Lover's Island, page 20
Releasing a cloud of smoke, Jabari nodded again. He didn’t understand the point of Rozai’s lecture. “I feel you, big bruh, and I appreciate the li’l lesson, but I came to talk business.”
“I know why you came here. The only time you avoid me for weeks is when you’ve fucked my money up,” Rozai replied, smirking. “Am I wrong?”
Jabari sniffed and brushed his thumb against his nostril. “It ain’t even like that.” He handed the blunt back to Rozai.
“So, you got my money?”
“Nah, but I ain’t fuck it up. Nyimah ran off with my shit after we broke up.”
Rozai scoffed and put the blunt out in the ashtray. Jabari was one of his most loyal customers. He moved a lot of weight for Rozai, allowing him to focus on expanding his operations in different cities. But the nigga was a fuckup. “The same Nyimah I thought I saw in Charlotte, flexing with another nigga? You let that bitch run off with a quarter mil?”
Biting the inside of his cheek, Jabari squared his shoulders and nodded. “I got some money for you. I’ll work off my debt,” he offered.
“Some?” Rozai questioned, chuckling lightly. “Did I hit you off with some of my bricks?”
Jabari did not answer the question.
A silence lingered in the room as the two men stared at each other. A frown on his face, Rozai relit the blunt and puffed it three times. “This what we gone do, because I’m a generous nigga, and I know what you’re capable of. I’ma ignore the fact that it’s your second time coming to me empty handed. I’ma give you half the number of bricks than your usual, and I’m adding interest. Five thousand on each brick.”
“Done,” Jabari responded without hesitation. In his opinion, some work was better than no work.
“And I need you to find Nyimah for me,” Rozai added before hitting the weed.
Jabari cocked his head to the side. “Why?”
Rozai blew out the smoke he was holding in his lungs and coughed. “You ask a lot of questions for a nigga in debt.”
“I ’on’t know where she is.” Jabari shrugged his shoulders. He hadn’t heard from Nyimah since the day of their fight. It seemed like Nyimah had disappeared off the face of the earth.
“Oh, we know where she gon’ be. With that nigga from Charlotte. That’s our ticket,” Rozai replied, plotting. “She’ll turn up eventually. You just let me know when she does. I’ll have the bricks to you by the end of the day.”
“No doubt,” Jabari said, turning for the door.
“Aye yo, Jabari,” Rozai called out.
Jabari paused at the door with his hand on the knob. “Yo?”
“I ain’t get here by being a hare, nigga. You won’t get a third time fucking up my bread,” he threatened.
Jabari clenched his teeth, nodded, and exited the office. His back was against the wall, and he hated it.
* * *
Cree lowered himself to his knees beside Sanai’s bed. He had just finished bathing her, dressing her, and reading a bedtime story to her. “You okay, baby girl? You need anything?” he asked while tucking her in.
“No, I’m tired. Thank you, Daddy,” Sanai’s little voice replied.
“For what?” He rubbed the top of Sanai’s head.
Sanai stretched her arms, yawning, with sleep evident in her eyes. “For loving me,” she replied simply.
Cree’s bottom lip quivered, and he kissed Sanai’s forehead. The little girl didn’t realize the power she wielded over her father’s heart. He wanted to protect Sanai’s innocence from this cruel world as long as he could. Wrap her up and shield her from anything else that could harm her. But every parent knew that was impossible. “You can always count on that. Good night, baby girl. I love you.”
“I love you too.” Sanai closed her eyes, welcoming the sleep that she had fought.
Cree sat on the edge of the bed for ten minutes before he made his way into his bathroom. He quickly stripped out of his clothes and changed into a pair of Fendi swimming trunks. He walked to the kitchen and stepped through the patio doors into his backyard. A Tuscany-shaped pool occupied the middle of the yard, with a custom-built bar to the side of it. The ground lights lit up with each step Cree took. He walked along the side of the pool, grabbed a bottle of 1942 and a glass from the bar, and then headed to the hot tub. He set the bottle and glass near the side of the hot tub, then stepped into it.
