"Bari, wake up, baby. Come on, Milkshake." I have to be dreaming. I struggled to open my eyes. They weren't having it. "Baby?"
As my eyes drifted open, Seven's face swayed before my eyes.
"Seven?"
"Yeah, baby. I'm here."
He hugged my tightly.
"What are you doing in here? How'd you get in? Are you gonna kill me?"
I heard a gasp and looked past Seven into Birdie's worried face.
"Why would she ask something like that?" She asked.
"Oh Birdie, the girl is high. Maja understands the feeling, Young Bari. I remember the trees of Jamaica like it was yest ..."
"Shut up," Birdie told him.
"Bari, hi, baby. I'm so mad at yo' ass. You scared me," Gucci said, wiping tears from her eyes.
"How'd you guys get in?" I demanded, then dozed off again.
When I awake a second time, Seven was the only one there. I was flying, floating, sailing and gliding.
"Milkshake?"
"I'm gon' ask one more time before I call the fuzz on you! How'd you get in here?"
“Gucci came to see you, and you never opened the door. She knows where you hide your spare key."
"She broke into my home! Probably to help you kill me! You shot me didn't you? Tell the truth! Why aren't I at the hospital? You don't know how to remove a bullet!"
"Baby, try to go back to sleep. You need to sleep that shit off."
"Where is everybody at? You made them leave so you wouldn't have any witnesses didn't you?"
"Come on, Milkshake."
I laid my head on the pillow in his lap and drifted off to sleep.
"I have a headache, Seven," I said when I finally woke up again.
"You should, Baby. Why did you take all of them pills?" He asked.
"I was trying to get some sleep.”
"Is that all you were trying to do?"
"Of course. What else would I be doing?" I asked.
“Nothing, Milkshake."
"You don't think ...I would never ...” He looked at me skeptically. “Seven, I wasn’t trying to kill myself if that’s what you think. I hadn’t slept since you left, and I was tired. I just figured I needed a little help. But damn, did any of you guys ever think to take me to a hospital?"
"When Gucci called to see what she should do they told her to let you sleep it off."
"How did she know what I took?"
"Bari, you have a medicine cabinet with no medicine in it except for one thing. It wasn't hard to figure out."
"Seven?"
"What, baby?
"I was supposed to move today. I guess that's out, huh?"
"Actually, you were supposed to move yesterday, Milkshake. Today is Tuesday, but it's not too late."
I looked at him for a long time.
"You still want me to come back?"
"Bari, I love you. I told you before, no matter how mad I get at you, no matter what I do or what I say, I'll never leave you. I don't know why you don't believe that."
"I do now," I said, hugging him tightly. "And I'll never doubt it again."
I took a much needed bath, put on some clothes and ate the food that Seven made for me. I sat next to him on the couch and looked up into his face.
"What, Milkshake?"
"Nothing."
We sat in silence, Seven's arms around me, making me feel loved again.
Chapter 47
It was the night after my seventeenth birthday, and I was lying in bed wrapped in Seven's arms. My back rested against his naked chest. Something told me I was about to dread what was coming up.
"Why didn't you ever ask about him?" He asked quietly.
I tensed immediately. We had never discussed what happened between Trim and I, not Trim period. And no matter how much my curiosity tried to take over, I never brought his name up for any reason.
"What? Who?"
"Trim.''
"I don't want to talk about that, baby. We haven't discussed it for this long, what's the point?"
"Answer the question."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"I don't want to think about that, Seven. So please, just drop it."
"You don't care about what happened to the nigga, Milkshake? Damn, that’s kind of cold, ain't it?"
"Like you give a damn, Seven."
I was getting nervous.
"For real, I don't, but I know you do. That's the kind of person you are."
"Okay. That's the kind of person I am, now please, let it go." My voice cracked.
"You cryin', Milkshake? You was scared for him, huh?" He asked.
I took a deep breath.
"I never got a chance to be scared for anybody but myself."
