Be sure you've read last chapter, "24. Always so logical,"
March 31, 2017
••••••
Continuing....
Orion's mind was everywhere as he knocked on Leyton's door, they were supposed to meet at the park over an hour ago but it was clear that Leyton wanted to play games with him, he was in no mood to be fuçking around—-especially about his son.
He had been mute since Nala had made him feel like shit saying that he made her feel like a hoe, the shit triggered the fuck out of him.
As someone that' nearly grew up with her since they were kids it feel like a slap in the face nonetheless—he didn't regret alot of things but he was starting to regret crossing boundaries, he should have listened when she voiced her opinion about them and should've left good enough alone. Now, he felt like their friendship was at jeopardy over something that meant the world to him, it was special for him and for her to shatter his heart by basically implying that she felt nothing else but like a hoe? It fucked him up.
Usually he'd deal with shit like working through certain feelings with anger, but, he could never do that to Nala. He wouldn't allow himself, and he fought like hell to get up out of the house before shît had got out of control the longer he was in close proximity to her.
Orion wasn't big on expressing himself—he didn't know how, however, he felt like she had personally pulled his heart out of his chest and dug her six inch stiletto heel through the middle of it.
His feelings were hurt, deeply.
Impatiently waiting—his knocks grew louder.
The door was soon snatched open, and the smirk on Leyton's face had pissed him off. No warning, he had grabbed him by the neck and threw his body against the nearest wall. Leyton was caught off guard, "where the fuçk is my son nigga? You think you about to play these mind games with me and you not' I'll fucking kill you nigga," Orion gritted.
He applied pressure until he saw Leyton's eyes roll to the back of his head and his breathing become shallow.
Letting him go—his body hit the floor, he watching him cough violently and swarm around trying to catch his breath, Orion had blacked out and he didn't truly know what he was doing, he was having a episode. He knew that this was what Leyton had wanted to let him see that he still could trigger him so easily, although he knew that..Orion was too far gone, and it wasn't even Leyton who had made him have a episode but he was the cause of triggering it further.
Leyton struggled to stand to his feet while Orion walked around his living room smashing anything in sight, "baby..." he called out, Orion stopped in his tracks, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause all of this," he spoke.
Orion clenched his fist, "yes the fuçk you did—fuçk you nigga. Where is O'Ryan?" he asked.
"You want our baby boy to see you like this?" he finally stepped in front of Orion, "he's around—but, you have to calm down for me aight baby? If you do that, then I'll go get him. How' does that sound?"
He grabbed his chin, "don't touch me," Orion snapped and tossed his hand off of him.
"You got one more time," Leyton gritted, he snatched his face into his hands again. This time, Orion stood there, "you see—without me, you're out of fuçking control. You need to come home, so, I can keep that anger in check,"
Orion hissed when Leyton gripped his face harder, he felt like he was shrinking all of a sudden.
It was no secret that Leyton was Orion's abuser, both mentally and physically and the one time Orion did fight back and nearly kill him was the time that Leyton had called the cops, it was the reason Orion was in prison anyhow, other than the fact he had beat a man that cut him off in traffic that same day. It wasn't that Orion couldn't fight back, Leyton just got into his mind and seeing how his dad had done his mom growing up he thought that it was normal when in a relationship, and before Leyton manipulated him into getting off of his meds—Orion never had the strength to fight back.
The meds helped him mentally, but fucked with him physically.
Once he was off of the meds, Leyton had noticed that he'd fight back—he thrived off of that until the night Orion showed him just how mental he got. He felt that he would truly die that night if he hadn't called the cops, it was something he never wanted to see again. Orion might've been strong physically, but, to Leyton he was mentally weak. That's all he needed.
"I have a nigga sitting outside that would come in here and fucking beat you Leyton, you can't mentally fuçk with me no more," Orion got of his head and shoved him back, "I have a home, and it's not with you bitch, go get my fucking son before I finish what I started four years ago,"
Each step Orion took closer, Leyton took one back to put distance between them.
Until his back hit the wall, this wasn't the man he was used to. The look in his eyes told him that he no longer had any power over him, it pissed him off.
"You got a nigga outside my crib?"
Orion only blinked at him, "you want me to go door to door and find my son?"
Leyton shoved him back forcefully and opened the front door, Kasim stood in the driveway leaned against Orion's new car—he let Orion handle it how he saw fit and had promised not to get involved unless he called for him. He knew that once Orion left the park in a hurry it was the start of his episode, Kasim was no dummy and wasn't about to fight with Orion in that state.
