Page 38 of Baby, You're My Weakness
She nodded her head. “I believe you, but what are we gonna do about her? I don’t wanna go back to jail.”
If somebody saw those pictures, she would, but I don’t think Lauren planned it to get that far.
“I’ll take care of it,” I reassured her, squeezing her thigh. I wanted to know this for years, but now I had my chance and I was taking it. “Can I ask why you did it?”
She looked in her lap before peering up at me through her lashes. “I walked in on him by Leah’s bed. She looked scared, and I thought...” her voice trailed off, but I knew what she was gonna say. I met her sister once at a party T.K. had, and I’d never say this to her, but those muthafuckas were looking at each other all night. Baby ain’t noticed none of this because most of the time, her eyes were scanning the room for me.
“You went to jail to protect her,” I uttered. It all made sense not, and she earned mad respect from me. You couldn’t find nobody around here loyal like that.
“It was all a lie, though,” she spoke so softly, I could barely make out her words. “They were together that whole time.”
She reached up and wiped her face with the back of her hand. “I found out the night you got arrested when I caught them in her bed.”
I shook my head. “Damn, Baby. I’m sorry that happened, but this just shows me how good your heart is. You did something so selfless for somebody you loved, and sacrificed your life forthem. No matter how it turned out, that doesn’t change what you did.”
I grabbed her face.
“Look at me, Baby.” When she did, my heart seized at the longing in her eyes. “I see your heart, and it’s the most beautiful thing about you. Don’t let anybody change that.”
The womb was still fresh in her mind, so I could understand why she was angry. However, I hoped with time, she’d find a way to move on and live her life the way she’s supposed to. With me right there by her side, because ain’t no way I'm ever leaving her now. She stuck with me.
When she laid her head on my chest. I felt something wet hit my shirt and realized she was crying. All I could do was sit there, rub her back, and let her get it all outta her system. I’m sure this was the first time she broke down and let herself feel everything. I’ll give her a couple minutes but, after that, I didn’t wanna see her crying over that nigga again.
Lifting her head, she averted her eyes in shame. “I’m sorry. Can’t believe I’m doing all this over him.”
“Shit, me either,” I admitted, and she sucked her teeth, hitting my arm playfully.
“I’m serious, Love,” she continued with a smile on her face. “Now, he got Liah out here robbing people for money. I don’t know what I ever saw in him.”
My eyebrows shot my hairline.They on Bonnie and Clyde type shit?
“Can I tell you something?” I asked, and her head bobbed up and down. “My brother robbed that store, and that’s why they thought it was me.” Her face remained blank. “Him and T. K.’s cousin, Tank, planned the whole thing.”
She jumped from my lap and started pacing the floor.
“What’s wrong?” I asked in worry.
“That’s the one from the probation office, right?” When I nodded, she added, “He tried to talk to me today in P.F. Chang. He started flashing money and when I mentioned something about it, he got paranoid as hell.”
I was stuck! Why he so damn comfortable when he just robbed and tried to kill somebody days ago. But the bigger question was, if he was in the P.F. Chang, where the fuck was Valentine?
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BABY
I askedLove what he was gonna do about his brother, and he claimed to be looking for him. I couldn’t believe that bum ass nigga Tank, though. How dare he flaunt money around like it’s his? I was never gonna give him a chance anyway, but imagine my surprise to find out he was T. K.’s cousin. Now, I knew why he reminded me so much of him.
Love and I were facing each other on the couch, in deep conversation. My ass started to hurt because we’d been sitting here for so long. I was telling him about my time in prison and some of the things I’d been through.
“Yup,” I giggled. “He told me to keep walking, or he was gone kick me in the ass.”
We were discussing the rude male security guards that was in my cell block.
“Most of the times, them niggas do that shit to feel like somebody. Even the one who had me on that dirty ass floor in the restaurant, muthafuckas be doing too much for no reason.”
“Were you embarrassed?” she inquired.
I shrugged, rubbing her leg gently. “Nah. Not really, beautiful. I been arrested before.”
