End Zone Love (Connecticut Kings Book 4)

by Love Belvin

  I took a deep breath. “Oh, I’m about to leave this hell hole. I can feel misery crawling up the walls and I don’t want to carry it out with me. But let’s be clear on May twentieth. You both will be there to support Trent!”

  Trick’s face twisted again. “And if we don’t? The fuck you gone do?”

  I switched hips. “I got the baby and soon will have the name and authority. This house is in his name. He pays the taxes on the property. I will have your cuckoo ass out of here so fast after saying I do, you’ll be looking for a new nest to rest your damn self.” I was sure to keep my voice eerily low as I shot bullets at both of them through my eyes.

  I lied, and on so many levels. Earlier, I’d once again, revealed Trent’s and my true marital status. And there was no way my hopelessly loyal husband would evict his mother. I had no say in the matter. Unfortunately for these two, they didn’t know the truth, because they weren’t in touch with him.

  “Jade, I think you just took it too far,” April chimed in. “Brenda can’t afford to be on the streets in her condition. Where she gone go? To Cora Mae’s? There’s no room there. Plus, they’re both sick.”

  April was playing along. She knew full well Trent didn’t possess a hard bone in his body for his mother. He’d been secretly awaiting reciprocity from her.

  “That will no longer be my problem,” I growled and walked towards the door to leave back out through the house.

  I made it the front door before I heard, “Yo, hold up, man.”

  His tone was gentler, but my skin still crawled. The only person I allowed to call me man was Trent. It was never demeaning from his lips. It was just a lack of etiquette, I understood from the start.

  I paused with my hand on the doorknob.

  “A’ight. You ain’t gotta look at me, but you could listen. I know the shit between my sister and Trent seem fucked up. And it is. I swear, I been kicking it with her about it since I been home. I ‘on’t know why it ain’t never bother me before…nah.” He caught himself. “I do know.” Yeah. He did. Shank’s attention… “But that ain’t neither here nor there. What you need to know is my sister got some shit with her, but it’s legit.”

  That’s when I turned my head to look at him.

  “I ‘on’t know if he told you, but some years back, Brenda stopped rocking with all us: Mommy, Shank, me—everybody. My brother died and Trevor did, too.” Trevor… He was Trent’s older brother. “And I thought that messed her head up. But I found out from her when I got outta the pen that Brenda ain’t all right up here.” He pointed to his head.

  My face folded, confused.

  Trick glanced around the narrow hall for listeners, I supposed.

  “It’s getting worse,” his voice was lower. “The doctors put her on meds.”

  Trent never mentioned a mental institution he was trying to see her at back in February.

  He technically never mentioned much of anything…

  “That’s why she was hospitalized a few months back?”

  “Nah. She kept having strokes. The doctors didn’t know why.” He scoffed. “None of us know why she ain’t got no signs of the two she had. The doctors’ even shocked.”

  “So, what does that have to do with her mind? Her neglect didn’t begin at the top of the year.”

  “She got a lot of stuff wrong with her head. She go in and out. I got word she was out in the streets at night, talking to herself when I was down. My homies told me how she would…” Trick’s eyes fell and he switched stances, appearing pained. “She was going through the trash. Then a day or two later, they seen her driving to work like nothing ever happened. She did it once since I been home, and I got word of it. Two o’clock in the morning, she out there, talking to herself, over trash bins. She ain’t know who I was, but I was able to get her back here to get cleaned up. Her fridge and freezer was stacked with food.” Trick shook his head, ghosted.

  “You mean to tell me Brenda has some form of mental illness?”

  He nodded. “I took her to the doctor after she came to and told me she been fighting it for years and it’s getting worse. The doc said she had to get on and stay on meds or she gone be walking around without a brain, basically. Sometimes, it look like she already do. She hate the medicines, but they keep her sane—zoned out most times, but sane.”

  “That’s why you’re here,” I breathed, finally adding it all up. “How long you say she’s been struggling with this?” This could answer why she’d been neglectful of Trent for so long.

  Trick shrugged while shaking his head, his eyes cast down to the floor. “I ‘on’t know, man. The doctor said he met her like ten years ago. But Brenda been wildin’ for longer than that.”

