by Mz. Toni
“Ain't you the bitch that was fucking with Mega while he was with this bitch!” Jayda screamed, while laughing.
“Man, you over here tryna start fucking trouble with ya faggot ass. Get the fuck from my house before you leave in a body bag!” I snapped.
“Jason, don't say shit to JAYDEN’s gay ass. I ain't worried about him or the shit that went down, I'm over it, my only concern is my kids,” Cherish said honestly. As much as I wanted to applaud her maturity, part of me was feeling a little jealous that she was over me so fucking fast.
“I don't want to fight; I just want to see my baby. I know I fucked up, but I'm trying to make things right.”
“Maybe she can have supervised visits,” Cherish said.
“She gotta leave that shim at home. As long as she does, then I'm cool with her stopping by,” I said, giving in.
“Thank you so much, Jason, and thank you Cherish!” she said happily.
“No problem. Call me tomorrow so we can set something up,” I said, before watching them get in their car and leave. When they were gone, Kaliah walked up to me and Cherish and I knew what she was going to do, so I just watched and waited to see what Cherish’s reaction would be.
“Listen Cherish, I've been meaning to talk to you. Seeing how you said you were over it, I thought—”
“Please don't think that just because I'm over the shit, that I’ve forgotten. Yes, I’ve grown, but ain't all the growth in the world gon make me forget about what y'all did,” Cherish said after cutting her off. When she was done, she turned around and walked to her car without so much as a goodbye, and pulled off.
Chapter Three
Cherish
I can't believe that bitch thought that she could come up to me with some bullshit apology. I let that shit go, not for them, but for me. Being angry was taking too much damn energy. I'm so tired of being angry and bitter about the shit, so as much as I wanted to slap the shit out of her on site, I chose to let it go. When I got back home, I undressed and hopped in the shower. Seeing them together was a little stressful for me. When he called me earlier, asking if the kids could see her, I wanted to curse his ass out for even suggesting some shit like that. Over the past few weeks, Peter, me and the kids had been doing a lot of thing together, along with his adorable nephew, so I didn't want to be a hypocrite. Yeah, we had been seeing a lot of each other since our run in at the mall. I liked him a lot, but to be completely honest, I was miserable without Mega and I felt it was time to get my man back. After showering, I took my ass to sleep. I had school tomorrow and on the days I went, they were my longest days of the week, so I needed to be well rested.
The next morning, I woke up bright and early. I had barely slept last night because I was so nervous about actually talking to Mega and telling him how I felt, but as nervous as I was, I needed to be a grown woman and let him know my true feelings, before it was too late. After getting the twins ready, I dropped them off with Mega, only to have Kaliah tell me that he had gone to go handle some business, so she would be watching them until he came home. Yes, I know I told him it was cool if they were around her, but shit, I didn't mean she could watch them and shit. I would definitely be having a talk with him about this later. I had every mind to just keep them, but I couldn't afford to miss any days, especially since I would be going on vacation soon. Pulling off, my next stop was dropping Jasmine off at school. When that was done, I headed straight to class. I loved school and I was doing exceptionally well in all my classes. I was going for business, and had plans to open up a teen outreach program/shelter for teens with nowhere to go. I was lucky and found a way out, but most kids like me don't find that and are left to fend for themselves in this cold, cruel world. I wanted to create a sanctuary for them. I haven't told too many people, but I recently purchased the perfect building. Well, Camille did, since I wasn't at an age to put anything in my name. The building needed some work, but Mark referred me to some contractors who could get the job done in no time. All I needed was for my eighteenth birthday to hurry up and come. When I got into my car, my phone started ringing. Looking down, I noticed it was Mega and quickly answered.
“What’s up Lil Mama?” he asked, as soon as the call connected.
“Nothing, we need to talk.”
“I know. I shouldn't have made you leave the kids with Kaliah. It won't happen again, but I had an emergency,” he explained.
“Yeah, I was gonna cuss ya ass out, but I need to talk to you about something else.”
“Is it important, because I have a busy week.”
“No, it can wait, just let me know when you're free,” I said.
“Aight, I got you. I gotta go, I have a meeting in a few minutes.”
“Ok, bye,” I said, hanging up. Damn, I thought I would be able to get the shit over with, but I guess it wasn't meant to happen now. I definitely wasn't rushing it, so I would just have to wait. As soon as I hung up with him, I got another call from Peter. When I answered the call, I could hear him singing some pop song that I’d never heard of.
“Hello?” I said, laughing.
“How are you beautiful?” he asked.
“I'm good, how are you?”
“Great, now that I’ve heard your voice,” he replied, causing me to smile. He was so damn corny, but I liked it.