"Did you ever go to see if he was home, or did you just take my word for it?"
If Seven knew I had called the manager, who informed me in confusion that he couldn't understand why Trim would skip out on his lease, he would be furious.
"I had no reason to doubt you, Seven."
I faked a yawn and acted like I was falling asleep, as if he'd care. We'd gotten along perfectly since I had come home. I didn't want any problems to start.
"You never should, baby. You never should."
I laid awake thinking about the day before, and how different it felt being a year older. I had endured a lot that past year; from Trish, to Darshon, to Seven, to Big Mama's passing, to Trim, and separations that Seven and I had.
A smile came to my face as I thought about the diamond tennis bracelet, the Lady Rolex watch and the thick twenty-four karat gold Herringbone chain that I had gotten from Seven for my birthday.
"Go to sleep, Bari."
"I am."
"You thinkin' about that nigga?
I didn't answer. That was the best way to avoid a confrontation with Seven, but if l didn't answer, he would think I was confirming his question.
"No, baby. I'm thinking about yesterday."
"Okay, Milkshake. Go to sleep." A moment of silence followed. "I'm sorry, baby."
"It's okay. I understand, and I wasn’t trying to avoid your question, but sometimes it’s best not to know, right?”
“Right, baby. Your man taught you well, huh?"
He kissed the side of my face.
"I'm glad to be home, Seven. I missed you so much. I don't ever want to be away from you again."
"You never will be."
Something in his tone made my heart drop into my stomach. I woke up the next morning, made Seven's breakfast, showered and dressed. Seven was in his play pen when Six showed up.
"How does it feel to be seventeen?" Six asked.
"Oh yeah, you couldn't possibly remember back that far, huh?" I joked.
"You gon ' get at ya big bro like that?"
He picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. I laughed hysterically.
"Put me down! Put me down!” I screeched. "I'm sorry!"
"Take it back!"
"I take it back!" I could barely get the words out; I was laughing too hard.
"I can't understand you!"
"I take it back!"
"Six, nigga, put her down."
He set me down on the floor. The laughter stopped immediately at the look on Seven's face and the tone in his voice. He was standing at the bottom of the stairway glaring at both of us. I gave Six an apologetic look.
"Ain't you goin' with Birdie?"
"Yes, I'm leaving right now," I said.
"Go change first."
"What?" I asked, in case I heard him wrong.
He didn't repeat it, just looked at me. I looked down at the light blue Calvin Klein jeans and matching baby jean tee I was wearing. His expression told me that it was not up for discussion. Six looked at me and winked. I stomped up the stairs, changed my clothes and came back down. I snatched my keys off the hook and was on my way out the door.
"Com'ere, Bari." I stopped and turned around, walked back to where he was. "Call me," he said, which meant 'check in' with hi
m.
"Okay." I looked at him sadly.
"I love you, Baby."
"I know, Seven."
"You mad at me?" He asked and bent to kiss me.
How was I supposed to answer when he had taken my breath away?
"How can I be? I made you like this, didn't I?"
"Bari. . . "
"It's okay. I expect you to be like this with me after what I did, but Seven, come on, baby. Six? That was messed up."
"He understands though."
"That doesn't make it okay. He doesn't deserve that from you."
I kissed him again and walked out the door. I was happy to see Birdie when I stepped inside her front door. Major stepped in front of her, seemingly from nowhere.
"Tell me you're not going with us," I joked.
"For your in'fa'mation, Young Bari, Old Maja is spending the day with his friend Meestake, and you, young lady, are not invited!" He informed me. "It is a man's day! No smart mouthed seventeen year olds allowed, Bari."
"Good. We're having a girl's day, and there's no hundred year olds that can't pronounce words with e-r at the end allowed!"
Birdie was cracking up.
"A low blow, Young Bari!" He laughed. "That was a low blow!"
"Is Gucci joining us?" Birdie asked.