  “It’s progressing.” I spoke toward the floor, mind going. Then a thought occurred. My eyes swung up to him. “You have to tell Trent!” I was animated, but not loud. “He needs to know about his mother.”

  “You ‘on’t think I need help with this? My moms ain’t gone help. She sick. I ‘on’t know how long I can do this by myself. This shit is crazy as hell. I done lost my second brother. Ain’t no way I’mma leave my sister hanging like this. But Trent like staying all up in his feelings. I been wanting to reach out. I’m the one making sure people call him when she go in the hospital. But he always gotta bring his sour feelings into the shit. Brenda ain’t gone change. She been fucked up in the head since me and him was kids. I don’t get why he think that’s gone change.”

  “So, you get mad at him?” My voice shook with high emotions. “He has no idea. Trent thinks he’s a bad seed. Do you know what that does to a kid…when they carry it into adulthood?” I whispered.

  Trick waved his hand in the air. “He fuckin’ piss me off with his attitude. Everything ain’t about him—at least not right now. She don’t get outta bed sometimes. Fuck I’m supposed to do with that?” I wanted to verbally cut him, but something in my gut understood his struggle. Trick was angry, but not at Trent. He was angry at the universe for the unexpected burden of his sister. “She make me swear all the time not to tell nobody. I gotta have my girl sit here with her when I’m at work. Her bad days are fuckin’ bad, man! The doctor talking about her checking into a spot for a few weeks here and there.”

  My chest heaved as I tried to guard my emotions. The pregnancy made me cry all the time, but I couldn’t blame the baby on this one. This was messed up. I was angry for not being able to blame Brenda for her neglect of Trent all these years. She’d probably been struggling with this before having children. It sounded like it was progressing.

  “Look,” Trick’s beckoning tone broke me from my reverie. “I ain’t got no beef with Trent. I don’t. I swear. I know we had our beef a long time ago, but I told Shank while I was in the pen, I was droppin’ it. That’s what I wanna do but—I…I just don’t know…”

  His eyes were to the floor again.

  Trick didn’t know how to make up with his nephew. He’d been on the outs with him so long, and their lives were on stark opposite paths. Trent probably intimidated Trick. And so unnecessarily.

  The first tear fell.

  “He’s really…really sweet,” burst from my lips. “And not in a ‘bitch’ kind of way. Trent is generous and funny…and a good listener and compassionate…” My eyes bounced around as I tried running down all of his amazing qualities. “And he’s oh, so patient. He really is,” I whispered. “He’s just got a little baggage from not being connected to you guys. People think his life is perfect because of the money and fame, but I swear to you, he would be better off if he never got that, but had you and Brenda…Shank and the rest of your family in his life. He doesn’t even have his father.” The tears wouldn’t stop.

  I felt helpless. Why was I begging Trick to extend the olive branch? He was probably less emotionally developed than Trent. He’d had a rough life in the streets of Camden, leading to a long bid in prison. Trent was sure incarceration had hardened Trick even more.

  “What y’all in here talking ‘bout?” April
’s round frame bustled into the narrow hall. “We gotta go, Jade. Gotta pick up those rolls for dinner. I don’t wanna hear Kyree’s mouth or Trent’s.”

  She didn’t look up as she breezed past, opened the door, and left out. After paying Trick a final glance, I was on her heels. We were nearly three houses down the block before the truck was in sight.

  “A damn cuckoo bird, Jade?” she cried in her soprano octave. “A damn cuckoo bird?”

  “Am I in trouble?” Ky asked with a grin, but I knew he was a little shook.

  His moms and I never called him to “talk.” So, I got why he stopped in the doorway of the living room first.

  What was crazy was how we’d hung out today while Jade and April were running errands. When I realized I would miss morning worship because I overslept, I made a last minute call to get fitted for my tux. Tessie Bell had been on me about it for a couple of weeks, so I took Ky with me to get measured for his. We had a good time. So, being called into the “formal” room to speak to his moms in front of me had to have him nervous.