Especially over a nigga he didn't give a fuck about enough to protect.
Kasim locked eyes with Orion, and then smiled. He didn't so much as glance at Leyton, "you good pretty boy?"
Orion opened his mouth to respond but his eyes had rolled back from the impact his temple felt when Leyton had punched him there forcefully. He hadn't registered that he was hit until he hit the concrete face first, his felt blood gush out of his nose on impact as his head bounced off the ground. Orion closed his eyes and groaned, he couldn't see or hear for about five minutes—sitting in a daze.
However, when he did come to—he blinked rapidly seeing that Kasim was no longer leaned against the car, and Leyton was no longer standing in front of him. He heard commotion and hits, he just couldn't focus on them as his eyes closed.
As fast as Leyton had swung on Orion, Kasim had made it to him in records speed and swung on him.
Kasim had put so much power into his hit that he had knocked Leyton back into his house, Leyton had got a few good hits in but it was to no avail when Kasim backed him in the corner and delivered rib shots that was taking his breath away, Leyton doubled over in pain feeling as if his ribs were breaking each hit.
"Nah nigga, fight me," Kasim gritted, "bitch ass nigga," he delivered another blow to his side.
That hit caused Leyton to tumble forward, in the midst of him falling Kasim had drew his fist back and delivered a blow to the side of his head—Leyton's head flew to the right way before his body had caught up to him and when he crashed into the coat rack he hadn't moved a inch.
That last blow had knocked him smooth out, Kasim's chest heaved up and down as he stood over him.
He thought about stomping him but it wouldn't be worth it, he turned around to check on Orion but he stopped in his tracks hearing faint cries from the back of the home, he thought about disregarding it incase it was some shit he didn't want to see but his heart wouldn't allow him to incase it had been Orion's son.
He would never forgive himself for leaving and not atleast checking it out.
Stepping over Leyton's body, he walked to the back of the home. Hoping to hear the sound again, fortunately for him he had heard it and walked to the door, his eyebrows furrowed when it was locked.
"Yo kid, you in there?" He jiggled the handle, "you can come out,"
Complete silence took over the hallway, "I ain't here to hurt you, I'm here with your dad..Orion,"
Again, pure silence.
"Stand back then," Kasim told him, he heard shuffling and hoped he was out of the way before he began to kick the door in, after five tries he succeeded.
O'Ryan sat in the corner with his face full of tears and a big bruise across his face, he was hiding.
"Hey little man," Kasim walked to him but the child cried harder, he stopped in his tracks. "I have to check on your dad, and I don't want to leave you here incase your other dad wakes up, you can trust me. I promise," he held his hand out.
O'Ryan didn't budge, Kasim thought about just picking him up anyway but he didn't want the child to be afraid of him. He quickly pulled out his phone and FaceTimed Nala, he hoped he remembered her enough to atleast trust him.
"Hi daddy," her face appeared into the camera.
"Hey sweetbaby, I don't need you concerned or asking no questions. I just need you to talk to O'Ryan and let him know it's okay to come with me okay?"
He watched concern take over her face, "baby—"
"Nala," he sighed, "please,"
She nodded, Kasim sat his phone on the floor and slid it to the boy. O'Ryan cautiously peeked at it, and seeing that it was Nala he grabbed it, "I want my daddy," he cried into the phone.
"Don't cry Ry," Nala told him, "Mr.Kasim will take you right to him, only if you go with him okay? Can you be a big boy and do that?"
Kasim smiled when he clutched the phone as if Nala was there with him and he slowly made his way to him, Kasim picked him up and made his way out of the home. Leyton was still knocked out, and outside of the door Orion was finally regaining strength and trying to stand, "that nigga knocked me the fuck out," he laughed to himself.
The door opened and once he looked up, his heart dropped seeing O'Ryan crying into Kasim's neck and the side of his face bruised, "daddy!" O'Ryan quickly jumped into his arms making Orion stumble back a bit. "I don't want to be here no more, I want to be with you, please," he cried.
Kasim could see the wheels turning, "I handled it. If you go in there and do something else neither of you will have him, let's go," Kasim told him.
Orion opened his mouth to protest about how he was about to kill that nigga but Kasim was in no mood, "I said let's go Orion, get in the car, don't make me tell you again. You got your son, I got you. Go," he pointed his head towards the car.
