Amnesty | Book 4

f o r t y e i g h t

MARTRAY
I stood in place as I watched Tereny walk up the stairs with a China Wok bag in her hand. All of me knew that she was feeling some type of way about her coming in and Honda's arms were all wrapped around me. Hell, I felt some type of way with Honda being here and wrapping her arms around me. The fuck was she doing here?

"Is that her?" Honda asked me again, this time, pointing like a toddler who didn't know any better.

I smacked her hand down, annoyed. She sucked her teeth and turned me away from the stairs. Looking me in my eyes, I could see the pure jealousy floating from her pupils. I sighed and rolled my eyes away from her.

"What you doing here?" I asked her.

"Well!" Honda said just as she put her hands on my shoulders. "As you know, I'm one of the runners who used to do a little running around for Paci and Leroy called and told me to take a ride with you down to Miami because my services are gonna be needed."

I removed her hands from my shoulders and scrunched up my face. Leroy didn't tell me anything about bringing Honda along with me. And I was under the impression that she was done with this type of job. Let her tell it. Now she talking to Leroy?

"I thought you was giving this lifestyle up." I say to her, almost in a shock.

"I was...until he offered me one quarter of a mill. I can't turn down $250,000. Who I look like?" Honda crossed her arms.

"But I'm not going to Miami until Friday. It's Tuesday. You couldn't have waited to show up to the day of?"

"But why when I could be spending a little more time with my best friend? I didn't know you had a whole girlfriend. You make it seem like you single as a dollar bill when we talk on the phone. FaceTiming me and shit." Honda sounded like she was catching an attitude.

"Man, don't do this shit. I ain't into it. And I don't have to tell you what I got going on because what I got going on is my business. Ain't nobody ask you to come down here." I say to her, turning my back to her and walking to the kitchen to get away from her.

"Well, I guess ya la girlfriend mad or whatever. So I'm just gonna stay at a hotel." Honda said as she walked into the kitchen behind me.

"Yea. I got a family upstairs." I say, sitting down at the kitchen table.

"A family?" Honda's eyes widened. "Upstairs?" She said, pointing at the ceiling.

"That's what I said."

"But I thought she supposed to be my baby brother's wife." Honda looked at me confused.

I sucked my teeth and didn't bother answering her. She let out a chuckle and sat down in front of me.

"So, what the hell going on? She's married to Bruce and she living here with you? How that happen?"

"Honda, mind ya business."

"You tapping that?" She asked me in her squeaky voice that I didn't really notice in the beginning.

"Honda." I say her name, sounding annoyed. "Mind ya business."

"But, it's hard. You think you know someone and you do a pop up and find out some shit." She laughed, covering her mouth. "Y'all some freaks."

"Man, shut that shit up." I toss a napkin her way. She laughed even harder, slapping the napkin away from her. "Don't you got a hotel to go find yourself to stay in?"

"Yea." She said as she stood up. "Let me go do that and Ima call you. I don't want ya girlfriend thinking we got some shit going on." I watched her round ass as it sashayed towards the exit of my kitchen.

I shook my head and looked away, following behind her. She walked to the front door and opened it.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She raised her eyebrows up twice before turning away and walking off.

I didn't even stand by to watch her make it to her car. I just shut the door and shook my head. I didn't have time for Honda right now. I made a mental note to hit up Leroy and talk to him about coming up with plans behind a nigga back and shit. That shit looked like we was keeping secrets.

I rushed up the stairs where I thought Tereny would be, which is in the room with the kids. I opened the bedroom door and saw her standing over Britten's crib, rubbing his back. Hearing the door open, she looked at me and then looked away.

"She gone." I told her, hoping that made things easier to get pass.

Tereny didn't bother saying anything. Instead, she just continued rubbing her son's back.

"I didn't know she was coming through. She didn't call me or nothing. She just popped up." I explained.

Tereny turned around to me and shrugged her shoulders, about to walk past me. Before she could even get far, I grabbed her by her hand to stop her. She turned around and looked at me.

"She ain't nobody, Tereny. I'm serious."

"And if she was, it shouldn't matter." She looked down. "Excuse me, Tray. I need to go downstairs so that I can put this food somewhere." Tereny broke her hand free of mine and continued walking down the hall.

"Tereny." I called her name.

We made it down the stairs, turning into the kitchen. Tereny set the food on the counter and went to grabbing plastic containers to put them in.

"I promise she ain't nobody important. She's Bruce and Cheri's sister." I explained further.

Tereny looked at me, confused.

"She's their sister?" Tereny asked, sounding amazed. "She's their oldest sister?"

"Yes."

"Oh!" Tereny said, sounding a little enthused opposed to her being upset.

"So, it ain't nothing going on at all. The last thing on my mind is somebody else." I felt the need to explain.

"Tray, it's okay if it were that. Who am I to be upset with that?" She shook her head.

"You have all the right to be upset, Tereny. Things changed between us in a way. We kissed. That meant something to me."

"Well..." Tereny turned around and looked at me. "We kissed, but I'm just really not trying to rush into anything right now. Right now, I just think it's important to focus on getting this divorce situated and this custody thing on the right path." She explained. And instead of questioning that, I understood. Deep down, I truly did understand.

Tereny didn't owe me any type of explanation, if we keeping it honest. Yea, I was feeling her, romantically. But what type of nigga would I be to try and step in when she's doing all she can, on her own, to get her life back together? I mean, I did my part in screwing up her life. Now that Bruce did the same shit, I would be wrong to try and make myself present as her man. She needs a friend right now. And that's something that I'm supposed to be right now.

I just needed to learn how to put my heart on the back burner for a little while. At least until she got her shit right. That's the least I can do. I don't want to be the one to complicate some shit for her. She's doing good for herself. I don't wanna step in the way. Plus, when I nigga truly feeling like we getting somewhere, some shit always happens. Like Honda's ass.

"I'm by your side, Tereny. On whatever it is you tryna do. I won't turn my back on you." I inform her.

"Thanks, Tray." She gave me a cheap smile and turned away just like that.

I did the same.

I was gonna let her do what she needed to do, for now. But I'll be damned if I didn't make her mine in the end. I truly do love her. Right now just ain't the time.