The Ties That Bind Us: (The Ties Duet Part One)

by Danda K.

  Ok? And?

  He covers his mouth with his hands and whispers the next statement as if anyone else could actually hear us. “It’s number two.”

  Great. This kid better wipe his own ass. I look around the house. “I...uh...I don’t--”

  A knock on the door startles us both. I jump up. “There’s the sitter!”

  I rush to the door, eager to greet his babysitter so I can let her know his current situation. When she’s all filled in, she takes him upstairs for the remainder of the day. Relieved I dodged that bullet, I head into the kitchen to make myself something to eat. I warm up some leftover Chinese Lo Mein and grab myself a glass of Coke before heading back into the living room.

  It’s freezing at this point. I can see a cloud of cold air as I exhale. Fuck it. I place my noodles and drink down on the coffee table and throw a blanket over my body as I head towards the front door.

  Stepping outside, the air doesn’t seem all that different from inside the house. I grab some firewood from the backyard and carry it inside the house. I open the door to the fireplace and drop it in. Grabbing the large gas lighter from the kitchen, I pour some lighter fluid inside and set the flame on the bottom of the logs. I see some sparks coming from the wood, but it’s not much, so I grab some old newspaper and throw it inside.

  A small flame rises, and I fan it with my hands. After a couple minutes of repeating this process, I have a nice little fire going. I close the metal door and sit in front of it for a bit, rubbing my hands together to get warm. We’ll have to mention the heat situation to Sayeed.

  Once I’m a bit toastier, I head back to the couch, grab the remote off of the table, and attempt to watch my show again. The theme song to Friends fills the room, and I obnoxiously sing along with the words.

  Just as Rachel runs inside the coffee house in a wedding dress, there’s another knock on the door.

  What is it, a party at Jaxon’s today?

  Maybe it’s the babysitter again? I look around to see if Sam left anything but come up empty. The knocking comes again, much harder and more aggressive this time. I tense up, knowing it likely isn’t the babysitter being this rude.

  I approach the door slowly, feeling nervous about who the hell could be on the other side acting so aggressively.

  “Open the damn door, Jaxon! I know you’re here!” A woman? Looking for Jaxon?

  I take a peek through the peephole and find straight crimson hair and fiery green eyes staring back at me. Could this be his ex? But why the hell would she be here looking for Jaxon after so long? And is also this comfortable with potentially breaking down his door?

  “It’s freezing out here! Open up the damn door!” The heavy thud of her shoe hitting the door officially pisses me off.

  Before I jump to any conclusions or come up with ridiculous scenarios I know aren’t true, I take a deep breath and gather the words I want to spew at the irate woman causing a scene on the other side of the door.

  She’s relentlessly knocking now, and I’ve already had enough of her bullshit. I swing the door open and come face to face with the witch. I’m ready to curse her out, but I’m forced to hesitate because she’s not alone.

  Wait...

  Thirty-three

  Jaxon

  It’s crazy here today. Somehow every delivery we were expecting is wrong.

  The truck drivers unloaded before they checked with us to confirm, and now our store is filled with hair salon items. Shampoos, conditioners, dyes, gloves, and a whole bunch of other shit that anyone in their right mind would question delivering to a 7-Eleven.

  Sayeed showed up over an hour ago, and I’ve heard him arguing with this company over the phone for thirty minutes. Not only are they insisting we ordered it all, but they also want us to pay for it. The delivery guys stand around, useless, as we’re down important products that we need to be refilled.

  I walk over to where the delivery guys are huddled by the door. “Let me see the original invoice you guys got for this order.”

  The two jackasses just look at each other, reminding me of Harry and Marv from the movie Home Alone. The taller one shrugs. “We don’t have the original, just the copy we get from the warehouse.” I rip it from his hands, rolling my eyes. All of these hair products are listed under our account. Someone obviously dropped the ball on their end, leaving us with the headache.

  “Let me ask you guys a question.” I point to the paper. “You can see what these products are, right? You can read, no?”

  The meatball gives me a look and curls his lip.

