Chapter 85: Up in Flames

 

Nicki

I walked back into my bedroom in the morning and was shock to find Aubrey still here. He’s usually long gone by now. “What are you doing still here?” I questioned.

“Mylan was sleeping and I didn’t want to wake her to watch Levi. He already ate and he’s working on his alphabets in the living room,” he put on his tie.

“Oh thanks I guess,” I said. It was just so awkward between us.

“It’s my job. I’m their father,” he shrugged and grabbed his keys before leaving. I went and checked on Mylan. I opened her door and she was on her bed writing something.

“Hey sweetie,” I smiled slightly.

“Hi Mom,” she returned the smile.

“How are you feeling?” I questioned. She seemed a lot happier so that’s good. I don’t know what she talked about with Nae but I’m thankful that she opened up.

“I’m feeling great and I really mean that. Auntie Nae said I could drop by Auntie Mere’s house later. Can I go?” She looked at me.

“Of course you can. I’m having the girls over but right after that I can take you since your car is in the shop,” I nodded.

“Thanks,” she smiled. I went downstairs and saw Levi staring intensively at his paper. I walked over and saw him slowly copying the dotted lines with a pencil in his left hand.

“How’s it going baby?” I rubbed his hair.                  

“This is a B,” he pointed to the paper.

“It sure is baby,” I smiled proudly.

“Daddy said that this is uppercase,” he said.

