The last time Ramsey had talked to Cashmere was when they were in Aruba and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t miss her. He didn't think that she would stick to her guns when she said that she was moving on. He figured she just needed sometime to cool off and get her shit together but after a month had past, the harsh reality sunk in that Cash really didn't want to fuck with him anymore.
Thinking about the last time he saw Cash, which was when she came to pick up Cass from Ryan’s house two weeks ago, Ramsey sat in his car in the parking lot of his sister condo complex watching Cashmere as she placed Cassi in her car seat. He licked his lips as he admired how thick she had gotten in the ass and hips over the past few months wondering if it came from her eating too much or sex. He prayed that it was from her eating too much because he would lose his mind if he found out that she was fucking someone else. He wanted to follow her to see where she lived but he decided against it.
They watched television until the sun began to peek through the blinds of his room. Noticing that Cassi was starting to fall asleep, he held her in his arms rocking her to sleep. While put his baby sleep, he didn't realize that he was drifting off to sleep himself as well. The sound of the front door opening and closing woke him up making him alert.
“Yo Bro. Where you at?” Ryan called out.
“In my bedroom, Ryan.” He laid Cassi face down on the bed.
“What’s goin’ on, Rams?” she walked over to her and hugged him.
“Nothin’ much sis. Just put the little one to sleep not too long ago.” He grabbed his phone and looked at the time. It was 8:15am.
“I believe it. She takes naps all day and stays up all night,” Ryan chuckled. “I just realized that this is the first time I’ve been to your house, Ramsey.”
“I guess you never wanted to come here because of Baylynn.” He sat up in bed. “So, what brings you by, sis?”
“I came by to talk to you about Cashmere and to give you this invitation to Cassi’s birthday party.” She reached in her bag and handed him the invitation.
Ramsey glanced at the invitation before placing it on the nightstand.
“So, wassup with Cash?”
“Cash didn't want me to tell you but she found out that she was pregnant a few weeks ago and yes it’s yours. Cash told me the last time she had sex was when y’all were in Aruba. She is talking to someone now but they only been together for a month and she is two and half months pregnant.”
“You don't have to stress to me that the baby is mine, Ryan.”
“She wants to keep the baby but she’s not sure if she wants you in the baby’s life or not. She doesn’t know if she wants to deal with you like that again. Cash feels like she can raise the baby on her own.”
“What type of shit is that, Ryan? I mean I know I hurt Cash and everythin’ but I’m a damn good father and she knows that I’ll be there to take care of her. She thinks she gonna have another nigga raisin’ my seed? She done lost her fuckin’ mind. Call her ass and tell her to come over here.”
“I don't think that’s a good idea, Ramsey.” Ryan shook her head.
“Why the hell not?”
“You want to invite her to the house that you shared with Baylynn?”
He nodded his head in agreement.
“You’re right and I understand how she might feel but regardless of who used to live here, this is my house and I’m tryin’ to move forward. I want her to know that no matter where I rest my head at, she’s always welcome.”
“I know that’s right but she still might be uncomfortable with coming here. How about you just pop up on her at her bookstore. Her store closes at eight tonight. In the meantime, we should have a little get together later. Just the family though.”
“That’s cool. Let everybody know to be here at seven and hopefully Cash will be joinin’ us tonight.”
Ryan nodded her head before jumping on the phone.
Carrying Cassi to the nursery and placing her the crib, he needed something to occupy his time. So, he decided to clean up since he was having company later. As Ramsey cleaned, he couldn’t get Cash off his mind. He was happy that she wanted to keep the baby but he felt some type of way that she didn't want him in the baby’s life. He didn't know what type she was on but he was damn sure going to find out.
A couple of hours later, the house was spotless and Ramsey wasn’t aware of his mother’s arrival until he entered the kitchen and saw the grocery bags sitting on the table. Ramsey hugged and kissed his mother before taking a seat at the kitchen table.
“I was surprised when ya sister called and said that you wanted to have a get together here, Ramsey. You know we always have the get together’s at my house.” Renee removed some pots and pans from the cabinets.
“Man, this was Ryan’s idea. I just agreed to it,” he chuckled.
“This is my first time at Ramsey’s house. I want to enjoy myself. I’m thinking about moving in.” His sister gave her brother a sly smile.
“Yeah, right,” he laughed.
“I know this ain’t my business but is Cash pregnant again? She a little thicker than before,” Renee asked.
Ramsey and Ryan looked at each other to see who was going to answer first.
“I wasn't supposed to say anything but I told Ramsey already. Yes, Cash is pregnant.”
“Aawww shit now! I’m gonna be a grandma again!” His mother started dancing.
“How you know the baby is mine, ma?”
“Please. Cashmere ain’t lettin’ another nigga nowhere near that pussy.”
They all burst into laughter.
“I ain’t messin’ with y’all, man. I’m about to get ready to go see Cash so we can talk. Y’all got Cassi?” Ramsey asked getting up from the table.
“Why you askin’ stupid questions, boy? Go get ready so you can fix things with my daughter-in-law.”
“Daughter-in-law?” He looked at his mother with the side eye.