His face and voice lacked emotion, "whatever Kas," he mumbled but headed to the car.
While he strapped him in, Kasim called Andrew and asked of him to see if his wife could help Orion get O'Ryan being as though she was a lawyer and he also asked for him to call their sister—Amber—and have her meet them at his house, she was a childcare worker, so he wanted to start a trail of abuse, and he wanted to see if she could do him the favor of granting Orion temporary custody of the child.
Today he hoped she came with sense, with how he was feeling he was liable to have Zuri finally beat her ass.
••••••
"All I'm saying is that with his record, neglect of taking medication, charges of domestic abuse, and deemed as mentally unstable by the state...it's not looking good Kasim," Amber sighed as she took pictures of O'Ryan—his face was bruised as if he had been struck, his wrist were bruised from being restrained, old marks were left of his skin as well, indicating Leyton had been abusing him. "Even if we have the slightest chance in putting this poor baby in his care? He'd have to show proof that he's back on medication, starting back therapy sessions, having a stable work and home life,"
Kasim sighed, "what about temporary custody? Like I know with what you see you have to take him but what if I get custody until you work with Orion some more? Maybe even Nala can? We have to tell him something positive and he not about to let y'all take him,"
Amber cleared her throat, "give me a second Jalise," she smiled politely at her partner.
Once the lady stepped out of the room, she took O'Ryan with her. Amber then looked to Kasim.
"We have to reach out to his mother first, if she doesn't step up then I think it'll be easier to place him with Nala. She has a clear background, you don't...and Leyton's pressing charges against you. Andrew didn't want to tell you," she sighed, "that's not a good look especially with your status now Kasim, we own multi-billionaire companies now. Your face is all over, the last thing we need is big deals backing out because your mugshot is plastered all around,"
Kasim blinked at her, "you think I give a fuck about all that when this kid need a place and I beat his punk ass daddy for putting his hands on my nigga?"
"Y—your who?" Amber looked up to him with her face turned up, "you—are you into men?"
Kasim hadn't noticed the slip up, however, he was no longer fighting to stay closested. Especially, for Kasir's fuçked up family. If anything, he'd probably suck a dick in front of them to piss them off. To show them their sick plan back then hadn't worked at good as they thought, "I actually sucked dick for the first time lastnight," he told her.
"That's not why we're here," Andrew spoke up, "what he does and who it's with is none of our concern. What's important is getting that child in a good home," he saw the disgust on Ambers face, "I'm sure their dynamic doesn't change anything right?"
Silence fell over the two, "having two women wasn't bad enough?"
"Do you want one of those women to come bash your ugly ass face in Amber?" Kasim snapped, "can you help or fuçking not?"
Amber grabbed her things and stood, "I'll help this once, but you keep that lifestyle away from me. Don't make me regret breaking a few rules for...him. The child can stay here, and in two weeks when we do a wellness check I hope that the list I'll email you will be checked off. From Orion seeking help, child proofing this place, weight gain of the child, et cetera. After this, I think it's best we try not to build any relationship,"
"It's not that serious Amb, are you really going to act like that?" Andrew asked.
No lie, Kasim feelings were a bit hurt' not because of Amber but because he knew that she wouldn't be the first to look at him like he was a monster. She wouldn't be the first to cut him off, not even the last and it stung a bit. He was too grown for the whole coming out shît so, he'd be seeing people's true reactions when they saw he and Orion together. He'd see people's raw emotions towards him, even though Ambers reaction was mid—it hurt. He could only imagine someone he gave a fuck about reacting like her or worse, shît scared him.
"I wasn't into building a relationship with yo' Kasir wanna be ass any fuckin' way," his fist balled up, Andrew heard the change in his wording and stood, "don't fuçk' around with that kid, and if his momma respond' make it yo duty to let us know, yeah? Anything pertaining to the kid you can tell Andrew,"
Amber went to say something but seeing Zuri step into the house she closed her mouth, "hey daddy—what's with the company?" She asked, sitting a few shopping bags on the counter.
"Hey Zuri," Andrew spoke, "we were just going,"
Zuri nodded slowly, "why are you shook up like that?" She grabbed Kasim's face who had his eyes trained on Amber, "you want me to beat this bitch ass daddy?"
Kasim focused on Zuri and placed his lips on hers, "I'm good,"
Zuri nodded, "I got you something," she smiled.
Andrew and Amber had slid past the two, Jalise had waved goodbye and then they all left the home.
