Unbreakable 4

by Tynessa

“He asked me last week,” I said.

  “Aww, congrats, boo,” Brooke said, hugging me.

  “Thanks, y’all. I’m so excited. Now I have to tell Mama.” With that we all rushed out the room and into the kitchen. I don’t know why but I was nervous as hell to tell my mom. Her and my dad both liked Theodore so I guessed there was no need for me to be nervous.

  “Mama,” I sang with Shan and Brooke right behind me. My mom and Debbie both turned to look at me. I was happy that Debbie and I were on good terms again. We still weren’t that close but we were working on it.

  “What is it?” my mom asked while staring at us like we were crazy. I smiled and waved my ring finger at her.

  “I’m getting married!” I yelled excitedly. She just stood there with her mouth opening and closing but nothing was coming out. I didn’t know if she was happy or what until she rushed over to me. She hugged me before looking at the ring, followed by Debbie.

  “Congrats, baby. I’m so happy for you,” my mom said.

  “Me too,” said Debbie. Her ass probably was happy because she knew if I got married then she didn’t have to worry about me and her son getting back together. Little did she know, she didn’t have to worry about that anyways. Both of us were happy with the way we were; just friends.

  “Congrats on the engagement.” My mom hugged Theodore followed by everyone else.

  After telling my dad what was going on, he hugged him then Ronny and Bino dapped him up. I looked over at Cornell and he had a blank expression on his face but he congratulated us. I made a mental note to talk to him about this. This was a huge step for me but I didn’t want any animosity between my baby daddy and me.

  We all sat around enjoying each other’s company and before we knew it, it was after eleven p.m. and everybody had already left except for me and Theodore.

  “Well we’re about to head on home, Ma,” I said to my mom.

  “Okay, baby. Call me when you get there,” she said as she hugged my neck then hugged Theodore. After doing the same with my dad we were out the door.

  Cornell took CJ home with him so when Theodore and I arrived at my house we wasted no time getting to it. I don’t even know who undressed first. Once we were done having mind-blowing sex damn near everywhere in the house, we showered were we went at it again before heading to bed.

  “I love you, baby,” Theodore said to me.

  “I love you more,” I replied back to him.

  “I know we said we were going to wait until we get married before we moved in together but I don’t think I can wait that long.”

  I sat up and looked at him as he continued to talk.

  “I mean, we damn near live together now. When I’m not here, you and li’l man is at my crib. We’re engaged; we shouldn’t be living in different households,” he said. I smiled because he was right.

  “You’re right, baby. Just let me talk to Cornell to see how he would feel about it,” I said to him. He looked at me strange then nodded his head in agreement.

  “I mean, he shouldn’t have a problem with it being that we’re gonna get married and all, but I understand where you’re coming from,” he replied then kissed my lips. I just hoped Cornell would be cool with it. I mean, like Theodore said we were getting married so he didn’t have any other choice but to be okay with it.

  Cornell

  It had been a week since Star announced her engagement and the shit still fucked with me hard. I wasn’t mad that she was getting married or nothing like that. What pissed me off was how she was ready to marry this nigga and they hadn’t even been together for a good year yet. We were together for years and all she did was fuck over me. Then I was still having that one damn dream about Kandi and that shit was fucking with me even harder.

  I pulled up to my brother’s house to pick Kandice up. Shaniqua was kind enough to keep her for me. One night turned into a whole damn week and I was missing my baby girl something terrible. I got out and knocked on the door and my li’l nephew opened it up.

  “What’s up, Unc?” he dapped me up. I spoke back and he disappeared up the stairs.

  I walked into the living room where my baby girl was running around with Ni-Ni. When she saw me she ran to me screaming “Da-Da.” That just melted my heart. Scooping her up in my arms, I kissed her and threw her up in the air, causing her to giggle.

  “Was my baby good?” I asked Shan as I hugged her then gave my brother a fist pound and took a seat on the couch.

