by Tiece
“I know,” Mike shamefully said while feeling like straight shit for being a dick for so many years. “That’s why I feel so bad now.”
“Well,” she said sitting up in bed. “I’m not even looking to be in a relationship with anyone right now. I’m just breaking off an engagement. Lord knows that I’m not ready to jump back into another relationship and especially not with my ex-boyfriend.”
“I understand,” Mike said. “I’m not coming around to pressure you into anything. Just being here and getting this lil time in with you feels good. I can’t lie, it felt good to just relax last night and play around like how we used to do back in the day.”
Sheila laughed a little. “Yeah, from what I could remember, we had plenty of fun; just the two of us.”
“We can let the fun continue this morning if you’d like,” he said rubbing on her smooth, light skinned thigh.
“Nah,” Sheila said as she got out of bed and grabbed her robe. “It’s time for you to leave.”
“Dang, just like that?” he pondered.
“I’m sorry, but yeah. It’s best for me. I have to watch my feelings around you, Mike.” She said looking over in his direction. He was definitely some really cute eye candy and, without a doubt, he had her wrapped around his fingers at one point. She certainly didn’t want to fall for that shit again.
“I understand.” Mike said getting out of bed. He was already dressed. It didn’t seem like he removed any clothing, but that of his shoes. He walked over in the corner of the room by the closet and grabbed his shoes. He made his way back over by the bed as he sat on the edge of it and began putting his shoes on.
Sheila could hear her phone going off with an incoming text message. She walked over and grabbed the phone off of the nightstand. My gosh, she thought. The tests are back, huh? Her stomach turned as an uneasy feeling started to take over. She hadn’t spoken to Jay much since they’d been waiting on the paternity test to come back. They were late getting them back, because April took her dear time going in to retake the tests. Sheila felt that it was a part of her that just wanted Jay to sweat a little bit. She was just a bitch like that, anyway.
“Is that him?” Mike questioned as he stood up after he’d put his shoes on.
“Yep,” Sheila said.
“Are you alright?” Mike asked noticing how quickly her demeanor had changed.
“The tests have come back.” Sheila said with a dry look. “I already know what it says.”
“How would you know that?” Mike questioned.
“For one, it’s Saturday morning. The mailman doesn’t come this early which means that he got those tests on yesterday. He just couldn’t face me with the results.”
“Makes sense,” Mike said with a light shrug of the shoulders. “Well, I’m gonna get on outta here. I know you got things to do and people to see.” He teased.
“Yeah whatever,” Sheila said with a smile. “Let me walk you out.” Mike headed down the stairs with Sheila following closely behind him. Once Mike hit the bottom of the stairs, he turned to face Sheila.
“We should go out later. You may need a little positive company.” He said.
Sheila smiled. “You think?”
“I’m just saying. If you do the kid will be on standby to take you somewhere nice like McDonald’s.”
Sheila laughed out loud as Mike grinned. “You love being funny.” She said hitting him on the arm.
“You know I’m just playing.” He teased as he reached the front door. “Just call me.”
“I will,” she said as he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. Sheila smiled. She still liked Mike, but if he thought that she was falling that easily back in love with him then he was sadly mistaken. She didn’t have time for that shit. He was just good company it seemed when she needed somebody.
Mike opened the door and walked out of it as Sheila stood in the doorway and watched him make his way to his black, new Charger. The minute he made it out to his car, Jay pulled up in the driveway right behind him.
“Oh shit,” Sheila whispered with a pure look of shock on her face.
Mike glanced back at Sheila as if to say, “What the Fuck.”
Sheila shrugged her shoulders like she didn’t know why he had just showed up to her house without letting her know that he was coming over.
Jay got out of his car, already not in a good mood. “What’s up?” he said to Mike.
Mike stood at his driver door sizing Jay up just in case he wanted to try him. “What’s up?” He spoke back.
Jay instantly disregarded that and looked over at the door as Sheila stood there now feeling guilty of something that hadn’t happened.
“So, is this why you’ve wanted me out of your life?” Jay asked like he called himself getting some straightening’s.
“Jay, don’t come over here tripping. You don’t live here, remember?”
Jay looked over at Mike as he just stood there shaking his head. “What’s up, playboy?” Jay asked in a stern tone.
Mike coolly smiled at him. “What’s up with this Playboy, shit?” he questioned just above a whisper. Sheila could get away with it, because he knew why she called him playboy, but certainly not Jay.
“You got something you wanna say?” Jay asked.
“JAY,” Sheila called out to get his attention. “What’s your problem? It’s too early for this shit.”
“I was just asking your new boyfriend or shall I say your old boyfriend, if he had something say?” he questioned with a bit of frustration mixed with sarcasm in his voice.