"You hungry little man?" Kasim asked.
O'Ryan only nodded, "alright—go in the kitchen and get whatever you want out the fridge to snack on, you can look in the big pantry too. I'll cook something for you," Kasim told him.
Zuri stood back and smiled, O'Ryan ran off into the kitchen and they soon heard rustling.
"You'll be such a good dad, I don't think you notice." She told him.
"Sure," Kasim waved her off, "what you get me though Red?"
He chuckled when she grabbed the bags and walked to him, the first thing handed to him was a bouquet of clematis flowers. They were his favorite—and favorite color as well, "thank you baby, I needed these. It's been a day," he sighed and pulled her into a hug placing a lingering kiss to her forehead.
"I also got you this," she handed him a bag.
Kasim grabbed the first box from the bag—it was a nice suit custom made by their designer, "damn..this is nice," he ran his hands over the embroidery of his name.
The next box was a pair of signature c de cartier sunglasses—the same ones he had kept putting off to get himself. Kasim loved to spend money on those he loved but he rarely got himself something, it was why his women spoiled him with their own money.
Zuri smiled seeing Kasim put them on and walk to the mirror that hung on their wall in the living room, "you must want me to do that one little thing with my tongue you like?"
"I mean," she smirked, "you have one more bag,"
He laughed and walked to her pecking her lips, "thank you so much baby, forreal. I love everything,"
In the last bag he sucked his teeth, "what the fuck I need this for?" He held up the douche bottle.
"I have a snack," O'Ryan called out.
Zuri laughed seeing Kasim grab everything but the the Douche, she grabbed it and decided to store it until he came for her asking what he needed to do.
Once they made it to the kitchen, O'Ryan had set out chips, fruit cups, and waters for six people.
"Aww, who's all this for handsome?" Zuri asked.
He smiled and looked down, "is it for all of us?"
He nodded, "Kylan, Pa, and Nala," Zuri yelled, "come eat the snack that has been prepared for us,"
She then looked to O'Ryan, "thank you so much handsome man, let's sit,"
The two sat down and then everyone soon followed, thanking O'Ryan and making him shy away—hiding in Orions chest as he ate his chips.
"What'd your sister say?" Orion asked Kasim after a while, he had been up in his room using his punching bags to calm himself before being around his son in the state that he was in, "it's going to be hard to get him?"
Kasim sighed, "we'll talk later pretty boy—not in front of him,"
Orion nodded, "thank you, uh, thank you for today Kasim, you didn't have to get my son, protect us, or get your family involved for me. I appreciate it, no matter how it goes, I'm grateful,"
"Anything for you," Kasim told him, Orion shook his head with a smirk and looked away.
Kylan sipped his water, "the tea I'm clocking—ain't four a crowd?" He asked.
Nala nudged him, "be quiet,"
"What?" He chuckled, "I'm not judging, I think you all compliment eachother well," he shrugged.
"I've been thinking about being a throuple myself you know," he spoke, "thing is—Kilo is crazy,"
They all laughed, "ain't you like ten?" Kasim asked.
"Wow," Kylan laughed, "I'll be eighteen next month, you know, grown man things,"
"Grown man huh?" Orion laughed, "turning eighteen doesn't make you grown little nigga,"
Kylan waved him off, "blah," he gave him a tongue.
"How's school though?" Zuri asked him, "are you and Taiwan getting along?"
"He's...cool," Kylan shrugged nonchalantly, "he doesn't really talk much, but, everytime I turn around he's right there like somebody's protector, that's nice because some guys tend to pick at me,"
Orion frowned, "I'll bet up there next school day,"
"NO!" Kasim, Nala, and Zuri yelled.
He stared at them, "I was just going to talk to the young men," he smiled.
They all continued their check-ins and getting to know O'Ryan a little more over their snacks, Kasim also began to cook something light while Zuri watched movies with the kids after they finished snack time.
Nala and Orion had sat out back, she'd asked if they could have a conversation—Orion declined but Nala followed him outside anyway.
They sat with their feet in the pool, silence taking over them.
"I'm sorry," Nala told him, "my choice of words weren't the best, especially right after we had sex. I wasn't trying to hurt you,"
Orion nodded, "well—you did,"
"I know, and it wasn't my intentions. You should know that,"
"Should I?" Orion asked, "how else was I supposed to take you saying I made you feel like a hoe?"