He exhaled as he lowered himself into the water and took a seat. He reached for the remote to the smart TV mounted against the patio wall and turned on music before pouring himself a drink. This moment of solitude was exactly what Cree needed after constantly being on the go. Between running his business, maintaining the family’s business, worrying about Nyimah, and caring for Sanai, Cree was exhausted. Physically and mentally. The way he carried everything you would’ve thought the load was light, but it had the potential to be heavy.
Taking the glass to his mouth, Cree threw the liquor back. He closed his eyes and allowed his head to rest on the towel that lay on the edge of the hot tub. The pressure from the jets kneaded his body, relieving some of the tension in his muscles. With his eyes still closed, he felt Nova’s presence before she even spoke a word. She wanted to continue their conversation from earlier. As much as Cree wanted to enjoy this moment of solitude, he understood that getting this conversation out of the way now would be better for the long run. He refused to walk on pins and needles in his own home.
“Nova,” Cree said, slowly opening his eyes. They landed on Nova, who stood barefoot a few feet away. A purple silk robe covered her body.
“Can I join you?” she asked, clenching the robe closed.
Cree motioned for her to get in the hot tub. “Be my guest.” There was no point in saying no, because Nova would’ve invited herself in anyway.
Nova slipped the robe from her shoulders, and it dropped, then pooled around her feet. The white-and-black zebra-print bikini she wore revealed her godly proportions and exposed her glowing caramel skin. Her breasts were supple and perky, nearly falling out of the bikini top. Her stomach was toned, courtesy of her frequent gym visits, and it led to a round ass. “Oh, this feels amazing,” she commented as she stepped into the water.
Cree poured himself another drink. He had explored every inch of Nova’s body, and still, the beauty of it never ceased to amaze him. Physical attraction had never been an issue between the two of them, but it hadn’t been enough to keep them together.
“Drinking with me?” Cree asked, tipping the bottle of 1942 to Nova.
“Why not?” Nova took the bottle and took a shot. She grimaced as the liquor traveled down her throat. “I never understood you and your love for brown liquor.” She set the bottle down and wiggled her body in the water.
“I like what I like,” Cree said before finishing the rest of his second glass. “It was easier getting Sanai ready for bed tonight,” he mentioned.
Nova glanced at the house and thought about how much harder it was to care for Sanai than she had expected. Between working long hours and coming home to tend to her daughter, there was no time to cater to her own needs. “I’ve been thinking about hiring a nurse to be here with Sanai.”
“Hell nah,” Cree responded. “I can take care of my daughter myself. She’s paralyzed, Nova. Not on her deathbed. We not paying a stranger to take care of her.”
Rolling her eyes, Nova shook her head at Cree’s logic. “I know that. Asking for help doesn’t mean we aren’t capable of taking care of Sanai. But with all we do, we’re running ourselves ragged. Can you at least consider having someone here during the week, when we work?”
Cree swiveled the glass in his hand while listening to Nova’s reasoning. Hiring a nurse felt too much like giving up on Sanai. “Maybe. I’m not making any promises.”
“Okay,” Nova replied softly. That was better than no in her book. It left room for compromise. She looked down at her blurry reflection in the water, watched it distort into a different form every time the water shifted. “Can I ask you something?” Nova asked, filling the silence.
“I know you will either way, so speak your piece.”
“You’re right.” Nova snickered and brought her gaze up to meet Cree’s. He knew her too well. She would speak her mind whether he wanted to hear it or not. “What can I do to fix what I broke between us?” She held her breath as she anxiously waited for Cree’s response.
“Some things are better left broken.”
“I disagree, and you didn’t answer my question. I want you back, Cree. I want my family. What can I do?” Nova said. There was no shame in her pleas. She knew she had fucked up. Cheating on Cree with Tic was the biggest mistake of her life. She had spent every year since trying to make up for hurting Cree.
Licking his lips, Cree paused before speaking, because he didn’t want his response to come off as harsh. “I will always love and respect you as Sanai’s mother. I can’t offer anything more than that right now.”
Nova chuckled bitterly and shook her head. Her mind drifted back to the woman in the picture, and her chest ignited with jealousy. “Oh, but you can offer the world to a bitch you barely know?” Nova hissed.
