by Mz. Toni
“What, you embarrassed to be seen with a cop? Don't worry, I don't have the car,” he said with a laugh.
“No, I'm not embarrassed of you at all. I'm ready if you are,” I replied with a smile. When we got into his car, it seemed like the longest ride ever. As he drove to my apartment, I said a silent prayer, hoping she wasn't there. When we pulled up to the apartment, he parked and we both got out of the car. Using my key, I unlocked the door and walked in with Tyler closely behind me. As soon as I made it close to my bedroom, I heard Jayda loud and clear, fucking in her bedroom. Ignoring the moans, I walked into my room and started stuffing stuff into my duffle bag.
“What the fuck you doing here!” I heard her scream behind me. When I turned around, she was naked and looked pissed off.
“I don't want any problems, I just came to get my stuff and I'm leaving.”
“You don't leave until I say you can,” she said with a calm voice.
“Why the fuck you worried about me when you were just in there fucking some nigga?”
“I hope you don't think you taking that car. What, you forgot it was in my name?” she said with a smirk.
“Is everything alright?” Tyler asked with his gun drawn.
“Yeah Tyler, everything is fine. I got what I need and I'm ready to go,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“So you brought the fucking cops, really Ashley!”
“He’s a cop, but he’s my friend, he ain't on duty!”
“So you fucking him?”
“I like him and he treats me the way I deserve, which is more than I can say for you!”
“You’ve been gone for a few days and all of a sudden you fucking with this old ass nigga!”
“I'm out!” I said, before walking past her, only for her to grab my arm.
“You better let her go. I ain't on duty and I know you a fucking nigga, so don't think I won't knock you the fuck out!” Tyler snapped. With a shocked face, Jayda looked at me with hurt in her eyes.
“You told him?” she said calmly.
“What he mean you a nigga!” her company said out of nowhere. I didn't know he had been listening and I kind of felt bad for telling Tyler. I wouldn't have said it if I’d known that he would go blasting it. Grabbing his arm, I pulled him into the living room and out the door, while Jayda and her company argued.
“I can't believe you said that!” I snapped on him when we got to the car.
“What the fuck, how you mad at me? That dude put his hands on you!” he snapped back.
“So what, I had the situation handled!”
“Oh, like you had it handled when we met?” he said, before pulling off. I didn't know how to respond because I knew he was right, so instead of replying, I sat back and enjoyed the silence.
“I wanted to make one more stop,” I said before we could make it back to his house.
“Where do you need to go?”
“I wanna see my daughter,” I said, putting the address into his GPS. Grabbing some makeup, I looked into the mirror, while retouching my face. I still had a couple bruises left over that I didn't want her to see. Pulling out my phone, I called Mega and made sure it was ok for me to stop by. I really missed my baby, so when he agreed, I was beyond thrilled. Pulling up to his house, I could tell that Tyler was in awe by how big Mega’s house was.
“Your ex lives here?” he asked.
“Yeah, do you want to get out?”
“No, you go head and spend time with your baby. I’mma go get some rest and you can call me when you're ready to go,” he said. Getting out the car, he came and opened my door like the gentleman he was, and walked me to the door. Ringing the doorbell, I waited for Mega to answer and when he did, he looked confused as hell.
“Hey, thanks for letting me see her at such short notice,” I said to Mega.
“No problem, is everything aight?” he said, while looking at Tyler.
“Oh, everything is good, this is my friend Tyler. Tyler, this is my daughter's father, Jason,” I said, introducing them. Reaching his hand out, Tyler shook Mega’s hand firmly. He didn't seem fazed or jealous, and that just made me more attracted to him.
“Nice to meet you. My bad if I scared you,” he said with a laugh.
“Hell yeah, I ain't tryna see no police at my door,” Mega said laughing with him.
“Aight beautiful, I’mma head out. Call me when you're ready and have fun,” he said before kissing my hand and walking away.
“He seems like a cool dude,” Mega said when I walked in.
“Yeah, he really is,” I said with a bright smile.
“You seem happy. How are things with that shim?”
“Long story short, I ain't fucking with her no more.”
“Enough said. Well Jasmine is upstairs in her room,” he said, before walking away. Walking up the stairs, I walked into Jasmine’s room and as soon as she spotted me, she came running into my arms.
“Hey ma!”
“Hey baby girl!”
“I thought I wasn't gonna see you again,” she said sadly.
“I know baby and I'm sorry, I was just handling some things.”