Mike shook his head while hitting the unlock key on his doors. “Well uh, you can move your car so that I can leave.” He said like he wasn’t the least bit phased by Jay’s terroristic stares being passed his way.
“Jay, just move your car.” Sheila called out trying her best to remain calm, but inside she was nervous as hell while standing in her doorway watching them. “Ain’t nobody got time for this.” She added.
Jay looked over at Mike again, and without warning he then headed his way. Sheila took off running outside towards him, and just in a knick of time she was standing in between them with her arms spread out to keep them apart. “Jay, don’t come to my house acting a fool! What is wrong with you?!”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but he better find out or I’ll help him remember.” Mike said straight up wishing a nigga would.
“What nigga?!” Jay said with menacing eyes. “You over here fucking my lady and think I’m cool about it?!”
“Last I checked she wasn’t your lady.” Mike said with a smug grin.
“Say one more muthafuckin’ word and I promise you that mouth won’t open again for weeks!” Jay stated while looking at Mike as if to say that, Sheila can’t save you if I get on your ass. His chest pressed up against Sheila’s hand pushing her back a little. She knew that she had to gain control over the situation or Jay and Mike was about to go at it in her front yard. She wasn’t about to have that as she forcefully pushed Jay back since he was acting like she wasn’t standing there.
“JASON LEWIS!!!” Sheila called out loudly to get his attention. “If you start this unnecessary shit out here this morning I promise I’ll never speak to you again! Now Mike, get in your car!” she demanded not even looking in Mike’s direction. She wanted to keep her eyes on Jay, because the way he was acting he was more than ready to start some shit. Mike didn’t say a word as he got inside of his car, and then closed the door behind him. “Jay, please go move your car, and then you can come inside so we can talk.”
Jay looked at her. He knew that he was wrong, but he was confused and bitter. He wanted nothing more than to feed some of that stress by punching a nigga in the face.
“Go on.” Sheila said, and with that she turned and headed back inside of her house.
***
Sheila sat at her kitchen table with a glass of orange juice waiting for Jay to walk in the house. She already had the gut feeling as to why he was there. Minutes
later, he came scrolling in almost with his head hung low in shame.
“Why would you come to my house acting a fool?” Sheila questioned him as she anxiously tapped her foot on the shiny, wooden floor.
“Why are you already sleeping with somebody else? You act like I didn’t mean anything to you.”
Sheila shook her head. “Technically we didn’t sleep together,” she said. “Let’s get that straight first.”
“I can’t tell. You’re standing in the doorway half naked.” Jay said with an attitude.
“Jay, I’ve fucked Mike before. Plenty of times,” she added. “If I fucked him I wouldn’t have a problem telling you. It ain’t like it would be something new.” Jay shook his head in disbelief like he couldn’t believe how fast things had gone wrong for them. “Now, the real question is why you are here this morning? Oh… let me guess,” she said to be funny, but she wasn’t laughing. “The baby is yours?”
“This doesn’t have to change things between us.” Jay immediately said. “I’ve already spoken to April and she knows exactly where she stands. I don’t wanna be with her.”
Sheila sat there batting her eyes, trying not to cry. She’d prepared herself for two weeks to hear him say what she’d known all along. However, preparing for it and having to deal with it was two different things.
Jay walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. “I still don’t know what happened, but my dad is getting to the bottom of it. Meantime baby, we can work through this.”
Sheila shook her head as the tears started to fall down her face, and then she said, “No, I’m sorry we can’t.”
“You can’t mean that. I know you’ve missed me, because I’ve missed you like crazy these past couple of weeks. I can hardly come to work, because I can’t take the cold shoulder.” He said feeling misty eyed himself.
“Jay, don’t you understand. That’s the only way that I can deal with this.”
Jay frowned feeling the frustration of it all take hold of him. “Why are you putting yourself through such emotional torture when we can just be together? It doesn’t make any sense to me unless there is somebody else.” He said not fully sold on her not fucking around with her ex. Strangely, it was quite common for women to go back to what they were used to in order to move on from the new.
Sheila backed her chair away from him to back him up off of her. “I keep telling you that there is no one else. However, at this point it really doesn’t matter if there is somebody new or not. We’re over. There is nothing else between us.” She assured him.
“You can’t mean that.”
Sheila was heartbroken, but she was determined to stand her ground. “But, I do and I’d appreciate it if you don’t ever make another house call without actually calling first.” She said wiping her tears.
Jay stood there feeling lost. Sheila was definitely not playing with him. It hurt like hell that things had turned out the way it had. The only thing he could do was kiss Sheila softly on her forehead. “I’m sorry for ever hurting you.” He sincerely said. “I won’t be returning back to the shop. Yesterday was my last day.” He said, and with that he turned and walked out of Sheila’s life for good.