“Watch your mouth,” Cree warned as he cut his eyes at Nova. “I’d never let anyone disrespect you, so don’t disrespect her.” He followed up with an exhale. He realized there’d be no relaxing tonight. “I’m in love with her, Nova. I’m man enough to let you know that I’m moving on.”
“You don’t even know her!” Nova exclaimed, splashing water as she threw her arms up. “If y’all are so in love, then why isn’t she here supporting you through one of the hardest times in your life? Are you sure she even feels the same way?” she protested. She couldn’t wrap her mind around Cree falling in love with a woman he had met in Vegas. She didn’t believe in love at first sight. Shit like that didn’t happen in real life in her mind. This nigga holding on to a fairy tale, she thought. “I’m only asking because I don’t want to see you hurt.”
Cree laughed out loud, pushed through the water, and then reached over Nova to grab the bottle of 1942. He ignored Nova and poured himself another drink.
Scoffing, Nova snatched the bottle from Cree’s hands. “What’s so fucking funny?” she demanded.
“Yo, I ain’t doing this shit,” Cree snorted before throwing the liquor back.
“No, let’s do it. I wanna hear what you have to say.” Nova crossed her arms and took the glass from Cree’s hand next. She was being petty, and she knew it, but she wanted some type of reaction from Cree. Any reaction would prove he still cared. “Tell me how you really feel, Cree!”
Sighing, Cree pinched the bridge of his nose. Nova knew how to push all his buttons. She wouldn’t leave him alone until she had pushed him far enough. “You talk about someone hurting me when you hurt me more than anyone. You betrayed my trust. You helped destroy a relationship with someone I loved like myself! My own fucking blood, Nova. Do you ever think about the position you put me in? I took that shit to the chest and protected your reputation,” Cree exclaimed.
Nova flinched at his words and grabbed her chest. She could see the contempt written on Cree’s face. There was even a hint of disgust that he couldn’t hide. A part of her knew she deserved the words Cree had hurled at her. “I never asked you to! I was young and dumb and lonely. When am I going to be forgiven?” she shouted.
“Shit like that isn’t easily forgiven, Zenova,” Cree replied lowly.
Nova dabbed the tears that had welled in the corners of her eyes. “It was a mistake, Cree,” she whispered.
“A mistake I can’t overlook.”
“You can. You just choose not to.” Abruptly, Nova pulled herself out of the hot tub and snatched her robe from the ground. “Be with this ghost of a woman you’re so in love with. Start your family and forget about the one you built with Sanai and me. Run off into the sunset with that bitch. I don’t give a fuck!” she yelled before storming into the house.
Cree exhaled heavily and closed his eyes. He didn’t bother chasing behind her. She could make him out to be the bad guy in her story, but they both knew the truth.
Nine
Nyimah looked around her as she stood in the living room of the new condo she’d purchased. New furniture sat on the floor, and boxes of decorations she’d ordered were stacked against the walls. Her bedroom and the nursery were the only rooms she could unpack on her own. After two months of living in Sunni’s apartment, Nyimah had packed up all her belongings and relocated to Atlanta.
She had everything she had dreamed of here. Everything except Cree. Nyimah had spent hours scouring her possessions for Cree’s number or anything that would enable her to get in contact with him. She had changed her number when she purchased a new phone. Her iCloud, unfortunately, hadn’t been backed up since a few weeks before the Vegas trip. A whole breakdown had followed once she realized she had no way to contact Cree. There was only one trimester left in her pregnancy, and Nyimah feared that she would have to raise her daughter alone.
Despite not having contact with Cree, Nyimah enjoyed her new, peaceful life. The money Asun had left her, paired with her own savings and the money she had taken from Jabari, provided her with the opportunity to live a comfortable lifestyle. Nyimah didn’t have to work another day in her life if that was her prerogative. Nonetheless, she had decided to continue her cosmetology career and open her own salon in Atlanta. The city had grown to become one of the best places in America for a black hairstylist to thrive. The plan was for Aida to finish her degree and relocate to Atlanta, where she and Nyimah would be business partners. Aida was on a first-class flight to Georgia now to discuss their plans.
