by B. Love
She giggled as she grabbed a pair of black and brown Fendi slides. “Yo, you’re crazy as hell, but I love you. Thank you.”
“I love you too. See you in a few.”
After disconnecting the call, Leigh leaned against the doorframe and slipped into her slides. All of her siblings were looking forward to the baby, even though she hadn’t officially announced that she was keeping it. Drecco and Christian were the most excited, though. Leigh left the closet and sat in the rocking chair in the corner of her room. She pulled Ricky’s number up and hoped he wasn’t too close to her home.
“Hello?” he answered, lowering the volume on his radio.
“Hey, how far are you?”
“I’m coming for the Mound and taking the street way, so I got about another thirty minutes.”
“Okay, cool. Um, can we reschedule?” He paused, not answering right away. “It’s just… something came up, and I’m honestly not one hundred percent sure if I’m ready to see you yet. I think I’ll be more comfortable talking and texting for a while.”
“That’s fine, Leigh. I understand.”
“Okay.”
“Can I call you tonight?”
“Yea. After five and before nine.”
“Alright, baby. I love you.”
Her brows wrinkled and mouth opened at his declaration. She couldn’t pull herself to believe him or say it back. Instead she ended the call with, “Talk to you later.”
Releasing a sigh, Leigh willed her palpitating heart to slow down. She’d definitely dodged a bullet. And that was the truth, she wasn’t sure if she was ready to see his face yet. Right after she left therapy she was, but that could have been her adrenaline pumping. Because the moment the reality of their situation set in and she had to come to grips with her father being in her space her nerves began to get the best of her.
It was probably best that they talk and text for now to get a feel for each other. Plus, if he decided to dip again, Leigh prayed it would be easier this way.
Ransom
Ransom and Cinde stared at each other, unsure of what the fuck to say. Honestly, he didn’t know anything about her and had no desire to get to know her, but he would have to if she was really pregnant with his child. In fact, he’d have to know everything about her and her family if their blood was about to mix.
This shit was fucked up on so many levels.
He felt like shit for being the one thing Leigh feared most, but it was beyond his control at this point. True enough, he had every right to sleep with Cinde, Taylor, or whoever the hell else he wanted, but he shouldn’t have done so while he was so fucked up emotionally and drunk to where he couldn’t be safe with it.
Both he and Leigh had gotten tested again to be safe, but the damage may have already been done through this child. No matter how badly Ransom wanted a family, he didn’t want it like this – two kids with two different women at the same time.
“So what’s up,” he asked, not even bothering to look down at the menu in front of him. He wouldn’t be staying long. “You telling me there’s no chance that anyone else is the father of your child?”
With a heavy exhale, Cinde sat back in her seat. “Truthfully, there is. I was on the same wave you were that night. Me and my guy had temporarily broken up, and I was bitter and wanting to get even. It’s hard for me to say who the father is because he and I had sex two days before I met you, so I honestly don’t know. I just don’t want it to be his because that will tie me to him forever.”
A wave of relief washed over Ransom, but he wasn’t in the clear yet. There was still a fifty-fifty chance that the baby was his.
“Okay. How soon can we do a paternity test? Is Dr. Robinson your doctor? If so, we might need to get the test done through someone else so it can be done quicker.”
“No, Dr. Robinson is not my doctor. Dr. Benson is. I can set the appointment up and let you know when it is.”
“Cool. Do it now.”
With a roll of her eyes, Cinde pulled her phone out of her purse. He asked her if she wanted something to eat at the sight of the waitress walking back over to their table. Even though he had no appetite, he’d at least feed her. Cinde nodded, pointing at the pasta she wanted as she spoke to the receptionist.
Ransom ordered her food for her, hoping she could get an appointment that would be sooner than later. He’d need to know if this was his baby or not. Not just for his peace of mind but for Leigh’s too.
