Page 14 of Love Me Now: Adrian & Kwamé
“Ya gut tellin’ you some shit is off?” he questioned.
“Yes.”
“Well, if it’ll make you feel better, we can go see her tomorrow. Cool?”
Smiling hard, I kissed Adrian’s beard-covered chin. “Thank you, baby.” Ari wasn’t good at hiding things from me, and I was sure something was wrong. Going to see her tomorrow would put me at ease. Until then, I chewed my bottom lip with worry.
CHAPTER 6
ADRIAN
Aspromised,wewereon the road to go to Atlanta. Ari didn’t call Kwamé back this morning, and when Kwamé attempted to call Ari, she didn’t answer. After Ari didn’t answer, Kwamé called Ari’s sister, which only left Kwamé more worried than before.
We left Jessie with my parents and hit the road first thing this morning. As soon as we hit the city, Kwamé’s worry amplified. There wasn’t a single call back. Shit, I was even concerned.
An hour later, we pulled up to Ari’s house. Two cars were in the driveway, but when I knocked on the door, there was noanswer. Russ climbed out of his truck and went around back to check to see if he could get inside.
“I’m scared, Adrian.” Kwamé’s fingers trembled as she dialed Ari’s phone again, still with no answer. Russ came back from around the house.
“There’s no one in there,” he said
“Excuse me!” A Black lady across the street waved at us, then came across the street.
“Mrs. Gerald, have you seen Ari?” Kwamé asked her.
Mrs. Gerald seemed sad when she said, “She got arrested last night.”
“What?” Kwamé shrieked.
Mrs. Gerald nodded her head. “Mm, hm. She was fighting some girls and next thing you know, we hear gunshots.”
Kwamé burst into tears which, of course, sent me over the edge.
“Thanks, Mrs. Gerald,” I said.
“I’ll see what jail she’s at,” Russ offered.
I took Kwamé back to the car and got her situated. “Calm down, baby. Everything’s gon’ be okay.”
“What the hell? Carli isn’t even answering the phone. Why didn’t anyone call me?”
“As soon as Russ finds Ari, we’re goin’ to get her, aight?”
She nodded and wiped her tears. “She shouldn’t even be fighting while she’s pregnant.”
“I know, baby.” I kissed her lips and stood to see if Russ had Ari’s location. He threw his head up, hopped in his truck, then motioned for me to follow him.
Twenty minutes later, we arrived at the precinct where I found out Ari’s charges. Assault with a deadly weapon carried stiff penalties. Her bond was set this morning, but no one had come to bail her out. Not even her nigga. It took nothing for me to get a bail bondsman on the line. Until my girl saw Ari’s face, shewasn’t going to calm down. Dropping fifty-grand to get Ari out wasn’t shit to me.
While we waited for Ari to be released, I went on social media to see where the hell her niggas was. That nigga was flaw as fuck for letting his girl sit in jail. Seeing Rod posting about everything except the fact that his pregnant woman was in jail rubbed me the wrong way. I was going to punch that nigga in his shit the first time I got the chance.
An hour later, Ari emerged from the exit. She looked tired and wobbled a little because her belly had grown tremendously since we saw her a few weeks ago. Kwamé ran up to Ari, and they embraced as Ari cried on her shoulder. I wouldn’t lie, that shit hit me in my chest to see my lady sad as fuck.
“We can talk when we get back to your place,” Kwamé said. Ari wiped her tears and nodded. Russ led Ari to his truck, then helped her inside the passenger seat. He looked about as bothered as I felt.
Another hour later, after Ari had showered and changed, she joined Kwamé on her living room couch. Russ appeared from the kitchen holding a plate in one hand and a water in the other. He placed the plate holding a turkey, lettuce, and tomato sandwich and a bag of chips onto Ari’s lap. He sat the water on the end table.
“Thank you, Russ,” she mumbled.
