No Loyalty

by De'nesha Diamond

  Now in a hurry, Aiden sped all the way to the county jail. After parking, he hurried into the building and did all of the necessary things to get upstairs to meet with Kayden. Since it would take some time to get him released, he was sure they had enough time for him to sit him down and tell him the good news himself.

  Aiden waited on pins and needles in the same little room they always met in as the guards went to get Kayden. The dingy yellow walls and the cold steel table were all about to be a thing of the past, and Aiden was glad. He was so excited he could hardly sit still, so he stood up and paced around the room. When he heard the locks clicking, he turned to see the door being opened for Kayden to walk in.

  As usual, he looked good. Fresh haircut, clean uniform, and that silly-ass smile. “What’s good, twin?”

  Aiden rushed to him and hugged his brother before the guard even had the chance to remove the chains. He could tell the way Kayden was laughing that he was shocked by his burst of excitement.

  “Damn, Aiden, you hugging me like I’m your damn mama or something.”

  Aiden stood up laughing. “I ain’t hugging your stupid ass like you’re my mama. I’m hugging you like you’re a free man.”

  Kayden’s face grew serious as his eyes got big. “Say what now?”

  “She was dead before the accident happened. They’re giving you time served on the DUI charge,” Aiden hurried to get out.

  Kayden’s smile reappeared as he used his now free hands to hug his brother. He had moved in such a rush that he tripped over the guard, who was still unlocking his legs. Had Aiden not been in front of him, he probably would have hit the ground. They stood hugging each other for a few minutes before pulling away.

  “I knew you could do it.” Kayden held his hand out to dap him up.

  “I’m glad one of us did. You know how hard it is to run a city, run your house, and do lawyer shit?” Aiden took his suit jacket off. “I’m glad your ass is out. Now I can be the mayor and that’s it. You can have all this other stuff back.”

  “Jessica’s pussy must be getting old to you now?”

  Aiden stopped moving and looked at Kayden. His face was void of any emotion as he stared silently. Aiden wanted so badly to say something in his defense, but not only did he not know what to say, his mouth probably wouldn’t have moved even if he did.

  How in the hell had Kayden found out about him and Jessica? He stood tall staring at his twin brother as his heart beat rapidly in his chest. Aiden strained for air as he battled with whether to tell the truth or tell a lie.

  “Kay—” Aiden started.

  Kayden shook his head and waved Aiden off. “Don’t say nothing. It ain’t shit to say.”

  “I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

  “Yeah, niggas never mean to fuck your girl until after that last nut.” Kayden walked past him and sat on the small table in the center of the room. “You know something, I actually gave you more credit than that. Here I am giving you tips and shit on how to look out for my girl, so that the next nigga didn’t scoop her up. I was just helping you take my girl from me.” Kayden laughed casually.

  “She ain’t mean nothing, though.”

  “I’m sure she didn’t, since she was my woman, but that’s actually the worst part of it all. She ain’t mean shit to you, but she meant everything to me.”

  “Kayden, I’m sorry, man.”

  “I know you are.” He looked at Aiden. “Now that I’ve found out.” He stood up again. “So what y’all plan to do now? Raise my baby and live happily ever after?”

  “Nah, man. That’s that shit Jessica’s on. I was just fucking. Nothing more.”

  Aiden leaned against the wall watching his brother stare at him in disappointment. He wanted to say more, or do more, but he couldn’t think of anywhere to start. He didn’t know whether to plead his case or go balls to the wall and let his brother be mad at him until he felt better. He was even open to fighting Kayden if that’s what would make him get it out of his system and forgive him.

  “I appreciate you for helping me get out of here.”

  “It’s my fault you were here in the first place.”

  Kayden nodded his head. “Yeah, you’re right, it is.” He looked at Aiden a little longer while standing. “Clearly it was for the best, though. I may have never known you and Jessica were snakes lurking in my grass. You feel me? Now I know.” He walked to Aiden and stopped in front of him. “Thank you for that, brother.”

