Page 128 of Just Listen
“Right.” I lightly smiled, while appreciating that he wanted me living the softest life possible. He’d been so attentive, and I couldn’t help but think about what I’d been deprived of when Iwas carrying Khari. “If nothing else, you’re gonna make sure that I have my way.”
“Every time.” He co-signed.
“I know.”
“Okay. Now, hurry up. I’ma be waiting by the cake.”
“Kay,” I agreed, before ending the call.
Still sitting on the toilet, I smiled to myself, reflecting on how much I loved that man, right then. We’d been making love, constantly. Ever since we’d said those three words, he couldn’t stop telling me how much he loved me. So, I couldn’t help but think about what I’d do when it was time for my nap. I’d probably make him come up with me, and fuck me till I fall asleep. And only then could he rejoin the party.
Thinking about nutting all over Khamere’s face, I seemingly felt a burst of energy. So, I was ready to get back out there.
Then just after wiping myself, I received a FaceTime from an unprogrammed number. After staring at my phone for a second, I decided to answer it.
“Hello?” I frowned, while filled with apprehension.
“Aye.” Zae’s face came into view, and I immediately sucked my teeth. “Wait!” He shouted, knowing that I was about to hang up. “Let me holler at you right quick, Jaylah. Please. It’s important.”
I huffed out, and rolled my eyes. “What’s up, Zae?”
He took a deep breath. “I just gotta know. Do you know who you fucking with?”
I frowned. “What?”
“That nigga. Do you know who he is?”
“Yes. He’s Khari’s daddy.” And the nigga who beat the brakes off your ass.
He shook his head. “You don’t know how much that shit burns my soul.”
I jerked my head back. “Nigga, I wouldn’t give a fuck—”
“Wait, just listen,” he insisted. “It’s not for the reasons that you think. That nigga…your baby’s daddy is the reason I don’t have my best friend.”
My lashes fluttered. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Claro, Jaylah. That nigga killed Claro.”
“What?” My heart dropped down to my stomach. “How, how do you know? You saw him?”
“Nah. I didn’t see the shooters’ faces, but even if he didn’t pull the trigger. He sent them.”
“What makes you think that—”
“It wasn’t even our beef,” he interjected. “It was about Rondo, a nigga we grew up with. Ya baby daddy rolled through our hood, trying to check Rondo on the block. Everybody knows that we aint letting shit slide with no outsiders in the middle of our hood. That nigga would’ve done better catching Rondo in traffic. But he chose to do that while the whole hood was watching. So, we checked that shit. Then ya baby’s daddy proceeds to tell us that we gotta pay our partner’s debt, or it’s smoke with us too. At the time, we brushed it off, cause we didn’t even know the nigga and he didn’t know us. When we asked Rondo what was up with him, he just kept saying ‘fuck that northside nigga. I aint paying him shit.’ So, we assumed thatthe nigga was a cur. A mark. You know? Then we had one more run-in with them niggas at a gas station. They asked if we had their bread. Naturally, I cussed them the fuck out. Then two days later, niggas come spraying up the block.”
“But, but that could’ve been anybody,” I offered.
“Nah, man. Rondo didn’t make it, but his sister told us how them niggas had just ran up in their mama’s house the day before. And they made it clear that it was them. Rondo’s bitch ass just never bothered filling us in. I think he understood the severity of situation from the beginning, and was hiding behind us, because he knew that we’d defend him in our presence.”
Sitting there, I didn’t know what to say, until I thought about it. “So, if you knew who was responsible for killing Claro and shooting you, then why hadn’t you handled it?”
“Because we didn’t know them niggas. Had never had no interactions outside of that situation with Rondo. Then Rondo always downplayed shit, never really going into full details. They didn’t have familiar faces. So, once everything went down, I didn’t even know where to start. Only Rondo knew them niggas and he was gone. His sister only knew enough to say that it was the niggas he owed money to, from the northside. So, I kept telling myself that I’d eventually run into them niggas outside somewhere. But it never happened. No social media posts. Nothing. Then at the fight, I still didn’t realize that it was him. It wasn’t until I saw a video of us. That’s when it dawned on me. That’s the same nigga. Don’t he got a black-on-black Range Rover?”
My heart pounded in my chest, as I said nothing.
“You aint even gotta answer that, cause the look on your face is saying enough. But it’s cool. That’s ya BD, and you probablydon’t know how to feel. My thing is that…did that nigga fuck with you, knowing that he’d shot me?”
