Pernelle kissed all over her head, soft and careful, finally doing what I’d been too scared to do myself. She felt breakable, like she was made of glass. Like one wrong move from me could do damage and I’d never forgive myself, so I wasn’t risking it. Not even for just a kiss.
I’d been around babies my whole life because my sisters had a litter, and they were passed around from arm to arm, but my baby would be different. Not just anyone would be holding her. Pretty much, if you're not close family, you are not getting close to her. She deserves to be touched only with pure love and nothing else.
Ciara walked over closer to the bed and leaned down, kissing Pernelle on her forehead.
“Are you okay, best friend? Is there anything I can tell them to bring you or send Hov out to get? I’m sure you are hungry, right?”
“No, I’m not. I am okay. I just want my baby right now. That’s it.”
“Okay, that's fine. She’s perfect by the way, P. You and Crew had the perfect formula for a princess. We got our chubby cheeks that we wanted friend.” They shared a quick laugh.
“Ci, is it okay if I speak to Pernelle alone for a minute?” I spoke up from the spot I was stuck in.
“Yes, of course. I’ll step out until you need me.”
“No. You don’t have to go anywhere, Ciara. There’s nothing that he and I need to talk about.”
“Yes, we do P.”
“No, we don’t, Crew. I have nothing to say to you.”
My jaw muscles were probably going crazy because I wanted to respond to her attitude with my own, but that wasn’t going to get us any fuckin where.
“You should hear him out, not for your own feelings, but for this beautiful baby in your arms. You two have to be on the same terms at some point, Pernelle.”
She twisted her lips to the side to fight off snapping at Ciara. Pernelle had an attitude just like mine and when we didn’t give a fuck, we didn’t give a fuck.
“I guess you’re right. We can talk.”
Ciara kissed her on the forehead and then walked out the door.
The temperature in the room shifted immediately after it closed, and Pernelle took no time going off on me.
“How could you leave me in your apartment knowing that you had enemies that would come and do that shit to me?”
“I didn’t know they knew where I stayed, Pernelle. You really think I would leave you there to get kidnapped?”
“Even if you didn’t know, why would you leave me there at all? Wait, let me guess, a bitch, that’s why. You were with a bitch all night while I was getting my ass beat by people you probably fucked over?” I dropped my head.
“I mean, do you realize your baby could be dead from one of them punching me in the stomach or from me having to push her out in the backseat of a fuckin car!”
“Look, P. I promise I didn’t.”
“No. Don’t promise me anything, Crew. Your promises don’t mean shit!”
She cut me off.
“Had you just been there instead of with some bitch, we wouldn’t have gone through that. You could’ve protected me, and your daughter!”
“Pernelle, had I been there, you and her would be dead right now. If I were there, they would’ve shot me in the fuckin head, and they weren’t going to leave a witness, so you would’ve been shot in your head next. Truth is, you are still alive because I wasn’t there. They kept you alive to lure me in.”
“No. The reason I am alive is because of Amir Quatar, if you want to be real. He is the one who kept me, the baby alive. Another man had to save the child that you neglected while saving you, too!”
That shit burned straight through me, and I was about to spaz on her before I glanced at my baby in her arms right now.
“P, you need to calm the fuck down before you say something you are going to regret.”
“Crew, I don’t regret anything except calling you, her father. As a matter of fact, I never asked for you to be her father. I was about to have my daughter and raise her myself, and thenyou came into my life knowing that you wanted to be half in and half out anyway.”
