Page 15 of Ony If It’s You

Chapter Ten

K ehlani

“I haven’t seen you pick up that phone to call him yet,” my granny said as she put her macaroni in the oven.

She called me over early this morning claiming to want to talk to me.

Thinking that it was an emergency, I rushed to get me and the twins dressed and came right over only for her to tell me her nosy neighbors told her that I was married.

I had no choice but to confirm it when she pulled up the video on her phone.

“Granny, it’s not necessary. He has some huge fights coming up this week and he needs to be focused.”

“Too much talking and not enough doing what I told you to do, chile.”

“Ugh.” I sighed in frustration and grabbed my phone from my back pocket to call him.

“And lose the attitude while you’re at it.”

“Yes ma’am,” I mumbled.

Going to my call log, I went to Javyous’s contact.

My hand hovered over his number as I contemplated whether or not I was going to actually call him.

I struggled with making peace about taking my kids with me to Vegas for his exhibition fights, but I’d agreed to help with his image, so this was what came with it.

I didn’t account for my granny being a part of the equation too.

“Well, call him, girl,” she snapped, making me flinch and breaking me away from my thoughts.

Sighing dejectedly, I pressed on his number and walked out of the room so that I could talk to him in private. With Javyous, you never knew what was going to come out of his mouth, so I needed to be on the safe side.

“Yo?” he answered and I frowned.

“Don’t answer the phone like I’m one of your homeboys.”

Chuckling, he said, “My bad, what’s good, wifey?”

“Better.” I grinned. “Are you busy?”

“Why? You tryna give me some pussy?”

“Nigga, you wish,” I hissed even though my center moistened at the thought.

I hadn’t been able to get our rendezvous out of my head and I didn’t want anything more than to run it back, but I wouldn’t dare tell his arrogant ass that.

He laughed. “My fault. Can’t blame a man for trying. What’s up though?”

“It’s just—we’re, shit.” I was nervous as hell trying to ask him this shit for some reason. It was extremely hard to be in the same room with Javyous without feeling a way.

“What’s up, baby? Talk to me.”

Chills covered my body when he called me baby.

Shit, this wasn’t a good idea and neither was Vegas.

“Ne-never mind, I just?—”

“Kehlani, what’s up?” he asked, cutting me off.

“Are you doing anything right now? My granny, she cooked, and she wants to meet you. I understand if you can’t or don’t want to come, she just wanted?—”

He stopped me. “Kehlani.”

“Yes?”

The line was silent for a second, then suddenly wind could be heard chopping as if he was outside.

“Send me the location.”

When he said that I released a breath that I hadn’t even realized that I was holding. I was relieved that he hadn’t rejected me or my granny’s offer.

Removing my phone from my ear, I went to our messages and sent him my current location before saying, “Done.”

“Aight, I’ll see you soon, and Lani?”

“Yes?” I perked up a little.

“When you gon’ let me suck on that pussy again?”

“Ugh,” I spat and disconnected the call. Every time I thought that he wasn’t that horrible, he did or said something to make me change my mind.

Locking my phone, I rejoined my granny and Jocey in the kitchen so that I could help the two of them finish up dinner. I needed to busy myself to get my mind off my husband and the thoughts of sharing space with him once again, not only today, but the entire fucking week.

The three of us finished preparing everything, so Jocey and I started to set the table just as I heard the doorbell ring. My breathing suddenly became shallow as I looked in the direction of the door.

I guess I wasn’t moving fast enough because not only did the bell ring again, but Messiah rushed past me. Panicking, I quickly set the bowl that was in my hand down and ran behind him.

“Messiah!”

“JV Goldsmith!” he shouted in excitement.

It was too late, he was pulling the door open and there stood easily the finest man that I had ever seen wearing a fitted t-shirt, long Nike shorts, and slides. He literally looked good in everything that he wore.

Damn!

“You look good too, baby.” He smirked looking me up and down. I almost lost it when I saw his tongue slowly slide across his bottom lip, but I remembered that my son was right there and had opened the door without permission.

“You know better than to answer the door, Messiah,” I chastised.

“You guys were taking too long, Mommy.” He had the nerve to try to pout. Si was more like his manipulative ass father than I cared for.

“That doesn’t mean you answer the door not knowing who’s on the other side of it.”

“But it’s JV!” he yelled again, still in shock that he was actually standing on our grandmother’s porch.

“What’s up, little man?” JV spoke extending an open palm for my son to slap which he did.

“’Sup.”

“Okay, go.” I pointed toward the dining room.

“Okayyyy,” he groaned and did what he was told.

