Page 50 of This: Blake & Emon

“She doesn’t want us,” he repeated for what felt like the tenth time. Jaques had been enjoying this time with Emon and his family. These had been the best two weeks he and his sisters had. They had good food, a bed, clothes that fit, and peace. He didn’t want that to be a memory.

Emon reached out, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Then you still got me and Blake. You got my mama. We got y’all.”

He finally nodded, the fight draining from his stance. “Okay.”

“Alright,” Emon said, giving his shoulder a firm squeeze before straightening up. “Let’s go see what she got to say, but first, we gotta stop and get some food.”

Jacques smirked slightly despite himself, and Emon gave him a small grin. Emon was conflicted. He wanted to take the kids himself, but he knew that would be an adjustment. He didn’t know how to go about it. Blake was fire hot with Pilar. He’d had to calm her down every day since the incident. Blake was ready to knock that ho’s head loose, hoping it had the opposite effect. Maybe it knocked the dizziness out of her.

Emon decided to call her to let her know that he was finally going to take Jacques to see if she was home, but that conversation didn’t go how he planned.

“Bae, you’re really taking Jacques to see that woman? Fuck her,” Blake’s voice came through the car’s Bluetooth, sharp and incredulous. He quickly took her off the Bluetooth, not wanting Ja to hear what she would say. It was still the boy’s mama at the end of the day and Blake had been talking reckless for days.

“Yeah,” Emon said calmly, glancing at Jacques in the passenger seat. “She don’t even know where they at, Blake. That ain’t right, no matter how trash she is. I ain’t tryna get my mama in no shit. I won’t hear the end of.”

Blake scoffed. “Trash is putting it lightly. She abandoned them, Emon. Left them to fend for themselves, and now you’re about to give her the time of day? She doesn’t deserve it. Probably don’t even want it. Fuck her, like I said.”

Emon sighed, massaging his temple. He could see her now rolling her neck with her face twisted, and that clapping shit she did. “I ain’t doing it for her. I’m doing it for them. They need to know where they stand, even if the answer’s ugly.”

“You better than me,” Blake muttered. “I’d be cussing her out the second I saw her face and asking that ho how she wanted her ass beat. This way? That way? The long way? Or the strong way?”

“Bae, you crazy ass hell. Shit kinda cute,” Emon said with a smirk. “Right now, I just need to make sure she knows her kids are with us and find out what she on moving forward. I’ll move differently after I find that out.”

“Ok, fine.”

“Ok, I’ll hit you with updates. Love you.”

“Love you too and be careful.”

Emon had made his mind up. He was going to figure something out because maybe his mom didn’t mind taking them in. He couldn’t decide for her. He’d speak to her about it after this.

The car idled outside a run-down house that sat on the corner of Eastland and Stick Street. He’d passed by this house plenty of times on his way to the pantry. Emon drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, glancing at Jacques in the passenger seat. He sat stiffly, his hands balled into fists, his jaw tight.

“You ready?” Emon asked, keeping his voice steady.

Jacques hesitated, his gaze locked on the house. “She don’t care, Emon. I don’t even know why we’re here.”

“Because this ain’t about her,” Emon replied firmly. “This is about you and your sisters. We men, right?”

“Yeah, we men.”

“Ok, and men stand tall and face it all, right?”

“Right.”

“Let’s go.”

They stepped out of the car, the walk seemingly a mile away. When they made it, Emon knocked hard on the door, his knuckles echoing against the wood. After a long moment, the door opened a crack, revealing a high and disheveled Pilar. Her expression was a mix of annoyance and confusion as she looked them over.

“What you want?” she asked, her tone sharp.

“You Pilar?” Emon asked, his voice calm but laced with distaste.

“Yeah. Who’s asking?”

“I’m Emon,” he said, stepping forward slightly. “Your kids been staying with my mama for the past two weeks. They needed food and things snowballed from there. Can we come in?”

Her eyes narrowed as she focused on Jacques, her brows furrowing. She opened the door some more, allowing it to swing wide open. “That’s where the hell y’all been. I told y’all not to leave this house.”

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