Chapter 13.
Chris.
6 Months later.
“Chris you sure you should go to LA?”
“Yes, I need to see my brother man I miss him!”
“Please be safe.” Maya said handing me more clothes and helping me fold them.
“I will…”
“And bring me back some LA food or something.” I chuckled.
“Will a T-shirt do?”
“Yes, it will.” She said stressing the letter S. She sighed and smiled sitting down. I looked from her to my clothes, still folding.
“You be safe too, you carrying my child.”
“I’m 6 months, I’ll be fine.” I stopped folding my clothes and kneeled down grabbing Maya’s belly as she sat on the couch watching me. She smiled and rubbed her hands over mine.
“I love you and this baby you know that right?”
“Yeah I know.”
“Just don’t do nothing stupid, go to work, pick up Chrissie and come straight home.”
“Can I breathe in between all of that ripping and running?” She smiled but my face remained serious. I clenched my jaw and looked up at her.
“Did you hear what I said?”
“Yes, it was a joke baby … Now help me up, your kid is rotating on my bladder.” I extended my arm helping her up. I wrapped my arms around her waist, letting my chin rest on her shoulder; she rubbed her hands through my curls and kissed my lips before going into the bathroom. I finished packing up and sat my bags by the door.
“Chris?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re going to be back before Angelica’s fourth birthday right?”
“That’s next Thursday right?”
“Yeah, I will … She walked out the bathroom … You wash your hands?”
“And sanitize them; yes … I do every time.”
“I just want you to be safe.”
“I am, let me see your ticket.” I handed it to her as she grabbed her purse.
“You dropping me off?”
“Of course, let’s go. You don’t need to be late for the bus … I think you should take a plane, but it was your choice.” She said mumbling the last part.
“I didn’t make enough this month to buy a plane ticket, and I want to pay for Angelica’s party myself, so you can save your money.”
“She’s going to have a great birthday thanks to you.”
“I hope so, and riding a bus will give me time to think.” I opened the door letting her in.
“I could have given you the extra money; pregnant women get extra tips at my job.” She said rubbing her belly and starting the car.
“I got too much pride to take your hard earned money Maya. We been through this.”
“You’re my boyfriend; it’s the least I can do.”
“I said no! And put your fucking seat belt on before you drive off, you trying to kill our baby?” I yelled, tapping my hand on the dashboard, she jumped slightly and turned to me wide eyed.
“Oh fucking kay Chris, damn. And No! Why would you ask me that?” She said getting emotional.
“Sorry.” I said plain and simple, side eyeing her.
“Yeahhh … Anyway I’m proud of you, going to see Mike after all these months … Shit we need gas.”
“Stop at this gas station, and yeah … I hope he doesn’t be angry with me when I get there.”
“I doubt it … Here, 20 on pump 5.” I grabbed the money and hopped out, walking up to the gas station, as soon as I walked in and up to the cashier I bumped into Hope.
“Chris?”
“Hope?”
“Hey, Is Michael with you too?”
“Nah, he left VA a long time ago. Thought you knew.”
“No, I left when he did, I’m just getting back actually.” She said tucking her hair behind her ear. She placed her items on the counter, smiling at the man.
“Where you been?”
“Rehab.” She said plain and simple.
“Damn ... Hey can I get 20 on pump 5 please?”
“That all?”
“Ye--” Before I could finish my phone began to ring, Maya’s name popped up and I knew she wanted something, she did that shit every time wait until the last minute to ask me to buy something out the store, it annoyed me more than anything the shit was cool in the beginning of her pregnancy but now that she 6 months it’s pissing me off more and more.
“Chris, can you get me some juice?” She wined.
“What kind?”
“Apple, oh and baby can you get me some chips too?” I sighed and walked around to the chips.
“What kind?”
“Sour cream and onion?”
“You know those kind of chips gon have yo ass shitting bricks.”
“But I’m craving them … Wait, do they have dill pickle chips?”
“Yeah.”
“Get those and some juice.”
“Okay”
“Apple juice babe.”
“I know, I know.”
“Want me to pump the gas?”
“No!” I said sternly. She sighed.
“Okay, hurry up.” I hung up and laid the stuff on the counter.
“Hey Chris, If you see Mike or talk to him can you tell him I need to speak to him.”
“Why would I do that for you?”
“3.19.” The cahier said.
“Please, I know you hate me but it’s important.”
“Maybe I will.”
“That’s good enough, and that blonde hair looks good on you by the way.”
“Don’t try to whore your way back into my life, or Mikes like you still a hoe clean or not you still a crack head, a liar and a hoe.”
“You want this in a bag?”
“No thanks.” I snatched up Maya’s food and walked out, leaving Hope looking as stupid as the day Mike said it was over with her.
I still couldn’t believe they got back together a week later and then broke up 7 days after that.
Her ass got addicted to weed and cocaine, that’s why she went to rehab. I thought drinking and smoking made me crazy and livid but it took over her life, she lost her scholarship, her mom kicked her out, and after Mike found out she wasn’t pregnant and it was just a scare he took back the wedding ring he was going to purpose to her with…And all I did was shoot the nigga…
*
“I’m going to miss you.”
“I’ma miss you too, keep the doors locked, don’t have too many people over and do not forget to feed my baby and Angelica.”
“I know this Chris; I was a mother before you got me knocked up.”
“I’ll be back next Monday.”