  “Okay, so wouldn’t you find it weird that everything on this list is professional hair styling products?” The tall one rips the paper back out of my hand.

  “Listen, it’s not our job to question what customers order. We just deliver. You don’t like it? Take it up with the company.”

  I swear to God; some people are just too lazy for their own good.

  At this point, Sayeed approaches and tells the two idiots that everything was sorted out and to call their dispatch so they can confirm. Tweedledee and Tweedledum huff and puff, throw their arms up in the air and head back to their truck with some boxes.

  “Sometimes, it really concerns me the level of stupid people can reach.” Sayeed shakes his head as he picks up some boxes to give them a hand to the truck. Just as I’m about to stop him and tell him to let them do it themselves, my phone rings.

  Morgan has called multiple times in the last hour, but it was way too chaotic for me to pick up. Now that the dust has settled, I answer his call.

  “The fuck, man? You’re blowin’ up my phone like a jealous girlfriend. You good?”

  “Oh, asshole, I’m great. It’s you who’s not. If you would’ve answered my first three hundred calls, you’d know this.” Unease settles in my stomach.

  “What’s up?”

  “You told me to let you know if I found out what Gelissa’s up to, yeah?” He pauses. “Well, here I am!”

  “Get on with it Morgan, I don’t have all fucking day.” His need for dramatics is even more annoying now than ever.

  What the hell did this girl do?

  “She showed up at my house, mouthing off your address. She said she got it from Gunner somehow. I don’t even know how the fuck he had it. I think she came here to tell me so it’d get back to you.”

  Motherfucker. I left Williamsburg right after I was released from the hospital. Gunner owed me money for a previous fight, but I said fuck it and took the hit.

  At that point, I just wanted to start over fresh.

  After a couple weeks of settling into my place, he reached out, apologizing about what happened, and telling me he’d double my money for hardships. I told him to mail it to my friend’s house, and I guess he assumed it was where I stayed. I didn’t think he’d ever come looking for me, and Gelissa was already off with Roland not giving a fuck if I was even breathing, so I figured why not? Take the money and get some furniture. Now I wish I told him to go fuck himself.

  “Fuck!” I whisper-yell into the phone. “Did she say what the fuck she wanted? What’s she up to?!”

  “That’s the thing, bro. She told me she’s going straight to your house right after mine, and that was over an hour ago. I’ve been trying to call you this whole fucking time to warn you.”

  A wave of panic hits me. Cameron’s home today, and I have no idea how the fuck she’ll react to my ex, to Gelissa, knocking on our door. Who knows what the fuck kind of lies she’ll tell her, and I know damn well that Cameron will fall right into the trap.

  My heart’s racing a hundred miles per minute, and I need to get home. NOW. With any luck, maybe the snake didn’t show up yet. Maybe I can get there first.

  “I gotta go, Morgan. Thanks for the heads up.”

  “Wait, bro...there’s something else you need to know!” he screams into the phone right before I hang up.

  Nothing else matters right now other than Cameron and how this could send her into a tailspin, destroying all
the progress I’ve made with her.

  Especially if Gelissa tells her she’s been calling. FUUUUCK. I should’ve given Cam the heads up about what was happening, but I was afraid she’d stop trusting me and suspect I wanted something with Gelissa.

  Shoulda, woulda, coulda, asshole.

  If I lose this girl over my deranged ex-girlfriend and some miscommunication, I won’t survive it. I won’t survive this life without Cameron.

  I grab all my shit and announce to Sayeed that an emergency came up and I have to run home. He looks worried as he approaches me, but I’m already heading out the door. I’ll apologize to him later. As I sprint down the street, the air is freezing, making it hard to breathe, but I push through and don’t stop until the tingles set in from my legs almost giving out.

  My nose feels frozen, but all I’m concerned about is Cam. What if she’s gone? What if she ran out at the sight of my ex and thinks I cheated on her? God, I would never fucking do that.

  My chest physically hurts, and I don’t know if it’s from the cold or the fear that she may be trying to leave. Again.

