'Til Death (20 page)

              "You just hit me in the face with a stack of money." Avery extended his arms pointing out all the money on the floor.

              "The money you left on my fucking dresser after having sex with me. Fuck your racks nigga, I got my own shit."

              "Glad to know you not a gold digger, but it’s pretty obvious you’re a bitch." Tosh slapped the hell out of Av, and that’s when Ciara and I intervened. I pulled Avery away and Ciara pulled Tosh the other way. Heaven went with them.

              "Yo, dawg, chill out." I pushed Avery in his chest slightly so he could back up.

              "Naw, Boan, fuck that bitch. Who the fuck she think she is?" Avery was rubbing the side of his face clearly upset.

              "Somebody worth more than you chump change, bro."

Tosh

              I was so fucking pissed. You're never supposed to let anybody knock you off your square, but Avery did. I’ve never met any man that could make me so upset. Heaven and Ciara were looking at me. Ciara looked at Heaven and nodded her head. Heaven came over and gave me a hug; I hugged her back, then she left the room. I turned towards Ciara, who looked at me.

              "Y’all had sex, clearly." Ciara broke the silence with stated the obvious.

              "Yes, and it was amazing, but he’s an asshole." I said. There was a long pause between us.

              "How you doing Tosh? For real?" Ciara asked me while bumping her knee against mine. She could always tell when I was putting up a front. I felt tears in my eyes.

              "I think I’m going to catch a redeye tonight to Miami. Go stay with my parents for the rest of the week," I said.

              "Why?"

              "It’s for work. I don’t understand how people can treat children. How could you abuse somebody so innocent? I have a new case; it deals with this older boy, the same age as Heaven as a matter of fact. Anyway, his father passed, and in his father will, the father stated that he wanted his son to live with the older sister. The mother is unfit of course, but she doesn’t like the older sibling. The young man and his older sister really don’t have a close relationship, and he and his mother don’t have a relationship at all. They are both in a custody battle. I’ve talked to the sister, and I don’t know if she really wants him, maybe she just want him because it was her father dying wish. It’s just really interesting," I explained.

Ciara grabbed my hand and looked at me.

              "I admire you Tosh. I really do. You have such a big heart. You have a lot going for you. You have one of the biggest nonprofit organizations, you own your own social worker company. You give all your love to children, but at the end of the day, who is going to return that love to you?"

              "You and Lo. Duh." Ciara laughed.

              "You can’t fuck me or Lo."

              "I know, that’ll be gay." We both burst out in laughter.

              "I didn’t know any of that." We both turned, hearing Avery’s voice. He was staring at me as if a light bulb turned on in his head.

              "I should get going. I have to get back to work." I gave Ciara a hug before getting up to leave.

              "Wait Tosh," Avery said. I put my hand up to stop him. I stood up and made my way to the door. I looked at Avery.

              "Guess you shouldn’t pass judgment on something you don’t know anything about." I opened up the door and left.

Ciara

              Avery stood there looking at the door. He reached for the door knob, then turned back around and walked into the kitchen. I walked into the kitchen and saw Boan on his phone, texting. I sat down next to him.

              "I’m about to go to the truck," he said, walking out of the kitchen.

Boan had on some black basketball shorts with a gray beater. The muscles in his arm were defined, and I looked at his tattoos. He was still texting on his phone. I placed my hand on his forearm. He didn’t look my way. I pulled on his arm and he looked up at me.

              "What?" Boan said. He licked his juicy lips. I looked into his chocolate brown eyes. His eyelashes were so long and his black, wavy hair and goatee were lined up to perfection.

              "Come here." I crooned in his ear.

Boan leaned close to me. I placed my hands on the side of his neck.

              "What’s up?" he asked.

              "Come here." I repeated.

He came closer, and I kissed him. Boan’s lips were so soft and I could have kissed him forever. He placed his hands on my thigh. I deepened our kiss, and he pulled me on his lap. I kissed the side of his face and his neck. Boan squeezed my ass, and I took his earlobe into my mouth.

              "Who are you texting?" I whispered into his ear.

              "What?" Boan leaned back and looked at me.

"Who are you texting?" I questioned him, my voice unwavering.

              "You did all this just to find out who I was texting?" His lip was turned up whenhe looked at me.

              "Why you can’t answer the question?"

              Boan picked me up and sat me back in the chair. "Man, get out of here with that shit." he said, while getting up and grabbing his phone.

              "Let me make one thing clear Boan, and listen to me closely."

              "I don’t want to hear no bullshit." Boan waved his hand in the air.

              "Take it however you want it," I started calmly "But if you cheat on me again, I’m done. I’m not doing this back-and-forth shit with you anymore. Stick your finger, tongue, lips, dick, anywhere on or in another bitch, and I’m taking this fucking diamond off and giving it back to you,"

He nodded his head and walked out of the kitchen. I heard the front door open and close. I walked upstairs and went to Heaven’s room. I knocked on the door. She answered, carrying a book in her hand.

              "You want to go out?" I asked her. She nodded her head.

