Page 59 of Church Girl
Swiping a hand over my braids, I shift back a step and call out, “Come in.”
As if he never moved from the other side of the door, Malcolm opens it again, a sheepish grin on his face. Curiosity brightens the gaze he switches from me to Aaliyah then back to me.
“Sorry about that,” he says.
“Yeah, what I tell you about waiting for me to actually answer before coming in?”
He winces, but the smile still decorating his face ruins his remorse. “My bad, Von,” he repeats. “Believe me, I won’t forget that again.” He snickers.
Gritting my teeth, I glare at him. “What, Malcom? You came in here for a reason.”
“Right, right. The Wicked Bitch of the West Side is out in the lobby with G. You lucky I didn’t let her run back here like she tried to. That could’ve been...awkward.”
Fuck.
I got so wrapped up in Aaliyah, I’d momentarily forgotten Sheree was on her way here with Gia.
“Thanks, Malc. We’ll be right out.” With a nod, he leaves, closing the door behind him, and I turn to Aaliyah. “Aye—”
“Let’s go.” She jumps off the stool, setting the tablet down and damn near flying for the door. “I’ve missed Gia, and we don’t want to keep her waiting.”
Sighing, I swipe a hand down my face and over my beard. I shake my head. It’s a good thing I let her go because I apparently don’t know my head from my ass when it comes to her. I follow Aaliyah and catch up with her just as she reaches the doorway leading to the lobby. Grasping her upper arm, I slow her down. I’m not so in my head that I’ll allow her to walk out there to deal with my ex-wife unprotected. On a good day, Sheree is on some bullshit. Seeing as how I don’t know what the hell she’s going to be on today, I’m not taking any chances. And nothing in me believes she’ll keep it together just because Gia is with her.
I rub a hand over the back of my neck, feeling the dull throbbing of a headache coming on. Not an unusual reaction when having to deal with Sheree.
As soon as I step out, I spot Gia, and even the fact that her mother stands behind her doesn’t dim my joy at seeing her. It’s been three days since she’s been home, and I miss her every time she’s at Sheree’s house.
“Liyaaah!” Gia shrieks, sprinting toward Aaliyah. I reach out and put a hand on Aaliyah’s back to steady her as Gia crashes into her, hooking her arms around Aaliyah’s thighs. “I missed you!”
“Well, damn.” I snort. “I’m standing right here, and I’m just your daddy.”
“I missed you, too, Daddy.” She grins up at me, her pretty hazel eyes wide. “I just missed Liyah more.”
“Shawty, you don’t know nothing about loyalty.” I mug her and she laughs, and the sound reaches right into my chest and snatches up my heart like it stole something.
“Ahem.” Sheree clears her throat, and I glance over at my ex. Her narrowed gaze is fixed on my hand that’s still pressed to Aaliyah’s back. When she shifts her attention to me, I silently sigh at the anger simmering in the same hazel eyes she gave Gia.
“I take it you’re the nanny I’ve heard so much aboutfrom Gia,” she says to Aaliyah, although her glare doesn’t leave me.
“Yes, I’m Aaliyah Montgomery. It’s nice to finally meet you.” Smiling, Aaliyah steps forward despite Gia not letting her go.
She extends her hand toward Sheree, and after a hesitation that borders on rude and awkward, Sheree accepts Aaliyah’s hand, briefly shaking it then dropping it like her palm’s sticky with shit. She scrunches up her nose as if she smells it, too.
Irritation scratches at me. How is it that every day Sheree wakes up and chooses to be a bitch? And for no gotdamn reason. The shit’s gotta be exhausting, I know it is for me since I have to deal with it.
“Yes,finally.” Sheree’s lip curls up at the corner. “It’s only been weeks that you’ve been caring for my daughter. This should’ve happened before now. No offense, but it would’ve been nice to have been consulted about hiring you. She’s my daughter, so I should’ve had an opinion about who’s taking care of her.”
That irritation flares to a deep, burning anger. Sheree’s words were deliberately chosen, I have no doubt about that. And though I know she’s being petty as fuck, it doesn’t stop the pain from stabbing me in the chest.
It’s some shit. When she wants something from me, she’s our daughter. But when she’s pissed, Gia becomes her daughter.
The “get the fuck outta here with that” sits on my tongue like a live coal. A glance down at Gia keeps me from cursing her mother out, no matter how much her trifling, deceitful ass deserves it. Sheree doesn’t give a damn that our daughter has a front-row seat to the shit show she’s stirring, but I do.
Holding out my hand to Gia, I wait until she takes it then I walk her over to the front desk. “Baby girl, go with Malcolm for a few minutes, aight? I bought your favorite Pop-Tarts for you. Go have one, okay?” She could eat the sugary breakfast food any time of the day, she was that obsessed with them.
“Okay, Daddy.” Some of the joy has dimmed from her voice, and that has my hands itching to shake some sense into her mother.
I wait until Malcolm disappears into the back with Gia before turning and stalking back to Sheree. Thank God the lobby is free of clients because I don’t do drama, and that’s all my ex-wife is about.