The last time Maria saw Jax, they were taking care of business for Christian. Before that, they were about to confront his parents about the picture on the wall. She hadn’t talked to him since, needing time to get her mind right. No matter how in denial or oblivious Jax was, Maria knew in her gut that he was related to Malibu in some manner.
She was unable to deny the fact that she missed Jax, so she needed to do whatever it took to get her head right. At this point, there were only two people who could get to the bottom of this, and that was Malibu’s grandparents. As she sat in front of their home, or what she once knew was their home, she prayed they were still there and alive. She also wondered if she should call Jax to meet her there, but she decided against it, wanting to hear what they would say first.
“Fuck it,” Maria grumbled, opening the door and getting out of her car. As she made her way down the cracked concrete pathway, Maria inhaled a deep breath and held it for four seconds before releasing it. Her heart was beating rapidly, just as rapidly as her brain was pounding against her temples. Sweaty palms slid down her jeans as she rolled her neck and prepared to knock.
No matter how many years had passed, she’d never forget this house. Their faces. The memories she shared with Malibu here. After ringing the doorbell, Maria took a step back and lifted her eyes to the sky. “Help me, Bu,” she prayed quietly before swallowing hard.
It took some time, but eventually, she heard someone slowly shuffling towards the door. When the door opened and she saw Ina, Malibu’s grandmother, Maria released the breath she was holding and smiled.
“Maria. Baby. Is that you?”
“Yes ma’am.” Maria chuckled as Ina opened her arms for an embrace. “I’m so happy to see you.”
“Jesus Christ. I haven’t seen you in so long, child. Are you in trouble?”
Ina released Maria and stared at her as Maria closed the door behind her. “No ma’am.” Well, her heart was. A little. “I… want to show you something. Someone. To see if he…” Her head shook as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. After pulling up the last picture she’d taken with Jax, Maria inhaled a deep breath and held it as she lifted the phone into Ina’s view.
Immediately, Ina’s eyes ballooned and she clutched her chest. Almost as if she’d seen a ghost. Which made sense. Jax definitely had features that made him look like an older version of Malibu. But those stark differences were the only thing that made it easy for Maria to no longer see Malibu’s face when she looked at him.
“This is Jax, my boyfriend. Why does he look so much like Malibu?” Ina’s eyes went from the phone to Maria. “Who is he to you?”
Tears rolled down Ina’s face as she shook her head softly. “That’s…” She swallowed and shook her head again as her bottom lip poked out. “Come into the kitchen with me and have a seat.”
Nodding, Maria followed Ina into the kitchen. Everything about their home was still the same. Even the way it smelled. She wanted to ask if her husband was still alive but decided against it just in case he wasn’t. She’d already brought up a sensitive subject. Maria didn’t want to make it any worse.
Once they were seated at the kitchen table, Ina asked to see the picture again. Maria watched as she slowly traced Jax’s face with her pointer finger.
“Jax is my grandson.” Ina looked at Maria briefly before turning her attention back to the phone. “He and Malibu were brothers.” Sitting back in her seat, Maria felt her heart deflate as her mouth hung open. “Their mother, Felicia, didn’t want any more children by the time Jax was born. She
already had two and was barely hanging on to her marriage. Instead of getting rid of him, she decided to give him up for adoption.”
Ina’s head shook as she chuckled, still staring at the picture. “Her sister, Madeline, didn’t want that, so she decided to take Jax in and raise him as her own. Now I didn’t want them to do it because I didn’t want the boy to be confused and feel betrayed when he found out. So I told them I wouldn’t be a part of their lie. Madeline decided she didn’t want me in his life if I didn’t approve, so we stopped speaking the moment he was adopted.”
“I don’t understand,” Maria almost whispered. “If you didn’t approve, how did Malibu end up coming to stay with you?”
“Felicia was desperate and didn’t have any other choice. We’d long since forgiven each other and gotten on good terms. I kept her secret, but I still didn’t approve. When she told me she wanted him to come home, I thought she’d send him to live with Madeline, but she couldn’t because as brothers, they looked alike naturally, and they didn’t want them asking questions. So I had to take him. I would always say Malibu was her karma. That boy raised hell, in honor of Jax.”