  “No, baby,” Jade’s voice was soft as she shook her head. “Come sit down next to Mommy.” She patted the seat next to her on the love seat.

  I was stretched out across from her on the long couch. The room still felt new to me. Jade had turned it into something unrecognizable. She did her thing decorating the place.

  “Hey,” she started cheerfully, but I could feel her anxiety. “Trent and I want to talk to you about a change that’s about to take place around here.”

  “Auntie April’s leaving?” he asked. Jade shook her head. “We moving?” There was panic in his voice, concerning me.

  “Nah, man,” I spoke up, not liking that image, especially if it didn’t include me moving with them. “Nothing like that.”

  My eyes went to Jade for help. I didn’t know how to do this type of break-the-news-to-a-kid thing.

  Jade’s neck swung until her chin raised in the air sideways. “Ummmmm…” Her brows met and I saw her swallow hard. “KyKy…” Her eyes skirted over to me. “We—no. Me. Ummmm…” She licked her lips and I saw the tears collect in her eyes.

  “Ky, we’re having a baby,” I blurted. Kyree’s head swung over to me. “It—she’ll be here before you start third grade this year.”

  The room went quiet. Kyree turned back to his mother, who had tear tracks by now.

  “A baby?” he asked.

  Jade’s head nodded hard and she wiped her cheeks, trying to force a smile. She couldn’t speak.

  Pain struck my chest. Just as I’d been at the start of this pregnancy thing, I struggled with not taking Jade’s regret personal.

  “It won’t…just be us anymore?” Ky still wouldn’t look at me.

  My eyes went wild. I thought he wanted a brother or sister—not necessarily by me, but still.

  What did I do?

  All of a sudden, I felt like the odd party out. This was between the kid and his moms. But I couldn’t leave. This was my life, too. Why did I feel like I’d betrayed him?

  Jade looked away, choking on a cry.

  Kyree turned to me with heavy eyes. “You said it would just be us for a while.”

  My chest puffed as I sucked in crazy air. Kyree was including me.

  “Dude—”

  “What happened to the wedding? You’re not getting married no more?” he asked, voice still sad.

  Ky, I bagged ya moms already…

  I wanted to shout it to the world. Jade was a chosen woman, not a baddie that plotted to catch my seed. She was my wife. I wish I could share that with him. Maybe when he got older I could.

  “Yeah. We’re still doing the wedding. It’s for all of us. It’s how we’re gonna announce to the world we’re an official family.” I tried for a smile.

  Kyree sat back in his seat. His eyes went straight ahead.

  “You don’t want the wedding anymore?” I asked.

  Jade kept her head turned. Her shoulders trembled, telling of her crying. I fought to ignore it.

  “Yeah. But my Daddy said it ain’t really gonna happen.”

  “What? The wedding?” He nodded. “Ah, man.” I tried to laugh that off. “That’s in the bag. Remember, we shopped for our tuxes today.”

  Ky never looked at me, but he nodded again.

  Sniffling, Jade rejoined the conversation. “Listen, Ky. No matter what you hear, Trent and I love each other and will be together for a very long time. Unless you hear it from us, you can’t believe it. Got it?” Kyree nodded, but with his eyes on his moms. She wiped her running nose. “Trent’s very popular, and you know this. So, when that many people know you, some make up mean things about you and the people you love. Trent’s a part of our family now. And,” She looked down at her belly, but didn’t touch it. She still hadn’t let me touch it. “now we’re adding one more to our tight circle.”

  “Then why’re you crying, Mommy?” he sounded about to cry, too.

  “The baby makes me cry,” she lied. Even if she was hormonal, Jade didn’t want my baby. “She makes Mommy crazy.” She tried to laugh. “Okay?”

  He nodded. “Okay.”

  “Can I get a hug?” With a wet face, she opened her arms.

  Kyree stood and hugged his mother. I watched her squeeze him tight with closed eyes and a fresh round of tears, not knowing how to feel about it.

  Ky walked over to me and held his hand out for a high-five. “At least it’s a girl and she can’t come in the cave. Right?”

  A slow grin opened on my face, showing my silly grill. Dude never failed to make me smile.

