Lighter Shade of Brown (Urban Fiction) BWHM

Chapter 4 Part 2

Cleo sat on the sofa staring at the television, without really seeing the picture on the screen. Her fall out with C's still tugged at the fresh snares in her mind. She hoped her attitude hadn't turned him off. Liberty always said that she'd catch more flies with honey than shit. But she didn't want any nasty ass flies. She wanted C's. Even more now than she did before. After getting to know him a little better, she was ruined. Confirmation of who he was whispered to her very soul that she couldn't be without him.

The sliding glass patio door opened and C's stepped through. He kicked off his shoes on the rubber mat placed by the metal divide. Tension rolled off of him in crushing waves. Anger and determination burned bright in his eyes like red-orange coal locked in a perpetual flame. He was pissed off, and brother man didn't have to say one stuttering word for her to know to stay the hell out of his lane.

Without looking her way, he swaggered into the living room making a beeline for the cordless phone on the coffee table. Snatching it up, he began to dial a series of numbers, one after the other, each time, he punched in a call back number before hanging up. Once done, he began the process all over again, like a well-rehearsed routine. When he finally sat the phone down, for the last time that's when hell broke loose and got crunk up in that joint. Pagers and telephones began to compete for the shrillest volume title. In the end each received the crown, because they both stomped the feelings out of her nerves. Along with C's repeated three lines.

"I'm ten, you want me to come through? How many? Aw' ight be through in a minute, yo." He'd say in the same bored tone he used every time he'd answer the phone.

It pissed her off that she didn't know what was going on. Okay yeah, she kind of had an idea what was going down, but that was up under the damn point. Why couldn't he tell her? Did he not trust her yet? She knew they hadn't known each other that long, but hell. She was ready put her life in his hands. That's how strong she felt about him already. So why the hell didn't he feel the same way too? Her insides twisted and knotted just thinking about, being trapped in the vortex alone. Was he crazy?

"Hey, bae?" C's dropped down on the seat next to her. "You hungry?"

What the hell did he think? She'd been there all damn day and he hadn't so much as offered her a glass of water. "Yeah. What you got?" She asked, turning in her seat to stare at his profile.

"My mom's made taco pizza before she went to work." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Can you get with that?"

"I've never had it, but the way my stomach is touching my back..." She rubbed hand over her rumbling belly. "For real, for real. I'm down to try anything."

At that moment, Ant came in from the backyard, carrying something shaped like a rectangle and wrapped in brown paper. When he noticed her watching he shot her a unit. "You gonna take her home? We need to get to work." He strode in to the kitchen and slammed the package on the counter.

"Yeah I got a few stops to make. I'll drop her off on the way." He rested his hand on her thigh. "I'll wrap you up some pizza to take home with you. At least your moms can't say I didn't feed you before dropping you off."

"Puhlease." A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Liberty ain't there to say shit. It's Friday so I want see her behind until Monday." She shrugged, happy she wouldn't have to deal with her mom. Especially after dealing with her for the past couple of days while she was pheening. "She always binge hard on the week-ends."

C's eyebrows crashed together as his gaze narrowed to slits of brown. "Your moms smoke?"

"Yeah she smoke. Hell she was smokin' a 'Port when she talked to you today." She frowned. Was he blind? Liberty had practically gone through an entire pack of cigarettes, while they both watched.