Page 36 of Certified Pressure 4
He took a slow breath and looked away, but I knew it wasn’t over. Kay’Lo was calm, but it was that type of calm that made me nervous. After almost a year of being together, I knew my nigga. I knew how loyal he was, and how protective he got when it came to me. I could already see it in his eyes that this wasn’t somethin’ he was just gon’ let slide.
I tried to act normal, and tried to smile when one of my cousins came over to say hey, but my mind was everywhere. The thing about black families was they could know exactly what happened to you and still pretend like it didn’t. That’s what they did with Darnell and his brothers. They knew what they did to me when I was a lil’ girl, but instead of callin’ the police, they called a family meetin’ and told me to forgive and move on. “That’s your uncle,” they said. “He didn’t mean it.”
A part of me wanted to believe they meant well, but that kind of hurt never really went away. You just learned to live with it. You smiled through holidays, kept your distance at barbecues, and told yourself you was fine even when you wasn’t. That was how I survived it.
But Kay’Lo wasn’t built like that.
He came from a family that actually loved each other out loud, a family built on loyalty, morals, and real principles. His people moved with pride, not secrets. They had money, but more than that, they had a bond that couldn’t be broken. If one person hurt, they all felt it. If somebody crossed one of them, it was up for whoever did it. His family didn’t sweep shit under the rug; they faced it, handled it, and stood together through it all.
Kay’Lo was raised on respect, protection, and accountability. That’s why he didn’t play about me or nobody he loved. When it came to the people he cared about, his heart was big, but his temper was dangerous. He wasn’t the type to talk about what he’d do; he’d just do it. And sittin’ here with my uncle in the same park, I could already tell that side of him was startin’ to surface.
He leaned forward and whispered in my ear, “You sure you want me to chill?”
“Yes,” I said quickly. “Please, baby.”
He nodded, but I could still feel the anger radiatin’ off him. His arm stayed around my waist, but his eyes kept movin’ toward that canopy where my uncle sat.
Sha’Nelle came over a few minutes later, drunk and loud again. “Toni, come take a shot with me!”
I smiled, tryna keep everything normal. “A’ight, let’s do it.” I looked at Kay’Lo. “You want one?”
He shook his head, his eyes still on Darnell. “I’m cool, baby. I need to stay alert.”
I knew then that this night wasn’t gon’ end easy. Kay’Lo had that look in his eyes that said he was fightin’ with himself not to react.
I touched his hand again, slid my thumb across his skin, and whispered, “Don’t let him take you there, please.”
He looked at me, his voice low and calm. “I hear you, baby,” he said, his eyes still locked in that direction. “But just know, I don’t let shit slide too long.”
I knew he was right, and I knew that kind of chill didn’t last long.
Even with the music blastin’ and the laughter floatin’ through the air, I could feel the tension hangin’ between us. It wasn’t loud or obvious, but it was there, sittin’ right in his chest while he watched my uncle from a distance.
I leaned back against him and tried to breathe, tellin’ myself this was just another family party, and just another day I had to survive. But deep down, I knew better.
Kay’Lo was too calm, and when a man like him went quiet, somethin’ was bound to happen next.
As the day went on me and Kay’Lo was still at the park chillin’, and watchin’ my people act a fool like always. The sun had started to slide down behind the trees, and the whole sky was that orange and purple mix that made everything look soft and warm. The music was still loud, smoke was floatin’ through the air from the grill, and a few people was playin’ spades under one of the pavilions. Kids had left with they parents hours ago, so now it was grown folks everywhere with red cups in they hands and somebody laughin’ too loud every other second.
Kay’Lo was behind me like always, his arm around my waist while I leaned against him. Wherever I went, he went. He was like my shadow, only taller, darker, and finer. He had his dark shades on even though the sun was goin’ down, and hisjewelry was hittin’ under the lights somebody strung up across the tables. Every time he moved, his watch caught the glow and sparkled. Some of my cousins kept lookin’, and I could feel it, but I ain’t give a fuck. I was used to bitches starin’ when I was with him.
Sha’Nelle was sittin’ across from me, sippin’ from her red cup and smilin’. “I still can’t believe you out here spoilin’ me like this, cousin. You really flew in for my birthday?”
“Girl,” I said, leanin’ forward to clink my cup against hers. “You know I had to show up for you. Me and Kay’Lo been out here a few days, stayin’ at this nice ass Airbnb over there in them Oak Pointe subdivision. It’s got this big ass pool and a whole backyard grill set up. You gon’ have to pull up before we leave.”
“Shit, don’t tempt me,” she laughed.
I didn’t notice the way Darnell and his son Deuce was close enough to hear us. I was too busy enjoyin’ the music, and feelin’ Kay’Lo’s arm tighten around my waist like he was lettin’ everybody know I was his.
Out the corner of my eye, I saw Darnell walkin’ over. My body tensed without me even realizin’ it, but I didn’t move. Kay’Lo felt it though. His hand on my hip got heavier with that quiet protective thing he did whenever he sensed somethin’ was off.
Deuce was right behind Darnell, lookin’ around with that slick smirk like he was too cool for everything.
Darnell stopped in front of us, his face too calm for me. “Toni,” he said with that fake ass smile. “How you been, girl?”
I swallowed hard but forced a smile. “I been good.”
Kay’Lo ain’t say nothin’. He didn’t even look his way. His hand stayed on my hip, his other one restin’ in his pocket, and that silence made Darnell look at him longer than he should have.
