Page 41 of Love At Close Range

“Exactly,” I agreed as I nodded. “And that’s how it’s staying. Whatever I feel about Kree won’t affect Lennyn. That’s still her mama and I’m not putting my daughter in the middle of our shit.”

“What about Rhyse? Does he know who you are?” Mama asked.

“Not yet,” I answered. “He saw me at Reiana’s house, but she hasn’t told him anything. He came downstairs while we were talking and asked who I was, then she sent him back upstairs.”

“How’d he act?” Lena questioned.

“Like me, apparently,” I replied as I shook my head with a small laugh. “Little nigga came downstairs, looked straight at me, and asked his mama who this nigga was.”

“Oh, that’s definitely your child,” Lena laughed as she shook her head. “No DNA test needed.”

“That’s what the fuck I said,” I replied as I laughed lightly. “Reiana said he acts like me more than she likes to admit. She calls him Boosie too because that was our favorite rapper.”

“I can’t believe I have a grandson.” Mama smiled to herself.

“Yeah, Mama… you got a grandson,” I confirmed.

“All this time, I had a grandson out there and none of us knew,” she sighed.

“I know,” I replied quietly. “That’s the part I’m still trying to deal with.”

“I want to meet him, Lennox. Whenever Reiana is comfortable and whenever that baby is ready, I want to meet my grandson,” she insisted.

“You will,” I assured her. “I already told Reiana I’m not trying to rush shit with him. She raised him, and I respect that. We gotta figure out how to tell him and let him adjust before we put any more on him.”

“I understand that,” Mama replied as she reached over and squeezed my hand. “I can wait until it’s right. I just need you to make sure he knows that we love him. I’on ever want that baby thinking this family didn’t want him.”

“That’s damn sure not happening,” Lena added as she leaned forward. “He’ll know how much we love him even if I gotta beat Kree’s ass every day to prove it,” she added with a smirk.

I sat there thinking about how different the last eight years would’ve been like if that one message had made it to me. Rhyse would’ve known that his father wanted him, but then Lennyn wouldn’t be here unless Reiana was her mama.

Kree had taken all of that from us with one selfish decision after another. I couldn’t give anybody those years back, but I could make damn sure we didn’t lose any more of them.

16

Reiana

Mona came and got Rhyse to hang with Quaylon to give me some time to gather my thoughts. I didn’t fight her on it because she was right and Rhyse damn near begged me. The moment he heard Mona here, he grabbed his stuff and beat her outside. That had been a couple hours ago, and I’ve been alone with my thoughts ever since.

I stood in the kitchen staring into the refrigerator, trying to figure out what I wanted to eat without actually cooking. I had spent enough money on groceries to feed three families, yet somehow nothing inside the refrigerator looked worth the effort. I finally pulled out the container of pasta Taryn and I had ordered the night before and set it on the counter, but before I could even get the lid all the way off, somebody rang the doorbell.

Placing the food back on the counter, I headed toward the front of the house. When I reached the door, I looked through the peephole and immediately frowned harder when I saw Lennox standing on my porch. I unlocked the door and pulled it open, finding him dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans with his locs hanging down this time instead of being up in a bun. I shamelessly let my eyes roam over him. The first two times I saw him, I didn’t allow myself to take him on, but now I could see that grown man Lennox was fine as hell. I mean the kind of fine that made women want to have his babies. Hell, I see why Kree was on her dumb shit. Snapping out of my thoughts, I shook my head before I addressed him.

“Rhyse isn’t here. He’s with Mona and Quentin,” I stated. “I thought I told you not to pop up over here, anyway?” I cocked my head to the side.

“I ain’t come to see Rhyse… well not until you say it’s cool,” Lennox told me as he kept his eyes on mine. “I came to talk to you.”

“About what?” I asked, watching him closely.

“Can I come in first?” Lennox asked as he glanced past me into the house before looking back at me.

I stared at him for another second before stepping aside. “I mean, since you already popped your ass up without calling… you might as well.” I shrugged.

“I called you twice, Ree,” he spoke as he swaggered past me.

I closed the door behind him, and I headed back to the kitchen while Lennox followed behind me without saying anything else. When we reached the kitchen, I grabbed my phone off the counter, and the screen showed two missed calls from him, and I pressed my lips together before putting it back down.

“Oh, well… I didn’t see it,” I said as I turned toward him. I took the container of pasta and slid it into the microwave. He stayed standing on the other side of the island, watching me like he thought I’d disappear or some shit.