Page 6 of Love At Close Range

“Really, Lennox?”

I looked at her confused because I deadass didn’t know what her problem was.

“Really what, man?” I asked.

“You just fuck me and leave?” She asked incredulously.

“I gave you dick like you wanted. The fuck else you want me to do?” I frowned.

“Stay,” she countered.

“Nah. You know we’re not on that and if you can’t get the dick without all the extra, I hope you enjoyed this time because it probably was the last. I’m out.” I didn’t even wait for her to say shit. I walked out the room and went to peek at my baby, and she was still sleeping peacefully. After kissing her forehead, I left back out and saw Kree standing in the hallway naked, staring a hole in me. Shaking my head, I headed downstairs and out the door. I was too tired to deal with her shit tonight, and I wasn’t about to entertain her bullshit, and she knew it.

3

Reiana

a few days later…

Iwas working from home today, so when I dropped Rhyse off at camp, I stopped by Cup & Crumb to get my usual iced brown sugar espresso with oat milk and an extra espresso shot and a strawberry cheese Danish. Now I was home, going over a few new contracts and revising others to meet the needs of my current clients. This was the perk of owning my business. On days I didn’t feel like doing a damn thing… I didn’t have to. Then, when I didn’t want to go into the office… I didn’t have to. I’d do everything from the comfort of my home. Like now, I was going over contracts and running my mouth with Mona.

“So, are you going to bring Dorian to the kickback?” Mona asked.

“I’on know. He’s been acting weird and I’on want that shit around me. I’m not about to let another nigga play in my face,” I spoke truthfully. I promised myself my last heartbreak would be my first and last. I wasn’t about to be playing with these niggas.

“He’s still walking around like he’s hiding a wife, three kids and a dog?” I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at this damn fool.

“You’re an idiot, but yeah he is. I’on know what he’s on but I definitely don’t have time for the bullshit.”

“I get it, Ree, but everybody ain’t Lennox,” she stated.

My cousin knew all too well how I felt about Lennox Steele. At one point, that man was my everything. Even though I was only twenty-two at the time. I knew what we had was real, or at least I thought it was. Breaking up with him was the worst day of my life, but I still remembered it like the shit just happened yesterday.

I moved in with Mona when I graduated high school since I no longer had to be under my mama. Reina (Ree-Nuh) Scott was a bitch, and I couldn’t wait to get from under her thumb. She was the poorest excuse for a mother, leaving me to fend for myself most of the time, but I had Mona and her mama. She was my cousin on my dad’s side, but we were still close. My dad died when I was twelve in a car accident. Me and my mama were with him, but she blamed me for distracting him, causing him to swerve into on-coming traffic. He jerked the car to keep me and my mama from getting hit. He died a few days later from his injuries, and my mama blamed me because he looked into the rearview mirror to answer the question I had just asked. I never understood how she could blame her child for that, let alone hate her but the shit happened.

The day I graduated, I left and never looked back. When I saw her out, I acted as if I didn’t know her, and she did the same. The moment Lennox crossed my path, I knew right then he was my soulmate. The man was fine. I mean, dick dizzy fine, but he also had this rugged appearance about him that would make you think he was mean, but he wasn’t… at least not to me. He had an athlete’s build and covered in tattoos. He was staring locs, but they still fit him, even their beginning stages. We became inseparable until one day out the blue everything changed.

The night that shattered my world started off normal. I went to class, then came home. Lennox and I had plans to go out when he came over. The only thing is he never came, but I received a text saying he was done with my disloyal ass. I was confused as to why he would say that to me, so I called and my calls were going straight to the voicemail. I know I called him a hundred times and sent just as many texts. I was devastated and miserable for weeks. I couldn’t eat or sleep. At times I didn’t want to breathe. When I told my best friend, Kree, she told me not to worry about it because it was his loss. I agreed. Fuck Lennox. That was until I found out I was pregnant with his baby. I was somewhat relieved because this baby was going to be our way to work things out.

I remember texting his phone that we needed to talk or could he come by, but my texts were still unanswered. I called his mama, and all she could say was that she wasn’t getting in the middle of our business. Lena asked me what was going on because she knew it had to be something, because I wasn’t coming around. I told her to ask her brother but tell him we needed to talk.

I never heard from Lennox, so I broke down and texted him, telling him I was pregnant. The text I got back shattered my entire being.

Love Of My Life: Fuck you and that baby.

Those were the words the love of my life said after I told him I was pregnant with his child. That night, I decided to leave Lennox and whatever I thought we were behind. No one knew about the baby but Mona and Kree. I told Kree I was getting rid of it and leaving. Mona came with me, and the rest is history.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I finally responded to Mona.

“You’re right and I’ll never punish another man for the shit that Lennox did, but I know when a nigga is moving funny and Dorian’s ass is the nigga in question.” I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I knew his ass was doing something.

“I hear you… Taryn still coming right?”

“Yeah, she’ll definitely be there,” I confirmed.

“Okay, good. Let me get in here and see if these kids done tore up my house. I’ll call you later… love you.”

“Love you too,” I countered just as Taryn was walking in.