  “You know it, man.” After smacking his little hand, I grabbed him up in a hug.

  Kyree walked out of the room with heavy shoulders. I could tell he was just as confused as I was. If Jade was good with having the baby, why did she act so sad? Almost as soon as he turned the corner for the foyer, Jade stood from her sofa and walked over to me. Her knee hit the cushion right next to my thigh and she curled underneath me.

  “You would’ve thought I just told him he missed when Brielle stopped by his house.” She tried to laugh.

  “Nah. He’s sad because you’re sad.” My arms were stretched out on the back of the sofa and armrest.

  “I’m not sad, Trent,” she tried to argue.

  “Oh, right. You’re just angry with me and disappointed in yourself,” I repeated her line to me last month when she told me she made an appointment to find out if she was really expecting. “Big difference.”

  I was being reckless, I knew it. But I couldn’t help it. I was sick of these ups and downs. My baby was here. She would be loved, too.

  ~Sixteen

  “Mr. Bailey,” the woman with blonde hair pulled to the back, and black rectangular frames stood to her feet, bowed as she spoke, “they’re all in there waiting on you.” She pointed to the conference room I’d been in more times than I could count over the years.

  Chesney had a dope office on the Upper East Side. I couldn’t decide which was better: this one in New York City or his headquarters in Los Angeles. John, the Kings’ appointed security now fulltime with Tyheem and me, opened one of the double doors and I strolled through. My eyes quickly scanned the left area and saw a few bodies at the far end of the table.

  Chesney stood and walked over to me, smoothing down his tie.

  “Trent,” He shook my hand, giving a neck bow. “Glad you could make it.”

  His associate, whose name I couldn’t remember, but recognized from the office over the years, nodded to me. Jade was in the last seat on the side of the long table closest to me. I went to her, and in my approach, I recognized that hard profile expression. She wasn’t happy.

  Maybe a little too roughly, I grabbed her chin, tilting her head for a kiss. I sloppily pecked where I sucked her lips into mine. I didn’t plan on it, but I was nervous. When my face was this close to her and I could smell her natural body oils under the perfume, I realized how hungry I was for her. I hadn’t had her since the night of my birthday
party. That was more than two weeks ago. My crazy schedule mixed with bad nerves about this meeting had me tip the scales of appropriateness with her.

  I turned my back to block out the room then pulled away before she could and stared into her hazels. So many bodies in the room to have a simple conversation caught me off guard. Jade told me Chesney would be here and all, but now…seeing it made everything real. And serious.

  “I like the pictures of the deck,” I whispered to her.

  A soft smile spread on her mildly made up face. Jade had cut back a lot: hair and makeup.

  “I wish it hadn’t rained so much,” she whispered back. “I could’ve taken better ones.”

  Jade was finishing up on the back deck of the house. She’d designed it months ago, and finally was ordering furniture to get ready for warmer weather. She sent me pictures while I’d been away to keep me updated. The month of May was days away, and she was almost there.

  “Ky like it?” I asked.

  “He hasn’t said.” Her eyes danced between mine. “Trent, you don’t have much time.” She motioned to the table. “And I don’t have a good feeling about this. I’ve prayed about it all week. I’m going to keep quiet and let you speak.” I had to read her lips to follow, her voice was so low.

  And my lady was sincere. She’d been taking her prayer life seriously, and that made me happy. Hearing that had me man up and get my head in the game. That’s what she was asking me to do. My back had been to the room, crowding her in. I took a deep breath and stood. Grabbing the chair next to me close to hers, I sat down and pulled her closer to me.

  “Okay,” Chesney started with the clap of his hands. “We’re all aware Mr. Bailey has just a few minutes to spare before he has to take off to catch a flight. Let’s be judicious with his time.” He turned to the two men across from Jade and me. “Mr. Jackson, you wanted a word with Mr. Bailey.”

  Finally, I looked across the table. Trenton Jackson, my biological father was tapping his fingers together nervously, forcing a smile. His eyes couldn’t stay on me. They bounced to everybody at the table, it seemed. There was a dude next to him I didn’t recognize. He kept eyeballing me. It was the “Oh, shit. It’s TB” look.