end up going into labor super early.
“I don’t want to hear that shit. Let me see my baby,” she said as CJ reached for her. She grabbed him and began walking back toward the restaurant.
“Come on, Keyon, let me hold him. I don’t want him causing you any pain. You know he’s heavy.”
“Girl, the boy barely weighs a good twenty-five pounds, and he’s two,” she said, laughing. Yes, my son was small and didn’t gain any weight, as much as he ate. Even though that may have been true, I still didn’t want her holding him. Her doctor recently said that her pregnancy was coming along fine. I didn’t need anything backtracking that. “He won’t hurt me no type of way.”
“All right now, but don’t have no one fussing at me because you decided to be hardheaded,” I said once we entered through the doors.
“Oh, it looks like they’ve already been seated,” she said, turning.
“Keyon, we’re this way,” Tay yelled as she waved us toward their table. “Come on, girl,” she said as we began walking toward her.
From where I was, I noticed a man sitting at the table, but his back was turned toward us. I wasn’t anywhere near him, and the man couldn’t even see me, yet I was nervous, as if he were watching me walk toward the table the whole damn time.
I closed my eyes as I tried to get my breathing under control and the pounding of my heart to slow down a little. I didn’t know why, but somehow it seemed like we’d been walking for an hour when it had only been seconds. I really couldn’t believe that meeting Keyon’s fiancé would make me this nervous. Finally we reached the table. I almost shit in my pants when I saw who he really was: the same nigga Bundy had recruited for the lick with Cash. The very same dude I had to bail out of jail a few months ago.
“Mia, meet Kane. Kane, meet Mia,” she said, introducing us. Just like me, he was surprised as hell.
“Nice to meet you,” I said, reaching out my hand for him to shake. Looking around at the few people sitting at the table, which included Tay and Ant, he cleared his throat and shook my hand.
“Nice to meet you too, Mia,” he replied, smiling. There was something about the way he said my name and the look in his eyes that really had me scared.
“Okay, well, let’s have a seat, shall we?” Keyon said, sounding happy. I was guessing that she actually missed the look Kane gave me, because there was really no reason to be happy at all right now.
“Okay, but let me go ahead and run to the bathroom right quick. Order me a Sprite if they come over for the drinks and I’m not there,” I told her as I set CJ’s bag in my seat and almost ran my ass to the bathroom.
I guessed it was true when people said that the world was in fact smaller than we all thought it was. There was no damn way my luck could be that damn bad, so I was pretty sure that this was one big coincidence. It was either that or God was really trying to send me a sign that I wasn’t able to read. Whatever the case was, there was no way that I could stay my ass here. I had to come up with a reason to leave, but then again, I couldn’t. Keyon was happy about this little meeting, and I didn’t want to disappoint her.
Once I entered the bathroom, I made sure that no one was in there before I pulled out my phone and dialed Bundy’s number. Placing the phone to my ear, I silently prayed that he would answer seeing that I had a Florida telephone number and he didn’t answer the phone for numbers he didn’t know.
“Who are you calling?” I heard a voice say behind me. I turned around and almost shit in my pants when I saw Kane standing there.
“Nobody,” I stuttered, lying. He gave me that “Yeah, bitch, all right” face before he came walking over to me. Taking the phone out of my hand, he looked at it then back up at me.
“See, I thought I was tripping when I saw you and I knew for damn sure that I knew your face. I just couldn’t believe that of all the girls in Chicago, you had to be that Mia who came down here,” he began to say. “I thought when that shit happened with Bundy a few months ago that I wouldn’t have to deal with y’all no more. Now he’s blowing me up, and your ass pops up out of nowhere. Tell me what the fuck I need to know, because you coming in here and calling Bundy looks hella suspicious right now.”
“Okay, damn, but it’s not what you think.”
“Not what I think? See, what I’m thinking is that y’all trying to bring some drama to my front door, and I’m not having that. Now tell me that is not what I think,” he said, stepping a few feet closer to me.