Chapter 12
A couple of hours later, Nina walked into her bedroom to catch Marc in there snooping around, it seemed. “What are you doing?” She questioned while startling him as he dropped the Newport cigarette box on the floor. Nina’s eyes followed from his surprised expression to the thud on the floor that the cigarette box made when it landed on it. “Boy, what you got my cigarette box for?” Nina knew that there was nothing in that box but fifteen rolled blunts and he had no business with it at all whether it held cigarettes or not.
“I, uh was just looking for something.”
Nina shot him the side eye. “Looking for what in here snooping and shit?”
“I was looking for my video game.” He quickly lied.
“Last I saw that video game, O’Mari had it.” She said but side eyed the cigarette box still on the floor. “Why is my shit on the floor?”
“It fell, ma. Goodness,” he said picking it up and sitting it on the dresser.
Nina frowned. She couldn’t remember if it had been inside of her nightstand drawer or if she’d left it out. Drinking and smoking early in the mornings had her in a serious fog most days. It may have felt like she was alert, but really the tension and fatigue of not getting much rest showed in her body language.
“Pick it up and put it in the drawer. You know that Stephen is coming over to get y’all today. You should’ve been getting out of the shower by now and putting on your clothes.”
“I’m getting ready to take a shower now.” Marc said. He was just ready to get out of Nina’s room since he’d almost gotten caught. “Make sure that Macy is getting Mya and O’Mari ready as well.” She said lying down across her bed. She took in a deep breath then let it out as if her being tired was even tired. “Close my door behind you.”
Marc just glanced back at her before exiting the room. “Okay,” he said, and then turned and headed into his bedroom to get himself together.
Nina lay there for a little while longer, and then sat up with a perplexed stare as she glanced over at the nightstand dresser’s drawer. She leaned over and pulled the drawer open, grabbing the cigarette box. Quickly she opened it and counted her blunts. “His lil ass thinks that he’s slick.” Nina said with a shake of the head. She then reached beside her and picked her cell phone. There was only one person she knew she could call and talk to about this. As she sat with the phone up to her ear listening to it ring, Stephen finally picked up.
“What’s up baby?” he answered.
Nina didn’t waste any time giving him the scoop. “Marc is smoking weed.”
Stephen frowned. “He’s what?” he questioned.
“Marc is smoking weed,” she said again.
“Nina, how do you that?” Stephen questioned. He knew that Nina had been a little withdrawn after finding out about what Rick had done to her, but maybe now she was also turning delusional.
“I know because I had fifteen in my cigarette box and now it’s only twelve. His ass has cuffed three of them.”
“Are you sure?” Stephen questioned in a high pitched tone. “You know that you’ve been all over the place lately.”
“That has nothing to do with it.” Nina said.
“Have you been drinking already?” Stephen questioned. Nina sat quiet for a moment until Stephen asked again, “Have you been drinking already?”
Nina looked over at her alarm clock that displayed the time of 12:12pm. She irritably shook her head, and then said, “I’ve only had one glass.”
“One glass, huh?”
“Yep, that’s all.” Nina said like she’d said something that made sense.
“It’s just after twelve in the afternoon, babe. Don’t you think you need to get it together?”
Nina turned up her lip like she really wasn’t in the mood to hear any of what Stephen was talking about. “Look, I’m grown and I do what I wanna do.”
“Yeah, but you have kids that are seeing you disconnect yourself from them. Do you think they don’t see or feel the distance between y’all?”
Nina smacked her lips. “You’re making this seem like I’m mistreating my kids.”
Stephen shook his head. “I never said that, baby. I just feel that you need to slow down and pay more attention to them. I know that you have a lot on your mind and what Rick did to you was unforgivable. I know that you’re not going to forget that overnight, but you have gotta get it together. It’s no wonder your weed is missing. Have you ever thought about how Marc is feeling? He lost his father and now it may seem like he’s losing his mother.”
“He’s not losing me,” Nina quickly said.
“We’re all losing you. You just don’t see it.” He said.
“Well, you know why you lost me.” She said with sarcasm. She was still bitter that he left her in a state that could’ve turned out
to be deadly had Scarlett not showed up to get her back right.
“I’ll take the blame for that, but I’m not giving up on us. I don’t care what you say or how you feel about it.”
“Yeah well,” Nina nonchalantly said. “We’ll see. You need to be worried about Faye’s baby while you’re over here worried about me.”
“There you go,” Stephen said feeling like all he’d heard for the past two weeks was something about Faye’s baby being his. “I told you that her baby isn’t mine. I only have four children.” He said always claiming Nina’s oldest two even when Rick was living. “I’m not counting a fifth one.”