Page 46 of More to Love

“Hendrix don’t come in here accusing me of shit when it was you that got caught. I don’t know no nigga named Woods.”

“You plan on asking who Portia is as well or her marriage to Woods? You’ve been using my money to foot another woman’s project then running back to me as if it’s yours. I mean damn, I got people I’m taking care of and can’t even get a simple thank you.”

“How do you know about Portia?”

“The question is, how you think Portia’s gon’ react when she finds out you been making sex with her husband. I think we should call her. Look at her number being public and shit all in the white pages online.” Bringing Dex seemed to be a fine idea afterward.

“Husband? Woods is married?” Her question was low, but it was heard, nonetheless.

“I thought you ain’t know the nigga. Do me a favor and just get out. Don’t worry about taking no bank cards because they’ll be locked by the time your behind hit the seat.”

“I’m not going no damn where. You got another bitch pregnant, a sloppy one at that, and you expect me to just sit back and take it. Nah, it’s either you leave or I’m taking my daughter elsewhere!”

“I really don’t care what you do. At the end of the day, you’re going to use Akeera to gain benefits for yourself. I love my daughter but I’m not even about to fight with you because there’s only one outcome. Use that truck you rented to get the hell on. Dex, tell the movers whatever’s in the truck they can have. I got enough bread to restock what was given away.”

I was going to miss my daughter and how she looked to me to protect her and provide. She was safe with me, and she knew that she could be herself. I prayed that no harm came her way because her mother didn’t truly care about her safety or well-being.

“You want me to call the law? She not gon’ leave on her own and you’re a Black man in America. It’s her word against yours.”

“Nigga what?” I had to laugh at his question. He joked entirely too much.

“The law? You know what, I’ll call them just in case. I’ll be right back.”

He stepped outside leaving us alone. She was still standing at the top of the stairs with that dumbass look on her face. She’d been doing her without thinking of the consequences, so I needed her to keep that mindset. The only difference now was that she didn’t have anybody to answer to. She could move freely.

“So, you’re going to put your daughter on the streets like that? What are we supposed to do for money Hendrix?”

“Oh, now she my daughter but every time I claim her, you want to strip me of that title. Don’t use her against me because it’s not going to work. You reassured me several times on end that she didn’t belong to me even before I cheated. Don’t be concerned about her now. Get out of my house, Aviana. You and your daughter can’t stay here.”

My heart was shattering as I spoke those words. Akeera was my entire world and I had to treat her as if she didn’t matter. That was the only way Avi would understand that she no longer had any leeway with me. Her days as my partner were over and our daughter couldn’t save her.

“Fuck you bitch! I hope you die.”

“I will, just not today.”

Not even a minute later, sirens could be heard. Dex wasn’t playing about calling the police. I wasn’t going to turn them away because there was no telling what Aviana would do or say and I didn’t need that drama. We were done and it was a damn good riddance.

Chapter Twelve

SORIMAH

SORIMAH

I’d been crying for weeks because the man that I loved had created such a large distance between us that I didn’t know what to do or how to close the gap. All I wanted was to apologize and right my wrongs. The last conversation we had was a disrespectful one and neither one of us ever treated each other with such low value.

Hendrix was a damn good man and deserved to know about the baby I was carrying. I really was trying to do him a favor because Akeera had a mother that looked at her as a beneficial prize. She didn’t love her and that was the reason I didn’t tell him about the baby.

“Hey, you want to go grab some food and then maybe grab a few things for the baby. I was thinking we can start to turn Daria’s room into the baby’s room.”

“Why can’t we turn yours into the baby’s room heffa?”

“Please don’t fight. I don’t have the patience for it right now. My room is massive so the baby will be set up in here. I think it’s better anyway, so I don’t have to go far. We can go grab a bite to eat though. I’d love that.”

I stood and began to get dressed. I’d been in the house long enough and crying wasn’t going to fix things between me and Hendrix. I had no idea how he was or what he was going through. I was very much concerned but too stubborn to say anything.

Throwing on some tights and a t-shirt, I slipped my feet into a pair of slides and made my way to the front where my sister and best friend were drinking up my alcohol.

“Just because I can’t drink right now doesn’t mean come clean out my cabinets for me. I’m changing my locks tomorrow,” I said grabbing my bottles off the table and returning them to their rightful place.