  I approach the backyard. It’s eerily quiet, and I don’t know if that’s a good or bad sign. Maybe the bitch didn’t show up, or maybe it’s because they both already left.

  I take a deep breath and hope to whoever’s above us that Cameron’s still in our house and that Gelissa was just playing games to try and manipulate me into answering her calls.

  I look around the backyard, and everything looks to be in place. The only thing missing is some firewood, and there’s a small trail of sticks on the ground leading towards the door to our home.

  I stand in front of the solid white barrier between me and the truth, placing my hands on the knob and leaning my forehead against the cold surface. I close my eyes as tight as I can, out of breath and feeling the palpitations of my heart all the way through my grey hoodie. I try to gather the strength to face what’s on the other side.

  I just want my girl.

  I just want to grab her and hug her and kiss her and love her. I just want her home.

  I slowly open the door, holding my breath as I walk into the foyer. I see the fireplace is still going, which is a good sign. I know Cam would never leave the house with the fireplace on and risk Sam’s safety. It’s so quiet I can hear the dripping of the pipes in the walls.

  As I walk towards the kitchen, Magnet’s sitting in the hallway, hissing at something inside it. As I reach the corner of the wall, I spot the back of Nyx’s head sitting at the table.

  Immediately feeling relieved, I step inside to find the crimson witch sitting across from her, looking around the kitchen with a judgmental glare.

  That doesn’t shock me. She was always the type to look down on anyone whose pockets weren’t hefty, didn’t drive luxury cars, or have their own apartments.

  No, what shocks me is what’s sitting in her lap, wrapped in a pink snowsuit and a white winter hat.

  A fucking baby.

  Thirty-four

  Jaxon

  Gelissa has a fucking baby. A baby.

  A tiny human that needs constant care and affection. I can’t tell her age under all the fluff she has on, but I’d say maybe a year and a half if I had to guess.

  My eyes widen as I do the numbers in my head. Cameron is still not speaking a word. Gelissa’s chewing on gum, staring at me with a pointed brow as I try my hardest to solve the most important math equation of my life.

  She rolls her eyes and pops her gum. “I’ll save you the trouble Jaxon, she’s yours.” She sucks her teeth as she adjusts the baby in her lap.

  My eyebrows furrow as I shake my head. “That’s impossible. I’ve been gone almost two and a half years.”

  “Yes, and she’ll be two at the end of March.” She tilts her head, a wicked grin shaping her face. “Maybe you forgot that night before your last fight, in Morgan’s shower. You had me up against the wall--”

  Panicking, I interrupt her nauseating recollection from our past. “That’s enough. You made your point.” I glance over to Cameron, who’s tensed up in her chair, arms folded in front of her.

  Gelissa shrugs, tossing one side of her red hair behind her shoulder.

  “Why the hell am I just finding out about her now?” I point to the baby that’s apparently mine and whose name I don’t even know.

  “Her name is Emersyn. And maybe I just realized it now. She does look a lot like you, though.”

  I shake my head in disgust at the vermin in front of me. The one holding an innocent child. If Emersyn is mine, Gelissa damn well knew it this whole time.

  My guess? Roland finally realized it and gave ’em both the boot. I can’t tell much about Emersyn’s features under all the bulk, but I can spot the sea-blue eyes. My eyes. And Roland not only has brown eyes, but he’s also Afro-Latino. Pretty sure a child of Roland’s would have some darker features.

  I still don’t trust her. Who’s to say she didn’t fuck some other poor sap and have his baby?

  “I’m gonna need a paternity test before I make any type of opinion myself.”

  Cameron turns and looks at me, and I can’t tell if she pities me or thinks I’m crazy for questioning the resemblance.

  Gelissa waves me off. “Do what you gotta do, Jaxon. As long as you step up and take care of your child like a real man should.”

  I bark out a laugh. This girl really is something else. She hides my child from me for almost two years, and then questions my ability to take responsibility for her? If I’d have known she was pregnant with my kid, I never would have left so quickly.

  I would have left her, yes, but I would’ve done whatever it took to make sure my baby was cared for and loved by me. Even if it meant settling down somewhere closer to her.