“You may not see it now but you’re gonna marry that girl one day. You’ll see.” Renee smiled.
Walking out of the kitchen, he went to his room to shower and get dressed. As Ramsey was getting ready, he thought about what his mother said to him about him marrying Cash one day. He never thought that he was the marrying type. He saw himself as a street nigga and nothing more. He didn't think he would make a good husband because he didn't know what it took to be one. Ramsey shook the thoughts of him getting married and focused on the matter at hand, which was going to see Cash.
Ramsey announced that he was leaving before he walked out the door hopping into his car. Turning his music up as he pulled out of the driveway, he headed to the expressway. He didn't know what he was going to say to Cash once he got there. All he knew was that he wasn't leaving until shit was clear on how their relationship was going to be from now on.
26
Cashmere had been working at her bookstore non-stop since the grand opening and business was going great. She didn't think that her bookstore would be that popular but being as though Philly didn't have that many urban bookstores as it once did years ago, she figured it was only a matter of time before her store became the talk of the town. Cashmere sold all types of urban fiction books from the classics like Omar Tyree’s Flyy Girl to the hottest authors in the game today. Cashmere had read all the books she sold in her store but her favorite books came from the authors of Cole Hart Signature Novels.
Cash had been busy from the time she opened that she didn't realize it was going on three in the afternoon. After she got finished ringing up her customer, she pulled up a chair and took a seat at the counter. She had been on her feet all morning and it felt good to sit down. Grabbing her cellphone to order some food, her eyes lit up when they landed on the Darren walking through the door with bags in her hand, she smiled.
“You must have been reading my mind, boy.” She stood up to hug him.
“I figured you’d be hungry. So, I grabbed you a grilled chicken Caesar salad and a lemonade from the pizza store down the street.”
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“Thank you so much. I’m starving.” She broke their embrace taking one of the bags from him.
Sitting back down, she took her food out of the bag while Darren pulled up a chair sitting next to her at the counter. She poured the Caesar dressing on her salad, mixed it up and dug in. The salad tasted like heaven being as though that was the first thing she ate all day.
Cashmere and Darren had gotten close since she moved to West Chester. They talked every day, went out on dates every other weekend and she even spent the night at his house sometimes. She didn't allow him to know where she lived and she didn't spend time with him when Cassi was around. She liked Darren but she felt like it was too soon to have another man around her child. As much as Cashmere liked him, she couldn't allow herself to get close to him because she wasn't completely over Ramsey. She had a feeling that he had a problem with the way things were between them but until he decided to talk about, she was going to keep her mouth closed.
They ate quietly for a moment and Cash could tell that something was wrong by the way he was picking at his food. Trying her best to ignore it, the longer they remained quiet, the more it bothered her.
“Is something bothering you, Darren?”
“Why you ask me that?”
“Because you’re picking at your food. You never do that when you’re around me. So, what’s on your mind?”
“It’s no secret that I like you, Cashmere. I’ve liked since the first time I tutored you when you were a junior at Temple. I enjoy the time we spend together but I’m tired of being in the friend zone. I’m trying to be patient with you and give you time to get over your child’s father but I don't think you ever will.” Darren looked at her with hurt in his eyes.
She finished chewing her food before pushing it away before she spoke.
“Darren, I appreciate you being patient with me and trying to give me time to get over my ex. The last thing I want to do is start something new with you and I’m not fully over him yet.” Cash placed her hand on his. “I was trying to find the right time to tell you this but I just found out I was pregnant a couple of weeks ago and the baby belongs to my ex. I haven't told him yet but I think I might want to work things out with him.”
Darren snatched his hand away from hers jumping up from the chair.
“Are you fucking serious? You're going to try to work things out with a nigga that abandoned you on your birthday to be with another bitch? The same nigga that always put you second and doesn’t realize your worth? How fucking stupid can you be?”
Cashmere jumped up out of her chair ready to cuss his ass out when the front door to the store swung open and Ramsey walked in. She looked at Ramsey then back at Darren who was staring at Ramsey.
“Wassup, Cash?” Ramsey asked while he mean mugged Darren.
“Nothing. Darren was just leaving.” She placed her hand on her hip.
Darren stared at her for a few seconds before he turned on his heels walking out of the store. Throwing Darren’s food away, she sat back down at the counter to finish eating her food.
“You mind if I ask what that was about?” Ramsey walked up to the counter.
“I told him the truth and he couldn't take it.” She looked up at him. “What are you doing here, Ramsey?”
“I came here to talk to you about the baby you’re carryin’ and why the fuck you don't want me to be in my child’s life.”
“I swear Ryan can’t hold fucking water,” Cash said through gritted teeth. “Look, I felt like that because I didn't want to go through the same shit I went through when Cassi was born with you only being able to be there half of the time. Yes, you are a good father, Ramsey but I want us to be a family. I want us to live together under the same roof and for you to be there when I close my eyes at night and wake up to you in the morning. I know that shit won’t happen overnight but I would like for us to start somewhere.”
“I can understand why you wouldn’t want me to be a part of y’all lives but damn, Cash. Were you even gonna tell me you were pregnant or were you just gonna keep this shit from me?”