  “Kayden, let me fix this, man.”

  “I’m good. I’ll find a way home once they release me.” Kayden turned away. He looked at Aiden over his shoulder once more before walking out of the door, leaving Aiden there to sulk in his deceit.

  * * *

  Kayden took the long walk back to his cell in chains for the last time. His eyes scanned over the entire pod as he moved slowly. He was surrounded by convicts, some accused of some of the most heinous crimes in the state of Texas, and not one of them had hurt him as bad as his brother had.

  He had been thinking about everything Bronx had told him the day she visited him, but none of it made sense. Then all of a sudden everything that had been confusing him made sense. Jessica had been acting out and giving him her butt to kiss because she had a new man. What else would explain her going from being in love with him to expressing her hate for him almost every time they talked?

  As bad as he hadn’t wanted to believe it, it was right there plain as day. Bronx hadn’t come right out and said it, probably trying to spare his feelings, but her words had painted a clear enough picture. The part that sealed it all for him was Bronx openly expressing her feelings for him. The only way she would have felt safe enough to do something like that was if she’d known he and her cousin was over for sure.

  Maybe she’d known all along that once he’d found out, he was going to be done with her. Kayden had been cutthroat from the time he’d met her. Bronx had done a good job at keeping it to herself, but she’d known what was up the whole time. He had to give her credit, though, she never folded. Even when he asked her on the phone the night before, she’d danced around the question. Further answering his question.

  “What’s on your mind, young blood?” Kayden’s cellmate interrupted his thoughts as soon as he walked into the room.

  “They’re letting me out of here.” He smiled up at the old man.

  He had a large, genuine smile on his face as he held his hand over the side of the bed for Kayden to shake. Kayden shook it and began clearing out his things.

  “Was it true?” The man’s voice stopped his movement.

  Kayden nodded his head. He had told his cellmate about his thoughts on Jessica and Aiden possibly sleeping together as well. He wanted to make sure he was going at the situation from all angles before approaching Aiden. He would have hated to approach him on some false bullshit and ruined their relationship. Had he known it was going to be ruined anyway, he probably would have kept his business to himself.

  “What you plan to do about it?”

  “I don’t even know. In my mind, I’m like, fuck both of them, but my heart is fucked up behind the shit. That nigga is my family. He’s really all I’ve got besides my baby.”

  “Didn’t you just tell me you really like the little girl that had our room smelled up with her perfumed letter?”

  Kayden smiled and nodded as he thought about Bronx.

  “Well, my advice for you is to just let it go. Forgive your brother, forgive your daughter’s mother, and move on with your new lady. Life’s too short to hold on to grudges. God has blessed you with a second chance; get out of here and make the best of it.” He scooted to the edge of his bed. “Don’t waste your time hurting over something you have the power to change. You understand?”

  “I hear you, but I still just don’t know. They betrayed me in the worst way. Everybody that knows me knows I’m big on loyalty, and those two showed none. They showed me absolutely NO LOYALTY!” Kayden yelled the last part as he grew angry at the th
ought of their transgressions.

  “Nah, they didn’t. But what did you expect? Out of sight means out of mind. You were in here, they were out there. They did what anybody else would have done. Your brother is a man. A young man at that. You sent him to your house to do your job, and now that he’s done it, you’re mad?”

  Kayden plopped down on his bed with his arms folded across his chest and his mouth poked out.

  “I’ve seen the picture of that woman. That’s too much behind for any man to pass up. I don’t care how you look at it. I probably would have dipped in it, too, if she would have let me. I probably wouldn’t have lasted long, but I still would have did a little dip in it.”

  Kayden couldn’t even keep a straight face after that. The more he thought about it, the harder he laughed, his cellmate laughing along with him. The two of them were laughing so hard that Kayden almost missed the knock on their door. When he looked up and saw the guard with some papers and an empty laundry bag, he stood up and looked up at his cellmate.

  “I’m gon’ miss your old ass.”

  “Well, miss me with your wallet and keep that commissary full. I know you got it.”

