Page 29 of Fever: Love In Scrubs

“How about call her? Ask to see her more. Forget the court order, if you wanted to see her and asked, I would make it happen.”

“You are the reason this happened?—”

“No, that’s on you. If you came here to argue and ruin our child’s birthday, you can leave.”

She glared at me, then looked over to a quiet Jamari. I could tell she swallowed every ounce of her pride before she spoke.

“I’m… sorry, Jamari,” she said.

Jamari turned to me. “Can I go back to skate now?”

I nodded. “Go on. I’ll take this.”

I took the bag from her hand, and she didn’t waste any time going back on the floor.

The first person she found was Wynter, who was slowly skating around the rink.

When she got to her, I could tell she was crying.

Wynter cupped her face and spoke softly to her, before kissing her forehead and pulling her into a hug.

Dela scoffed. “You got her playing mommy to my child, Jaxson?”

“Again with this shit. She’s not playing anything. She loves Jamari and Jamari loves her. You can’t be mad that another woman is pouring love into the child you gave birth to when you don’t.”

“I love Jamari?—”

“Then act like it.”

I skated away from her and went to put the gift on the gift table.

Dela stood there for a moment before coming in the same direction.

Before she could say anything else to me, I headed back onto the floor to catch up with my girls.

I couldn’t feel sorry for her, and I didn’t. She brought this on herself.

We skated around for a bit longer before the kids started complaining about being hungry.

My family went all out with bringing food for the party.

We called the kids off the floor so they could eat.

Wynter was seated with my mom, Asia, Ms. Kira, Tikayla and Stacey, all of them laughing and talking.

Dela stood off to the side with her arms folded and a mean mug on her face as she glared at my sister and Stacey.

She’d always been bitter that Stacey chose to end their friendship but still came around the family from time to time.

Stacey was rubbing that shit in her face by being friendly with Wynter and I knew she wanted to get back at Asia for kicking her in the face.

Johnathan stood nearby, seemingly observing, but he was really watching his wife.

Every time she looked at him, he gave her a look that said “don’t start your shit in here. ”

I walked over to the table and leaned in to Wynter. “You hungry?”

“Yes. I was just about to make me a plate.”

“I got you, love.”

“I can fix?—”

“What did I say, woman?”

She blushed, raising her hands in mock surrender. “Fine. Can I have a little of everything? It all smells so good.”

“Coming right up. Ma, Ms. Kira. Y’all want something?”

“I’ve got your mother,” my father said, walking up. He kissed her cheek before heading over to the food table.

“Ms. Kira?” I asked.

“A little of everything, baby.”

Asia looked back at her husband and smiled, making him roll his eyes.

“I’ve got you, mama.”

She giggled and blew him a kiss. “That’s why I married you!”

He chuckled as we headed for the food table. Stacey and Tikayla got up to follow us.

“I’m gonna smack your ex-wife if she keeps giving me dirty looks, Jaxson,” Stacey warned.”

Tikayla snorted. “Not if I smack that bitch first. She’s got one more time to look at my cousin wrong and she’s gonna get a good ol’ ass whupping.”

I shook my head. “Y’all, just ignore her. She’s salty as hell right now. Don’t feed her energy.”

I looked over to see Dela pull a water bottle from her purse and take a long swig of it.

The anger in her face seemed to intensify with every gulp she took.

Capping it, she took a seat on the wall bench closest to where my mother, Wynter, and Ms. Kira sat and crossed her arms. My mother shot her a look that had her pulling out her phone and pretending to be busy with it.

I shook my head.

After fixing Wynter and Ms. Kira’s plates, I carried it back over to them and went to get drinks.

Dela was taking another long swig of her water bottle and staring a hole in the back of Wynter’s head.

After delivering the drinks, I pulled up a chair and took a seat beside my woman.

Dela laughed to herself and shook her head.

“This is comical,” she muttered. “Yes, please protect your woman.”

Wynter looked at me. “Jaxson… baby, I swear to God.”

“Ignore her,” I said, gently rubbing her back.

“That lil’ girl got a problem with my niece?” Ms. Kira asked.

“She has a problem period,” Stacey answered.

“Bitch, don’t speak on me,” Dela snapped.

Stacey laughed, but there was nothing funny. “You don’t wanna do this, Dela. I owe you one, baby.”

“Yeah. Yeah you do. How are you supposed to be my friend and ditch me for my husband?”

“I see delusional is one of those problems,” Stacey muttered, ignoring her.

“I always knew you wanted my man,” Dela said, taking another sip of the water bottle.

When she stood and stumbled a little, my brows knitted together.

“Are you drinking?” I asked, standing.

