Page 75 of Another Constant

His words shocked me, but none of them moved me. I was never looking for a father, so him saying he wasn’t my father did nothing for me. The man who raised me was my father, my uncle. “You let me breathe?” I laughed. “Maybe… but I’m done letting you breathe.” I nodded, and before he could ask what I meant, a single shot pierced the air and his skull at what seemed like the same time. His body dropped instantly and chaotic screams filled the streets. For a minute I stood there, watching the blood seep from behind his head as he lay on his back staring up at the sky.

I finally pulled myself to walk away, moving in slow motion while everybody else panicked and ducked like more shots ensured. They didn’t, the only target here was him.

By the time I made it to the car, my phone was going off in the center console. I pulled it out and saw Harlem had texted me three times, back to back.

Harlem:The food is getting cold.

Harlem:If you’re busy just say that.

Harlem:Don’t say you’re coming and not be coming.

Me:I’m coming right now. I promise.

Harlem:Don’t lie to me.

Me:I’m not.

I left the park in less of a hurry than anything but knew I needed to speed up my pace. I told Harlem I’d only be an hour and had been gone at least three. From her earlier messages, I knew her mother was there with her, so yeah I had to speed. I eased through the city, mind completely focused on the vehicle sitting in my garage. I was doing some sound system rewiring, a young nigga wanted to blow the streets this summer. I wasn’t mad at him; I just had to wire it so the speakers fit under the floor and in the trunk, leaving some trunk space. Those thoughts disappeared when the sound of my phone ringing filled the car. I expected it to be Harlem but it wasn’t. The console read Aroyal Ortega. Memphis’s words replayed in my head.

She didn’t think I knew she was fucking Ortega, a motherfucker with a rap sheet as long as my achievements and a slew of fucking chop shops. I knew every fucking thing.

I dismissed the thought from my head and answered Aroyal’s call. “Yeah.”

“I hope that shit brought you peace.”

I nodded as if he could see me. “Not as much but it lifted a weight off my shoulders. I’ll drop that off in the morning.”

“Nah, keep it. Just take care of yourself, young nigga. There’s a lot to these streets. Don’t get too caught up in them, especially when you know the world is much bigger than them. Stay up.”

When we hung up, I was exiting the freeway about three minutes from Harlem’s house. Shit, it wasn’t really her house since I had lowkey strong armed her into staying with me. I didn’t regret it either because I wanted her as close as fucking possible at all times.

By the time I pulled into her driveway, I peeped another car pulling in as well, a silver BMW coupe. I watched as OA got out and laughed. Apparently I wasn’t the only one late to this dinner.

“Damn, nigga, it’s been what? Three years? Then the next time I see you I find out you done wifed baby sister?” OA was the first to speak as we shook hands at the stairs.

I chuckled. “Shit happens, you've been good?”

“Hell yeah. Keeping my head above water if you know what I mean. You serious about my sister or i?—”

“Dead ass serious. All due respect, she grown and so am I. Harlem is my fucking heart, hurting her would be me hurting my damn self. Hell nah I ain’t going out like that.”

He nodded. “Respect.”

We made more small talk before getting into dinner. For the first few minutes she gave me her ass to kiss but for the most part dinner was good. She had already broken the news to her mother, so when she said she was pregnant, the only shocked one at the table was OA.

* * *

AWeek later …

“Uncle, my daddy said he may be coming home soon.” Aja entered the kitchen dressed in school attire with a fresh bun and a smile. Harlem followed in a sweatsuit so similar to mine we probably got it from the same store. My baby looked like a fucking boy this morning, with exhaustion in her eyes. She was so tired this morning I got up and took the dogs out. I felt like that was the least I could do since I knew it was my baby making her tired like that. We had gone to the doctor last week and they indeed confirmed she was carrying my baby, as if either of us had any doubt. We knew what was up.

“Yo, did he say when? ’Cause I’ma need some funds on your expenses, shorty. You're expensive,” I joked, just to mess with her.

“No, but he said I could stay with you for as long as I want. He’s gonna get a house close to yours so I can just go up and down the street.”

I laughed at her dramatic nature. “Up and down the street, who's giving you a key?”

“Harlem.” She smiled in a teasing manner, then turned to hug the zombie that was Harlem this morning. She had gotten up, made breakfast, took care of the puppies, and went back to sleep.

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