Lighter Shade of Brown (Urban Fiction) BWHM

Chapter 1 Part 3

"You tell me...the last thing I remember I was sitting on the couch with C's, and the next thing I know I'm in someone else's bed." Cleo shrugged.

Ant leaned forward and sniffed her. "You do smell like C's..." he said, as if he was accusing her of something. "Did y'all fuck?"

What the hell? He'd tried the hell out of her. Cleo frowned and leaned back from him. "No."

Ant watched her for a second, and then shook his head. "Good...because you way too young for him. Those folks will hide his ass behind you...no matter where you from."

"He ain't but two years older than me." Cleo snapped. "I know some twelve year olds messing with men in their thirties."

"Not men, pedophiles," Ant said, shaking his head.

"Whatever..." Cleo rolled her good eye. "People tell me all the time I don't look my age."

"That's because you're almost taller than me...but yo' height don't disguise your baby face, though." Ant reached over and traced her jaw bone with the pad of his finger, barely grazing her cheek. She winced, and he snatched his hand back, as if he'd tried to caress a flame.  "Do yourself a favor and give yourself a chance to grow...dope boys come a nickel a dozen around your way."

"Yeah they do. But a dude like C's..." Cleo leaned forward to rest her arms on her knees so she could stare down at the carpet. He had sold her a lot of dreams, earlier, and it was only a matter of time before she found out if they were actually worth the time she'd spent to listen. Nine times out ten, they probably weren't, but what if they were?

Ant laughed the kind of laugh people did when they were forcing themselves to find humor in a messed up situation, "damn it's already too late for you." He shook his head, and left her to return to his game controller on the other couch.

Not long after an older woman in hospital scrubs walked in followed by C's. He wore a big smile on his face until his eyes landed on Cleo. Rushing forward, he kneeled before her, and grasped her chin, between his index and thumb. "What the hell happened to your face?"

"Tina." Ant answered before she could.

"You let that crazy bitch in?"  C's hot chocolate brown eyes flared in disbelief.

"Language, Caesar," The older woman said from behind him. "Move over, mijo. Let me have a look."

"Ant what the he-... what happened?" C's scooted over to let the woman look at Cleo's face.

Ant tossed the game controller on the couch. "Tina came over and I didn't know Cleo was upstairs, so I let her in...Cleo comes down, I tried to lie and say she was my girl but Tina wasn't having it."

"Regardless, Ant. I told you not to let that crazy bitc-girl in when I'm not here," C's said shooting an apologetic look at the woman. "Me and her been done." He then chanced a glance at Cleo before turning back to Ant. "You know that."

"Man look, my bad, damn." Ant threw up his hands. "I forgot."

C's clenched his teeth. A muscle twitched in his jaw as he stared down Ant.

"Honey look at me," The older lady commanded her. "Don't worry about Caesar right now, he'll be just fine...Ant go and get the Neosporin from the medicine cabinet in my bathroom." She demanded, her gaze never leaving Cleo. "Do you feel dizzy or nauseous?"

Cleo shook her head, dropping her gaze to her lap. She was embarrassed as hell. That's what she was.

"She gonna to be alright, ma?" C's kneeled beside his mother.

"Aside from the cut over her eye, knot on her forehead, and the bruise around her neck, she should be fine." C's mom took the ointment from Ant and began to apply it to the cut over Cleo's eye. "Take her home so she can get some rest." She rose from the spot where she'd been crouched and fixed C's with an, up shit creek, glare. "You and I need to have a conversation...nice seeing you again, Cleo...I look forward to you coming around more often when you feel better."