  “Are you really questioning my motives right now? You showed up at our home, claiming this baby is mine with no proof whatsoever.” I point an accusing finger at her, my voice getting gradually louder. “Did you conveniently forget how you and Roland tried to fuck me over? That you both almost killed me?” I’m full-on yelling now. “And you’re pointing fingers at me?!” I’m so fucking mad at this point, and to be honest, scared out my mind.

  “Oh, would you get over that already? Look at you, you’re fine. It was just a miscommunication.”

  “A miscommunication?!” I scream at her now, feeling the blood rush to my face.

  The baby starts to cry, making me feel bad, so I lower my voice. “Listen, you need to go...now. I’m gonna make an appointment at a facility to do a paternity test. I’ll contact you with the details. Until then, I’ve got nothing to say to you. I need to discuss things with my girlfriend.” Gelissa’s bouncing the baby on her lap as she looks Cameron up and down in distaste.

  “This is who took my place?”

  I straighten my back and take a step towards her as the baby eyes me curiously. “Let’s get one thing straight, Gelissa. Nobody took your place. Your place was never with me. You’re nothing but a deceitful and selfish brat who takes advantage of anyone she can to get ahead.”

  My eyes close to slits as I threaten her now. ”If you ever speak that way about my girlfriend again, I’ll make sure all of Williamsburg knows just how sleazy and desperate you really are.”

  She gasps, clutching her chest as if I’m the one being insensitive. She really is crazy.

  My anger’s subsiding, allowing my nerves to creep back in. The truth is, this baby may be mine. I could be a dad to a little girl, and I’m nowhere near ready for it. And I know Cameron isn’t either.

  Oh, God...Cameron.

  “Gelissa, you need to go. Now.”

  Her eyes twitch, and she looks slightly panicked. “Jaxon I--”

  I run my hands over my hair, frustrated, and bite out, “Now.”

  Gelissa blurts out, “I have no place to go!” The baby whimpers again with the outburst. Everything’s happening so fast. My brain can’t keep up with reality because it’s too busy battling my emotions.

  “My pa
rents don’t speak to me, Jaxon, and Roland kicked us out. I’ve been staying at a motel with the baby, but I’m running out of money. I can’t afford the cost of living every night and feeding Emersyn.” Her body shivers, making me wonder if it’s cold in here or if she’s just desperate. All my senses are off right now.

  I lock eyes with Emersyn. Deep down, I know she has to be mine. I won’t admit it this easy to Gelissa, but every cell in my body tells me she’s a part of me, too. So how can I let them leave knowing it’s freezing out and her mom won’t have anywhere warm to take her? Regardless of the baby’s DNA, I’m not an animal.

  I make the decision quickly because it’s the only one that feels right.

  “Give me the number to the motel you’re staying at. I’ll call and set you guys up for another week. By then, we should know where we stand with paternity.”

  I dial as she mouths off the number, and after a quick conversation with the front desk clerk, I’ve covered them for a week in their room.

  Placing my wallet in my back pocket, I text Sayeed.

  Jaxon: I need you to put together a few grocery bags with enough food for a week for a mother and a two-year-old.

  Sayeed: No problem, Beta. Is everyone okay?

  Jaxon: Thanks a lot. And yeah, I’ll explain when you get home.

  I open the Uber app and arrange a pickup.

  “The Uber will be here in ten minutes. It’ll take you and Emersyn to my job to get some groceries, then to your motel. I’ll contact you with details for a paternity test.”

  Gelissa stands up, holding Emersyn on her hip, looking much less arrogant than she did before. “Sounds good. Thanks for helping me.” Maybe this girl did hit rock bottom, who knows. All I do know is no baby should have to go through this bullshit.

  “I didn’t do it for you, trust me.”

  Besides making sure this baby has shelter lined up, my main priority is checking on Cam, so Gelissa needs to go.

  I stand outside the car as Gelissa gets in the Uber with Emersyn. I repeat the same instructions to the driver that I added to the app, and they take off down the alley as I run back inside.