by Bella Jay
“That’s unnecessary El,” Caiden spoke, wiping blood from his mouth. “It’s a misunderstanding regarding a procedure I performed on his girlfriend. But everything is good now. Ain’t that right?”
“Yeah everything’s great long as you stay the fuck away from my girl.” Kyree walked to his brother’s whip without another look.
❖❖❖
“What the hell you want me to do? It’s four in the morning.” Tessah’s eyes cracked open to see Kyree wasn’t in what she’d deemed his side of the bed. He’d left her bathroom door cracked open, and she heard him arguing with someone. “You’re being un-fucking fair right now. She has a stomachache, give her warm milk and children Pepto-Bismol. She’s agitated because she doesn’t feel good… soothe her to sleep… me coming there ain’t gon’ change nothing.”
Tessah sucked in air and frowned. Chandra.
“Everything okay?” she asked as he climbed back into bed moments later.
“Yeah,” he grumbled, pulling her body to his.
“If you need to leave…”
“Cherish will be fine. Chan has been on one and calling me over shit she as a mother can handle.” Tessah twisted her mouth to the side before looking over her shoulder at him. “What?”
She turned to face him. “Do you still care for her?”
His face balled up. “What the fuck? No. Chan and I been done before I got out of prison. She thought she could reel me back in once she put herself back together but the shit ain’t work and won’t work.”
“What happened between y’all?” The question had been swirling in her mind since the night after her birthday. She’d heard the desperation in his baby mama’s voice and though she played nonchalant about it, something bothered her soul.
She didn’t know if she saw Chandra as a threat but it was clear the girl still had major feelings for him. Tessah wanted to make sure all of his had evaporated.
“A lot of bullshit.”
“Kyree all of this,” she pointed between them, “is new to me. I’ve never had to compete—”
“Baby you don’t have any competition now either.”
“She’s still in love with you, Kyree. You think she isn’t gon’ cause issues with us?”
“I’ll handle her if she ever crosses a boundary with you, and I’ll talk to her about this extra shit she been doing.”
“Okay… but I still wanna know the details of y’all demise.”
“Now?”
“Why not?”
“‘Cause it’s four in the morning.” She shrugged, and he nodded. “Alright,” he said before diving into him and Chandra’s situation. “We got together when we were twenty-one. I used to move weight back then but hated it, which led to me slipping and selling drugs to an undercover cop.”
“Damn,” Tessah mumbled under her breath.
Kyree ran his hand over his head before continuing. “Fast forward a year, my court date kept getting pushed and thanks to Chan, her supposed home boy put me on to what I do now. It was less chance of me getting caught and back then I wanted fast money. I took over for him four years ago.” He turned on his back. “But then I got sentenced a year after and by that time, Chan was pregnant. I went to prison a month after she gave birth to Cherry.” He toyed with his beard. “I thought she was gonna be my rider but when shit got tough, she showed her true colors. She cheated on me with the dude I took over for thinking he would give her the life I no longer could. This was while she blew through the money I left for her and Cherry.”
“Wow. She’s why you came at me sideways?”
“Because of women like her,” he conceded. “There’s nothing wrong what women wanting men to take care of them but there’s a way to go about it where we both bring something to the table. Not women thinking their pussy is enough.”
A knife pricked Tessah’s heart even though he spoke in general.
A loud sigh filled the air. “The worst part—”
“Damn, there’s more?”
He snorted. “Yup. Chan developed a prescription drug habit after she had our daughter. My mom had to take Cherry from her for a year while she came to her senses.” Tessah checked to see if her mouth was open. “She had postpartum and blamed the disorder but she’s always had this addictive personality where she uses things as her crutch. That’s the gist of why I won’t ever love or be with her again. I want us to co-parent in a healthy way but it’s been difficult.”
