A Trap King's Wife 1 (17 page)

              I continued to blow Tiara’s phone up, but she ignored the call. I had come to pick her up, but she dipped before I could even get there. I knew I had to make it up to her, and do something big. She was really making a nigga work for it, and part of me appreciated it. It showed that she cared, and she wasn’t about to settle for shit, just because I had money. Shit had been real quiet with the Jamaicans, but I didn’t put it past anybody. I had my blocks held down, and even the army wasn’t getting through there.  I put the word on the street that I wanted to know who was responsible for setting Tiara’s place on fire. I even went a step ahead and checked on Tiara’s baby father, but everything was coming up cold. It was like the nigga vanished out of thin air. For right now, I was moving on, and living life. When niggas wanted to make some noise, they knew where to find me.

              I walked into my mother’s house and she was changing her purse, about to head out as always.

              “What’s going on with you, Shawn?”

              “Chillin’ mama, that’s all I could do,” I sighed and sat down on the couch.

              “What’s going on with you and Tiara? She’s a good girl and those babies are too adorable.”

              I laughed because I knew she sensed something was wrong just from the way I came in the house. “She saw the hickies that Kaysha gave me.”

              She smacked her lips and waved her hand. “Shawn, why the hell are you still messing with Kay? Isn’t it supposed to be just about Keyshawn?” she turned around and leaned against the table with her arms crossed.

              “Yeah, but you already know how Kay gets.”

              “And so do you, so that should be even more the reason you stop going to her house.” 

              “She’s pregnant, again,” I mumbled, but she heard me loud and clear.

              She put her bag on her arm and cut her eyes at me. “I don’t have anything to say. I’ll love that baby just like I do Keyshawn, but watch her keep it from me too. Your brother called, and he said he’s getting out in two months, so I think you need to pay him a visit.”

              “I’m gonna go visit him when I come back from Miami. I’m gonna make sure she don’t keep them from you.”

              “Miami? Why wasn’t I invited? See how you treat you mama,” She faked griped.

              “You know you invited, stop playing.”

              “Boy I aint worried, but make sure you stop by my condo and make sure everything is good. I pay those people good money to maintain it, and I want to make sure my money isn’t being wasted.”

              “I got you, ma. I’m bout’ to take a nap, I’ll lock up when I leave.”

              “Okay, but you better make it right with, Tiara. I actually like her.” She kissed my cheek and headed out the house.

              The thing I loved about my mother was she truthful. She held my father down until he took his last breath. Although they weren’t together, she was there for him and made sure he was taken care of and people weren’t taking advantage of him. She put everything into me and my brother, so buying her a condo in Miami Beach was the least I could do. Even though I bought it, she paid all her expenses for it. I had to holla’ at my brother about him getting out. Last I heard he had six months left to his sentence, not two. I was about to close my eyes, but the phone rang. I damn near threw my phone when I saw Kaysha’s number pop across the screen.

              “What’s good, Kay?” I asked, trying not to sound irritated.

              “Oh, nothing. I need you to take me and Keyshawn to the mall,” She said, like it wasn’t nothing.

              “Mall? Where’s your truck?” I went into my mama’s fridge and looked for something to chow down on. She didn’t cook, so I knew I was about to find some take out.

              “It’s in the shop. The brakes weren’t working, and I know you don’t want me and your kids riding around like that.”

              I wanted to say, leave my son home and you go drive 90 miles on the expressway, but I was trying to be better, and not black on her. “What you need from the mall?”

              “Keyshawn need some stuff since you taking him to Miami.”

              “I’ll pick him some stuff up,” I offered, coming up with a better solution.

              “You won’t have my baby in any ol’ thing. Are you gonna take us or not, cause I’ll just take the bus,” She replied, knowing that shit is a lie. Kaysha would ride a horse before she got her ass on a bus.

              “Alright, call me when yall get there,” I decided to call her bluff.

              “Jaeshawn!” She yelled, I had to move the phone to keep from laughing.

              “Ight, I’m on my way, give me a couple minutes.”

              “Alright,” She ended the call and I went to take her ass to the mall. So much for that nap I needed.

                                                                                    _____

              I had my son on my shoulders, as Kaysha tried to walk beside me like we were the happy couple. I tried walking three steps ahead, and she was keeping up. We had already picked out Keyshawn’s clothes, and now we were shopping for her. I looked at my watch and it was already after six. We were walking into Victoria secrets, when I notice Tiara and Maddie. They were laughing, and looking at the fragrances. Kaysha must have spotted them because she all of sudden wanted to go look at the fragrances.

              “This one will smell so good on me, Jae,” She cooed. Tiara turned around, and looked at me shaking her head. Kaysha had the look of satisfaction across her face.

`              “Why you not answering your phone?” I ignored Kaysha, and looked at Tiara. My son was reaching his hands out to her, and she shook one of his hands. If looks could kill, Tiara would be laid out dead, from the look Kaysha had shot her.

              “Me, not answering obviously doesn’t matter. I see you’re busy,” She smirked, fiddling with the couple of bras she had.

              “He’s out with his family, so don’t catch too much feeling, hunnie. Remember all that shit he was saying at his condo? Well it’s irrelevant now.” Kaysha damn near took my head off, trying to get Keyshawn down.

              “But, why she on it like that?” Maddie snickered, grilling Kaysha.

              “On what? His dick? On his neck? Cause I’ve been there too.” She turned and walked towards the door.