“That explains why Jax doesn’t know you. There’s a picture of you and Mr. Marvin in their home, on the wall, and Jax didn’t know why you two weren’t in his life when I asked who you were.”
She smiled bitterly, finally giving Maria her phone back. “Felicia regretted her decision to give him up. She’d finally gotten her marriage back on track and their work schedules had gotten better. In fact, they started doing damn good for themselves. But when she tried to get him back, Madeline told him she wasn’t having that. And that caused a rift between them…” Ina sighed as her head shook. “It’s just a big mess.”
Maria couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Jax and Malibu were brothers, and neither had an idea about the other. The people that Jax thought were his parents were actually his aunt and uncle. His siblings were his cousins. Maria’s mind immediately went to Christian, Trent, and Tyrell. She couldn’t believe the shit when Christian told her about it and swore that kind of stuff didn’t happen in real life.
But it did. And now, it was happening in hers.
How would she explain this to Jax?
How would she explain this to her heart?
Did it even need an explanation?
It felt like it already knew.
Maybe that was why it had been so easy for her to fall for Jax.
With a chuckle, Maria shook her head as her eyes watered. “Why am I cursed like this? To fall for the brother of the only man I’ve ever loved?”
“Aw, baby. This isn’t a curse.” Ina lifted Maria’s trembling chin with her pointer finger before covering her hand with hers. “This is a blessing. Malibu’s blessing for you. And if Jax is anything like his brother, I can promise you that no man will be able to love you better than he can.”
Jax
When Maria asked Jax to meet her at his parents home, he didn’t know what to expect. The last time they were there she started acting weird as fuck when she saw the picture of his grandparents. Grandparents that he’d never even met before. A part of Jax felt like she wanted to talk to his parents about Malibu, but he was hoping that wasn’t the case. If Malibu was related to him, he didn’t want to know. Not after all this time.
He didn’t know of his existence for a reason, and now that he was with Maria, Jax wanted to keep it that way. Having made it to his parent’s home first, Jax couldn’t stop his heart from skipping a beat when she pulled up. He hadn’t seen her in what felt like forever, and even though he didn’t know what was going on, he was happy to see her.
She got out of her car as he leaned against his, looking good as fuck without even trying. Her hair was in its natural state, pulled up into a high bun. Her almond shaped hazel eyes avoided his as she walked over to him, but Maria looked at him when he pulled her into his chest. Kissing her nose ring, Jax resisted the urge to do the same to her bowtie shaped lips.
“You’re too damn beautiful for your own good. You know that?”
Her shoulders hiked as she blushed. Lifting to the tips of her toes, Maria placed a kiss to his lips.
“I want to hold on to this moment, just in case you never want to have one with me again.”
Jax’s head tilted and eyebrows wrinkled as he allowed her statement to register in his ears.
“Fuck is that ‘posed to mean?”
Dropping her head, she released a shaky breath. “I know who Malibu is to you. I want your parents to tell you, though. Because you probably wouldn’t believe me.”
Maria put some space between them and kicked the air as she normally did when she was upset or not getting her way. Squeezing the back of her neck, she began to avoid his eyes again. Jax started to question her about it, but he knew there was no point in that. If Maria didn’t want to tell him what she knew – her stubborn ass wouldn’t.
Releasing a hard breath, Jax took her hand into his and led her into his parents home. They were in the living room, laughing as they watched tv. But at the sight of them, specifically Maria, the smiles on their faces dropped. Jax had yet to show them any pictures of her, but by their expressions, they definitely knew who she was.
And Jax could only assume that that meant they knew Malibu too.
“Have a seat,” he ordered, motioning towards the recliner closer to the entryway.
Maria’s head shook as she leaned against the doorframe. “I don’t think I’ll be here long.”