  “Isn’t she always good? You know that’s my baby,” Shan said.

  We sat talking for a while before me and my brother headed outside to smoke. He was telling me how his baby mama was on that bullshit and it took Shan to go over there to get his daughter. He said every time he went over she wouldn’t let him get her but Shan went and came right back with Destiny. He didn’t know what she said but ever since then it was like nothing had ever changed; Destiny was coming over every weekend.

  “So how you feel about Star getting married?” My brother’s question caught me off guard.

  “I’m happy for her,” I simply said. He just stared at me, like he was expecting another answer. “I mean, homes cool or whatever. Long as he treats CJ good then we’re straight.”

  “Yeah, he’s cool as hell,” was all Ronny said as he passed me the Blunt. My phone began to ring as I was blowing the smoke out. It was Star.

  “What’s up?” I answered.

  “Hey, can you come by for a minute? I need to talk to you about something important,” she said to me. I let her know I was at my brother’s house and I would swing by there when I left. She said that was fine with her and we ended the call.

  “That was Star. She said she wanted to talk to me about something important. Shit, what could be more important than her getting married?” I asked my brother.

  He chuckled. “Right,” he said.

  “Well I’m about to head on out. I’ll get up with you later,” I said to him. I went inside, leaving him out there to finish up the Blunt. Grabbing my daughter and her things, we were out the door, heading to Star’s house.

  When I pulled up I saw her fiancé’s car parked in the driveway but hers wasn’t. What the fuck is going on? I asked myself as I got out and walked up to the door. I knocked and seconds later, it swung opened.

  “What’s up? Where your car?” I asked Star as she stood in the doorway. She took Kandice out my arms.

  “It’s in the shop. It was leaking oil so I dropped Theodore off at home and kept his,” she responded. I just nodded my head as I walked in.

  “What’s up, li’l man,” I spoke to CJ as I hugged him, picking him up. When I put him down, he and Kandice took off to his room to play.

  “Come on in the kitchen. I was cooking,” Star said over her shoulder and I followed behind her.

  “How would you feel if CJ and I moved in with Theodore?” she asked me.

  I ran my hand down my face. I mean, I wasn’t going to sit and act like I’m okay with the idea of my son living with another nigga, but this was the same nigga that she was planning on spending the rest of her life with so I didn’t have any other choice but to accept the shit.

  “What can I say about it? You’re marrying the nigga so I have no other choice but to be cool with it,” I said to her.

  “True. But I just had to see how you felt about it.”

  “I appreciate that but I’m cool with it. He seems like an alright dude, but just make sure he knows Cornell Jr. only has one father,” I said with all seriousness in my voice. She nodded her head and smiled.

  “Only one Cornell!” was all she said.

  “Up, up daddy,” Kandice said with her arms stretched out. I did as my little angel demanded and picked her up.

  “You don’t have to ask me but once little lady,” I said as I kissed her cheeks. This little girl really had my heart.

  “You have her and CJ so spoiled,” Star said to me.

  “They’re my babies. They lived with me for a whole year while you was heali
ng so I had no other choice but to spoil them,” I replied.

  “So are you staying for dinner?” asked Star

  “Yeah, might as well. You want to stay for dinner, Kandice?” I asked my daughter. She nodded her little head up and down as if she knew what I was saying, before hopping off my lap. Star made our plates as we talked about her and Theodore’s relationship and she even asked what was going on with Tykise and I. We were still fucking around every now and then but it was nothing to talk about.

  The whole time Star and I were talking, I couldn’t help the strange feeling I was feeling at the moment.

  “CJ and Kandice, come eat!” she yelled while walking out to go get them. Minutes later, they all returned, giggling. Once they were seated we begin to eat in silence. I couldn’t keep my eyes off Star. It was like the shit had happened before. It was déjà vu!

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” She asked me. I just shook my head and continued eating in silence.