Two knocks came at the front door, and Nyimah opened it, assuming it was Aida. A mahogany-skinned man stood outside the door, holding a package. His bushy eyebrows turned downward as he licked his full lips. Crinkly locks cascaded down his shoulders, bypassing the gold chain that hung around his neck.
“Oh, um, hi.” The man pushed the box in Nyimah’s direction. “I ’on’t mean to intrude, but they delivered one of your packages to my address.” The man held out the box in Nyimah’s direction.
The corners of Nyimah’s lips turned up when she brushed hands with the stranger as she took the package. He smelled like incense and kush smoke. The combination was heavenly to Nyimah’s nostrils. “Yeah? Thank you . . . ?”
“Khiri. My bad. I stay next door.” He threw his head to the side, in the direction of the condo down the hallway.
Nyimah sat the box inside her home, by the entrance, before peeking her head out the door and gazing down the hallway. She saw that Khiri was about to open his door. “Thank you, Khiri,” she called. “Although this may not be the last one they deliver to the wrong address. I order a lot.” She smiled politely.
“I see you got them working around the clock. I’ll be sure to bring over anything for you that is delivered to my spot. I can’t make promises for any other neighbors.” Khiri eyed Nyimah curiously. He noticed her pregnant belly. She’d been staying in the building for two months, and he had never seen a man around. He assumed she was pregnant by a rapper or athlete, because Peachtree Hills was where most entertainers and their spouses resided. The ticket on the condo alone cost over a quarter of a million dollars. By the diamond tennis bracelet he peeped on Nyimah’s left wrist, he figured that there was a nigga somewhere in her corner.
“I appreciate that. It’s good to know a familiar face around here.”
Khiri pointed to his condo with his thumb. “If you ever need anything, just holla at me. That’s if your man don’t mind.”
“It’s just me, and I’ll hold you to that. Thank you.” She smiled at Khiri’s finesse. He had slyly inquired if she was taken or not. “I’m Nyimah, by the way.”
“I know. Package, remember?” He flashed Nyimah a charming smile, displaying his set of pearly whites. “Take care, beautiful.” He knocked on the wall twice before walking into his home.
* * *
Thirty minutes later, Aida came through Nyimah’s front door. “Bitch!” she exclaimed, running directly into Nyimah’s arms, careful not to hurt her stomach. It’d been months of talking to Nyimah virtually. It was a relief to see her friend in person, in high spirits. FaceTime calls weren’t cutting it anymore. “I missed you so much! Look at you!” Aida pulled away, holding Nyimah’s forearms, and glanced down at her growing belly. “You’ve gotten so big. How are you?” She embraced Nyimah again.
Nyimah’s eyes misted as she held Aida. Being in the presence of a genuine friend made her realize how much she missed sisterhood. At six months’ pregnant, she was well aware that the littlest things could send her emotions into overdrive. “I’m doing well. The baby is healthy, and I’m finally settled in here. For the most part.” She chuckled, peering at the stacks of unopened boxes in the living room.
“I’m happy for you! This place is nice.” Aida gazed around her and then wandered into the kitchen. She slid her coffin-tipped nail across the white marble on the kitchen island. Nyimah’s kitchen and living room shared an open floor plan. The floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, which offered a view of downtown Atlanta, made the area bright and ethereal. “And Cree?”
Sniffling, Nyimah rubbed her stomach. Her baby kicked away, as if the baby knew her father’s name. “No. Nothing.”
Aida kissed her teeth and pouted. “I tore my entire apartment up looking for the business card he gave me. Literally. I don’t know what the fuck the kids done with it. I’m sorry, Nyimah.” She hated this for Nyimah and felt responsible for losing the last way they had to contact Cree. She had even attempted to find Pierre on social media, but to no avail.
“It’s okay. Everything happens for a reason. Our baby is growing and healthy. That’s all that matters.” Nyimah motioned for Aida to come and feel the kicking. “Say hi to Auntie Aida, baby girl.”