“Daddy is right,” I looked as he traced the C. I’ve never seen Levi so focused on the alphabets. Usually he gets bored and wants to do something else but he was studying the letters and copying them perfectly. Well, as perfect as a three year old could.

~~~

“How’s everything going dealing with Shad?” Ciara asked Cassie.

“We don’t really have problems anymore. It’s just trying to get the timing right with when the kids go by him,” she shrugged.

“How’s that thing you call a fuck buddy?” Paris glanced at Blake.

“I’ll see her tonight so I can tell you tomorrow since you want to know,” she gave a sarcastic smile. “Y’all are lucky she forgave me after you guys decided to tell her everything,” she glared at us for a second.

“You should’ve told her about Nae and Mere,” Paris shrugged. I tensed up at the sound of their names together. Paris eyed me but kept quiet. I knew she was thinking something but I couldn’t tell what it was.

“How are you?” Jessi spoke up.

“So much has happened over the last few days. There’s so much drama and a lot of shit I have to work through. My family is pretty fucked up at the moment thanks to the last year. I don’t know why things have to be so complicated right now. Everything was perfect a year ago but I should’ve known that it wasn’t gonna last,” I sighed.

“So how’s Mylan?” Cassie asked.

“She’s much better,” I smiled slightly. She’s been smiling so much more and it’s a nice sight to see. I really need to thank Nae.

“What changed?” Ciara looked over at me.

“Um Mere talked to her,” I tried to think of a lie and that sounded good enough.

“She’s back in town?” Jessi questioned.

“Yeah she just got back to see My in the hospital,” I nodded.

“Since when could she relate to My?” Blake eyed me a little suspiciously. Of course Blake would be the one to say that. She knew Mere but hopefully she would just drop it.

“She just could,” I shrugged.

“So how are you and Drake?” Paris changed the subject sensing my discomfort. I think she could tell that it had something to do with Nae and she didn’t want to get into that with Blake here.

“We haven’t really talked about our marriage. I’m still pissed at him but we do need to talk,” I was dreading that conversation. Levi ran into the living room and hopped in my lap. “What do you need baby?” I asked him. He bounced in my arms excitedly.

“Can we see Auntie Nae!?” My eyes went wide. I couldn’t believe that he just said that in front of the girls.

“Did he just say Nae?” Jessi asked as everyone looked at Levi. He nodded as I tried to keep him still.

“I found my graduation stuff and I was going through it with him. Um Levi don’t you have Brayden to play with?” I needed him to go right now. Last thing I needed was for Blake to know where Nae was.

“But I wanna see Auntie Nae with Auntie Mere,” he pouted. And there goes the bomb in the room. I closed my eyes for a second. Why did he have to remember that?

“Did he just say Nae with Mere?” Blake cut her eyes at me.

“Here we go,” Paris mumbled.

“No I seriously don’t know what he’s talking about. Go upstairs Levi,” I snapped and he ran upstairs. Blake didn’t break her stare on me and I tried to play it off.

“I swear Nicki you better not lie to me. Where is Nae? Is she at Mere’s house?” Blake looked pissed as hell. Her being pissed plus her not being herself equals shit going down.

“Calm down,” Ciara told her but she just ignored her.

“Answer the question Onika,” she looked angry but also hurt. I slowly nodded and she shot up and grabbed her keys.

“Blakelynn!” I shouted after her but she was already gone. “Great,” I sighed.

“Why would Nae be with Mere?” Jessi looked at me.

“I don’t even know that,” I said truthfully.

“I knew Mere was talking to Nae,” Paris admitted.

“Did you overhear her or did she tell you?” I questioned.

“I just had this gut feeling. The things she would say over the phone added up in my head. I just didn’t want to be right because of what’s about to happen,” she motioned to the door.

“Nae with Mere?” Cassie scrunched up her brows.

“I know weird right?” Ciara shook her head.

“This is gonna be hilarious,” Jessi chuckled.

 

Cassie

I dropped the kids off by Shad and was about to walk away but I felt him grab my elbow. “What do you want Shad?” I crossed my arms. Him grabbing my elbow just brings back all of the memories of us together. I still don’t get why he always grabs it.

“Look Cass can you drop the attitude for five minutes?” He looked at me.

“What do you want?” I dropped my arms.

“I was wondering what we are gonna do about the kids’ birthday,” he said. Alexis and Brayden surprisingly share the same birthday. Alexis didn’t mind sharing her birthday with her brother so we’ve always combined their parties.

“I don’t know,” I sighed. I haven’t even thought about it. I had so much more on my plate to worry about. I can’t believe that it slipped my mind.

“You wanna come in and brainstorm with me?” He offered. I eyed him questionably before raising an eyebrow. “I promise that there are no ulterior motives. I just really want this birthday to be big. She’s turning nine and he’s turning three,” he held his hands up in surrender.

“Fine,” I gave in and walked in the house. “I can only stay an hour. I have to meet up with Kyle,” I told him.

“Your perfect little husband,” he muttered. I tried not to laugh at his jealousy but it was hard.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you jealous,” I chuckled.

“Then you must have not paid attention these last three years. I envy that he has you and our kids every day at home. I wish I was him sometimes,” he shrugged. I didn’t know what to say so I just kept quiet for a minute.

“So I was thinking about a beach party,” I changed the subject.      

Blake

I was so beyond pissed at Nicki, Nae, and especially Mere. She knew where Nae was this whole time!? I pulled up to her house and knocked on the door. Mere opened the door and her eyes went wide. “Blakelynn what are you doing here?” She looked behind her before looking back at me.

“I know she’s here,” I cut my eyes at her.

“It was Levi wasn’t it?” Mere groaned.

“I want to see her,” I said slowly but my voice was filled with anger.

“Blake I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Mere sighed.

“How are you gonna keep in touch with my ex and know where she was this whole time? I came crying to you and you told me that you knew absolutely nothing! How could you lie to me!?” I yelled at her.

“I couldn’t tell you,” she shook her head.

“What happened to no secrets between us? We’ve never held anything back and you kept something as big as this away from me!? I trusted you!” I couldn’t believe that Mere would do this to me.

“It’s complicated Blake and I wanted to tell you,” she started but I cut her off.

“Then why didn’t you!?” I snapped.

“It wasn’t my place to tell you. I made a promise to her and I had to keep it,” she ran her hand through her hair.

“Since when are you even cool with her? You didn’t like her.” This entire situation is fucked up. My ex kept in touch with my other ex. That sentence is just fucked up by itself.