“I was going to tell you when I made up my mind what I wanted to do. I wasn't going to abort the baby or anything like that. You know that’s not how I get down. So, now that you know about the baby, where do we go from here?”
“How about you come to my crib for this get together I’m havin’ and we’ll talk about it later.” Ramsey licked his lips.
“What get together? Who’s going to be there?” She raised her eyebrow at him.
“You ask too many questions, Cash. Are you comin’ or nah?”
Cashmere looked him up and down before smiling at him. She hadn’t seen Ramsey in months but he was still as sexy as she remembered him. The smell of his Black Polo cologne made her juices flow immediately but she wasn't going to cave into him just yet. He still had a lot of making up to do with her and that shit wasn't going to happen right away.
Shutting everything down, she grabbed her belongings and closed the store early. She hopped in her car and waited for Ramsey to get in his so she could follow him. Minutes later they were pulling up to a nice house that Cashmere assumed belonged to Ramsey. She pulled into the driveway behind his car before killing the engine. Noticing the cars of his family that were parked in the driveway, she instantly relaxed.
They walked inside the house hand and hand. When everyone noticed them, they began to cheer. Besides Ryan and Tiffany, Cashmere hadn’t seen Randall and Renee in a while and she was happy to see them. Making small talk with the family for a few minutes, Ramsey took her to the nursery where Cassi was. She smiled when she saw her baby girl knocked out in the swing.
“Let me guess. This is the house that you shared with Baylynn?” Cash looked as Ramsey.
“Yeah.” He put his head down.
“It’s a beautiful home, Rams.”
“Thank you. It’s fucked up that I was sharin’ a home with the wrong person.”
Cashmere smiled.
“Cash, I know I could apologize for all the wrong I’ve done but I know my apologies don't mean shit. So, instead of apologizing, how about we just start over and put the past behind us.” He pulled her close to him.
“I’d like that.” She tossed her arms around his neck.
They kissed to seal the deal but neither one of them was ready to pull away. Cashmere missed feeling her lips pressed against his and her kitty cat missed his lips as well.
“As much as I want to jump your bones right now, I can’t. You got to earn this all over again.” She pecked his lips before she pulled away.
“You ain’t right for that shit, Cash. Got me all hard and shit.”
Giggling as she walked away, she rejoined the family in the dining room. She felt a little bad for letting a hard dick go to waste but if he was serious about them starting over, then the dick would still be there waiting on her and only her.
27
After celebrating Brandi’s first birthday in the prison with Manny, Baylynn was more determined than ever to go through with her act of vengeance that she’d been planning for the last week and a half. She thought about leaving it alone and letting Ramsey be great but once she thought about how miserable she was, she decided to put her plan back in motion.
After leaving the prison, she called Amelia to get the lowdown on Ramsey. She listened carefully as her bestie informed her of Ramsey’s latest activities with his family. Amelia informed her that he had been falling back from the streets and focusing more on spending time with his daughter. She also told Bay that the family was planning a big party for the baby in a few days. Before their call ended, she thanked her friend for the info and told her that she would be in touch.
As the days passed, Baylynn got everything she needed for her plan, which was five bricks of cocaine that she convinced Manny to give her. She told him that she was going to sell it because she knew he wouldn't want her to go through with her plan. The other part of her plan was to do as much damage to herself as possible to m
ake it seem like she’d been abused.
The morning of Ramsey’s daughter party, Bay called Amelia telling her to come to her house and she agreed. As she waited for her friend, she snorted a few lines of cocaine. That was her first-time snorting coke but she had seen it done before so, it was easy to her. Waiting for the coke to take over, she began inflicting pain to herself. She slapped and punched herself in the face until her face was bruised. She slammed her wrist in the bedroom door until she heard it crack and when she was finished, Baylynn looked at herself in the mirror and was pleased with her work.
Minutes later, there was a knock on the door and she answered knowing it was Amelia.
“Damn girl! What the fuck happened to you?” Amelia quickly walked inside the house.
“Girl, I did this to myself. I need you to watch Brandi for me while I run out real quick. I may be in the hospital for a few days. There’s money upstairs in my closet for whatever you need.”
“What the fuck you mean you gonna be in the hospital for a few days? You expect me to watch your daughter for that long? What the fuck are you up to Baylynn?”
“Amelia, I will give you as much money as you want and when I return home, I will let you know what’s going on. I appreciate you for watching, Brandi but I gotta go.”
Baylynn grabbed the duffle bag with the coke in it and left the house. She tossed the bag in her trunk, jumped behind the wheel heading towards Ramsey’s house. An hour later, she arrived and parked on the street instead of the driveway. After making sure the coast was clear, she scurried to the front door and opened it with the spare key she had made. The house was quiet as she ran straight to the master bedroom, dropped the duffle bag in the closet, and ran back out of the house locking the door behind her. Dashing across the lawn, Bay jumped back in her car and pulled off.
She laughed like a mad woman all the way to the nearest hospital, which was Mercy hospital. She pulled into the parking lot of the emergency room and got into character.
“Excuse me miss? Can you help me?” Bay walked up to the front desk.
My Other Baby Mama Box Set Page 12