“So, what you got planned for today?”
“Nothing much, trying to see you.”
“I have a lunch date with Camille, but I'm all yours after that,” I said. After hanging up with Peter, I drove to the Cheesecake Factory to meet up with my girl. Walking into the restaurant, I spotted Camille and quickly walked up to her.
“Girl, I gotta talk to you,” she said.
“What you done did?”
“Man, so I went home and I'm like babe, you gotta watch the kids cuz me and the girls going to the Bahamas for Cherish’s birthday. Before I know it, he done invited himself and called all the guys.”
“I don't care, I’m single.”
“I thought I was gon turn up,” she said with a pout.
“Bitch, you shoulda known Mark wasn't letting ya hot ass go out of the country alone,” I said laughing.
“Well, you can bring ya lil sexy white boo. I mean shit, y'all going strong.”
“Naw, I don't want to invite him. We ain't been dating long enough to be going on vacations and shit,” I said, turning up my nose.
“You think you fooling somebody. You just don't want Mega to know you took him,” she said laughing.
“Bitch, you tried it. I don't care what Jason knows!”
“Uh huh!”
“Seriously though, I'm gonna tell him I'm ready to work on us,” I said.
“Wait, tell who, Peter?” she asked.
“No, Jason.”
“Oh shit, my baby growing up. You better go get ya man,” she said with a smile. While eating lunch, we talked about everything under the sun. From the kids, to the outreach program, to school. I had a lot going on and she never once missed a time to tell me how proud she was of me.
“So did you call that contractor?” she asked.
“Yeah, I called. They are coming this weekend to check it out and give me an estimate.”
“Are you excited?”
“Hell yeah. I’ve always wanted to help people and this is my chance.”
“Well, you know how proud I am of you and I'm willing to help you in any way I can,” she said sincerely.
“Thank you!”
“Aight, well I gotta head out. I'm going to see Shante and my godson.”
“Ok, I'm meeting up with Peter anyways, so call me,” I said, hugging her. After we parted ways, I drove home so I could meet Peter there. The kids were staying the night with Mega, so we would be alone for the first time in weeks. Pulling up to my house, I didn't see Peter’s car anywhere, so I took advantage of that and went to go hop in the shower and throw something comfortable on. As I stood in the shower and as the suds ran down my body, I couldn't help but think of Mega and how m
uch I missed him. As I was stepping out the shower, I heard a light knock at the door. Grabbing my robe, I fastened it tightly around my body and rushed to open the door.
“Well damn, what a great way to welcome someone!” Peter said with a bright smile.
“I thought I could shower and be dressed by the time you came,” I said, laughing.
“You don't have to lie sweetheart. If you wanted me to see you all damp and sexy, just admit it,” he said jokingly.
“Hush and get in here,” I said, shaking my head and laughing. When he came in the house, I went to go get fully dressed. When I came back into the living room, he was staring at my pictures on the wall. There were some old pictures of me and Jason, and some pictures of Jason and the kids.
“Nice looking family,” he said with a smirk.
“Oh don't tell me you're jealous,” I said with a laugh.
“Who me, no never.”
“Uh huh.”
“So are you excited about the Bahamas, it’s happening pretty soon.”
“This will be my first time out of the country, so yes, I'm very excited,” I said with a smile.
“How is the work on the outreach program going?” he asked, before wrapping his arms around me. That was one of the things I loved about Peter, he genuinely paid attention to me, he asked me questions and when I gave him answers, he actually listened to them.
“It’s going good. I appreciate you finding that building for me. I just closed on it a few days ago, now I just have to meet with the contractors tomorrow for an estimate.”
“You're doing big things, aren’t you? If you need me for anything, just know I'm here for you beautiful.”
“Yeah, I'm trying, and thank you handsome,” I said, kissing his cheek. After talking and watching a few movies, we both fell asleep on the couch. You would think with a nice, attentive and handsome man right next to me, he would be all I could think about, but honestly, as I laid beside him, my dreams were about Mega.
Chapter Four
Mega
Things with me and Kaliah have been going better than usual, now that she was able to spend time with the kids. The twins love her, but Jasmine, not so much. I understand she’s older and she is having a harder time accepting the fact that I'm with someone other than Cherish.
“Hey baby girl, you want to go to the park today?”
“Yes, can the twins come too?” she asked.
“Of course, now get up and get ready,” I said, before walking out of her room and closing the door behind me. After me and Kaliah got the twins dressed and ready, we waited downstairs for Jasmine to come down and join us for breakfast.
“Why is she dressed?” Jasmine asked, staring at Kaliah.
“What you mean?”
“You didn't say she was coming!”
“Yo, fix ya tone!” I snapped.