“Sorry it’s not how you want yet.” Tessah stroked his beard. “I understand what you said earlier wasn’t directed to me but I wanted to say something about why I ended up using men the way I had been.” His brown eyes took her in. “I grew up in such a shitty atmosphere and I’ve always craved better for myself. Being a foster kid messed me up, and I never wanted to be broke or helpless again. My female superpowers gave me a way out. There are men who get pushed over easily by a beautiful woman and I used it to my advantage since I was eighteen. I never felt bad about it but you’ve made me see things differently. I’m thrilled we explored us.”
Kyree smiled and pulled her to him, planting a soft kiss on her lips. “Me too. Don’t fuck me over Tess.”
She chuckled but the seriousness in his eyes sent a sharp pain through her. “I won’t.”
He kissed her again. “We need to finish our sleep because we getting that ass in shape at the gym later.” His carefree demeanor returned.
“Boy bye.” She half-smirked. “I got hands.” She laid her head on his chest and ignored the ping of nerves rushing through her core. He’d invited her to join him and his brother during their weekly boxing session. It would be the first time she met his brother and the first time she’d ever met someone’s family whom she was intimate with. “We gon’ see who’s talking smack later.”
“Oh we will. Just like how we did on the Slingshot ride.”
Tessah sucked her teeth. “Let it go!”
The next afternoon as they walked into Boxing Wars, Tessah’s palms dripped sweat. The huge gym had two boxing rings, an area to lift weights and for cardio, and a bags room. They had plastered large framed photos and posters of boxing legends on the black and gold walls. “Ky!” a loud deep voice called and Tessah turned to see Kyree if he was a shade lighter.
“Baby bro!” They gripped hands and pulled one another into a hug. “Quint, this is Tessah. Baby, this the person who’s finna have you hating me later.”
Quint let out a boisterous laugh. As handsome as Kyree but his demeanor less rugged. He was an inch or two shorter than his brother but their shared DNA shined through their looks. Tessah imagined what their parents looked like to have created such beautiful men. “What’s up Tessah? Good to meet the girl who has my brother open as fuck.”
“Please shut the fuck up,” Kyree groaned.
Quint and Tessah shared a laugh. “But he’s right. You might hate him later but it’ll be fun. He curses me out every week and bring his ass back every time.”
“I was never the smart one,” Kyree chimed in.
“I believe you,” Tessah said and Kyree pushed at her shoulder making her grin harder.
“Let me get you a pair of gloves and we can get started,” Quint said, leaving the two.
“He’s cute. I like him.”
“You checking out my brother?”
“Jealous?”
“Nah ‘cause he’s already taken and his fiancé don’t play.”
She crinkled her nose, letting her head drop to the side. “Damn.”
Two hours later, Tessah’s arms and legs were a figment of her imagination and she wasn’t sure how she was walking. The boxing session had more than kicked her ass. Quint kicked her ass, handed it back to her, kicked it again and ran it over for good measure.
“I hate you,” she groaned as her and Kyree sat at a booth inside Chipotle.
Kyree snickered. “It’ll get better but you gotta do it more often or at least workout in between.”
“I’m not torturing myself no more. I’m fine en
ough.”
Kyree licked his lips. “When you’re right, you’re right.” He winked. “So, what’s your Thanksgiving plans?” Thanksgiving was eight days a way and the only plan Tessah had had - she’d passed on.
“I’ll be sleeping and going on a Netflix binge.” She mixed the ingredients of her bowl. Her mouth salivated off the guacamole alone.
“You serious?”
Tessah shrugged. “I’ve never really celebrated Thanksgiving. I didn’t feel thankful without my parents and brother growing up.”
“Brother?” Kyree’s brows pulled in as he took a bite of his burrito.
Tessah ran her hand through her curls. She had told only a select few people about her brother. “Yeah.” She sucked in her cheeks. “They separated us in the system a few weeks after my parents died. A fire happened which destroyed a lot of the files, and after the fire I never saw him again.”
“How the fuck did that happen?”
Tessah nibbled on her lip with a small shake of her head. “After my parents death, I didn’t talk to anyone for a while unless I had to when they started thinking I was deaf or something. I was six and scared and didn’t know what was going on. People were just disappearing from my life. I didn’t mention my brother until they placed me with this one social worker who gave a damn about her job. That’s when I found out about the fire and there was no information about him in the system.”
