Page 57 of Heart of a Savage
MJ shook his head. “I’m not very good at basketball.”
“You can be good at any sport. You just have to practice and stay focused. But whatever sport you choose to do, I got you, baby boy,” I told him, ruffling his curls.
“So, I can try out for baseball this summer?”
I shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”
“Yes! I’m going to go call Xavier and Chris!” he exclaimed. “Can I be excused?”
“Go ahead. It’s almost time for you to go to bed anyway.”
“Okay! Thanks, Pop!” He hurried out of the kitchen as Jalea began removing the plates from the table.
Me:
Wrong number, my G.
I replied to the unknown number, then responded to Harvey about me and Miss Mean Ass going cake tasting tomorrow.
“I want to come back, Messiah. I love my sister, but we can’t live together,” Jalea groaned, putting the dishes in the dishwasher.
“Not my problem.”
“I promise I won’t be a bother. You can do whatever you want, and I won’t make a fuss about it. I promise.”
I chuckled. “I’m going to do whatever I want anyway. The only thing we share is a son. Why don’t you ask Mo if he’ll let you come live with him?”
She paused and looked back at me. “I… That was only?—”
“Aye, it’s cool, Jalea. I don’t have any emotional attachments to you. We’ve never been in a relationship, so I honestly don’t care what you do or who you fuck. Just know that was ignorant on your part to still be contacting my brother, trying to fuck, while living in my shit.”
“I only did that to get a reaction out of you.”
I laughed. “Well, you got one… which was nothing.”
248-999-2324:
I’m sure it’s the right one. Come to the address you sent the flowers to. You have one hour or lose my number.
A smirk drew up on my face as I put my phone in my pocket. I hadn’t seen Arie since our session in her club over a week ago. As hard as she portrayed herself to be, I knew somewhere inside of that cold-ass heart, there was a woman that wanted to be loved and catered to—someone that wanted to be treated like a queen.
And I was going to make it my mission to do just that.
“You mind staying with MJ for a few hours? I have to make a run.”
“Sure,” she replied, solemnly.
I stood and walked over to her. All this sad shit she was displaying was blowing me. Jalea only cared about herself and what she could get out of a nigga. I knew she was hoping she hit the jackpot with me, but that shit proved to be a dead-end, and now she was lost on how to get another quick come-up.
“Look, Lea. I ain’t trying to be an asshole to you, but every time I look at you, it reminds me of the treacherous shit you pulled to become a permanent fixture in my world. I don’t want to keep dwelling on that, though, because it’s been almost ten years, and I’m working on letting it go.
“I respect you as the mother to my son, so I’m going to do you a favor and contact the realtor to get you set up in your own shit. You can stay there rent-free for one year, then after that, you’re on your own. I suggest you start looking for a better job so that you can afford it. Sounds good?”
“Fine. But can I stay here until you find me a place? I can’t stay there with them, Si.”
“You pushing it, man.”
“I have to. You don’t know what it’s like.” She stepped closer to me and whispered, “I caught Matthew lifting my gown while I was asleep, and I wasn’t wearing any panties. When I told Malea about it, she swears he didn’t do that to me. I can’t stay there, Messiah. I don’t want to have to hurt my sister or her badass son.”
