𝑫𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏 4

Page 24

Stevanna

I held his hand with my left rubbing the top of his hand with my right. Jospeh looked off in the distance as he ate his food with his free hand. I decided to take my grandfather out for lunch after taking him for his cancer treatment.

"Thank you Stevanna" he said looking in my eyes.

I smiled at him. "Your welcome, I'm doing this because I love you. Don't worry about the bill"

"No, no I'll pay. Girl I'm sick not broke" he said making me laugh.

"Don't play me cause I'm old. I used to be hustler before I met your grandmother" he said with a serious face.

"Yeah, how did you meet grandma?"

"I met her when I was with my ex wife before her at the bar dancing. She had a glow to her that stood out from anybody else" he finished.

Never in a million years did I see myself sitting with Joe talking about his past life. Joseph's bones ache now due to the cancer. So he's been in a wheel chair for a year now. I have to wheel him around now, I never saw that coming either.

As he continued to eat his food with his free hand I decided to check my phone with my right.

I had a text message from Austin reading watch what I just sent you. When I got home I took a shower before sitting on the couch and playing the video Austin had sent me. I had to pause the video within the first twelve seconds taking a deep breath before playing it again.

I watched as both James and Kristinia confirm my existence saying it's up to Janet to tell the truth. Kristinia ends the video saying she will continue to search for me.

My heart sink as I began to feel betrayed by my own father. How can he lie to my face then do this. How would Janet react if she found out. There was only one way to find out.

I called right that instant. She didn't pick up so I called her again, this time she answered after the fourth ring.

"Hello" she answered.

"Janet! Are you busy we need to talk!" I panicked speaking fast.

"I'll be right there" she said before hanging up.

Maybe thirty minutes after our phone call she showed up at my door. I hugged her squeezing her tight before she came inside my apartment. "What's going on with you Stevanna, you scared me when you called me" she asked sitting next to me on the couch.

"I need to show you something, watch this" I said before playing what Austin sent me on the tv.

Janet immediately frowned her face tilting her head seconds after the video played. Her head jerked back a few times till she eventually shook her head completely. "Turn this off" she said mid video.

"There's more" I said.

She stayed quiet covering her mouth as she continued to watch. By the end of it she was still holding her mouth shaking her head. She stayed quiet which left me wondering where her mind was.

"What are we going to do about this" I asked her.

"We gotta tell Randy" she said making eye contact with me. "And then we're going to pay the Debarge's a visit"

We did as she said telling Randy before showing up to James's address. I had text him telling him I would be coming. But I never mentioned bringing Randy and Janet.

He opened the door already smiling to see me but quickly changed his face looking behind me. Behind me stood Janet and Randy. James raised one brow over his glasses looking at me.

"Stevanna!? What is this!?"

"Your funeral" Randy spat out.

"Dad!" My eyes widened. "Please forgive him he didn't mean it" I said to James.

"You know I'm your father" he said knitting his brows. "You don't have to call him dad, Stevanna thats your uncle" James widened his eyes at me.

"I raised her! I earned that tittle" Randy yelled.

"HEY" I yelled turning my back to them. "This is not what we came here for" I looked back to James. "Please let us in, I promise they'll behave"

James stared at Janet with a twitch in one eye. It was as if the sight of her hit a nerve. They haven't see each other since the 80s.

"Sure come in" he said maintaining his stare on Janet.

I led Randy and Janet to the couch but was stopped by James. "Not to far! Y'all can talk to me here"

The four of us stood in a circle. "What's going on" he asked looking between the three of us.

"Why are you and your daughter telling people that you have a secret daughter with me" Janet asked stern.

James rolled his eyes. "I never said that! I just said you'll tell the world when your ready"

"That's alluding to the thought of her having a daughter! You didn't deny it either when they asked you" Randy said forcefully.

James didn't have anything to say as he looked to me for help. "I thought you'd agreed to keep this a secret" I asked him.

"I don't want to anymore" he whined. "And neither do you"

"You don't have a choice, non of us do" Randy said.

"Look I'm gonna have my team work hard to get as much of this scrubbed off the internet. Because now we have too may people questioning if I really have a secret daughter" Janet spoke in a calming tone.

James avoided eye contact with her nodding his head. "James you agreed to keep this a secret when we had our divorce. We should've made you sign a NDA" she finished.

"What if I tell the world" he questioned making eye contact with Janet.

"Like Randy said, it'll be your funeral" she said making me panic.

"STOP IT, why can't you guys just get along" I begged looking between the three of them. "For me?"

Randy put his arm around me rubbing my arm up and down. "We'll get along when James learns to stick to the plan" Janet said looking at me.

"Let's go guys" Janet spoke before heading for the door.

"Come on Stevanna" Randy said patting my back.

As the two of them headed for the door, I stood there staring at James. "What? Are you mad at me now too" he questioned.

"I don't know what to think" I said before leaving.

On the car ride back I sat in the back seat, Randy drove and Janet sat in the passenger. "That was a warning, if he just mentions the word secret I'll—"

"You'll what" I asked cutting Randy off.

He look at me through the rearview mirror. "I'll do anything I have to do to shut him up"

"And Kristinia was acting weird wasn't she" Janet mentioned.

"Yeah she was, it was all fake. She has my phone number but she's acting like she was about to search for me" I rolled my eyes.

"Maybe they just want a check" Randy said shrugging his shoulders.

"I won't give them a penny of my money" Janet said stern. "Don't let Jospeh hear a word about this. I don't want him to stress right now" she finished.
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