  Kayden nodded and held his hand out for a handshake. “I got you, old timer.”

  They talked for a few more minutes until it was time for Kayden to exit the premises. He looked around the room, taking nothing but the pictures of his baby. There was nothing in there that he wanted to take home with him, not even the pictures of Jessica. He left those to his cellmate to do whatever he pleased. Jessica was no longer a concern of his. Even if he did forgive her, he would never fuck with her again, and that was on his baby girl’s life.

  CHAPTER 12

  “What the fuck you doing here?” Kayden turned his nose up at Jessica.

  She rushed to him with her hands outstretched toward him. “Kayden, just listen to me.”

  Kayden looked all around the parking lot for Bronx’s car. There was no way in hell she had really sent Jessica to pick him up from jail. This had to be some kind of a joke.

  “Jessica, get your ass on away from me.” He walked past her, and she grabbed his arm.

  Before she had the chance to brace herself, Kayden pushed her backward. Jessica stumbled a few feet but caught her footing. As soon as she was steady on her feet again, she was running back to him. This time she was mindful of her hands and kept them to herself.

  “Kayden, I promise we never meant for this to happen. I was just so lonely, I felt like I was starting to lose my mind.”

  “And let me guess, you found it on my brother’s dick, huh?” Kayden watched her look away, and he scoffed. “Dirty bitch.”

  Her head shot up with a look of surprise on her face. Even had he not been able to look at her face and tell, he knew she was shocked by his verbiage. As long as they’d been together, Kayden had never called her out of her name. He’d done nothing but treat her with respect, and she couldn’t even handle that.

  “Really, Kayden?” she yelled as he walked farther away from her.

  Kayden didn’t even bother to turn around. Instead he continued to walk toward the red Lexus he’d bought her. He hated the fact that she’d finagled her way in as his ride home, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to take it. He was so ready to get away from that damn jailhouse, he’d do whatever he had to, including riding with Jessica, to get away from there.

  “Give me the keys.”

  “Not until you talk to me,” she had the audacity to tell him.

  With his nose turned up on one side, Kayden saw her as the scandalous fool that she was and crossed his arms over his chest. After leaning back on the side of Jessica’s car, he gave her his attention.

  “Talk about what, Jessica? What the fuck do you want to talk to me about?”

  Jessica cleared her throat and walked closer to him. She was staring at him with a look of despair in her eyes. Pleading for some sort of forgiveness, or hope. Too bad, he didn’t have any to give.

  “I never meant for this to happen. It was just so hard for me after you left.” She fumbled with her clothing. “Aiden was there to fill the void, but I didn’t love him. I love you.” The crocodile tears on her face moved nothing in Kayden.

  “Jessica, kill this bullshit. You’re probably out here begging because Aiden doesn’t want your ass anymore.”

  Jessica’s eyes darted away quickly as she bit her bottom lip. Kayden didn’t have to be told that was the reasoning behind her drama right then, because he’d already known. He’d been in love with Jessica for years; he knew her. Even if she thought he didn’t.

  “That’s not true, Kayden.”

  “Yes, the fuck it is, and quite frankly, I don’t have time to hear the shit.” He held his open palm out toward her. “Give me the keys to my car.”

  “Your car?” she asked in disbelief.

  “Yeah, bitch, mine. Now give me the keys.”

  “You can’t take my car.”

  “Like hell I can’t. I paid for this shit. Hell, I paid for everything in your life, and that still wasn’t good enough for your hoe ass. You had to take the one thing that was important to me.” Kayden ran up on her so that he was in her face. “The one thing that was off limits, you just had to get that, too.” Kayden slapped his chest. “I gave you everything!”

  More tears fell from Jessica’s eyes as she grabbed at his clothes. Kayden snatched away and pushed her off him.

  “It was a mistake,” she told him.

  “Fuck all that. The mistake was me picking you over your cousin, that was the mistake.”

  Her face dropped in shock. “My cousin?”

