Page 29 of Through Treacherous Weather
“Don’t insult me.”
Wise extended the envelope toward him, and he took it. He had tried to turn it down, but if Wise insisted, he would damn sure take it. He had a daughter to take care of. Shit, he might have two daughters to take care of. In the car, he counted the money. Wise had given him $20,000 for the information. Not to mention, what he would owe him when the job was done. Esco was going to split the money with the person that got the information about Broskie and Orlando to him. He was relieved that Fatima hadn’t told Wise what happened. In the event that she didn’t spill the beans, and she let him come back to work in two days, he’d be sure to apologize to her for letting personal shit get in the way of his professionalism. He couldn’t even be mad at her for calling Sophie an addict. That was exactly what she was. A lying ass addict.
Prayerfully, Shai’Ann wasn’t his, and she could stay with the man that raised her. Esco had no desire to come between Grey and Shai’Ann. He also didn’t want to have to deal with having another child who he missed a year and a half with. Esco arrived at his mother’s house to get Star, and when he walked inside and saw Star sitting in Sophie’s lap, Esco became so enraged that he had to turn around and walk back outside.
Sophie’s visits were rare but every time she decided to show face it made Star’s day. He would never walk in and ruin that no matter how much he despised Sophie in that moment. Esco leaned up against his SUV and attempted to calm himself down. He’d let Sophie sell Star dreams and make her happy. Star was the only thing keeping him from cursing her out and calling her everything but a child of God.
Esco had been outside for fifteen minutes when Sophie came out of the house. He wasn’t sure how long she’d been at his mother’s house, but she smelled of soap. She was clean and had on clean clothes. She was thinner than she’d ever been, but when she was dressed decent and clean with moisturized hair, he could look at her and see the Sophie that he’d fallen in love with.
“I only have a few minutes before she’s going to finish in the bathroom and come running out here. I’m sorry, Esco. I swear to God I’m sorry.” Tears that didn’t move him filled her eyes. “I needed money. Grey was a nice guy, but I never loved him. I barely knew him. You took care of the house and me and Star. I didn’t want to keep using your money to get high.”
“Aren’t I lucky you’re so fuckin’ thoughtful?” he scoffed.
Wringing her hands together, Sophie licked at a tear that ran into her mouth. “I wasn’t thinking. None of it was personal or intentional. I just wanted drugs. I felt so bad when I didn’t have money to get high. I had already left by the time I found out I was pregnant, and I honestly didn’t know which one of you was the father. I had already left Star with you. I couldn’t do that.”
“Again. I’m a lucky fuckin’ guy. I fell in love with an addict. An addict that hides pregnancies and walks out on her kids. I sure know how to pick ‘em.”
“You have every right to be mad at me. I know you already hate me. All I can do is apologize. Shai’Ann looks just like Star, and Star looks just like you. I know she’s yours, and it’s going to break Grey’s heart. I’m a fuck up. Maybe I’m better off dead.”
“If you want to kill yourself that’s on you. I hate when instead of holding themselves accountable, muhfuckas start that suicide talk to get sympathy. You aren’t shit for what you did. Being addicted to drugs doesn’t give you free reign to be a shitty ass person. Say goodbye to Star. I’m about to take her home. I don’t have shit else to say to you.”
Sophie used the back of her hand to wipe her tears as Star ran out of the house. Esco knew she wasn’t going to be ready to leave Sophie and when she had to, she was going to cry and be sad. Another thing for him to be pissed off about. As much as he wanted Star to be happy, he almost wished that Sophie would just stay away rather than popping in and out every few months building Star up only to tear her down again.
Esco left Star with Sophie while he went inside his mother’s house to get Star’s things.
“You alright?” his mother knew how seeing Sophie usually made her son feel, and she was concerned.
“I’m far from alright. It seems when Sophie left me and Star, she was pregnant. She cheated on me with another man, and that man told me today that he’s been raising the little girl for the past fifteen months, and he doesn’t know if she’s his.”
His mother’s jaw slacked. “Oh my God, are you serious?”
“As a heart attack. I don’t even want to see her face right now, and she knows that. She chooses this day to visit Star. Sophie likes to play games. I hope she doesn’t think I’m above cursing her ass out.”
“I can’t believe her,” his mother sat down slowly. “This is a lot. Are you going to take a paternity test?”
“Yes. And if she’s mine, I’ll be raising two kids alone rather than one. A child that I didn’t even have time to prepare for.” He didn’t see how women did it. The mere thought of another toddler had him nervous.
“You know there’s nothing I won’t do to help you. If the child is yours, I’ll help you out anyway I can. I never had a daughter, so I love spending time with Star. You never have to ask for her to come visit me or spend a few nights with me, and it will be the same with the next one.”
“I appreciate you, ma.” Support systems made all the difference in the world. Maybe if Sophie would have had a better support system, she would have been able to push through what happened to her without becoming addicted to drugs. Her mother wasn’t shit, and her grandmother would only say or do so much when it came to her daughter. He was the only one that Sophie really had in her corner for a while, and he clearly wasn’t enough.
“I know it’s hard not to be angry with her. Very hard. And I’m not saying give her passes because she’s addicted to drugs, but just have a little bit of grace. You know before she got out there like that, Sophie was a very good girl.”
Esco gave a simple head nod before hugging his mother and leaving. Everything she had just said was information that he already knew. Things he’d told himself time and time again to keep from being upset with her but this time, he was going to allow himself to be pissed. Fuck Sophie and fuck her addiction. She wasn’t getting any more passes from him. She had better be glad that he loved Star more than he despised her, because he was real close to telling her she couldn’t see Star again. She didn’t know any better, and she loved her mother. But he knew that sooner or later, Sophie was going to start disappointingStar more and more and there would be times that he would be tempted to put a bullet in her because he’d be damned if she broke Star the way she broke him.
Heiress opened the door with a wide smile on her face. “Fatima, boo,” she squealed while rushing toward her friend to hug her.
Fatima had hit Heiress up and told her she was in Miami with Winter because there was a boutique that Winter wanted to browse for wedding gowns in. Fatima acted as if nothing was wrong, and she had no clue about what Heiress had done. After telling her that she’d be in town for two days and she wanted to see her, Heiress told Fatima she could come over when she got off work.
Heiress had just moved, and when Fatima entered her building, she received clue number one of why her friend was out there living foul and risking her life and the lives of those around her to rob niggas. Heiress liked nice things, and there wasn’t anything wrong with that, but she was going about getting them the wrong way. Stealing people’s watches, robbing niggas. The lobby alone made Fatima aware that however much the rent was, Heiress couldn’t afford it off her salary, college degree or not.
Once Fatima crossed the threshold, she did a quick appraisal of the area and surmised that the $28,000 she stole more than likely went toward moving in and decorating the place. Fatima was aware that everyone wasn’t her, but $28,000 really wasn’t shit. Especially when rent was more than likely over $3,000 amonth. That money would go fast, and then what would she do? Find more men to rob?
“I love your place,” Fatima looked around with admiration. “This is gorgeous!”
“Thank you,” Heiress beamed. “You know I fell in love with your condo, and I had to get one. I’m about to be working my ass off to pay for it, but I don’t even care. Waking up every morning to this view makes me feel like that bitch.” Heiress ran her tongue across her teeth.
Fatima snapped her fingers. “Dang. I closed the door, and my people are outside.”
