“Well I’m glad you’re back. Stick around this time, a’ight?” YaYa said with a furrowed brow. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something had changed with Trina. She had no idea that Trina’s loyalty had wavered long ago. She was in it for the money; it had nothing to do with the family.
“For a little bit,” Trina stated. “You need help?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Yeah, you can help me bring all of this food into the dining room,” YaYa said.
YaYa grabbed a dish and then made her way toward her formal eating area.
“YaYa, I want to introduce you to someone,” Indie said.
YaYa looked up and when she saw his face panic shot through her. A nervous ache pained her heart as she sat the dish down on the table. Ethic. Her knight in shining armor. He was standing here in her home. What the motherfuck? she thought. Her mouth opened but no words left it as she was visibly shaken. She had found so much comfort in him and he had crossed her mind many times. His handsome face was just as shocked as her own. He held out his hand as he stared at her curiously, meeting her eyes and making her even more nervous.
“Ethic,” he greeted. “It’s nice to meet you.”
YaYa exhaled, gratefully.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” she replied. She couldn’t break his stare and she was grateful when Miesha came waltzing into the room, loudly making her entrance.
“Hey, everyone!” she greeted.
Indie walked away to greet Miesha but YaYa and Ethic stayed, unmoving.
Despite the fact that nothing happened between them, YaYa felt guilty about their interaction. It wasn’t her actions that made her feel disloyal; it was her thoughts, her emotions, her attraction to this stranger.
“YaYa, you need me to do anything?” Miesha asked.
YaYa quickly bypassed Ethic and rounded the table to hug Miesha. She had earned her spot in YaYa’s heart and YaYa loved Miesha dearly.
“How are you?” Miesha asked.
YaYa lowered her voice and said, “I could use your help in the kitchen. I’ll bet Trina is eating all the food up.”
YaYa led Miesha into the kitchen. “Umm, you guys can place the food on the table. I’ll be out soon. I’m just going to clean up a little and grab a bottle of champagne,” YaYa said.
Trina grabbed another dish and exited, while Miesha sensed something was off.
“YaYa? Are you okay?” Miesha pressed again, this time with a look of genuine concern. The persistency of her questioning told YaYa that her shit wasn’t all the way put together. She was letting her slip show, coming unhinged from the stresses that had recently plagued her. “You don’t have to be strong all the time. You’re not in the game anymore. This isn’t a deal and you aren’t plotting on anyone. This is your life. Things have been hard for you lately with the wedding and everything . . . I’m just checking on you to make sure you’re good. I know what happens when you keep everything to yourself,” Miesha said. She then lowered her tone as she continued, “That’s how the pill addiction happened last year. I love you. You’re the sister I never had. I don’t want to see things get that bad again. If you need me I’m here. Ride or die. We can even go stomp that bitch Parker’s face in if you want. I got my Tims in the trunk,” she said with a laugh.
YaYa laughed because in her younger years that was exactly what she and her old girlfriend Mona would have done. How she had let Miesha get so close she didn’t know, but she was slowly realizing that the girl was definitely more than a worker. In fact she was more than a friend. Miesha had become family after proving her loyalty and she appreciated her for the new role that she played in her life. Friends didn’t come easily for YaYa. There weren’t many women whom she could not only trust, but connect with. Miesha had passed all the tests with flying colors. YaYa’s smile was infectious as she replied, “Put your gangster up, girl. The Tims are not needed.” She paused. “Yet.” She smiled and gave her a wink. “I’m fine, honey, I promise. Go ahead. I’ll be out soon.”
As soon as YaYa was alone her mind began to spin. What the hell is Ethic doing here? Is this a game he’s playing? Did he know Indie all along? She poured herself a glass of wine. I’m going to need this that’s for damn sure, she thought. If she was going to be put in this awkward position you better believe she was going to have a little bit of liquid courage.