“Yeah, Daddy told me, but I'm glad you're here now,” she said, hugging me again. As we sat and caught up, she told me about school. At that moment, I couldn't think of any place I would rather be, other than with her. I was upset that it had taken me so long to get back to my baby, but I was glad that I did. I knew in my heart that I would never leave her again. After spending a few hours with my baby girl, it was time for her to get ready for bed, so I called Tyler to come get me. Sitting down in the living room, while Jasmine was in the shower, I was minding my business, scrolling through my newsfeed on Facebook, when Kaliah sat down next to me.
“Hey Ashley,” she said, sounding fake as hell.
“What’s up?” I asked, looking up from my phone.
“Jason told me how good you’ve been, you know with Jasmine and everything.”
“Ok?”
“Well I just wanted to be sure that you weren't thinking about trying to take her back,” she had the nerve to say.
“Where is this coming from, did Mega send you to ask me this?”
“No, I just know how some women can be.”
“Well, I don't think that this is a conversation I need to be having with you. If Mega has any concerns or worries, he can come talk to me!” I snapped.
“Well I am his soon to be wife. I wasn't trying to be disrespectful, it’s just we love Jasmine so much and would hate to see her go,” she said.
“You wanna throw around the wife card, but you’ve only been in Jasmine’s life for a fucking minute. So understand me when I say, there’s nothing you can say to me pertaining to my child. There is only one chick that can pull that off and it’s Cherish. I’mma need you to find ya place and stay in it,” I snapped.
“What’s going on?” Mega asked, walking into the living room.
“You better get your soon to be wife. And for future references, if you have any question for me, I would appreciate if you ask me yourself!” I snapped.
“What are you talking about?”
“She gon come down here talking bout am I gonna try and take Jasmine. Mega, you know how much I love my daughter. I know what I did before by bringing the cops here, but I would never snatch her from somewhere that she’s obviously happy at.”
“I didn't say you were gonna take her, the thought never crossed my mind. I mean of course when you get on your feet we’ll have to work out some visitation, but we’ll get there when we get there,” he said.
“I don't know what she’s so angry for, I just asked her a simple question,” Kaliah said.
“But it wasn't your place to ask it!” I said. Before anyone could respond, the doorbell rang and I knew it was Tyler, so I grabbed my purse and walked out. I guess Mega was just as heated as I was because as soon as I walked out the door, he came out right after me.
“I don't know what’s going on with Kaliah’s ass, but it ain't h
er place to discuss anything with you,” he said.
“I know now that you had nothing to do with it, so don't worry about it.”
“Aight, but let me get out of here before I hurt her ass,” he said, walking away.
Chapter Sixteen
Cherish
I had so much fun here in the Bahamas, but I was so excited to be leaving. I was here for six days and I missed my babies so bad. I just want to kiss their chubby cheeks and have Jasmine talk me to death. I didn't realize how much the little things meant until I didn't have them. I closed my suitcase and wheeled it out to the living room. Me and Peter had really gotten to know each other on this trip. There were a few things that I didn't like about him, but for the most part, he was a complete sweetheart. When Peter was packed and ready, we headed to the lobby to meet up with everybody else. We had an hour before our flight left, so I hoped that nobody was late because the way I was missing my babies, they would fuck around and get left. When we got to the lobby, everyone was already waiting.
“Oh my God, we gotta come back here!” Camille said loudly.
“Why does she always have to be so loud?” Pete whispered.
“I'm loud too,” I said. I was really starting to feel some type of way. I didn't like the way he talked about my friends.
“I know, but we can work on that babe,” he had the nerve to say.
“I love how I am, and any man I end up with will love how I am too,” I said smartly.
“Oh come on babe, I know you're not mad,” he said nonchalantly.
“You’ve been talking about my friends the whole trip Peter, but the weird part is, my friends act just like me.”
“I just think there’s a certain way that a woman should behave in public. I mean seriously, the way they were arguing in the limo, who does that type of stuff in front of company?” he laughed.
“That's the thing, we aren't company, we’re family, there’s a big difference,” I said, shaking my head and walking away from him.
“What’s wrong?” Camille asked me.
“I just don't think me and Peter will work,” I said sadly.
“Why not?”
“We’re too different. I mean I like him, but I don't want to have to change who I am just to accommodate him.”
“I feel you boo,” she said, hugging me. When the van came, we all hopped in and headed to the airport. I could feel Peter staring at me, but I just ignored him. He kept sending me text messages apologizing, but I just ignored them. When we got to the airport, we quickly boarded the flight. I was happy that I didn't have to sit next to Peter’s ass. To be honest, I wasn't even mad at him, I was hurt. I felt like if he could make fun of my friends, my family, the people that I love, then what would he say about me when I wasn't there.