  Kayden smiled and nodded his head. “Hell, yeah, Bronx’s li’l ass held me down better than you. Now guess what?” He leaned forward to make fun of her. “I’m about to be with her and give her all the shit I tried to give you. She recognized a real one when saw me, so she kept my ass. Now the world is hers.”

  Kayden stepped back away from her with his face now frowning. “You better not ask me for shit, and I’m getting custody of my baby, too. Now hop on the reality of that shit, like you hopped on my brother’s dick.”

  “You stupid son of a bitch!” Jessica screamed. “How you gon’ be mad at me when you fucking my damn cousin? We’re two and the same, dirty dick-ass nigga.”

  Kayden looked at her long and hard. He didn’t recognize her. Jessica had truly turned into another person since he’d been gone. Never in his life had he thought his girl, his love, the mother of his child, would turn into the person in front of him. That was some serious shit there. So serious, Kayden couldn’t do anything but laugh.

  “We’re two and the same, huh?”

  Jessica crossed her arms over her chest. “Damn right.”

  “Nah, I don’t think we are, because the person that I dipped on you for actually wants me back.” Kayden smirked. “Aiden ain’t thinking about your ass.”

  Jessica stood there looking dumbfounded, like he’d known she would.

  “Oh, you thought he would pick you?” Kayden burst out laughing again. “Wrong, bitch. Me and that nigga been running through bitches since we were kids. I thought you was different, but I was wrong as fuck. It’s cool, though. What’s done is done. Let’s dip.” Kayden winked at her before snatching the keys from her hand.

  As soon as he hit the locks, Jessica took off toward the passenger seat. Kayden laughed because she’d been right to do that. Just as sure as his name was Kayden Lattimore, had she not gotten her ass in, he was going to pull off and leave her.

  Kayden drove toward his old block, as Jessica sat in the seat trying to explain her case. It was too late for that, though; she was never getting another chance with him. If it didn’t have anything to do with Jayden, he wasn’t fucking with her.

  “Get your ass out.” Kayden told her as he parked at their house and got out.

  He walked ahead of her toward the door. When he reached it, it was already open. As soon as he walked in, he noticed Bronx sitting on the sofa
with Jayden in her arms. She smiled upon seeing his face, but it dropped immediately.

  “She begged me to come, I’m sorry.”

  “You know better than that shit, B.”

  She stood up. “I know, but I wasn’t sure how you wanted to deal with us right now.”

  Kayden’s brows knitted together. “What you mean how I wanted to deal with us? You’re with me, ain’t you?”

  Bronx nodded.

  “A’ight then. Fuck the rest. Don’t worry about Jessica’s fucked-up ass. You’re my baby, so don’t hide that shit.”

  Bronx’s smile made all of his troubles worth it. Including the shit Jessica was about to get started.

  “Y’all ain’t shit,” she said as she walked in past him. “Bitch, give me my damn baby.” Jessica snatched Jayden from her, but Kayden intervened.

  “Jessica, if you hurt my baby, I’ma kill your ass.” He pulled Jayden out of her arms and handed her back to Bronx. “This my house, and Bronx is my girl. You don’t get no say-so around this muthafucka no more.” He fumed. “Matter of fact, get your ass back there and pack your shit. You’re getting up out of here today.”

  “What?” Jessica screamed.

  “Just go get your shit.” He pointed toward the back of their house with his thumb.

  Kayden watched Jessica rant and rave until he’d had enough. When he couldn’t take it anymore, he went through the house snatching all of her things and throwing them outside into the yard. He was moving so quickly and carelessly that he’d even broken a few things, but he didn’t give two fucks. Her time was up.

  “Kayden! Stop!” she yelled as he pushed past her with some more of her shoes.

  “I’m tired now, so that’s all you get. You lucky you got that much, now get the fuck out,” he told her before looking over at Bronx, who was rocking a crying Jayden.

  Jessica was in tears as she shook her head from side to side in protest. “I won’t leave. This is my house. You can take your bitch, leave my damn baby, and y’all can get out.”