Page 27 of Certified Pressure 3
“I ain’t worried,” I lied, playin’ it cool. “I’m just thinkin’.”
“‘Bout what?”
“‘Bout how this some real fancy shit you got me comin’ to.”
He laughed under his breath, that deep laugh that always hit my chest.
“I’m for real,” I said as I looked out the window again. The gates in the distance was tall as hell, lined with cameras, and marble lions sittin’ out front. “Look at that, Lo. That don’t look like no regular house.”
While we rode, I kept thinkin’ about how far we done come since that night everything flipped when Ka’mari tried to play me with that video. I can still feel how hard my heart was beatin’ when I called him from the airport. I didn’t even know if he’d pick up, but he did, and the very next day, that man was there. There wasn’t no talkin’, or questions. I just gave him the location and he came. He got us this big extended-stay suite like we was already livin’ together, and that’s how it had been since.
Those weeks with Lo changed me. He met my grandma, and sat at her table like he’d been there his whole life. My cousins loved him too. They said he was cool for a rich nigga, but they ain’t see what I saw. They ain’t see how he made me feel.
One night I was layin’ on his chest, just listenin’ to his heart. I told him everything about what my own brothers and uncles did to me, and how I been carryin’ that weight since I was a lil’ girl. He ain’t say nothin’ at first. He just held me tighter. Then he said, “Toni, I’on give a fuck how long ago that shit was. If I ever see them niggas, I’m knockin’ they ass out on sight.”
I knew he meant that too. I could hear it in his voice. From that night on, he been my safety. I ain’t never had a man thatmade me feel soft before him. Kay’Lo made me forget I ever had to fight for everything.
He always kept his gun close, even when we was just ridin’ somewhere small. I would tease him for it, but lowkey I liked that shit. My hood ass felt safe as hell knowin’ he was built like that. He was gentle with me, but dangerous to the world.
The car slowed as we got closer to the gate. My palms was sweaty now, but I kept it cute, fixin’ my hair in the mirror.
“Damn, this house big as hell,” I whispered when the gate opened.
We rolled down a long stone driveway lined with palm trees and fountains that sprayed water like we was pullin’ up to a resort. When we stopped, two valet drivers walked up quick. One opened my door while the other took the keys from Kay’Lo.
The second my heels hit the ground, I had to blink a few times just takin’ it all in. The house… no… the estate, was massive. The white walls, glass windows stretchin’ up high and balconies wrapped around the sides looked like a damn shoppin’ mall with flowers everywhere. It also had that fresh, expensive smell floatin’ through the air.
Inside was even crazier. It was decked out with marble floors, gold accents and art hangin’ on the walls that looked like it cost somebody a lifetime of checks. I heard laughter and voices from deeper in the house.
Kay’Lo’s cousins and aunties was scattered through the space. Before I could even process all that, this lil’ girl, maybe sixteen, came runnin’ full speed. “Kay’Lo!” she screamed, throwin’ her arms round him.
He laughed and hugged her back. “What’s up, Kynzi? You get taller every time I see you.”
Kynzi pulled back, smilin’, then looked right at me. “Oh my God, is this your girlfriend?”
Kay’Lo nodded, and slid his hand into mine. “Yeah, this my girl Toni.”
“Your hair is so pretty! I keep askin’ my mama can I dye mine red like that, but she say no.”
I smiled back at her. “Girl, when you get grown you gon’ do whatever you want with it.”
She laughed, and Kay’Lo squeezed my hand like he liked how easy I was with his people. We moved further in, sayin’ hi to everybody, and I could feel the love they had for him. It made sense though ‘cause he carried himself different, and he really was a standup guy.
After a while, Kay’Lo said, “Come on, let’s find my mama.”
We walked through a wide hall that opened up into the kitchen. It smelled like herbs and fruit and somethin’ sweet bakin’. I looked around and saw big glass doors leadin’ to the backyard. When we stepped out, I spotted his mama, standin’ by a flower bed, clippin’ long stems to put in a vase.
She was beautiful in a calm kind of way, with the prettiest caramel skin I had ever seen. She moved like she was never in a rush for nobody. Her skin glowed, her clothes was simple but clean, and her energy was peaceful as hell. She gave me the vibe of a woman who prayed and meant it.
Kay’Lo smiled soon as he saw her. “Wussup Ma.”
She turned, smiled wide, and opened her arms. “Hey, baby.” She hugged him tight, kissin’ his cheek. Then her eyes found me, and for a second she just looked, like she was takin’ me in. Then she smiled and stepped forward. “And this must be Toni.”
“Yes ma’am,” I said soft.
She hugged me, and I swear she smelled so good, like fresh flowers and clean linen. “He’s told me so much about you,” she said.
I didn’t even know what to say. “I hope it was good things,” I joked, and she laughed.
