Still thicker than water (17 page)

“
Alright, good looking.”

Chauncey suddenly became serious and looked over at E.

“
What about that other thing, you got that all set up?”

E nodded, turning down the 50 cent mixtape he had playing.

“
The ATL is all ready. I showed ‘em what we was working with…they appreciate the quality and the price. So business is as good as done. Got about three major, major clients set up.”

Chauncey nodded, thinking of how lucky he was to have Ree’s connect, or connections he should say. Of course, it wouldn’t be the same without his old boss, but he was planning on doing him justice, filling his shoes and making some major paper. He couldn’t help but to notice the slight apprehension in E’s voice with his next question.

“
But Chaunc, don’t you think we might be ruffling a few feathers? …I know you wanna be down there for your seed and all, but we ‘bout to have a lot of muhfuckas mad with all the shit we bringing down there…I mean I’m wit’ you and all, I told you, but-”
Chauncey cut him off aggressively.

“
Fuck them down south niggas. If they smart, they’ll get down…and if they not, sorry for ‘em. You can’t make no real money without pissing muhfuckas off, E. I know you know that.” Chauncey pulled out a cigarette and lit it, inhaling the cool smoke deeply and reclining his seat. His fitted hat was pulled low over his deep waves and his face was scruffy, in need of a shape up.

“
And I don’t wanna be down there,” he added. He looked out of the window and thought of Mike playing house with his two girls and it made his jaw clench up. “I
need
to be down there.”

E nodded understandingly, and continued to drive. He said he was wit’ him, and that’s exactly what he meant.

A new town, a new state, a new day, a new year, and a new boss.
Let’s get it!

“
Now that’s what I’m talking about,” Sasha said, placing her credit card back in her Gucci wallet. “Comped out, that’s the way to end a vacation!”

When the girls had went to the desk to checkout, they found out that their room was comped out for the long weekend that they had been there, no charge, completely free.

“
I can’t believe he did that,” Tatum said, starting to feel regret for not meeting Ree for breakfast that morning. But after he had left her suite the night before, she thought of him going back to Trinity, and she felt low, used, and miserable. She figured she would handle what she had to back at home with no distractions, and if he was still here, and single, then maybe it would be.

She put on her shades as they made their way out of the front doors and her heart sank.

I can’t do this, I have to say goodbye.

“
Wait guys, hold up.” Sasha and Jayde stopped, and Tatum turned to go back inside and found Ree standing right there, in the lobby, looking at her somberly.

She made her way up to him nervously.

“
Hey,” she greeted him, taking off her sunglasses and trying not to look him in the eyes, as he stared at her intensely.

“
So, come with no hellos… leave with no goodbyes.”

He said this as if he was disappointed with her, and he was. Tatum sighed and looked up at him.

“
I just…I just have so much on my mind,” Tatum tried to explain. Ree looked away from her. It was always something on her mind and he was starting to wonder if it was even worth it. This was why he, up until her, had never been serious about any female. They required too much of his time and energy.

“
Yea well, it’s cool…you could’ve kept your word though.”

Tatum looked down, ashamed. She should have kept her word and met him.

He felt the animosity he was giving off to her and he didn’t want that. He lightened up because in a way, Tatum was like him, and they both didn’t handle emotions very well. Him, because of the life he’d lived. Her, because of the things she’d been through.

Ree felt that maybe his experience had made him more upfront with expressing how he felt, and more mature.

“
When’s the first hearing?” He asked, changing the subject.

“
In a week,” she answered, finally looking at him as she shifted her weight from one leg to the next. She was dressed in jeans and sneakers, and her hair was pulled back, but she was still flawless. Ree nodded, ready to put it out there. Either this was going somewhere, or it was going nowhere.

“
So when it’s all over, are you coming back?”

Tatum’s heart raced and she looked around the lobby anxiously. She was not prepared to answer this right now and she couldn’t believe he was putting her on the spot.

“
To visit?” She asked, playing clueless.

His intense stare was his response, and she figured she would put it out there as well.

“
I don’t know, Ree.”

He looked down and nodded slowly, and then chuckled.

“
We back here again?” He asked her seriously.

Tatum knew just what he meant, back in her hallway, two years ago, at a crossroads. She was instantly defensive as to how he was trying to put it all on her. He wanted to keep it real, so she would too.

“
Are you going to leave Trinity?”

The questioned stunned Ree briefly before he replied.

“
Are you coming back?”

Tatum’s heart sunk, not happy with the response.

“
That shouldn’t matter. You should want to leave for you Ree, not for me. You must care about her…and a part of you must want to be wit’ her.”

He didn’t respond and Tatum was furious, but she didn’t show it. Just then, Sasha came inside.

“
Sorry guys, but the car is here.”

Tatum coolly put her shades back on and picked up her bag.

“
I have the number here…I’ll call you.”

She walked away as Ree stood there and let her.

He had waited almost two years for her last time they had parted ways, and he didn’t want to feel like a sucker again. It just was not becoming to him, and it made him feel weak. But he knew that if Tatum was to come back, he would be with her, no question. But did she know that?

He watched the car begin to slowly pull off from the curb.