“Like I said, it’s not what you think,” I said, taking a step back so that we weren’t that close together. “I only came down here because I wanted the kids to get to know each other.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it,” he said, grabbing ahold of my shoulder. He didn’t squeeze it or anything like that. He just held it. “Tell me the real reason you’re here, and don’t play with me, shawty.”
“Okay, damn. I came here because I got tired of Cash beating on me. Yes, that nigga is a woman beater, and he’s been whooping my ass ever since I showed up and did what I did to him and Keyon at the club. I know I deserved the shit after the club, but I’m not anyone’s punching bag. Cash isn’t my father. He’s my child’s father, and that was what I tried to tell him, but I couldn’t get that through his head,” I said as my eyes got a little watery. Thinking about the shit I used to go through always made me feel down and upset. “Look, I’m not trying to bring no drama to y’all. I’m just trying to let my son get to know his big sister, that’s all.”
“Look, I’m sorry about that nigga beating on you and shit, but you come with too much shit attached to you. How do we know that if he does find you and if you do happen to be with Keyon, he won’t attack her too? I mean, from what I’m hearing, the nigga is a loose cannon. Makes me wonder if he ever hit on Keyon,” he said, looking away at the wall.
“No, he hasn’t. We already had that conversation, and she said no.”
“Well, I’m happy about that, but we still have a problem on our hands.”
“And what’s that?” I asked, because as far as I was concerned, there wasn’t a problem.
“You know what I did, and Bundy’s a loose cannon right now, which means that I can’t have none of that around my girls.”
“I haven’t told Keyon a damn thing, and I promise I won’t. As for Bundy, I haven’t talked to him in three months, and he’s not answering the phone for me now.”
“Hold up, let me call him up right now,” he said, grabbing his phone and dialing Bundy’s number. He placed the phone to his ear, but instantly put it back down. “His phone is going straight to voicemail.”
“Same thing it did when I called him a few minutes ago,” I told him.
“Yo, I think we need to go up there and see what is going on with him. The nigga called me last week and said that he thinks the nigga knows about what he did.”
“I told him that Cash doesn’t know a thing. He’s just so paranoid he’s going to give us up.”
“Shit, that’s if he hasn’t done so already,” Kane said, shaking his head. “Since Keyon trusts you, you can just leave your son with her and say that you have to go back and check on your people. Ask her at the table so that I can encourage her to do so.”
“Okay.”
“All right now, good. Go back out there to the table before she or Tay starts to get suspicious. I’ll be out there in a few minutes. I’ll try to call my aunt up to see if she’s seen Bundy.”
“All right, cool,” I said, leaving the restroom. I made it back to the table in probably twenty seconds flat.
“Damn, you must’ve really had to use the restroom, huh?” Keyon said, laughing.
“Uh-huh,” I said, grabbing CJ from her lap. “Did everyone order yet?”
“Nah, we were waiting for you and Kane to get back,” she said just as he sat back down in his seat. He spared me a few seconds’ glance before turning his attention back to Keyon.
“Umm, Keyon, I have to talk to you,” I told her. I looked around as I noticed everyone at the table was now looking at us. “But it can wait until later.”
“Are you sure?” she said, turning toward me.
“Yes, I’m sure,” I said, never bothering to look up at Kane because I was more than sure that he had a mug on his face.
“Okay,” she said, flagging down a waiter who came and took our orders.
As we all sat there waiting for the food, we decided to get to know each other. Or rather, they all thought it was a good idea to jump on me, asking question after question. I answered most of them, but when they started to ask about my parents, I began to get a little uncomfortable. It was a good thing the waiter had come back with our food, because I could feel myself about to have a mental breakdown if I said anything about my family.
It wasn’t until dinner was almost over and we were about to leave when I asked Keyon about keeping CJ. Like I already knew, she had no problem keeping him. Knowing that Cash was back in Chicago, she wanted me to be safe. She didn’t have to worry about that, because I wasn’t going anywhere around Cash. I was only going with Kane, and that was because he was basically making me. Once we found out where Bundy was, or what happened to him, then we were out. Well, I would be for sure. Kane could’ve done whatever he wanted to. Shit, that wasn’t on me. The only thing I had on my mind was making it back to Tennessee to my son, that was it.