“Damn babe.” Kyree placed his hand over hers and squeezed.
She lifted her shoulders as high as they could go. “It’s okay. I sometimes still search for him on social media but nothing comes from it.”
“What’s his name?”
“Dasiah.” She toyed with her hands. “Not a common name so either he’s not on social media or it’s not meant for me to find him.”
“I’m sorry babe.”
His genuine sympathy warmed her. “I’ve come to terms with it a lot more as an adult. When I was young and having to deal with the bullshit of living in group homes — not so much. Now I have Landon, Gynah, and Emery who I consider my family.”
“Emery?”
Fuck. Shit. Got damn it, Tessah. “Yeah.” She cleared her throat. “An old friend. We were in a group home together and he looked out for me.”
“Y’all still cool?” She nodded, cursing herself under her breath. Knots formed in her stomach because she had yet to tell Emery their situation needed to be deaded and they’d spoke a couple days ago. He had invited her to his Thanksgiving football game in Atlanta. “Bet. Well I’m all for meeting anybody you consider fam.” Tessah forced a smile. “And speaking of family… how would you feel about coming with me and Cherry to my moms for Thanksgiving? I guarantee you’ll have a good time.”
Tessah sucked on her bottom lip. A sweet offer but — “I appreciate the offer but I’m gonna decline. Thanks though, babe.” She gave him another smile and tried to avoid his eyes full of disappointment.
❖❖❖
Tessah shook the bowl with her popcorn doused in hot sauce to mix it as she bounced over to the couch. The morning had been chill with her binging a show on Netflix. As she pressed play for the next episode of season 1 of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, knocks sounded on her door.
She whipped her head to the window, but she hadn’t opened her blinds. “Damn,” she grumbled under her breath before yelling out, “who is it?”
No response.
“Well, fuck it.” She shrugged and grabbed a handful of popcorn.
More knocks.
“Who is it?” She huffed, throwing her blanket off her lap. If Caiden had lost his mind and showed up to her home again, she’d let Kyree do as he pleased with him. She peered out the peephole and frowned. “What are you doing here?” She swung open her door to a smiling Kyree with a little person beside him.
He said nothing as he looked at the adorable little girl. He nodded towards Tessah.
“Hi! I’m Cherry,” she said, with a generous smile melting Tessah.
“Hi, Cherry.” Tessah stooped to her level. “You’re pretty.”
“Thank you.” She cheesed. “My daddy say you,” she paused as if she had to think and then jumped as she said, “coming with us to thanksgibings!”
Tessah cocked her head to the side but kept a smile on her face. “Oh, did he?”
“Mmhmm.”
Tessah stood and crossed her arms. “Kyree.”
He lifted Cherry onto his waist and whispered to her.
She grinned and turned to Tessah. “WILL you come with us to thanksgibings?” He made a motion with his and Cherry said, “Puweassssssse.”
Tessah’s whole heart caved.
Well played Mr. Warwick.
“Ky,” she murmured. “How you gon’ let a two-year-old do your dirty work?”
“I’m three!” Cherry interjected and Kyree snickered. Tessah had forgotten he’d mentioned Cherry’s birthday a few days ago.
“I’m sorry,” She held her chest. “A three-year-old.”
“Thank you very much.”
Tessah smiled. As feisty as she imagined her to be.
“Well?” Cherry sassed, making Tessah chuckle.
Kyree held his hands in the air as Tessah shot puppy dog eyes his way. She planned her day out to a T. Step one: have enough popcorn for the day. Step two: binge The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Step three: Eat junk food. Perfection.
“If you can tell her no… let me in on your secret.” Tessah said nothing. “Bet. You need what… thirty minutes to get ready?”
Kyree played her. There was no way to refuse the package of sweetness he’d used against her and an hour later they were halfway to his mom’s house in Daytona.