  Once we were done the kids went off to play while I helped Star clean the kitchen. She was washing dishes and for some reason I couldn’t keep my eyes off her fat ass. The way her ass was filling up her grey leggings caused my dick to jump. I shook my head, remembering that was the exact same thing Kandi was wearing in the dream I had been having about her.

  “Fuck,” I said out loud. I had to get my ass out of there. I didn’t know what this shit meant but something wasn’t right. I told Star I was leaving, grabbed my daughter, and was out the door.

  Brooke

  After that shit with Bino going to Maryland I cut off all ties with Bo. When he would call I would let the kids answer for him or when I wasn’t with them I wouldn’t answer the phone at all. I wasn’t about to let his ass fuck up my happy home because he was miserable. He used to ask to speak to me in the beginning but he stopped like two months ago. I was sitting on the couch watching TV with Bino when Angel brought me my phone.

  “Here Mama, Daddy wanna speak to you,” she said, handing it to me. I took a deep breath as I put the phone up to my ear. I just knew he was about to be on some bullshit.

  “Hello?”

  “Oh so you don’t have no words for a nigga, huh?” he asked me. I rolled my eyes upwards.

  “What’s up, Bo?” I asked.

  “That’s what I’m trying to see. I told the kids I wanted them to come spend the summer with me. Is that alright with you?”

  I raised a brow. “The whole summer?” I questioned him.

  “Yeah. I wanna start back being in my kids’ life. I’ll even come down to get them if I have to,” he said. He was actually talking to me like he had some sense.

  “Well I’ll have to get back to you on that, Bo. I’m gonna talk to them and see how they feel about that,” I let him know.

  “Well it’s something else I have to tell you. I met someone,” he said.

  “Oh, really? That’s good,” I said.

  “Yeah, I know you don’t care and I’m only telling you because we’re getting married and she’s gonna be around when the kids come up…well if you let them.”

  I didn’t say anything right away. I wasn’t mad at all that he was getting married. Shit, more power to him! I was mad because it seemed that everybody was getting married but me. Bino’s ass needed to get his shit together and fast. I wasn’t about to keep shacking up with him. His ass needed to put a fucking ring on it.

  “Well that’s nice and congrats. I will talk to the kids about going up there and get back to you. If they want to then I’ll meet your fiancée when you come get them,” I said to him. He let me know he was fine with that. I promised to call him in a few days and we ended the call.

  Chapter 18

  Shaniqua

  I sat inside my car waiting for Destiny to come out the house. Usually when Denise knew I was on the way they would already be on the porch waiting for me. I was about to get out and knock when I saw the front door open and they walked out. I frowned at how slowly Destiny was walking out to the car. Maybe it’s nothing, I told myself as I got out.

  “Hey, my chocolate drop. You ready to go?” I asked her. She smiled, faintly.

  “Yes, I’m ready, Mama Shan.” She climbed inside. I grabbed her bags from Denise as I rolled my eyes at her. I was still upset with the shit she pulled on Ronny.

  “She fell off the swing at school today, so she’s a little sore,” she let me know. I shook my head at the shit that had been going on with Destiny. First her arm was broken the other day and now she fell off the swing at school. Something wasn’t right and me and Ronny both knew it.

  “Okay, I’ll tell her daddy about that,” I said as I got inside the car.

  On the way to the house I kept looking at Destiny in the rearview mirror. Normally she would be talking me to death but all of a sudden she didn’t have much to say.

  “Are you okay, Destiny?” I asked her.

  “Yes,” she said, looking down at her pink cast that was on her arm.

  “So how did you fall?”

  “I don’t know. I was swinging on the swing,” was all she said. I already knew it was a lie and I made a mental note to talk to Ronny about her moving in with us. Something was going to have to give. All this shit that was happening to her wasn’t sitting well with me and I was gonna let Denise know that when I took her back home. I knew Ronny was going to have a fit when he finds out she “fell” and got hurt at school.

  I stopped by my parents’ house to pick up Niyah and Ni-Ni and we were on our way to the house. When we got there they went straight upstairs to play. I headed to the kitchen to start dinner. While I was cooking Niyah came down.