I was now alone with Javyous. When I looked his way, he was wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me into a hug. I thought that I had died and gone to heaven when I felt his cold lips press into my neck. Remembering where we were, I had to nudge him off of me and step back.

“You smell good as hell,” he complimented.

“You too. I hope you’re hungry… for food,” I continued when I saw the way he was eyeing me.

“Shit, you got to be specific with me, wifey.” He grinned and I rolled my eyes. He was not going to make this easy for me.

“Anyways, come on.” I reached to grab his hand and pull him inside so we could join my family in the kitchen.

My granny and the kids were seated at the table already when we made it in, so I walked us over to two empty chairs at the table.

Javyous pulled my chair out and helped me into my seat before he walked to the other side of the table to kiss my grandmother’s cheek and tapped a blushing Jocey on the cheek.

“Javyous, this is my grandmother, Jean. Granny, this is…”

“JV Goldsmith,” Si yelled before I could get it out. “He’s a boxer, Granny.”

“Is he now?” Granny beamed.

“Yes, ma’am. I’m Javyous Goldsmith, but everyone calls me JV.”

“And I’m Jocelyn, but everyone calls me Jocey.”

“Pretty name for an even prettier girl,” JV said and winked at her.

“And you know me, I’m Si,” Messiah said, poking his little chest out.

My twins were worlds apart, yet so similar. Messiah was very bold while his sister was more reserved, yet they both loved to be the center of attention. Especially Jocey, she loved for people to fawn over her. I’d created a little monster.

Before the interrogation started the five of us joined hands and said grace then started to fix our plates.

“Well, tell me JV, why am I just now hearing of and meeting you?”

“I would have met you a long time ago, Ms. Jean, but you know how stubborn your granddaughter can be,” he answered making me the bad guy.

I side eyed him before looking my grandmother’s way.

“That I do know.” She laughed and passed the rolls in our direction. “It was like pulling teeth to get her to call you over here today.”

“Really?” Javyous was really in character as he talked to her. “Well, before I leave today, I’ll give you my number so you can call me directly. How’s that sound?”

Granny blushed. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

“JV, do you live here?” Jocey asked.

“Yeah, li’l mama, I do.”

“Where at?”

“Jocey…”

JV waved me off. “She good. I live not too far from here in Crescent Pointe.”

“We live in Crescent Pointe too in the house that daddy got for us. He got me a Doc McStuffins room.”

My cheeks burned when she said that. I didn’t want him to think that I was still dealing with my babies’ father in any way.

“Word? I fuck with—” He corrected himself when I elbowed him in the side. “I rock with Doc McStuffins.”

“Really? So, you have Doc McStuffins in your room?”

“No, Jocey, he’s a boy. Don’t be stupid,” Si answered for JV.

“Messiah!” Granny and I said at the same time.

“Don’t call your sister stupid, Si. Playas don’t talk to ladies like that, especially not your little sister.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled then leaned over to kiss his sister’s temple.

“But naw, Jocey, I don’t have Doc in my room, mine ain’t cool like that. Maybe you can decorate a room in mine one day. Maybe some princess sh-stuff.”

Jocelyn’s eyes lit up at the statement. The only thing she loved more than Doc McStuffins was Princess Tiana. She was never going to forget that he said this, so I hoped he was ready to make good on that promise at least until this year was up.

“Okay, I’ll do it for you JV.”

“Bet.” He winked at her again before taking a spoonful of the macaroni into his mouth. “Ms. Jean, this food is delicious. I haven’t had any soul food like this in a minute.”

“You don’t cook?”

“Naw, I can make the basics, but nothing like this. My pops’ girl cooks too, but not real soul food, only hot dogs, burgers, fish, stuff like that.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. I cook every day, breakfast and dinner, lunch on the weekends if the twins are here.”

“So that’s an open invitation?”

“Yep, whenever you want to use it and when you don’t, your wife can cook too.”

He smirked and looked my way.

“Yeah, she’s fed me a time or two.”

My eyes grew wide and I fell into a fit of coughs when he said that because I knew that he wasn’t talking about food.

“Lani, you okay, baby?”

“Yes ma’am.” I nodded and sipped from my lemonade.

“Okay,” she said eyeing me suspiciously before turning her attention back to JV. “Why Vegas?”

“What do you mean, Ms. Jean?”

“Oh, boy quit calling me, Ms. Jean. Call me Granny.”

A smile as wide as Texas stretched across the bottom half of his face. He was eating this shit up.

“Aight, Granny, what do you mean why Vegas?”

“Like why did the two of you hitch in Vegas?”

“What is hitching?” Si asked.

“Boy eat and stay out of grown folks’ business,” Granny chastised.