“Okay.” She poked out her lips for a kiss, standing on her tippy toes. She was so cute, her cheeks were fluffy and that made the one dimple she had on her left cheek deeper since she was pregnant. I grabbed her waist and kissed her deeply.
“I got to go.”
“Fine, tell Michael I said hey.”
“I will. Love you.”
“Love you too, call me when you get there, don’t talk to strangers, and sanitize the hotel bed when you get there.” She said mocking my over protective tine, I laughed and shook my head yes.
“Yes ma’am.”
“And if you talk to any other girls, I will kill you.” Her face was serious as she pointed out the car window; I leaned down and kissed her lips again.
“That was the old Chris, the crazy Chris … Your looking at the new, not crazy Chris.” Maya scrunched up her eyebrows.
“Okay then, I’m holding up traffic, be safe.”
“I will.” She drove off and I pulled out Mike’s school schedule, by the time I arrived in LA I’d make it just in time to surprise him. As long as no one fucked up my trip my plan would go along great. I threw my backpack into the over head compartment and sat down in the window seat resting my head as I listened to my music. I was interrupted when someone tapped me on the shoulder, I hesitated before opening my eyes and when I did a feeling of Déjà vu went over me.
“Surprise, I figured you weren’t going to tell Michael to call me so I booked a flight … And guess who your seat buddy is for the next 15 hours?” Hope said clapping; she flipped her hair and sat down. I clenched my jaw again.
Speaking of someone fucking up my trip…
Michael.
“Oh god, fuck yeah!”
“What’s my name?”
“Mi—Oh shit, Michael!” Whitney yelled, I kissed her neck. Grabbing her hips and thrusting into her harder.
She was clawing into my back so and I knew I was going to have scratch marks. But that shit was a turn on anyway. I flipped her over so she was riding on top of me; she was playing with her nipples, throwing her head back and moaning my name.
“Shit I’m about to … Ahhh!”
“Oh god … She rolled off me … That was good shit.”
“Hell yeah, I guess that mean you’re a big sister?”
“Yeah, I would have told you but I was just so excited.” She said catching her breathe, I pulled the covers up on her as she wrapped her leg around my body and tracing my tats. I finally got my breath back and cupped her ass.
“I’m happy for you. You didn’t give up.”
“I’m glad I didn’t either … But they told me I need to lose some weight anyway now that I’m a big sister.”
“They told you that?” She shook her head yes and rolled off the bed, pulling the covers off with her. I grabbed my boxers, pulling them on and meeting her at the edge of the bed.
“Yeah, I didn’t disagree. I’m going to my doctor, need to know why my body is doing this, the nurse said stress but, whatever.”
“If you start walking around campus looking like some big head little body super model we gon have to talk.” She laughed putting on her bra as she stood between my legs. She leaned down, kissing my neck.
“I won’t, I’ma keep my curves just gain more muscle in the places I need it.”
“That’s not too bad.” I said rubbing my hands on her ass like it was a magical 8 ball. My phone began to ring, ruining the moment.
“Your girlfriend is calling.” She joked.
“Whatever … Hello?”
“It’s Chris, what you got going today?”
“Shit. Just chilling with my girl.”
“Can I meet her yet?”
“If she says its okay, I’ll introduce you to my moms and sister too.”
“Who’s that?” Whitney whispered, throwing on her shirt. I whispered back that it was my brother and she instantly went back to what she was doing.
“Alright, you want me to meet you at your dorm or what?”
“It’s a restaurant right on the corner you won’t miss it, I’ll meet you there.”
“Alright, see you in a minute.” I hung up and Whitney was staring at me like she had missed something. I shot her a half smile.
“What?”
“I didn’t know you had a brother.”
“Yeah … I got a brother, you wanna meet him?”
“Now?”
“Yeah, why not.”
“We going to your mother’s house?”
“Yep.”
“Yay, I can see my little boo Cayce.” She said getting up from the bed; I threw on a white t-shirt and some army shorts and black chucks.
“You got some clothes here.”
“These shorts are fine.”
“Let me tell you about Chris … If this is the Chris I’ve know half my life. He’s a womanizer, he will charm his way into any girls pants. And yo hips in those shorts…” I bit my bottom lip, looking her up and down.
“Come on your joking right?”
“Not even a little.”
“Okay, I’ll wear my red jeans then.” She shrugged, throwing on her jeans and one of those shirts that shows off her belly ring.
She grabbed her purse, I grabbed my keys and we both walked out meeting Chris at the restaurant.
I couldn’t wait for him to meet the women in my life but at the same time, I couldn’t help but to think back to a year ago, the guy he turned into was nothing like the brother I knew.
I tried to block it out but him coming here unexpectedly had me thinking, in the back of my mind. I pulled over, unlocking the door as he hopped in the back seat.
“Sup brotha?”
“How was your first night in LA?”
“It was cool; I walked around a little, talked to some folks.”
“That’s good … Um, Whitney this is my brother Chris, and Chris this is my girlfriend Whitney.” Whitney turned and smiled, shaking his hand.
“Hi, nice to meet you.”
“Same here, she’s beautiful Mike. Way better than Hope.” I swallowed hard and looked at him through the rearview mirror.
“Who is Hope Michael?”
“Someone you don’t need to know about.”
“Yeah Whit … Trust me, you don’t need to know about her … He paused … Beautiful.” He smiled and finally let go of her hand, Whitney gave me a look I couldn’t read and stared out the window.
I had all the proof I needed old Chris was back ... But for how long?