She walked back into the dining room and could immediately feel Ethic’s eyes on her. It took all of her will not to stare back. The Ferragamo tailored suit he wore was flawless and hung off his muscular frame like the designer had sewn it specifically for him. He was handsome, commanding, and so damn sexy. His serious disposition only added to the mystique. Clearly he was new blood in their crew and he didn’t go unnoticed. Trina was definitely interested and YaYa couldn’t help but feel a bit of jealousy as Ethic entertained her in conversation. They said grace and then rejoiced in each other’s company and feasted like kings. YaYa was quiet most of the dinner as Ethic shared the story of his dealings in the streets with the table. She had heard it just days before, in a much more intimate setting. He was much more vague with the group than he had been with her. She still remembered the passion with which he had spoken when he talked about his son’s mother, Raven. She wondered if Indie’s love for her emanated off of him whenever he mentioned her name. For some reason, after all that she had put him through she doubted it. She knew that he loved her, but she couldn’t help but think that over the struggles over the years he loved her out of routine. That in love, crazy over you, do anything to be with you aspect seemed lost in their relationship and she hadn’t noticed it until Indie had hesitated to throw his ex out on their wedding day. He hesitated, she thought glumly. He gave her the upper hand when he chose to speak to her instead of turning around to recite his vows to me.
That had been one of the most horrid moments of her life. Not even her insane battle with Leah had broken her down as much. Leah’s game was mental. She had taken her through psychological and physical hell. Indie had scorned her and targeted straight for the heart. The emotional torture of competing for him and of possibly losing him hurt that much more. Maybe that was what attracted her to Ethic. Ethic wasn’t the type to make his woman feel anything less than worthy. Her thoughts were driving her crazy and she had to step away from the table for a while. “I think we need more champagne,” she said.
“Do you have wine?” Ethic asked. “Something good.”
“She made me build an entire cellar just to store her collection. YaYa appreciates a good, aged bottle of wine,” Indie added.
“I’ll grab a few bottles,” she said.
“I have a 1775 Massandra. Would you like that?” YaYa asked.
Ethic raised an eyebrow. Impressed by her knowledge of good wine.
“That’s a fifty thousand dollar bottle. You have good tastes,” he complimented. “If you have that in your cellar. I’d love to see what else you have.”
“Take him to see it, ma. You know I don’t care about all of that. Give me an expensive bottle to pop and I’m good. I’m not with the wine stuff. That talk goes in one ear and out of the other,” Indie admitted.
YaYa smirked and then smiled as she stood to her feet. “Follow me,” she said to Ethic as they walked through her kitchen and down into the plush basement. She didn’t speak to him until they went one more level down into the privacy of the custom-built cellar.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she demanded, finally able to ask. “Did you know I was Indie’s fiancée? Were you using me to try to get in good with him?”
Ethic smiled slightly.
“Oh you find this funny? This is my life. I don’t know what kind of bullshit games you’re playing . . .”
Ethic closed the space between them, pushing her back against one of the shelves of wine. “You’re sad . . . tell me why.”
She exhaled as she shook her head. How is he able to read me so well? she thought. He doesn’t even know me.
“I can’t do
this. You being here is awkward,” she said.
“Don’t avoid my question. Why are you still sad?” he pushed.
Tears came to YaYa’s eyes. “He has a son. I saw him with my own eyes. I feel like some random girl that I didn’t even know a week ago is going to come in and steal my life,” she admitted as she lowered her head in despair. Ethic was the only person who felt her pain. He was the only one who it was easy to talk to.
“If she can steal him, let her have him, ma,” Ethic said as he lifted her chin and stared her in the eyes. There was something about the way he looked at her. It was electric and made every nerve in her body feel alive. “His inability to see what he has in front of him just may bless the next man,” Ethic said.
“How are you here?” she asked as he wiped away the stray tear that had escaped her.
