Page 40 of Love At Close Range

“What does Kree have to do with it?” Mama asked.

“A whole fucking lot apparently,” I answered before lowering my voice because Lennyn was still upstairs. “I went straight to her house when I got back. I asked her if she knew Reiana was pregnant and if she lied to me about Reiana cheating with that nigga from school.”

“And?” Lena urged.

“She lied at first,” I explained as I shook my head. “Then I told her I saw Reiana and my son. I showed her his picture, and she couldn’t even deny how much he looked like me and Lenny. After that, she finally admitted everything.”

Mama closed her eyes for a second, like she already knew she wasn’t going to like what came next. “Everything meaning what, Lennox?”

“Kree knew Reiana was pregnant,” I told them as my voice hardened. “She saw the message Reiana sent me, answered it from my phone, told her fuck her and the baby, then deleted everything before I saw it.”

“I know you fucking lying?” Lena snapped as she shot up from the couch. “That bitch did what?”

“Lena, sit down,” Mama warned.

“Nah, Mama, fuck sitting down,” Lena replied as she started pacing. “Kree’s crazy ass really did all that shit and been walking around this family like she’s not the reason my brother didn’t know he had a son?”

“It gets worse,” I told her as I watched her pace. “She admitted she lied about Reiana cheating too. She knew the dude was just somebody from class, but she told me they were fucking around because she wanted me to break up with Reiana.”

“Oh, I’m beating her ass,” Lena spat.

“Lena,” Mama warned again as she looked over at her.

“I am,” Lena insisted as she pointed toward the door like Kree was standing on the other side of it. “That bitch has been in my face all these years knowing she broke my brother up with the woman he loved and made him miss his son growing up. Then she turned around and had a baby with him? Yeah, she gotta see me.”

“I already handled Kree,” I told her as I shook my head. “You’on need to go over there doing no stupid shit.”

“Beating her ass is not stupid,” Lena argued as she dropped back onto the couch. “It’s actually the most reasonable thing I’ve heard since you started talking.”

“What did Kree say when you confronted her?” Mama asked as she frowned.

“She tried to justify it,” I answered. “She said Reiana knew she wanted me first and still got with me. She still hates Reiana behind that shit. I told her she sounded stupid as fuck because I was never hers for anybody to take.”

“That girl has always had some issues when it came to you, but I never thought she was capable of something like that,” Mama said as she shook her head.

“Neither did I,” I admitted as I looked down at my hands. “She knew Reiana was carrying my child and didn’t give a fuck. All she cared about was getting her out the way.”

Lena leaned back and folded her arms. “And then she finally got what she wanted when she started sleeping with you.”

“I already owned my part in that shit,” I replied as I looked at her. “I chose to fuck with Kree after Reiana left. Nobody forced me to do that, but I did it thinking Reiana cheated on me and left Cannon Hills because she was done with me. I didn’t know Kree created half that bullshit.”

“Does Reiana know about Kree and Lennyn?” Mama asked.

“Yeah,” I answered as I nodded. “I had to tell her. Once Kree came up, Reiana started asking questions about why she was around me after the breakup. I told her me and Kree eventually started messing around, then I had to tell her about Lenny.”

“Oh, I know she was pissed,” Lena muttered as she shook her head.

“She was,” I confirmed. “Not at Lenny, but at the whole situation. From where she’s standing, her friend lied to break us up, she left pregnant thinking I didn’t want my son, and then finds out that same friend ended up having my daughter.”

“That is a lot for that girl to take in,” Mama expressed.

“It’s a lot for all of us,” I replied as I glanced down the hallway toward Lennyn’s room. “I spent almost eight years thinking Reiana walked away from me. She spent almost eight years thinking I rejected her and my son. Meanwhile Kree knew the truth the whole fucking time.”

Lena shook her head again, still looking pissed. “I swear I’m trying real hard to respect you telling me not to beat her ass.”

“It ain’t even worth it,” I told her as I gave her a look. “Lenny don’t need her mama and auntie fighting because of some shit that happened before she was even born.”

“That baby is the only reason I’m not already bashing her head in,” Lena replied. “Because none of this is Lennyn’s fault.”