Tessah peeked over her shoulder to see Cherry had fallen asleep. “I can’t believe you used her against me.”
“I can’t believe you turned down a nigga’s invite to spend Thanksgiving with the dopest people you’ll ever meet.”
“Really?” She cocked her head to the side.
Kyree licked his lips and placed his free hand on her thigh sending a jolt of lust through her. “Really.” He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Thanks for agreeing to come though even if through force.”
Tessah chuckled. “Long as you know I’ma make you pay for this.”
“In the worst way I hope.” He winked.
The rest of the ride, Tessah tried to get a handle on her nerves. They were shooting through her like fireworks. It was one thing to meet his brother but to meet a chunk of his family was a whole new game. Her comfort level had dropped in the negatives.
When they arrived to what she assumed was his mom’s residence, her heart thumped out of her chest.
“You think she’s gonna like me?” Tessah checked her makeup as he parked along the road.
“My mom, grandma, aunt, or Shay?” he asked, tittering.
“Shit. I forgot about Shayla. You have an aunt and grandma too? We shoulda spent this ride with you giving me a rundown Kyree. What am I walking into? What if they don’t like me? I’ve—”
“Babe,” he said in such a calming way it sealed her mouth shut. “My grams and mom are cool. My aunt Fran, Shay’s mom, is gonna mess with you but she’s harmless. Shay will attack you—”
“Attack me?” Her eyes bulged as she stuck her neck out.
He laughed. “In a loving way. I told you she wanted to meet you so she’s gonna wanna know all the tea. My uncles gon’ bother me, not you. You already met Quint and you’ll get to meet his fiancé, Ryan. My cousins will be here too but they all boys besides Shay which is why she’ll be excited.”
“Okay.” Her mind soaked in everything he said. Send help, God.
“Baby you have nothing to worry about. I wouldn’t throw you to the wolves. I want you to have a good time and enjoy a Thanksgiving for a change surrounded by people.”
She nodded. “Okay.” He leaned over and kissed her before waking his princess.
His mother lived in a single-family house but it wasn’t
the one he’d grown up in. She’d moved there after his father passed because of the location to the beach. He told her it had four bedrooms because his mom wanted room for her grandkids to stay during the summer. As they strolled down the sidewalk leading to the backyard, old school music tickled Tessah’s eardrums.
“My baby!” A beautiful woman who didn’t look over forty-five yelled when they stepped foot into the vast backyard. Twenty or more people stood around the yard talking amongst themselves, playing card games, and drinking. Tessah swallowed the lump in her throat as the woman approached.
“Hey ma,” Kyree opened his arms and what she did next had Tessah snickering beside him.
“Boy,” she waved him off, “not you.” She wrapped Cherry in her arms.
“Gram gram!” Cherry beamed.
“Wow.” The sides of Kyree’s mouth dipped. “You gave birth to me though. First of my name, best son you ever had, the greatest of all time.”
“Nigga hush,” Quint said, joining them. “Lies, lies, and more lies.”
“I wish you both would be quiet. I don’t really like either of you for ruining my shape.” Quint, Kyree, and Tessah laughed. “You must be Tessah?” She slapped Kyree’s arm as her eyes roamed Tessah causing the lump to return. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing her.”
He’d told her about me?
“Damn ma, what if it wasn’t Tessah? Lady, you gotta learn to be discrete first,” Quint said, and she cut her eyes his way.
“Well wouldn’t have been my fault.”
Kyree shook his head. “Yeah ma. Tessah, this is my beautiful mother.”
“Nice to meet you Mrs. Warwick,” Tessah said, not sure if she should hold out her hand, hug her, or bow.
None of that happened but the warm smile on Mrs. Warwick face sent a sense of calm through Tessah. Kyree had her smile.
“Call me Mina baby. It’s lovely to meet you. I thought Ky was lying.”
Kyree scrunched up his face. “Why would I have been lying?”
“Shoot I thought you might’ve still been hung up on Chan. Lord knows the poor girl wants you back.”