“This isn’t a set-up, ma. I don’t play those games. I met Indie through a mutual friend. We’re in business together. I didn’t know you were his girl until I stepped foot inside this house. I never thought I would see you again, but I can’t say I’m disappointed,” Ethic said. “And for the record, my name is all the weight I need in the game. Indie is that nigga in New York, but there’s a whole world out there, ma. My name holds weight alone. I would never use a man’s woman to align myself with anyone. Remember that,” he said.
They stood so closely that YaYa could smell the sweet smell of his breath and feel his lips touching hers slightly as he spoke. Here, in the depths of the cellar, she felt completely connected to him and the moisture building between her legs was unstoppable.
Nothing but pure adulation pulsed between them as the lovely tension in the room caused neither of them to walk away.
“If he leaves, let him,” Ethic whispered. For a moment she thought he would kiss her, but instead he reached over her and grabbed a bottle of wine off of the rack. He adjusted his suit and turned to walk out and rejoin the crowd, leaving YaYa breathless from their interaction.
“Yo, did she show you the cellar?” Indie asked as Ethic reentered the dining room.
“Indeed, it’s like a vineyard down there. She’s quite the connoisseur,” Ethic said as he reclaimed his seat.
“Tell me about it, that shit costs me a fortune,” Indie cracked as he felt his phone vibrate in the breast pocket of his Gucci suit. He retrieved it and his smile slowly faded as he read the words.
Tell your bitch of a “wife” that I’m not some cheap whore. She can’t bribe me or my son out of your life. I don’t need her dirty money and I’m starting to think that maybe King and I don’t need you.
—Parker
The text message popped up on Indie’s screen, assaulting him without warning. He had no idea what Parker was talking about but he knew exactly who to ask. He had just been having the time of his life, breaking bread and popping bottles with his people over the prosperity to come. Now, his entire mood had gone dark. He could never imagine YaYa propositioning Parker to leave town, but he knew that his judgment on her integrity was not always on point. She had done much worse in her day. “Excuse me,” he said as he pressed call in an attempt to calm Parker. He could hear her practically screaming at him through her texts. The tone of her words bit at his conscience as his anger sparked.
He clenched his strong jaw as he went in search for YaYa. He found her just as she was coming out of the wine cellar carrying a bottle of vintage Merlot in her hands.
“What did you do, ma?” he asked calmly, startling her.
She jumped, clasping her chest as she exhaled. “Sneak up on people much?” she asked playfully as she calmed her racing heart.
“Fuck did you do, Disaya?” he asked, this time raising his voice slightly.
YaYa’s eyes widened as she stood taken aback. He never, ever called her by her real name. She couldn’t even remember the last time she had heard it fall off of his lips.
“Nothing, what are you talking about?” she asked, defensively, thinking that maybe Ethic had lied to her and was here to throw shade about their one night spent together. “Nothing happened.”
Indie chuckled sarcastically as his temper began to flare. “Nothing happened? Then explain this!” he demanded as he tossed the phone her way.
She caught it and picked it up, dumbfounded as to why he was so angry. When she read the text message she quickly found out. She didn’t give a damn about what he was talking about. Only one thing rang in her mind.
“Why is she texting you? Huh? Why do the bitch even have your number?” YaYa barked, now seeing red right along with him. She knew the answers to all of her questions. Parker had his son. They had things to figure out. Of course she had his number, but still it bothered YaYa.
“She has my fucking son!” Indie shouted, frustrated.
“I don’t give a fuck about your son!” YaYa countered. “So what? You two just sit up and text and call each other all day? She taking you on a glorious stroll down memory lane and you falling for it? That bitch ruined our wedding day and you said nothing to her! You didn’t check her about it, you didn’t tell her to kick rocks . . . but I go to handle the situation and get her out of our lives and you try to jump bad at me?” YaYa was on a roll. She could say a million things before she ever let Indie get a word in. “So what I offered her money to leave town? The bitch better be glad I didn’t sic wolves on her ass!” YaYa barked. “I did what you wouldn’t!”
“I was handling it!” he countered.
“How?” she shouted. “By making secret trips to her hotel room at The London?”
