Page 112 of Finessed By A Hood White Boy

“You’re full of shit.” I rolled my eyes.

“Yeah, well, I just might be. You got me fuck up,” he mumbled.

On my way to the dining room, my phone vibrated in my hand. I looked at the screen and rolled my eyes. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with Rob and his nonsense. I was spending time with my family and enjoying myself, and I wasn’t about to allow him to mess that up. My phone stopped ringing, then ten seconds later, it started again. I huffed, shaking my head.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Hey,”

“What do you want?” I cut to the chase.

“I need to talk to you real quick.”

“Rob, I don’t have⁠—”

“It’s about Savannah and the custody hearing.” He cut me off. He had my full attention. “I’m not tryin’ to cause a scene or argue. I’m outside, I just want to talk to you and see my daughter real quick.”

Something in my heart told me not to take the bait. But in my mind, I felt he might’ve had a change of heart and wanted to let me know up front that he no longer wanted to go through with it.

“Now isn’t a good time, Rob.”

“Please.”

It was something about his tone that had me on the fence. Against my better judgment, I agreed. To avoid a huge commotion, I discreetly told Savannah to come with me outside without telling her why. I moved quietly because I knew my brother and sister would confront him. I couldn’t have that go down on my parents’ special day. When we stepped out onto the porch, he got out of his car and stood. Savannah walked closely behind me while holding onto the tail of my shirt. I glanced behind me to make sure no one else was coming out.

“Thank you,” he spoke, staring at me.

“I don’t have a lot of time.” I held Savannah’s hand.

“Savannah, can Daddy have a hug?” he asked.

She clung to me a little tighter, hiding half of her face. He should’ve already known how that would go. Savannah was never affectionate toward him because he never gave her that energy.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“I want you to come back home. I never wanted to file for full custody, but I needed to get your attention. I don’t care about the shit you've been doing since you left. Who you been fuckin on, I don’t care. I need you, Ava. I need and want my family back. I love you. To death.” His eyes pierced mine.

His glare made the hair on my neck stand up. Not in a good way, either.

“Rob, our marriage is over. There’s no turning back. And for you to pull some shit like that as a scare tactic speaks volumes. Yes, you’re her dad, but she barely knows you on that level because you barely took the time to create a bond with her.”

As soon as I said what I had to say, he took a step toward me. There it was. That look in his eyes that I knew all too well. That distorted look he got when he was ready to switch gears and go from arguing to putting his hands on me. I took a step back and was about to have Savannah go back into the house.

“Let’s go for a drive.” His tone was so calm.

“Hell no.” I scoffed.

The entire time we stood in front of each other, he had his hands behind his back so casually. Once I said no, he moved his hands in front of him, showing me his gun.

“Get in the fuckin’ car, Ava. Both of y’all. And don’t think about getting loud because I don’t give a fuck. If anybody comes out here, they’re catching a bullet. Mommy, daddy, sister, brother. At this point, you know I’m with all the shit, so don’t try me.”

His eyes were so dark and glossy. He’d been drinking.

“Okay, I’ll go, but Savannah stays here.”

“Nah, bitch. We’re a family, so we’re riding out as one. Let's go.”

At that moment, I was scared as hell, not for myself but for my baby girl. Rob was a complete lunatic, and I didn’t want her anywhere around him. Hurriedly, I strapped Savannah in the back seat. With his gun still trained on me, he waited for me to get in the car. I knew it was stupid for me to walk out of the house unannounced. But I also knew Aja had my location linked to her phone. Right before Rob hopped behind the wheel, I called my sister and made sure I turned the volume down.