Page 28 of Steel
“I don’t think you should do that, Sis.”
“Just . . . preoccupy Nayelli for a second, okay?”
I didn’t give her a chance to protest further before I was walking outside. Kerrion sat on top of my picnic table, messingwith his phone. When he looked up to see me, a frown appeared on his still handsome face.
“Can we talk?” I asked quietly.
“Get the fuck away from me, Neha.”
“Kerrion, . . . please. If you just let me explain?—”
“I don’t wanna hear shit else from you. My lawyer will be in contact with you for a paternity test.”
“What? She’s yours?—”
“I know she’s mine. I just need it documented when I take your ass to court to establish my rights. If I was a spiteful muthafucka, I’d sue you for full custody. Unlike you, I know a child needs their mother as much as they need their father.Iwouldn’t take that route.”
“I’m sorry?—”
“You know something, Neha?” He stood, towering over me. “This shit wouldn’t hurt so much if we hadn’t had so many conversations about my desire to have kids, . . . my desire to have kids withyou. I wanted to marry you. Do you get that? I was ready to buy a fucking ring, and you ran off on me.”
“You don’t understand. If you would just let me explain?—”
“Ain’t shit you can say to explain this, and I don’t wanna talk to you.”
I frowned. “We have a child. You have to talk to me.”
“If it’s not about her, I don’thaveto talk to you about shit. As a matter of fact, your sister can continue to be the middleman so I don’t have to deal with you at?—”
It was my turn to cut him off.
“No! The only reason she was in the middle of this is because I didn’t even know she was taking her to your class! I’m not going through anybody else to talk to you aboutmychild. You treat your son’s mother like this?”
“Don’t speak on my son or his mother,” he said, shoving a finger in my face.
The anger that flashed in his eyes caused me to take a step back.
“His mother allowed me to be present for every single moment that mattered.Shedidn’t steal fatherhood from me. My son knows me because I’ve been there from the moment he was conceived. You don’t ever get to speak on her or him. Let’s make that very clear.”
I swallowed hard, afraid to push his buttons any further. A breath of relief left me as the back door opened and Nayelli came bouncing out.
“I’m ready to go!” she announced.
My head snapped around. “Go where?”
“Mr. K is taking me to get pizza.”
I turned to him, speaking lowly. “You didn’t think to run that by me? She doesn’t know you like that for me to just let her leave with you. Hate me if you want, but you can’t just take her.”
“You really wanna do that right now? Let me explain something to you, Neha. You have no idea who I know or the pull I have in this city. I can take my daughter wherever I want, and nobody here is gonna do a thing about it.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Not at all. I’m telling you what it is.”
“Let me tellyouwhat it is. My daughter isn’t going anywhere without me, with someone I don’t trust. You can bank on that.”
He glared at me, and I glared at him. When it came to Nayelli, all bets were off. One thing I never played about was my baby.