The guilty look on his face only added fuel to her fire. “You left the key in your pants pocket.”
“It’s not what you think, but what do you want from me?” Indie asked. “She is here and she isn’t going anywhere. She has my son that I have yet to meet. He might not even be mine, but—”
“Oh shut up!” YaYa said. “He’s yours! I saw him with my own eyes. He’s your son,” she said as tears came to her eyes. “I know it was before me but it doesn’t stop me from being afraid of losing you. You’re sneaking off to see this girl! Texting her obviously! Tell me what’s real, Indie, not what you think I want to hear! Do you still have feelings for this girl?”
Indie lowered his head and didn’t reply, but silence sounded so much like a resounding yes.
“You want to know the real, ma? The real is right now I’ve got to go fix what you fucked up. I can’t let Parker leave town with my son. I missed so many years. Right now I don’t know what I feel, but the shit you pulled . . . it was foul, YaYa.”
Indie turned and stormed up the steps, leaving her boiling with so much rage and hurt that she thought it may destroy her.
She made her way back up the steps, embarrassed, because at the volumes that she and Indie had been battling she was sure that her guests had heard everything. An awkward silence filled the room as soon as she stepped back in. At first she sought words to explain but then she waved her hand in dismissal. She wasn’t explaining or lying to cover up what they had just witnessed. Fuck it. They had heard it. Hell they had seen it at the wedding. There was a bitch threatening to replace her. “Just leave,” she whispered. She turned and walked up the stairs, feeling completely empty.
She made her way to Skylar’s room and was grateful to find that she was still sleeping peacefully. She vowed that no matter how much of a struggle that she was going through, she would never let Skylar’s life feel anything less than normal again. She had gone through enough behind her parents’ messy lives. YaYa was still trying to make up for her past transgressions as a mother. She wanted to be more attentive and to provide a safe, loving home for her child. With Indie’s focus divided between two families, she was slowly realizing that while she was a full-time mom, he may only be able to commit to being a half-time dad. That alone saddened her.
Wine, it’s a cheesecake and wine type of night, she thought. She knew that her favorite design paired with a complementing drink would keep her from crying her eyes out the remainder of the nigh
t. YaYa had a vindictive soul; that much had been proven over the years by her relentless efforts to kill Leah’s ass. Part of her wanted to destroy Parker, hell maybe even Indie’s wishy-washy ass. He didn’t know where he wanted to be. How could this even be an issue? When it came down to it he was supposed to pick her! No doubts and no hesitation. Since he was acting brand new she wanted too as well, but she didn’t want to make permanent decisions on temporary emotions.
She went into her bathroom and showered, washing the makeup from her face, letting the salty tears mix with the steaming hot water. Usually this routine soothed her soul, but today when the stakes were so high it did very little. She stepped out, leaving small puddles on the tile where she walked as she headed into her bedroom. Slipping into a long silk robe that complemented her silhouette she headed down to the kitchen. The sound of clanging dishes caused her to frown. I thought I told everyone to leave, she thought in irritation, not wanting to be bothered. She entered the kitchen and she saw Ethic loading her dishes into a sink full of soapy water.
Voila. Just like magic the sight of him instantly made her hurt disappear. She had to admit that she was feeling him in a real way. What at first she thought she could avoid was now a fixture in her life. He was going to be around and she wasn’t sure if she could handle it. Every time they interacted he made her feel as if she were made of gold.
“What are you doing?” she asked as she walked over to him. She dipped her hands into the sink.
“You wash, I dry?” Ethic asked with a smile.
“Where they make you at? I can’t pay my nigga to wash dishes around here,” she said with a slick smile.
“I think it’s very obvious after tonight that your nigga ain’t built like me,” Ethic replied.
She began to wash and rinse then handed them to Ethic to dry and put them away.
“You do know I have a dishwasher right?” she asked playfully.
“This gives me an excuse to be here. I’d rather do this slow,” he answered.
Love & War Page 13