After an almost four-hour long flight, I was ready to go home, see my babies and take my ass to sleep. When we got off the flight, everyone headed to their cars, and it was then that I remembered that I rode with Peter. Grabbing my bag, he placed it in the trunk of his car. Getting into the car, I put my seat all the way back and closed my eyes.
“Cherish, can we talk?” he asked.
“About what?”
“I understand you're upset with me, but I really don't know what I did.”
“Seriously Peter?” I asked.
“Just talk to me.”
“From the moment you met my friends, you turned your nose up at them. If it wasn't the weed, then it was the drinking. If not that then the partying or how loud they are.”
“How can you be mad at me because your friends are embarrassing?”
“They aren't embarrassing, you are!”
“You gotta be kidding me!”
“They were nothing but nice to you. Even though your ass was boring and kept a fucking mad face whenever you were around them, they still hung with you on the strength of me. But naw not you, ya ass couldn't do that!” I snapped.
“Calm down Cherish, you are being loud and irrational right now.”
“Don't tell me to calm down, stop trying to change me. If I wanna curse, I’mma fucking curse!”
“Alright you can curse, I guess,” he said, pissing me off even more. Instead of continuing to argue with him, I closed my eyes and faced the window. When we got to my house, I wasted no time jumping out the car and walking up to my door.
“I’mma call you, ok?”
“Listen Peter, I like you, but I don't think we should be anything more than friends. They are more than my friends, they are my family, and if you can't accept them then you can't accept me,” I said before walking into the house and closing the door. As soon as I got in the house, I took a shower and then called Mega to bring me my babies. As I sat on my couch, waiting for them to come, I got the phone call I’d been waiting for since going to the Bahamas.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Hey Cherish, this is Marcus Green. I was hoping you’d answer.”
“Is everything ok?”
“Yes ma’am, everything is done and I think it’s to your liking.”
“Oh my God, I'm so happy!” I screamed.
“So when can you come check it out?” he asked.
“I can meet you there tomorrow morning.”
“That's perfect, does ten work for you?”
“It sure does.”
“Alright, see you then boss lady,” he said, before hanging up. I knew when I told them I wanted it done, but I didn't think they would be able to do everything I wanted in such little time. I could hear my door unlock, and I knew it was the nanny, Evelyn.
“Oh my gosh, you're back!” she said, walking in with a ton of groceries.
“Yeah, I'm so happy to be home, but we had a great time,” I said, grabbing some bags out of her hands. After we put all the bags into the kitchen, she gave me a big hug. I really missed her because she's become like family since I hired her.
“Well you go get some rest, while I put these groceries away.”
“No, I can put them away, you go sit down. While I'm doing that, I’ll tell you all about the trip,” I said laughing. While I put the groceries away, I told her about me and Peter breaking up, and she wasn't the least bit surprised.
“Honey, that man put the B in bougie,” she said, causing me to laugh.
“I know, but I just couldn't accept the way he treated them, I was really hurt.”
“I still think you and Jason are meant for each other,” she said seriously.
“He’s engaged, haven't you heard?”
“Well I for one don't think he’s happy. The other day, we took the kids to the park and I knew that girl wanted to go with us, but instead, he strapped the kids in and left her just standing at the door,” she said laughing.
“You ain't right,” I said, shaking my head. We talked for a little longer before the doorbell rang and I jumped up to go greet my babies. Opening the door, I grabbed one of the car seats from Mega and gave my baby girl all the kisses, then I grabbed Jr. and kissed him all over his chubby face.
“Well what about me?” Jasmine pouted.
“Oh how could I forget about my big baby girl,” I said, grabbing her and placing kisses all over her face.
“I missed you so much ma,” she said happily.
“I missed you too.”
“Did you miss me enough to take me with you next time?”
“Well I wanna get married there, it was so beautiful. So yeah, I’ll take you next time.”
“You getting married?” Mega asked.
“I mean eventually, I ain't gonna stay single forever,” I said laughing.
“I guess, but real talk, I'm glad you had fun Lil Mama,” he said, causing me to blush. Since breaking up, it was rare that he called me little mama anymore, so when he did, I couldn't help but feel those same butterflies I felt when we first met.
“I got some good news!” I said happily.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Well I didn't want to tell too many people, but I’ve been
making plans to open up an outreach program. I bought the property a few months ago and the contractors just finished renovating it. Now all I have to do is get the furniture and it’s done,” I said proudly.
“Oh Cherish, I'm so proud of you baby!” Evelyn said, hugging me. She was one of the people who knew of my plans.
“Why didn't you tell me about this?” he asked.
“I don't know, I mean we don't really talk often, outside of talking about the kids,” I said honestly.