When she didn’t answer, I snatched the water bottle from her and twisted off the cap. There was nothing inside but pure vodka.

“What the fuck, Dela?” I said in a loud whisper. “You show up late and starting shit and now you’re drunk? At your daughter’s party?”

She tried to snatch the bottle from me, but I tossed it in the nearby trash.

“You need to leave.”

“I’m not going anywhere. You wanted me here so bad, here I am.”

She sat down with a smirk on her face. I glared down at her ready to snatch her up, but I wouldn’t do that in front of my daughter.

“You wanna hit me, don’t you?” she taunted. “Or maybe you want to get your bitch ass sister to jump me again.”

“Bitch, you ain’t see jumping yet,” Asia said, standing up. “I gave you a fair one and you didn’t fight back. We can take this outside right now.”

My mother snatched her back. “Sit. Down.”

“Mommy—”

“Sit.”

“Listen to Mommy, Asia,” Dela sang.

“My God, you are pathetic,” Stacey said, standing. “Jaxson won’t hit you and my mama ain’t here to tell me to sit down. Bring your ass outside, Amandela.”

Amandela laughed loud and hearty, making everyone look at her.

“And you talk about me ruining our daughter’s birthday? Look at the trash you let in around her.”

“This is ridiculous,” Wynter said, standing. “These kids don’t need to see this shit.”

She started to walk away with her aunt, and cousin behind her.

“Oh, she’s so concerned!” Dela said, dramatically waving her hands.

Wynter turned back and walked over to her. “ You should be concerned with how disgusting you’re acting right now. Why would you bother to show up here, then get drunk and act a damn fool. This is a child’s birthday party.”

“Bitch, that’s my child. She came outta my pussy.”

“And that doesn’t make you a mother! That child cries all the time about the way you treat her.

I’ve held her and wiped her tears because you’ve continued to break her heart.

You have a beautiful little girl and all you do is make her feel like she’s inadequate and doesn’t belong in your life.

Do you know how that makes her feel? What that does to her self-esteem? ”

“Where is your child? Until you can have a baby, you don’t get to tell me how to handle mine.”

“The problem is you aren’t handling shit. You are the problem!”

Dela tried to jump at her, but I snatched her back. Tikayla sprang from her seat and Asia was behind her.

“I wish you would touch my cousin,” Tikayla said in a threatening tone.

“What are you gonna do, ghetto Barbie?” Dela asked, trying to get away from me.

“You gotta go,” I said, walking her backward.

“I’m not going any fucking where!” she screamed. “Why are you playing house with this fat bitch? Got her thinking she has some say in what goes on with my child? You fucking her that good, Jaxson?”

“Just leave!” Jamari screamed, rushing over with the gift bag Dela brought.

“You’re ruining my birthday for what? Because daddy moved on to someone better than you?

Because she actually cares about me and wants to be around me?

You act like you don’t want to be my mother, so you know what?

You don’t have to be. I don’t want you here!

I hate you and I never want to see you again. ”

She threw the gift bag at her mother before rushing into Wynter’s arms. I couldn’t stand to see her cry, so I lifted her mother over my shoulder and carried her out of the skating rink, screaming obscenities behind me.

I couldn’t believe she’d acted this much of a fucking fool today.

Outside, she was fighting to get away from me, so I let her go and she fell to her ass.

“You fucking bastard!” she yelled, jumping to her feet and charging at me.

I grabbed her up in a bear hug to avoid putting my hands on her. She tried hard to fight against me, but it was to no avail.

“I am so sick of your shit,” I said through gritted teeth.

“I hate you so muthafucking much, Amandela. I don’t regret my child, but I wish like hell that I’d busted in your mouth instead of your pussy.

You disgust me. Every fucking part of you makes me sick to my stomach.

You don’t deserve to breathe the same air as my child.

Today was the last time you ever get to fuck with her or her feelings.

She doesn’t need you and you’ve made it abundantly clear that you really don’t give a fuck about her. ”

I fumbled in her pocket and grabbed the car keys. Unlocking the car, I opened the door and shoved her inside. She glared at me, chest heaving, eyes as black as her soul.

“Stay the fuck away from me and my child. As far as I’m concerned, you don’t exist to her.

It wasn’t my intent before, but now?” I chuckled.

“Now I really am going to replace you and give her the mother she deserves. Wynter loves her and I love Wynter. We’re gonna make a nice little family, Dela, while you will continue to be the pathetic bitch you’ve always been. ”

I threw the keys at her and stepped back, hearing police sirens in the distance.

“Leave.”

I slammed the door in her face and went back inside. It took everything in me not to wring her fucking neck. I’d tried over and over again to give her a chance to do right, and her chances just ran the fuck out.