  “Mama, what happened to Destiny?” she asked me. I turned to look at her.

  “Her mama said she fell today in school,” I said with an attitude. The shit pissed me off all over again.

  “Well why she have all those marks on her legs and back?” When she said that I almost snapped my damn neck looking at her. I looked at her, hoping she was lying and asked her how she knew.

  “She was changing her clothes and I saw them. I asked her what happened and she started crying,” Niyah said, concerned about her little sister. I turned the stove off and headed up the stairs with Niyah hot on my heels. I walked into Destiny’s room and she was sitting in the corner with her knees to her chest.

  “Come here, Destiny,” I said to her as I sat on the bed. She slowly stood and walked over to me. No words were spoken as I raised her shirt. Instantly tears fell freely down my face, clouding my vision. I pulled her pants down and saw the whelps and bruises all over her body. I took a deep breath.

  “Go to your room Niyah and take Ni-Ni with you,” I said and she did as she was told.

  “What happened to you, Destiny?” I asked her. She didn’t say anything. Something was telling me that her mother’s boyfriend had something to do with the shit.

  “Did your mama do this to you?” I asked and she quickly shook her head no. That confirmed what I already knew. That nigga did it and probably was the one that broke her arm as well. I didn’t say anything as I got up and headed to my room.

  I called my sister and asked her to come over to get Niyah and Ni-Ni then called Ronny. He answered on the second ring.

  “What’s up, wifey?”

  “Where are you?” I tried my best to sound calm.

  “At my ma’s house, chilling with my dad. What’s up?”

  “Leave Ray’Shun there and get home now.” I said to him. Ray’Shun was his little sidekick and they were forever together.

  “Why? What’s wrong?” he asked me with nothing by concern in his voice.

  “Just do it, Ronny. Leave now!” I said, ending the call.

  I got the girls and went downstairs to wait for Star. I couldn’t stop the tears that were running down my face if I wanted to. How someone could do some shit like that to an innocent child? Better yet, how could Denise sit back and allow the shit to go down?! I knew she knew what was happening because the bitch lied and said Destiny fe
ll at school.

  Looking out the window I saw Ronny and Star pulling up at the same time. That was even better so I could let Destiny leave with her too. I’d hate for her to see me beating the shit outta her mother.

  “What’s up?” Ronny asked me with a worried look on his face. I told Star to take Niyah and Ni-Ni out to her car but to wait for Destiny to come out. She did as she was told. Ronny looked from me to Destiny.

  “Why are y’all crying? What happened, Shan?” he asked me. I don’t know if I was crying because I felt sorry for Destiny or if I was just that mad.

  “Come here, baby girl,” he said to Destiny. Noticing how slowly she was walking he looked up at me for answers.

  “Your baby mama said she fell off the swing at school.” I walked over to him and raised her shirt so he could see the whelps. “This shit is all over her damn body.” I said to him. He didn’t say anything but I could see it in his face. Murder was on my husband’s mind!

  Ronny

  Denise, that nigga she fucking, or whoever was responsible for that shit was about to feel my wrath. Somebody was about to pay for this shit! I asked that bitch time and time again what was going on with my fucking daughter, and as if her arm being broken wasn’t enough, they fucking beat my baby. I had no other choice but to believe that ho when she said Destiny fell off her bunk bed and broke her arm because I knew how rough she could be at times. But this shit right here had me believing otherwise.

  I didn’t say shit as I walked out the door. Shan and my daughter were right behind me. Destiny went straight to Star’s car while Shan came to mine. When she got in I burnt rubbers out the driveway. On the ride over there Shan was telling me how she thought Denise’s boyfriend did the shit and she felt that Denise knew what was going on. I’m not gonna lie and say I didn’t think the same thing because I did.

  “I knew something was up. That ho been on hella bullshit lately but I was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt. It’s cool, though,” I said, never taking my eyes off the road.