Growing irritated by his ignorance of what she knew, Jax ran his hand over his face as he looked his parents over.
“Why y’all acting like y’all know her? And who is Malibu?”
“We don’t know her or Malibu,” his father, Keith, answered quickly.
Jax watched as his mother hung her head and cupped his knee.
“If you lie to him, I’ll still tell him the truth,” Maria warned. “I talked to Ina today.”
His mother, Madeline, glared at Maria as her jaw clenched. “This has nothing to do with you. You need to leave. Coming up in my home disturbing our peace.”
Maria chuckled as she shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. “If that’s what you want to call it, that’s cool. But he deserves to know the truth. Either you can tell him, or I will.”
With a roll of her eyes, Madeline focused on Jax. “We’ve never met her, but my mother expressed to me how important she was to Malibu while he was in Memphis at his funeral. She still has the same baby face almost, that’s why we recognized her. If I would have known she was the woman you were in a relationship with, I wouldn’t have agreed to meet her.”
“Why? What the hell is going on?” Jax looked down at Maria. “If they ain’t finna tell me what’s up, I need you to.”
Maria looked from Madeline to Keith, as if she was giving them one final chance to come clean. Releasing a sigh, Maria’s shoulders caved as she shook her head.
“Malibu was your brother. They aren’t your parents. They are your aunt and uncle. Your real parents live in California. They gave you up for adoption because they didn’t want to have a new baby at the time. Madeline didn’t want you in the system or with strangers so she offered to adopt you and raise you as her own. Which is why you didn’t know her parents. They didn’t agree with keeping the truth from you. So they stopped talking to each other and pretty much did everything they could to make sure you didn’t know anything about your family in Cali.”
Jax ran his thumbs over his eyebrows and massaged his temples. At the most, he figured Malibu was a distant cousin that he just didn’t know about. Never would he have expected to find out that they were brothers.
That his parents weren’t his real parents.
It was all too much.
“Is this true?” he asked, avoiding his parents… his aunt and uncle’s eyes.
“Yes,” Madeline confirmed. “You have to understand, son, that we did this because we love you. We wanted to expand our family and F
elicia presented us with the perfect opportunity.”
“Felicia?” he repeated, finally looking into her eyes. “That’s my mother’s name? Your sister?” She nodded. “I’m twenty-eight fuckin’ years old. How you go that long not seeing your own blood? Or did you see her just without me? How many people know about this shit, man? You got me walking roun’ acting like these folks my family…”
“We are your family, Jax…”
“You ain’t no kin to me,” he roared, charging in her direction. Quickly, his father stood, just as Maria grabbed his arm. “Cause I can’t relate to no fake shit like this, so you can’t be my relative. Not to hide some shit like this from me.”
Madeline stood and stepped in front of Keith. “We did this because we love you.”
“That ain’t love! You can’t do toxic shit and sprinkle the word love on it. If they weren’t able to take care of my ass you coulda took me in and raised me without lying to me. You coulda told me you was my aunt and that my folks were just on hard times. I could have accepted that shit. But to lie and say I belong to you?”
Jax sucked his teeth before pulling his arm away from Maria and walking out of the living room, ignoring his mother… his aunt… crying out for him.
He’d almost forgotten Maria was behind him until she grabbed the door and kept him from closing it. Leaning down and slightly into his car, she kissed his cheek.
“I’m here if you need me, and I can give you space if you need that too.”
Jax nodded, appreciative of the fact that she was willing to give him space. This would be a lot for him to wrap his mind around.
“I’m surprised you even offering to be here for a nigga. This ain’t gon’ make you run away?”
Smiling softly, Maria shook her head. “Not at all. I’m in this for the long haul as long as you’ll have me. Lord knows I loved your brother while he was living, but it ain’t shit Malibu can do for me from the grave. I gotta move on, and I was hoping I could do that with you. If I can’t I understand that too.”