              "Ok, I’m going to change and meet you downstairs." I went into my bedroom and texted Boan’s mother, Sheila, and Lo, and asked them if they wanted to go out to eat. They both texted back, “Yes,” and I told them I was on my way. I walked downstairs and Heaven was already sitting on the couch. I grabbed the keys to Boan’s Range Rover.  Heaven and I left and went to go pick up Sheila first, then Lo. She looked so stressed and I knew she needed this. We drove to J. Alexander’s, a restaurant on the west side of Detroit. We were seated and looked at the menu. I felt somebody standing over us, and I looked up to see Clay.

              "Hello ladies." They all spoke except me.

              "Ciara, you look lovely today."

              "Clay, I look lovely every day," I said, while looking at the menu. Clay smiled and shook his head.

              "Well tonight, I’m having Thirsty Tuesday at my club, and I wanted to, of course, invite you. Only V.I.P for you. Everything on me."

              "I see you're still trying to buy my affection." I pointed out.

              "Once you realize the grass is greener on the other side. But I’ll let you get back to your lunch. I look forward to seeing you later tonight." Clay said, while making his way out. I took a sip of my water and shook my head.

              "Who was that?" Sheila asked.

              "This man who has been in love with Ciara since high school," Lo said. Lo was drinking a martini, and it was a little after twelve. Lo didn’t even drink for real. That’s how I knew something was bothering her. We ordered our food, and I was starving. Our food came, and I began to chow down. Everybody was talking and getting to know my daughter better, but I was too damn hungry. My concentration was for what was on my plate.

              "Excuse me." I froze mid-chew, and looked up. Awww hell no.

              "Hello Heaven," Sky said. My daughter waved. I looked at Sky, and my blood instantly began to boil.

              "I thought Boan was here because I saw his truck, but I guess not," Sky said, while looking at me. I finished chewing and swallowing my food. I took a sip of my water and leaned back.

              "My husband’s whereabouts are not your concern," I said.

              "Your husband?" Sky said in a sarcastic tone.

              "Please, not today. Don’t do this today with me Sky," I said.

              "Excuse me," Sheila said. "I don’t think you should be asking Ciara where my son is."

              "With all due respect, clearly that ring on Ciara’s finger don’t mean much if your son is still texting me," Sky said.

              "Sit down Ciara," Sheila said, grabbing me by my arm. I sat down slowly. I looked at Sky, who looked at me.

              "When will you learn, Ciara?" Sky said, shaking her head.

              Suddenly we heard Heaven speak. "I think you’ve made your point and you should go." We turned towards her shocked that she’d spoken those words.

              "Like mother, like daughter," Sky said, while leaving. I reached for my water and took a sip. I didn’t even have an appetite anymore. I threw two hundred dollars on the table and walked out. I pulled out my cell and called Boan, but he didn’t answer. I texted him and told him to call me ASAP Lo grabbed the car keys.

"Let me drive," Lo said. I nodded my head. I got in the back with Heaven, and she grabbed my hand. I looked at her and she smiled at me. I pulled her close to me and she laid her head on my chest. I put my hand on her head and played in her hair.

"I love you," Heaven said.

              "I love you too," I said back. I was trying my best to keep my tears in. My mouth began to get watery.

              "Lo, pull over." I moved Heaven away from me.

              "What?" Lo said.

              "Pull the fucking car over," I said Lo pulled over, and I opened up the car door and vomited everything that I ate. Fuck my life.

Lo

              I drove Boan’s Range back to my house. Heaven was in my den, and Ciara and I were upstairs in my bedroom. I didn’t know if I should bring up Kevin. I was afraid of what Ciara was going to say, even though I knew it was going to be the truth. I looked at Ciara, who stared at her phone. I knew she had texted Boan a long-ass text message, and he still didn’t reply.

              "Ciara, I have to tell you something."

              She looked at me, and took a sip of her apple juice. "You pregnant?" Ciara asked. I shook my head.

              "No, but I did fuck-up."

              "What happened?"

I took a deep breath before answering her question. "I had sex with Kevin."

              "Lo, we already know you used to mess with Officer Smith."

              "No, I mean I had sex with him after I left the hospital." Ciara didn’t say anything, she just looked at me.

              Ciara started to laugh. "Ok . . . I get it. I’m being punked. Did Boan set you up to this? This is an awesome prank by the way."

              "Ciara, I’m being dead serious." I stared at her in her eyes so she'll know I was being serious.

              "No Lo, because if you are being serious, you did way more than just
fucked up
." Ciara emphasized talking with her hands.

              "I know, I didn’t mean too. It just happened." I placed my head inside my hands and just shook it.

              "That type of shit just don’t happen. It is too many in betweens for that to just happen. You have to kiss, touch, clothes have to be removed. I mean, damn, there are steps to having sex. You telling me in between those steps, you did not say no?"

              "I didn’t say no."

              "Lo what the fuck." Ciara said. She stood up and began to pace. I just watched her.

              "Ok, you know you can’t tell Culprit. He will most likely never talk to you, and kill the cop."

              "I mean, technically, Culprit and I aren’t together."

              "Lo now your reaching. Culprit is on his death bed, and you're trying to rationalize why you fucked a whole other guy." She pointed at me.