Chapter 13
It was Halloween. Bebe and Miki had been seeing each other for a little over two months. Bebe had never been so in love. He loved everything about Miki. He loved the way she laughed, smiled, even when she cried. He loved to cuddle with her early Sunday mornings. The only problem was Bebe hated the rules. Thursdays and Sundays weren’t enough for him. He wanted all of Miki. He wanted her from Sunday to Sunday.
The evening was enjoyable. Miki and Téa spent Halloween night going from door to door with Bebe, BJ, Kennedi, Maddie, Gary and their three kids. Téa and Kennedi were terrified of everything. Miki tried to console them while Bebe, BJ, Gary and Gary Jr. laughed their asses off.
Kennedi got mad at her father. She asked angrily, “Whatchu funny at Daddy?”
That caused more laughter. Téa said in her meek little voice, “Mommy, I’m ready to go home.”
“Home or Auntie Maddie’s?”
Téa grinned sneakily, “Kennedi’s!”
Bebe looked at Miki with a smile. “Téa has spoken.”
Miki gave him a desperate look. He always did that. He played on the kids’ wants to get what he wanted out of Miki. He knew Miki had a soft spot for Kennedi’s and Téa’s friendship. She looked down at Téa, “Maybe for a little while.”
Kennedi was excited. She and Téa shared a tight hug.
“Does this mean you’re coming over?” Bebe asked.
“Yeah,” Miki said softly. She looked at the time on her phone. It was still early. The girls didn’t need to be out that late. They still had school the following morning. Miki told Redd what she would be doing which was taking Téa trick or treating. He didn’t have any objections. He hadn’t bother to call Miki either. Miki could only assume he was with one of his girlfriends. She didn’t care. She could be with her baby.
After spending forty minutes down at Maddie’s Miki joined Bebe at his house. As the kids went off to play Bebe asked, “Are you sure you’ll be okay. I don’t want him all in your face.”
“I’m fine,” she said. She walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Bebe walked around and stretched out on the couch resting his head in her lap. Miki started stroking his hair. “Bebe?”
“Huh?”
“We gotta come up with a plan.”
“I think I have one in mind already but I gotta talk to a few people first,” Bebe said.
“Don’t have him killed Bebe,” Miki said.
“I’m not that type of person Miki,” he said. He closed his eyes enjoying the sweet feel of her lap and her touch. Being near Miki was comforting. Every hour, every minute he got to spend with her he cherished.
Miki closed her eyes and let her head fall back. Unable to resist the heaviness of sleep Miki drifted away. With both of them sleeping, time began to slip by. The kids were clueless as they played along with Shadow.
A trick-or-treater rang the doorbell. That was what awakened them. Miki panicked when she realized that it was completely dark. She felt for her phone. “Oh my God! Where’s my phone?”
“Calm down, Miki. It’s only eight-thirty,” Bebe said soothingly.
“I haven’t cooked anything,” she said frantically. “Téa!”
Téa and Kennedi came running into the living room with Shadow behind them. “C’mon baby, we gotta go.”
“I’ll drive you around there,” Bebe said.
“No, we’ll walk,” Miki said. Having Bebe drop her off at her sister’s house was too risky at this time.
“Baby, it’s dark out there,” Bebe said.
“It’s just around the corner. We’ll be okay.”
Miki was so glad she didn’t let Bebe bring her back to her sister’s house. Redd was waiting outside in his SUV. She knew she was in trouble. She didn’t even bother trying to avoid him. She walked right up to his truck.
“Where the fuck you been?” Redd asked.
“Me and Téa were still trick-or-treating,” she said.
“Where is your phone?” he asked coolly.
“I left it here.”
“Get your shit and c’mon to this house,” he said.
Téa held up her glow in the dark candy bucket. “Look how much I got Daddy. I gotta lot.”
He didn’t acknowledge Téa. He just stared coldly at Miki.
Miki grabbed Téa by the hand, “C’mon Téa so we can say bye to Auntie Maddie and Uncle Gary.”
Miki was surprised that Redd wasn’t trying to put his hands on her when they go to the house. He was just a control freak and wanted to control her every move. If he felt like she should be in the house by a specific time, then that’s what he wanted to see.
While Redd was in the bathroom his cell phone rang. Miki looked at the screen and it was from a private number. Redd called from the bathroom. “Bring me my phone.”
The call ended but it started ringing back immediately. Again, private number. For the hell of it Miki answered it. “Hello?”
“Uhm…may I speak to Tanya?” a girl asked hesitantly.
Miki scoffed, “You don’t want Tanya. You want Redd. Here he go.”
“Didn’t I tell you to hand me my phone?” Redd said coming out of the bathroom.
Miki extended the phone out to him. “One of your hoes on the phone.”
Redd snatched the phone from her and cleared his line.
Miki sat down on the bed and began channel surfing. “I don’t even know why you continue to pretend as if I don’t know you ain’t fucking around.”
“Shut up, Miki. I ain’t tryna hear your shit tonight,” he said going to the closet.
“Where you going?” she asked.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Miki grew angry. “Redd, you came to my sister’s house to make me leave and come home; and now you’re about to leave back out.”
“Who said I was leaving at first? But I will now so I don’t have to hear this shit.”
Wryly, Miki laughed. “I wonder which one was that. Laila? It kinda sounded like Tamika.”
Redd came out of the closet and looked at Miki with his eyebrows deep in a furrow. “Let me ask you this, Miki. If it is another bitch, whatchu gon do about it?”
Miki didn’t answer. This was a trick question. No matter how she wanted to reply, it would be a loss either way. Her best bet was to be quiet.
“That’s what the fuck I thought,” he sneered. “Now shut the fuck up.”