“
Wait, what the fuck am I doing?”

He made his way out of the door, lightly jogging to catch up to the car. He banged on the trunk.

“
Stop!”

The car kept going and Ree ran to the front and banged on the hood with force, causing the driver to slam on his brakes.

“
I said stop, muthafucka!”

He walked swiftly around to the backseat on the driver’s side and tried to open the door but it was locked.

Tatum, Jayde, and Sasha watched in shock and Tatum tried to unlock the door but didn’t know how. Ree banged on the driver’s window.

“
Unlock the door, dummy,” he barked.

He heard the click a second later from the scared driver, who had instantly obeyed. He yanked the door open and knelt down to Tatum, who sat looking at him so emotional, her chest heaving in anticipation.

“
I do…I do care about her.” Tatum furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and anger, wondering why he had stopped the car to tell her this. He continued. “I can’t lie, I care about Trinity…but not the way I care about you.”

He took her hands into his and looked her in the eyes as Sasha and Jayde looked on.

“
I love you, Tatum.”

She gasped lightly and took a deep breath.

He kissed her lips softly and when she went to talk, he silenced her with a finger to her mouth.

“
Just… just come back.”

And with that, he slowly closed the door, and then he tapped twice on the trunk, letting the driver know he could pull off.

As the car made its way from the hotel, Tatum looked out of the back window with tears in her eyes. She watched Ree stand there and then she saw him walk back into the hotel as the car turned the corner.

“
I love you, too,” she whispered. “Goodbye.”

Chapter 12 - Change

After dropping Tatum off, and taking the jet back to Atlanta, Sasha and Jayde were now in the back of a car service Lincoln Continental. The car was riding through the dark and quiet streets of Buckhead taking the ladies to their last destination, home.

Sasha had asked Tatum if she wanted her to come with her to the hearing, but Tatum insisted that she would be fine and for Sasha to stay home and be with her baby. After a long hug, the girls went their separate ways.

“
Oh, god…I can’t wait to get to my bed!” Jayde exclaimed, wondering if she would call up a little freak or hit her thousand dollar sheets alone.

I can,
Sasha thought. But opted for a more appropriate,

“
I know, right.” She knew Mike would be there, and she felt bad for even thinking it, but she was in no rush to see him.

She thought of him in comparison to Chauncey, and although Chauncey outweighed him in almost every aspect, Mike had one huge plus.

He would never hurt me the way that Chauncey did.

Every time Sasha thought of Chauncey sleeping with her ex-friend Neli, for damn near half of their relationship, the pain went through her like it had happened yesterday. It had almost destroyed her, and unless you would’ve gone through it, there was no way to explain it.

“
What’s on your mind, mama?” Jayde asked, looking up from her blackberry. She saw Sasha just staring out of her window into the pitch black night, as light raindrops beat against the car.

“
Oh, nothing…everything.” Sasha paused and then turned to Jayde. “Chauncey is getting paroled soon. He may come down to Atlanta.”

“
Oh, I seeeee.” Jayde nodded as if it all made sense. “Well, that’s a good thing, right?”

Sasha shrugged and continued to look out of the window.

An instant thought ran through Jayde’s mind, and she turned to Sasha abruptly.

“
What is he gonna do?”

Sasha was confused.

“
Huh?”

“
For money…for a living. You said he used to hustle, right… well, what is he gonna do when he gets down here?”

Sasha shrugged again.

“
I don’t know,” she answered honestly.

There was a brief silence.

“
But what do you think he’s going to do?” Jayde persisted.

“
I don’t know!” Sasha repeated, growing upset. She had not thought about it because that was another flaw of Chauncey’s. He loved the streets, with a passion. “Why does it matter, anyway?” Sasha asked, a little calmer.

“
Doesn’t it matter to you?” Jayde sassed.

“
Of course, because it matters to my daughter. But does it matter to you?” Sasha asked curiously.

“
Hello no, why would it matter to me?”

They pulled in front of Sasha’s house and before she got out, Sasha eyed Jayde skeptically. She sighed and then leaned over and gave her a hug, not understanding, and not really caring about the basis of Jayde’s questioning.

“
Alright girl, talk to you later.”

They hugged tight.

“
See ya,” Jayde said.

Sasha climbed out of the car, and retrieved her luggage out of the trunk. She waved at Jayde as the car pulled off.

And as she made her way up the walkway to her house, she never paid any attention to the car parked on her street, or the person inside of it, watching her every move.

“
10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2…1…Happy New Year!”

The Bernstein house erupted in cheer.

Sasha, Mike, and even little Aubrey were all up watching the ball drop, blowing noisemakers, and Mike and Sasha were drinking champagne. Of course Aubrey had her matching champagne glass, filled with sparkling cider.

Sasha blew her noisemaker once more and the phone and doorbell simultaneously rang. Sasha and Mike both went for the phone.

“
You…okay I’ll get…okay, you get the phone, I’ll get the door,” Sasha said, laughing as she made her way down the hall. She wondered who it could be this late; maybe a neighbor wishing them a Happy New Year. Tipsy off of the champagne, she yanked the door open without looking to see who it was.