Page 37 of Love At Close Range

“Daddy!” she yelled as she threw herself at me.

“Hey, pretty girl,” I greeted as I lifted her and kissed the side of her face. “You missed me?”

“Yes,” Lennyn answered as she wrapped both arms around my neck. “You were gone too long. Queenie said you had work, but I told her you need to stop working so much.” I laughed as I walked toward the front door. “I made you something, but Mommy said I had to wait until you came back to show you.”

“Aight, let me see it,” I told her as I carried her farther inside.

Kree was standing near the kitchen watching us, but I barely acknowledged her. I sat with Lennyn while she ran to get whatever she made, then spent the next several minutes listening to her explain the picture that she drew for me. I gave her my full attention because whatever problem I had with her mama didn’t have shit to do with her.

Once Lennyn finally finished telling me everything, I kissed her forehead and set the picture beside me. “Go chill in your room for a little bit, baby girl. Daddy needs to talk to your mama.”

“About what?” Her little nosy ass asked.

“Grown folks business,” I answered as I gave her a look. “Go ahead. I’ll come get you in a little bit.”

“Fine,” she muttered as she headed toward the hallway. “But don’t take forever.”

“I won’t,” I assured her as I waited until she disappeared before turning my attention to Kree.

She was already smiling at me in a way I knew too well. “You could’ve called and told me you were coming,” Kree said as she moved closer. “I would’ve made sure Lenny was with your mama.”

“That ain’t why I’m here,” I replied as I stood. “Come on. Let’s go to the room.”

Her smile got bigger immediately, and that alone irritated me because she thought she was about to get some dick, but she’ll never even sniff this muthafucka again. Kree walked ahead of me toward her bedroom without asking another question.

As soon as we got to the room, she closed and locked the door before turning around and reaching for the hem of her shirt, but I stopped her before she could do anything else.

“Did you know Reiana was pregnant when she left Cannon Hills?” I asked getting straight to the point.

Kree froze with her hands still near her shirt. “What?”

“You heard me,” I replied as I kept my eyes on her. “Did you know Reiana was pregnant?”

Her face shifted, but she recovered fast. “No. Why would I know that?”

“Because you were her friend,” I reminded her as I stepped closer. “And while we’re at it, did you lie to me about her fucking that nigga from class?”

“Lennox, where is this coming from?” Kree frowned. “I told you what I knew back then. If she was sneaking around… that ain’t got shit to do with me,” she fired off.

“That’s not what I asked you,” I said as my patience started to wear off. “I asked if you lied.”

“No,” Kree denied as she folded her arms. “What reason would I have to lie to you.”

I stared at her for a few seconds before I said anything. She wasn’t confused about why I was asking. She looked like she was trying to figure out how much I already knew.

“I’on know what reason you would have to lie, but I saw Reiana,” I told her as I watched her face carefully.

“You saw Reiana? Where?” She sounded shocked.

“In Arbor Point,” I answered as I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. “I saw my son too.”

“Your son? What son?” She questioned with a frown.

“The son you lied and told her I didn’t give a fuck about,” I replied as I unlocked my phone.

“Lennox, if you saw Reiana with a kid, that doesn’t mean he’s yours. She could’ve had a baby with anybody after she left.” She shook her head almost like she was trying to convince herself.

I didn’t say anything as I pulled up the clearest picture I had of Rhyse and held the phone out toward her. Kree looked at the screen, and the denial disappeared right off her face. I watched her eyes move over every feature I had already studied myself. Rhyse had my face all through his, but what made it worse was how much he looked like Lennyn too. Anybody who knew both of my kids would see it without being told shit.