              “You happy being second? While he’s having family time, he questioning me about why I’m not answering his calls. You spent the night at his house? Cause I just left there this morning. What you shopping for? Cause I’m shopping for Miami tomorrow. It’s going to be not too many more times I’m gonna have to correct you stupid ass.” Tiara came at Kaysha, and from the look of her face, she didn’t have a comeback. She left out the store holding our son.

              “I’m gonna come by your moms crib in a little while.”

              “I’ll be there,” She rolled her eyes, and turned around. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her lips and slipped money into her hands.

              “Stop being mean to me,” I gave her another kiss.

              “Stop stringing my feelings along. Why you here with her, but I was just in your bed.”

              “Ma’ you don’t even let a nigga explain, I’ll come by your crib later. You told your moms about Miami, yet?”

              “Nope, because I don’t know if I’m going.” She pouted.

              “You going, stop fronting. Answer your phone.” I demanded and left out the store to find Kaysha.

              I walked toward the parking lot entrance with Keyshawn screaming in my ear. His little ass was pissing me off, and I was damn near on the verge of tears. The way Jaeshawn was so concerned about her not picking up her phone, and doing it right in my face. He could have at least waited until I stepped away and then asked, but no he asked right in my face. Then the bitch had the nerve to try and serve me read, in front her friend. To add some frosting to this fucked up desert, he invited her to Miami. He never invited me to Miami, and the only reason I knew he had a house there was because I looked through his mail last time I was there. He was getting landscape, electric and pool bills for a house in Miami. I put two and two together, and knew he had a place there. Plus, he used to spend a lot of time there, before his father passed.

              I made it to the car and leaned against the car, while trying to hold my heavy ass son. I saw Jaeshawn walking slowly and like he had not a care in the world toward us. Why was I so weak for this man? Why couldn’t I move on and be with someone who actually cared about me? When he got close I could tell he had shared a kiss with her because he had lip gloss around his mouth. It was a sloppy ass kiss too. The way it was around his mouth. Ugh! My stomach was in knots and I felt like I was going to pass out. Every chick he was messing with I had managed to run off after one date, what was it about this girl? It was like her ass couldn’t catch a hint, and kept fucking with him.

              “You going back home or to your sister’s house?” He asked, and I ignored him. “Don’t get an attitude, you wanted to go over there and pop shit.”

              “No, I wanted to set her ass straight and let her know what it is, but you go over there like a puppy begging to know why she aint answering her phone,” I snapped and got into the front seat, slamming the door in the process.

              “Don’t fuckin’ slam my door!” He yelled, and finished buckling our son in. “If I want to know why my girl aint answering her phone, I can. It aint bothering you.” He started the car, and pulled out the parking lot.

              I felt like he took his gun and shot me in the heart. Did he just say his girl? When did this happen? I looked out the window as tears came down my cheek. It didn’t seem to bother him that I had got silent. He put his music on, and paid attention to the road for the rest of the ride. Here I was the mother of his child, and his child to be, and he was treating me like I was his wicked step child. 

              “I’m gonna keep Keys with me, since we’re leaving tomorrow morning.”

              “Whatever,” I dryly replied and looked on expedia for a flight and hotel. I text Brandi, and told her I was coming to her house. “You can drop me off at my sister’s house.”

             
Tell me when you’re downstairs. I need to talk to Jae about something.

              About what?

              Don’t worry about it. Just let me know.

              Fine. We’re about to pull up.

             
I put my phone back in my purse and looked out the window as we pulled onto my sister’s block. When he parked outside her building, she was coming down the stairs with her hair wrapped and pajamas. I looked at the time and it was damn near evening.

              “I’ll see you when yall get back,” I murmured and got out the car, walking past Brandi.

              “You could kiss your son goodbye!” He yelled out the window, and I flipped him the middle finger. I didn’t want to hear anything, and I wanted to know what Brandi was saying to him. I left it alone for now because my heart was still bruised. Brandi came back in the apartment, and sat back down on the couch; lighting a cigarette.

              “What you had to speak to him about?”

              “Just wanted to see how he was doing. What yall beefing about?” She deterred from the question, knowing I was about to fill her in.

              “He made that bottle service bitch his girlfriend. I just wanted to go to the mall as a family and we run into her ass.

              “Kay, you need to stop. You know his ass don’t want to be in a relationship with you.” She harshly spat.

              “Damn, you could have kissed me before you threw the punch.”

              “My bad, you need to move on. You think it’s easy to see my sister chasing a nigga and wasting her youthful years being a mother to two?”

              “Whatever, Brandi. You wanna do a sister’s trip to Miami? My treat,” I asked, I wasn’t going to tell her why we were going.

              “For how long? I can see if I can take some time off.”

              “We leave tomorrow, call and see.”

              She sighed and went to the back. I don’t know how long I was pecking away at my phone, when I saw Jamal come from the back scratching his ass. “What the hell are you doing here?”

`              “My kids and baby mama live here, don’t you have a baby daddy to stalk?” He shot back, and I felt my blood boil.

              “Okay, so I can go for three days. That’s how much they are letting me take off, since I’m new. Mally, can you go to the store for me?”

              “I got you, bae.”

              I watched in horror as they talked back to each other and used pet words. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I couldn’t say anything but shake my head. I had to go home. “Alright, I’ll pick you up tomorrow.” I hurriedly walked out the door. I needed a nap, cigarette and some TV before boarding this flight tomorrow.