"Not today. I really wanted just us to spend some time, Birdie."
"Are you okay, Bari?"
I looked at Major, who stood there, looking back and forth from me to Birdie, waiting to hear the answer.
“Bye, Mrs. Cravitz!” I said.
“Who is Mrs. Cravitz, Young Bari?” He pondered it for a moment then broke out in laughter. “Mrs. Cravitz! She’s the lady that wouldn’t let Samantha and Darren have any privacy! It’s been so long since Old Maja has seen ‘Bewitched’! And guess what, Young Bari? It would be old Maja's pleasure to wiggle his lips and turn you into a chubby, juicy, deli-ci-ous cricket."
He was laughing so hard at his own joke that he barely got the words out. He kissed Birdie then turned around and did the Runaway Slave dance through the grand living room and up the winding staircase.
He yelled from the top of the stairs, "I got it down, huh, Young Bari?"
"Uh, yeah, if you say so, 'Maja!"
We were in Birdie's Mercedes and headed to Beverly Hills when she asked me what was wrong. I told her about Seven's behavior with Six earlier this morning.
"Six?" She asked. "Bari, Seven has known Six since he was in head start. That's where they met and decided that they were brothers. They told the teacher they were brothers, told the other kids they were brothers, they had me almost believing that Six was really mine and that somebody might have stolen him from the hospital when he was born." She smiled. "No one could convince them that they weren't brothers. They stuck to that story right through elementary school, junior high and high school. When Six 's family moved away when he and Seven were in junior high, Major convinced them to let Six stay with us, and he did. We raised Six like he was ours, Bari. Seven knows deep down that Six would die before he did anything to hurt him. You don't let Seven make you feel uncomfortable around Six. If you do, he'll think you have a reason to be acting that way, even if it's all in his mind. You made a big mistake, Bari. There doesn't have to be any logical reason for it. Sometimes things just happen."
"Birdie, I love Seven. I loved Seven before I knew what love even was, and it seems like I cause him more disappointment than I do happiness."
"Bari, Seven is spoiled beyond belief, and I hate to say it, but it's gotten ten times worse since he's gotten with you. Stop catering to Seven's every desire. It's okay to say no to him sometimes. He won't fall apart and die. That's his problem now, but only part of it. Seven thinks the sun rises and sets around you, Bari. He thinks you’re perfect, and you just proved to him that you're human. He needed to see that anyway. There is a such thing as being too much in love, Bari, and I think that’s Seven’s problem. I’m not making excuses for what you did because you were wrong as two left shoes, but he needs to accept the fact that he will not stop breathing every time you do something that he doesn’t agree with. He panics. He seems to think that each and every mistake you make is an indication that you're about to leave him. Bari, Seven drove everybody crazy during the time you guys weren't together. I don't think he spent one night at his own house, and I know Gucci was pissed at him because he was dragging Six around with him everywhere he went. Did Six refuse? No. There isn't anything that Six wouldn't do for him. He put his own relationship on hold to be there for his 'brother'." She smiled. "It feels good to be loved so much, doesn't it, Bari?"
"Of course, but ..." I hesitated.
"But," she finished my sentence, "Sometimes, it feels like overkill, doesn't it?"
I nodded.
"He doesn't trust me anymore, Birdie. I know that's my fault, but that doesn't make it easier to accept. It's hard when you disappoint someone you really love."
"Let me tell you something about my son, Bari. If Seven didn't trust you, he wouldn't be with you at all. He knows that was nothing but a mistake, and he knows it won't be repeated. He knows you love him, but the fact still stands that you did something that we all know you didn't have any business doing. What is he supposed to say? How is he supposed to act? How would you feel if he told you he did what you did?"
My whole attitude changed.
"Let's not discuss this anymore, Birdie. I don't want to disrespect you by using all the profanity that's in my mind right now."
She laughed.
"See what I mean?" She asked, as we pulled into the parking lot of the Beverly Center.
