Page 80 of Baby, You're My Weakness
“No, just chatting. Have a seat? Y’all want a drink?” She pointed towards the bottle. “Well, you Jayda, not you Leah witcho’ pregnant ass.” I think Auntie feeling the wine already.
“I’ll take one.” Jayda went to get a glass from the kitchen while Leah stood by the door like a statue. I really wanted to tell her to sit her ass down, but that would’ve required us to speak.
I had nothing to say to her, but my auntie did it for me.
“Girl, come sit down.” Her legs moved in slow motion as she came to take a seat across from us.
Jayda walked back into the room. Helping herself, she poured a glass before sitting next to me. I stared a hole in the side of her face, but she ignored me the entire time. The silence in the room was awkward as hell.
“So, who wanna speak first?” Auntie looked around at all of us. Not tryna be involved in this conversation, I grabbed my phone to text Love.
Hey, you okay? You told me to stay here, but I’m worried. Please call me. I miss you.
Jayda’s nosey ass was all on my phone. Her eyebrows creased in confusion.
“Don’t worry about it. Sell out,” I whispered for only her to hear, being petty. She rolled her eyes, taking a sip.
“I just came to say I’m leaving.”
My antennas raised at Leah’s statement. Where the hell she was going?
“I’m moving with Auntie Mari in Texas. I got a ticket for tomorrow. She already made room for me and stuff.” She cut her eyes at me before looking down at her hands. Auntie had two daughters around Leah’s age, so I thought it was a good idea for her to get a fresh start. I’mma mind my business, though.
Auntie shook her head. “You’ll like it there, but what brought this on?”
My phone buzzed. Looking down, I smiled at Love’s response.
I’m good, beautiful. Came to take mama home, she just got discharged. I’ll see you soon.
“I think it’s for the best that I leave and raise my baby somewhere else.” That’s the smartest thing she said since I been home.
“What T.K. got to say about it? “Auntie asked, taking a sip.
“It don’t matter.” Leah moved hair out of her face. “All these years I thought he loved me. He only loved the money I brought him.”
Duh!
“I won’t even tell you how disappointed I am about you out here taking people’s hard-earned money.” Auntie took a sip, as I sat confused because she just told her. Leah’s chin started quivering, but Auntie wasn’t having any of it. “Oh girl, don’t start. You weren’t doing all that crying fucking your sister’s man and sending her to jail for nothing. Why you crying now?”
She was speaking facts but damn! Somebody needed to confiscate her drinks.
“I know and I’m sorry, Baby.” I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “Tranae talked me into it. I shouldn’t have listened to her.” Jayda tapped me with her elbow.
“What?” I asked.
“Baby, your sister is leaving tomorrow.” Jayda met my gaze.
I just didn’t buy it. Yes, Tranae talked her into it, but that was only a small part of the picture. She was lying to my face about him way before I went to jail.
“Good luck in Texas.” That’s all I had to give her. Why couldn’t these muthafuckas understand the wound was still fresh? They didn’t spend years locked behind a cell. That wasall me. Jayda huffed out a breath, as Leah and Auntie went off elsewhere.
“Really Baby?” Jayda exclaimed as soon as they were out of earshot.
“What? Y’all were enemies, now you singing kumbaya with the bitch?”
“No, I just understand where she coming from, that’s all.”
Tilting my head back, I gave her a sour face. I didn’t get her change of heart all of a sudden. “What you mean by that?”
