“Not at all. Getting shot and lying in this bed showed me I was living recklessly. Moving recklessly. Going against people I couldn’t beat. You showed me that. You are one of a kind, son. Anyone who will pop someone in front of their mother is a bad mutha fucka.”
I didn’t respond as he chuckled.
“So, let’s do the test. If you’re my family, I want to know.”
“He is yours, Gio.” I heard my mama in the background still pushing it.
“I understand, Debbie. But without paperwork, he’ll never believe it. So set it up, Crew. Finding that out will be step one of me making this shit right.”
“I hear you.”
“Will you do it?”
“Yeah, I’ll set it up. But I’m telling you now that the test is not going to change shit for me.”
“Well, it will for me. I hope to talk to you later Crew.”
“Yeah, whatever nigga.”
I hung up the phone.
I stepped back inside because it was cold as hell outside, and I still had to think about whether I even wanted to do the test or not. I passed up Cashmier, who was changing King’s diaper, and went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, which was that expensive ass Evian shit she liked to drink.
I sat back against the counter for a minute just thinking of the what-ifs that were happening right now, and that’s when I glanced around the kitchen, and something hit me.
This kitchen looked untouched, to say there was supposedly a fire big enough to burn all the hair off of Cashmier’s face. There was no soot on the walls, no scorch marks on the cabinets, and no warped appliances. The counters were clean. The ceiling was clean. The stove didn’t look like it had been through shit. Was that bitch lying about what happened to her face?
I walked back into the living room and grabbed my coat from the couch. I was way too thrown off after talking to Gio to sit in someone else's house I didn’t really trust.
“You’re leaving already? You just got here?”
“Yeah, I am. I have to go. I’ll be back to get him tomorrow.”
“What do you mean, get him tomorrow? I don’t think I’m ready to let him go with anyone.”
I turned, after swinging my coat around.
“If I’m his father, I’m not just anyone.”
“What do you mean by, if, Crew? You are.”
“Exactly, so I’ll be back tomorrow.”
I replied, going out of the door with more on my mind than I came in here with.I just want to see P and my baby girl right now. I know they will take my mind off of all the other shit going on in the world right now.
They had that affect on me and it's sad to say that King and Cashmier didn't.
Chapter 14
Pernelle
When Crew came through the bedroom door, his face lit up seeing the baby.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t back in exactly an hour. Traffic in the city today is a bitch.”
“That’s okay, at least you are back.”
I replied, shrugging my shoulders.