Nala sat there playing with her fingers, "it wasn't necessarily you that made me feel that way. It was me, I've only ever been with Kasim in that way—consensual however—and all those times I've never been nutted in, I just felt like something like that should have happened with my man you know? Like, I let it happen raw, not saying it's your fault because it's not....I wanted it and to feel all of you," she assured him, "I guess I was just into my head, and I did feel like a hoe. From my own actions, sleeping with a man that's not Kasim freaked me out a little,"
"How do I make you feel though?" He grabbed her fidgeting hands and made her look at him—Nala felt her entire body heat up to his touch, "I make you feel like a hoe?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowed.
Nala cleared her throat, "you make me feel—I don't know," she whispered, "something as simple as you touching me right now ignites a fire within me, a fire that had been trying to spark for years now...you've always made me feel secure, loved, and protected. Last night you took care of my mind, body, and soul. I feel closer to you,"
Orion smiled at her, he brung his hand up to caress her cheek—and then use his thumb to trace her lips. "Are you mad at me?" Nala asked softly.
"You know I can never be mad at you for too long sweetness," he placed a kiss to her lips.
Nala closed her eyes and although the kiss wasn't sexual, it was intimate. She smiled against his lips, "good then suga—I thought I was going to have to show you who the real head hunter was between us two," she referred to her and Zuri.
Orion eyes widened, "wait—I'm mad as fuck actually," he hopped out of the water when she stood and headed into the house.
She giggled and ran away from him as he chased after her, "nope—you'll never know," she teased.
They ran by Kasim and Zuri, "why the fuck are y'all big asses wetting up my floors?" Zuri shrieked, "my fuçking sock is wet," she peeled it off as if it had a disease.
Her whole body cringed at the feeling.
O'Ryan giggled, "oh that's funny to you?"
He nodded, and then pointed behind her.
Zuri turned but wasn't quick enough to run before Orion scooped her up and headed out back, "you better fucking not—do not throw me," Zuri wiggled in his arms.
Each time Orion tried to toss her in she manged to cling on to him, "I'll bring you in with me, you know you can't get that monitor wet like that,"
"You wouldn't," Orion chuckled.
He then pried her off and tossed her in, Zuri came from underneath the water and gasped for air.
Orion stood there and laughed at her, Zuri grabbed a bucket that was in there for when the triplets came for a swim a few days ago—his eyes widened when she tossed the bucket directly at him.
"Laugh now, big back ass mothafucka," she hopped out of the pool, "just stupid," she mumbled and walked into the house.
"It was just a fucking joke," he yelled after her.
••••••
O'Ryan was laid on Orions chest as he spoke with the police officers—he had tried explaining to his PO that he fell into the pool—however, she showed up with the cops anyway, "I told her I fell into the pool—this is the pool," he showed them.
Bailey hummed, "you fell or was it an attempt to defeat the device?"
Orion stared at her, "did I cause any damages to it? You can fine me, I ain't trying to defeat the device. I honestly didn't think it was under water long enough to block the signal completely,"
"Don't let it happen again, next time, I won't be so lenient. Goodnight,"
He held his tongue and smiled at the officers, "goodnight,"
Once they left he sighed and let out a breath, he learned not to play around with Zuri' anymore. Especially after she'd spent all day getting a silk press, he felt bad when she cried about her hair. She still wasn't talking to him, he offered to pay for it again but Nala and Kasim told him that wasn't the point, he didn't think it was that serious but it was to her so he gave her a little space. She did apologize for her actions—they knew his monitor could get wet but the amount she threw was the issue.
"You sleep little man?" He asked Ry.
The kid yawned, "no dad—I want to watch more movies with you," he fought to keep his eyes open.
"You know I'll still be here in the morning when you wake? You can sleep buddy,"
"Pinky promise?" His eyes slowly closed.
Orion placed kisses on his forehead, and rocked him lightly. He was happy that he had his son with him, even if he barely talked today and clung on to him for dear life, he didn't care how many laws he had to break he'd never let him out of his sight again. He hoped that his mom would contact him back soon, he had reached out to her via Facebook earlier in the day. In hopes that she could show up, and somehow give him guardianship since he learned that she still technically had full custody of him. He prayed she still would do anything she asked of him, he desperately needed to get his son and raise him up.
He would go back to prison before he let Leyton get close to him again.
It'd be over his dead body, literally.
Ry soon fell asleep and Orion had responded to his pinky promise with their little saying they said following up after that.
"Promise pinky,"
••••••
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