Page 133 of Don Caselli

Menace was staring directly into my eyes, and I received chills in my spine. It wasn’t often that he held eye contact, and now I understood. It was cold, menacing, and eerie. How could he be so cold, but married to such a warm and bubbly woman like Stevie?

Stevie struggled slightly with the swaddle on the baby. “Can I show you a way that I used to do it?” Navy’s mother offered.

“Please,” Stevie smiled, excited to get some tips on motherhood.

She carefully took the baby, and they went to the back, so she could show her the proper way.

“You don’t know me and you will never know me, but I’ve never been bothered by what you do. The rule, at first, was to avoid you ending up hurt. I know my brother, and commitment wasn’t his thing… broken hearts and fucked pussies is what he left in his trail of destruction. I didn’t want that for you. The more I watched; I realized that you’re fucking broken and it may be you leaving him with a broken heart and a wet dick.”

Stevie and Navy’s mother came from the back, and she had the baby properly swaddled. “Thank you, Avril. Can you please keep us updated on Navy.”

“I will, Stevie. Thank you for this dinner… it was great meeting you all. Menace we’re good… no hugs.” She laughed, respecting his boundaries.

“Good meeting you both,” Menace replied, his eyes still on me.

They both left to head to the hospital with their daughter, and I remained here. Feeling like a teen who had been caught sneaking back into the house. “If you don’t want to marry Alex, who is making you? You don’t have to marry him,” Kora decided to finally speak.

“Who is going to take care of me? I have to look out for me, and marrying Alex makes sure that I am taken care of.”

“Menace has set up a fund for you out of respect for your father. Has reminded you that you didn’t need to work at Case House. Kennedy, you are sabotaging yourself at this point. Painting a picture that doesn’t exist. We’re family,” Zoya added.

Stevie rubbed his shoulder, and he took her hand and kissed the back, staring into her eyes. It was like they communicated without sharing words, just through looking into each other’s eyes.

“You are not my fucking family… y’all keep stressing that and it’s not fucking true. I don’t want the pity money, or to be looked at as the whore that you took in, licked her wounds, and saved her.”

“You said I ate your pussy, Kennedy?”

“What?”

“Menace, what the fuck?” Zoya said, as she held her laugh in and leaned on the counter. “It’s a saying… nothing more.”

He stood up. “We’re not family, heard you… I don’t wish nobody well, so ain’t about to start. You know how to keep your mouth shut. If something gets back to me that you been running that mouth,” he grabbed my jaw gently, “I’m gonna pull it from your fucking face and leave you with your father.”

“Maverick!” Kora gasped.

He stared down at me, his jaw tight. “She knows the rules. Knows when to shut that mouth. She made it real clear… we’re not family. Don’t expect me to treat her like we are. She doesn’t get the same respect, the same protection… not anymore.” Heroughly released my chin from his hands, sending my head jerking away.

Kora and Zoya sat at the other end of the table, while Stevie stood beside her husband. He took his son from Stevie, grabbed her hand and they headed toward the elevator.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Zoya questioned and was serious about the question she asked.

“You heard him… we’re not family. Don’t need to explain myself to either of you. You welcomed her with open arms, but you turned your nose down at me.”

Kora checked her phone as she pushed out from the table and walked over toward where her purse sat on the buffet. “Tonight has been a night, and I’m not gonna sit here and prove how much I’ve been there for you. When you come to your senses, you know where to find me. As for Maverick, I don’t know how you’ll fix it.”

I sat there, listening to her heels on the wooden floor, while Zoya remained seated. “He’s in love. Let him have this happiness, Ken.”

Me and Zoya had always been close, and I loved her because she was so honest. Always down to give you the real, even if you didn’t want to hear it.

“I deserve happiness, too,” my voice cracked.

She came around the table and put her arms around me. “I agree. But you both cannot have it together. Menace is a lot of things, but he wasn’t wrong. You would destroy Landon. He would destroy himself trying to fix you, and that isn’t what love is about. It should be easy, feel good, not be a struggle.”

Tears fell as I looked up at her. “I do love him, Zoy.”

“Part of loving someone is letting them go, even if that means you can never have them that way again. Don is much like Menace when it comes to forgiveness… you can’t just say sorry and think he’ll let you back in.”

I fucked up so bad.

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