I dialed Seven's number on my phone.
"Hi, baby."
"Hey Milkshake, when you coming home?"
"I've only been gone about two hours, Seven." I smiled. "You miss me?"
"Hell yeah. Six on my last nerve. The nigga won't stop clown walkin' on my carpet. I can see where he's wearing it down." He didn't play no games when it came to his play room. "Where y’all goin'. Kiss my mama for me."
"Okay, baby."
"But where y’all goin' though?"
"Shopping."
"I love you."
"Me too."
I ended the call.
About twenty minutes later, Birdie's phone rang.
"Yes? Why didn't you call her phone, Seven? Bari, Seven wants to know where the keys to his Mercedes truck are." And every hour after that, we got another call, always on Birdie's phone. "Seven wants to know where this is...Seven wants to know where that is..."
"You and me need to talk," I informed him when I got home.
"I missed you, Milkshake."
"I don't see how. It felt like you were right there with us, and where did you go today?"
"Nowhere."
"Then why did you need the keys to your Benz Truck, that mind you, have been hanging in the same spot as the rest of the keys since we got together, if you weren't going anywhere? And the cleanser you couldn't find that has been under the bathroom sink since the day I bought it, what were you cleaning, Seven?"
"I was cleaning the keys to my Benz truck," he said sarcastically.
"And when, Seven, did you start being concerned about thawing something out for dinner?"
"Since I started being hungry."
"Oh, and Six clown walked so bad on your carpet that you had to call and ask where the Carpet Fresh was so you could vacuum?"
"Okay, okay, Milkshake," he relented, trying to pull me into a hug.
I backed out of his reach.
"And you were only calling on Birdie's phone so you could make sure we were still together. You knew where all those things were, Seven. You should feel like shit for using your mother like that."
I didn't use Birdie. I used her phone."
Smart ass.
"Baby, you're missing the point. Where is this going to end? I was with your mother, Seven. Your mother. Gucci? I could see you being a little concerned about that even without reason, but your mother?"
<
br /> "My mama loves me, Milkshake."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"She ain't trippin'."
"I am! Okay baby, you're going to have to trust me at some point. I have to go back to school pretty soon. You know there's no cell phones allowed inside the school anymore. What are you going to do then?"
"I got your point, Bari. I'm driving my baby crazy, huh?"
"I'm not about to answer that," I laughed. "I love you, baby. I'm not going anywhere. When we're not together all I do is think about you, even if we're only apart for ten or fifteen minutes." I looked him in his eyes, so he would know I was serious. "Now, since you're so hungry that you tracked me down to ask me if I wanted you to take a chicken out of the freezer, let me make your dinner."
He started laughing.
"I'm sorry, Milkshake."
"It's okay," I lied.
That shit was getting on my fuckin' nerves. Thirty minutes later, I handed him his plate.
"What?" He asked, as I continued to stare at him.
"Do I need to take my phone to the shower with me?" I joked.
"Naw, naw, it's cool," he laughed, then got serious. "But you can take me with you."
"Eat, Seven. I'll hook you up later."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
I was almost out of the kitchen when he called me.
"Bari."
"Yes?"
He looked at me for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.
"I forgive you," he said quietly, then nodded his head as if he had made the right decision. "And I do trust you."
Tears came to my eyes. I hugged him then kissed him.
"Thank you, baby. That means a lot to me."
"I know it does. I love you."
"I love you, too."
When I came back downstairs, Seven wasn't in the living room, the kitchen or anywhere else I looked. I had only been inside his playroom one time, and that was with him and Shep the day of Uncle Meestake's barbecue. Even then, I didn't look around or try to memorize it. I didn't want Seven to think I was invading his space. I walked to the door and was about to knock on it when I heard voices. One belonged to Shep, the other to Seven. I started to walk away, then froze in my tracks at the sound of Six's voice.
Crazy In Love With A Thug: Bari and Seven Page 23