“I don't have to go,” Kaliah said sadly.
“You're going and that's the end of it!”
“Well, I don't wanna go anymore,” Jasmine pouted.
“You're going too, so sit ya ass down, eat that cereal and fix ya face!”
“Why every time I come here I gotta eat cereal? What, she don't know how to cook?” Jasmine said with a smirk. It was then and there that I was fed up with her smart ass mouth.
“You tired of cereal, then don't eat at all. Take ya little grown ass upstairs!” I snapped. Standing up, she grabbed her bowl and dumped it in the sink, before heading upstairs. When I finally went to check on her, she was on the phone and had Cherish on speaker phone. Instead of making my presence known, I just listened.
“Jas, if ya dad wants to be with her, then you need to learn how to respect her.”
“I just don't understand why he’s with her when he has you.”
“See, that’s you being grown. It ain't ya place to understand why we aren't together. I'm sure you hurt her feelings and she deserves an apology.”
“I'm not saying sorry to her, mom.”
“Yes, you are. I'm not forcing you to apologize, but I know you’ll do the right thing.”
“Ugh aight mom, I’mma call you back.”
“Love you Jazzy,” she said, before hanging up. When she was off the phone, I ran downstairs and waited for her to say whatever she had to say.
“Sorry for being disrespectful,” she said when she came downstairs. She still had an attitude and didn't really seem sincere, but I knew we would have to take what we could get cuz she had an attitude like that damn Cherish.
“It’s ok baby. I know it’s gonna take time for you to get comfortable with me, but I'm willing to work on it if you are.”
“Well, you can still go to the park with us if you want to.”
“Yeah, I would love to.”
“Thank you for being you babygirl,” I said, kissing Jasmine on the forehead. When we left for the park, we actually had a great time. Jasmine was a little anti-social, but she was on her best behavior overall. Looking at Kaliah interact with the kids, made me feel a different kind of way about her. Like, what the fuck was I doing, I needed to stop playing with her feelings and take the next step. Yeah, I love Cherish with all my heart, but I needed to think realistically. She was young and had a lot of growing to do. Here I had Kaliah who knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it.
When we left the park, I bathed the twins and put them to sleep, with the help of Kaliah. After Jasmine was showered and in the living room watching TV, I headed out to speak to someone I knew would keep it real. Pulling up to Mark’s house, I hopped out the car and knocked on the door, only to have Camille answer it.
“What you doing here?” she asked.
“I came to speak to my boy, where he at?” I said, pushing past her lightly.
“He’s in the basement,” she said, before walking upstairs. When I got downstairs, Mark was chilling with Kasan, Chris and Terrence, and the basement was filled with smoke.
“What’s up?” I said, dapping each of them up.
“Ain't shit, what you been up to nigga?” Mark said.
“Man, I’ve been busy as shit with this record label taking off and shit.”
“I feel you. So how you and ya girl doing?”
“We good, that’s kinda why I stopped by. Shorty cool and shit and she on her grown woman shit. I just think we need to take shit to the next level.”
“The next level like what?”
“I wanna propose to her,” I said honestly.
“Nigga is you stupid!” Kasan said, shaking his head.
“What you mean, shorty a fucking catch.”
“So you ain't got no feelings for Lil Mama no more?”
“I love her, always will, but I can't keep on loving someone who ain't ready for my love. I might end up losing someone who’s ready.”
“I feel you. You just need to make sure that this is really what you want to do.”
“I think it is.”
“Aight then, I guess congratulations are in order,” Kasan said, giving me a brotherly hug. We chilled, talked, smoked and drank. I was having a good time, until I got a phone call that I wasn't expecting.
“You good babe?” I asked, when I answered Kaliah’s phone call.
“Naw, I'm not. Ashley and Jayda came here and took Jasmine.”
“What the fuck you mean they took Jasmine!”
“Ashley came to the house and told me you said she could spend some time with Jasmine. I knew we had talked about it, so I didn't know what to do but tell her it was fine. After Jasmine was dressed and already in the car, that's when I noticed Jayda was in the backseat.”
“Why would you let her take my daughter without my permission? You could've called me before she took her, just like you calling me now!”
“I'm sorry, damn. How was I supposed to know you didn't want her to go, after you clearly told me that you were going to start letting them spend time together? Nobody told you to leave, so while you pointing the finger at me, just think about that and the fact that if you were home wit
h us, where you belong, then this wouldn't have happened!” she screamed. I could hear one of the twins crying, while I dapped my niggas and rushed home. When I got home, I jumped out the car. When I got to the front door, Kaliah was already waiting for me.
“I'm so sorry Jason!” she said with teary eyes.
