Page 39 of After the Knockout
Dude stared at me as it hit him. I was more than just a friend of Lyrius’s babysitting. “Just checking in after the storm, my guy,” he said calmly. “Wanted to make sure they made it back alright. I grabbed them a few things from the store.” He attempted to hand me the box, but I shook my head.
“They good.” My tone came out flatter than I meant it to. He pulled the box back, and an awkward silence stretched between us.
“You can just tell Lyrius I stopped by—” I shut the door in his face before he could finish his sentence.
“Daddy?” I looked down at Dakoda, who was staring at me like he was clocking my shit. “He nice.”
“Sure, he his.” I locked the door and leaned against it for a second.
“He fixed our sink before,” he said.Did he know?I crossed my arms over my chest.
“He over here a lot?”
“Sometimes.” Dakoda shrugged and wandered back toward the couch like none of this shit was weird.
“Sometimes what?” I followed behind.
“Sometimes, him and mama talk outside.”
My jaw flexed, and I watched as he climbed onto the couch and grabbed one of the dinosaurs. “Sometimes he comes to watch movies.”
There it was. That nigga wasn’t just some random nice neighbor. ’Cause what the fuck did “watch movies” mean? I sat down on the edge of the couch, watching him. I knew what I wasabout to ask was crazy as hell to be asking a five-year-old, but I couldn’t help myself.
“He be in your mama’s room?”
“No way. Mama don’t let people in her room.” Dakoda frowned like he was thinking hard.
“He not my mama boyfriend, though,” Dakoda added casually, making the dinosaur crash into the couch cushion. “Mama said he just her friend. That’s because you my mama boyfriend, right?”
The question caught me off guard enough to make me choke on my damn spit.
“Nah,” I muttered after a second. “I’m your daddy.”
Dakoda smiled widely like that answer was even better. Before he could say anything else, another knock hit the door. I looked toward it, and I frowned immediately.I know this nigga ain’t back at this door.I stood up and made my way back to the door. I swung the door open without even checking first.
“What the fu?—”
My words trailed off as my eyes landed on a woman in pink scrubs.
“Um, who the fuck areyou?” she shot back immediately. “And where is Lyrius?”
I didn’t have time to respond before Dakoda was rushing to the door, damn near pushing me out the way.
“TT Nia!” Dakoda lit up, and the woman shoved right past me. I stared at her, confused as hell. Lyrius was an only child. She didn’t have any damn sisters. But then again, how was I supposed to know that everything she’d told me was true?
“Oh my God.” She grabbed Dakoda up instantly. “You okay? You safe? I been checking my phone for the past forty-eight hours, and your mom hasn’t said a thing.”
“I’m okay.” Dakoda laughed. Then her eyes snapped back to me.
“What’s going on?” she asked slowly. “Who are you?”
I folded my arms across my chest.
“Dakoda’s daddy.”
“Excuse me, who?” Her mouth dropped open immediately.
“This my daddy, TT Nia.” Dakoda grinned proudly. The woman looked between us twice before rubbing her forehead.