“I wish I could answer your questions I really do but I can’t. You know that I would never lie to you unless it was something that you really didn’t need to know,” she assured me.

“I need to see her.” I wanted answers and she was the only one who could give them to me.

“Blakelynn,” she looked at me. I knew that she had a hard time saying no to me. I’ve used that against her many of times before leading into her not talking to me but that doesn’t matter right now. I just needed to talk to Nae.

“I wanna make love in this club.” Mere and I looked behind her and saw Nae singing with her headphones in her ears and a bowl of ice cream in her hand. She was dancing around until she turned and saw me. Her bowl almost dropped as she looked at me in shock. “Levi?” She looked towards Mere and she nodded. Nae groaned and took a spoonful of her ice cream. “Let her in,” she shrugged. She took her headphones out as Mere let me in.

“I’ll go upstairs,” she disappeared upstairs as I stared at Nae. She looked at me before eating more of her ice cream.

“Hi,” she said as she tossed her phone on the couch.

“You leave for year and don’t tell anyone where you are. Then I find out Mere knew where you where this whole time and she lied straight to my face. Now you’re back and I had to find out from a three year old and all you have to say to me is hi!?” I was trying to control my anger but it was hard.

“How are you?” She scrunched up her face.

Mylan

“And then they were like Auntie Nae,” Levi bucked his eyes out.

“Why would you say that in front of all of them?” I questioned him.

“I wanna see Auntie Mere and Auntie Nae,” he shrugged with a slight pout on his face.

“Mylan,” Mom walked into my room. I looked up and she had this weird look on her face. “I don’t think it would be best to go to Auntie Nae’s today,” she spoke.

“I figured,” I nodded. I heard what was yelled downstairs. Cousin Blake sounded pissed and I could understand why.

“How?”

“Levi told me and I heard Cousin Blake talking to y’all. My vent picks up everything,” I shrugged.

“That’s how you stay up in our business,” she connected the dots.

“I have other ways,” I used Alexis from time to time. I talked to Mom for a bit before she grabbed Levi and went to get him some food. I heard another knock at my door and thought that she might have forgotten to tell me something. “Come in,” I called out. I looked up and saw my father walk in. “What do you want?” I crossed my arms.

“I just want to talk Mylan,” he sighed.

“You’ve done enough talking to last me a lifetime,” I shook my head.

“I know you have every right to be mad at me but I’m trying to make things right again.”

“It’s too late. I’m gonna graduate soon and you don’t have to be bothered with me again. If you and Mom get a divorce then you can act like you never had a daughter. I’m completely fine with that because I’ll do the same,” I offered.

“Mylan that’s not what I want,” he tried but I shook my head.

“It’s what I want. I have to go next door. I promised Nyra I would help her in Algebra,” I grabbed my phone and left my room. I was so done with him.

Drake

I was about to leave her room but I knocked my foot against something. I looked down and saw that I knocked over a box. I was gonna pick the things up but I realized that there were blades, lighters, and pills. I put the stuff back in the box and took it with me. She’s not about to get started in that again. She already hates me so I don’t think doing this would make a difference. I walked into the bedroom and saw Nicki sitting on the bed. “Are you just gonna act like I’m not here?” I asked her after a minute of silence.

“I’m not acting like you’re not here, I just have nothing left to say to you,” she told me but didn’t look at me once. I felt like I was slowly losing everyone.

“I wanna fix this.” I couldn’t have her leave me and take my kids with her.

“I don’t know if that’s possible anymore,” she sighed.

“I’m trying to do everything you’ve been telling me to do all of this time. I’m here more often but it seems like you’re always out,” I pointed out.

“Don’t you dare try to flip the script on me. You think just because you’re doing all of this now I’m supposed to forget about this past year? You think just being here for a couple more hours a day makes up for all of that?” She crossed her arms and glared at me.

“I’m not saying it’s gonna make up for it but how can I when you won’t even talk to me? How can I try to make things right when you’re not giving me the opportunity to?”

“I gave you the opportunity so many times. It took us losing a child to make you open your eyes. You think that I’m supposed to be happy about that? None of this would’ve happened if you didn’t have your head so far stuck up your dumb ass job,” she muttered.

“I admit that I was wrong with wrapping myself in my job but Onika you have to see this from my perspective. I truly didn’t think I was affecting you guys like that. I thought everything was fine and I swear that if I would’ve known that things would’ve turned out like this then I wouldn’t have done the expansion,” I tried to reason with her.

“But you did.”

“Just give me another chance,” I pleaded.  

“I’m sick of the chances Aubrey. I’m so sick of going through this time after time with you. I’m almost at my breaking point and I can’t take this anymore. Our family can’t take this anymore. Do you even realize what your actions caused to this family? Look at us Aubrey! I’ve lost a kid and we almost lost Mylan. Is this the kind of family you want!? Just give me space,” she got up and stormed out of the room.

 

 

 

Nicki

I was so annoyed with Aubrey and this situation is just giving me a huge headache. I hopped into his car and he pulled off. “What happened now?”

“I just told him to give me some space. I can’t be around him right now,” I sighed.

“How is he gonna give you space when y’all live together?” He chuckled slightly. I scrunched up my brows at that question. I never really thought about it.

“Maybe we should separate,” I spoke my thoughts.

“Whoa Nic I didn’t mean for you to be thinking about that. It was just a question,” he pulled up to his house.

“It was a good question and maybe it’s a good idea to separate at this point. I mean why would I want to be around him?” I sat back and looked at him.

“Maybe y’all should talk about this together first,” he suggested.

“I’ll talk to him.”

“A separation is one step away from a divorce. Just think about what you’re doing Onika.” He turned and locked his eyes with mine.

“I still don’t get why you’re trying to help me save my marriage. Maybe this happened for a reason,” I shrugged.

“What happened?”

“You and I getting close again. I don’t know what this is but I like it a lot more than my marriage,” I admitted. He stared at me for a second and I could tell that he was wondering if I was serious or not. “Come on,” I opened the car door and walked up to his house. I used my key and walked in with him right behind me. A separation is looking real good right now. Maybe that’s exactly what I need to do.