Page 18 of Pieces of Us

Morgan

“ C ome on, Honey Bee. Nana’s inside waiting for you,” I told her as I got out of the car. Mariah couldn’t get out of her seat belt fast enough.

“Nana, Nana!” she yelled.

Megan cringed and covered her ears. “Goodness, ’Riah. You literally just saw her two days ago. Calm down.”

I laughed. “What I tell you about coming for my honey bee? She loves her nana.”

Megan laughed. “That has been made very clear.”

As we started up the walkway, a horn beeped behind us, and I noticed Justin pulling in beside me. I rolled my eyes because I knew I couldn’t duck his ass much longer.

“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!” Mariah cheered, rushing to his door.

Justin got out with a huge smile on his face that I wanted to slap off.

The nerve of this motherfucka to smile when he’d just ruined our family.

Images of the lustful desire in his eyes watching the Duprees engage in a sexual act flooded my mind. The way he undressed as if that was something he’d been wanting to do had me clutching my purse tighter to refrain from going for my mace.

“My munchkin! I missed you, sweet pea.” He kissed her cheeks as my lips turned in disgust.

“I missed you too, Daddy.”

“No hug for your old man, Meg?” he asked, smiling at her.

“Of course.” She moved to hug him. “Where have you been?”

“Oh, I had to go out of town for a few days.”

Lying ass.

“Come on, Mariah. Nana’s waiting for you.”

Justin placed her on her feet, then she came back to my side and took my hand.

“Can I talk to you for a second?” Justin asked me.

As much as I didn’t want to, I needed to get his ass away from my parents’ home. If he thought he still had access to my family, then he had another thing coming.

“Go with your sister, baby. I’ll be there in a sec.”

Megan took Mariah’s hand. “Come on, Mariah. I smell chocolate chip cookies!”

“Hurry, Megan! Papa’s going to eat them all!”

I chuckled, watching her pull Megan along to the house. Before I turned to face nasty ass, I dropped the smile and stared at him.

“Baby—”

“Stop calling me that. I’m not your fucking baby.”

“Can you just please hear me out?”

“I heard you loud and clear, Justin. I don’t need to hear your pile of sorries anymore.”

“You know…I always felt like you were never really into me. Our sex life was not as great as I thought it would be. You never wanted to try new things—”

“Justin, stop being a bitch, and just tell the fucking truth.

You were never into me . You wanted to fuck Jolie just as bad as she wanted to fuck you.

I did every fucking position imaginable to please you.

When you started keeping late nights and meeting your clients at strip clubs, I started looking up pole dancing because I was willing to be whatever you needed.

“Your friendly dick ass just got bored and wanted to fuck someone else…Shit, if that’s what you wanted, I probably would have considered it. But none of that shit matters anymore.”

“We can make this work, Mo. I don’t want to lose—”

“I told Megan about her father, and she wants to meet him.”

“You did what?”

“You heard me.”

“Why the fuck would you do that, Morgan? When did you even get back in contact with him?”

“A few days ago when Megan was sick. Her old PCP resigned, so they sent me to him. It must have been fate.”

“You’re so fucking stupid, Morgan.”

“I’m what? Say that shit again!” I warned.

I didn’t know if Justin was aware, but I wasn’t the same little PK he met in college. Life made part of me bitter and tougher. I wasn’t standing for any more bullshit from him or my father.

He shook his head and looked at me. “You will confuse her with this.”

“She’s not confused. I told her that you are still her father, but her biological father wants to know her. You may have turned into a shitty, cheating, dog ass nigga overnight, but my babies love you.”

“Does your father know about this?”

“Not yet, but he will.”

“He sure will.” Justin moved up the walkway toward the house, but I blocked his path.

“I wish like hell you would. Get the hell away from here, Justin, or I promise I’m not going to miss this time.”

“You’re going to fuck him, aren’t you?”

A smirk drew up on my face.

“Better than I ever fucked you.”

Justin jumped at me, but I didn’t flinch. He chuckled and looked at me then turned his nose up.

“He fucking left you with a gut full of his baby, depressed, and confused. I’m the one who put in the most time to build your broken ass back up, and you think you’re going to ride out into the sunset with him and my kids? I swear if you fuck him, I’ll make your life a living hell.”

Before I could reply, my father emerged from the house, and stood on the porch.

“Hey, son. Come on in. I’ve been expecting you.”

I chuckled angrily. “Don’t acknowledge your daughter, my dear father. Just look right past me like you don’t see me…even though it wouldn’t be the first time.”

I pushed past my father and into the house to speak to my mother then prepare to meet with Nehemiah. I walked into the kitchen to see my mother pouring the kids some milk to go with their cookies and smiled.

“Hey, Mommy,” I spoke, walking over and kissing her cheek.

“Hi, my love. You doing alright?”

“Could be worse, but I can’t complain.”

“That’s right. You want some cookies too?”

“No thanks. Can I speak to you for a moment?”

“Sure. I’ll be right back, Honey Bee, so we can go plant those flowers, okay?”

“Okay, Nana.” My mother smiled at her and led me out of the kitchen into the dining room.

“What’s on your mind, baby?”

“I told Nehemiah and Megan about each other.”

I watched her for a reaction, but she just stood in place with a stoic expression.

“Mommy…Say something.”

“I heard you, baby. What were their reactions?”

“Nehemiah was disappointed…as I knew he would be, but surprisingly, he wasn’t too upset. Megan was okay with it. We’re going to meet with him in a few.”

“Does Justin know about this?”

I shrugged. “I just told him.”

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

“I don’t care anymore, Mom. I think whatever Daddy’s holding over Mr. Newson’s head is just him blowing smoke. Why after all these years hasn’t he said or done anything? He used that to pump fear into me because he knew how much I loved Nehemiah.”

“I’m not sure if he does or he doesn’t. Your father was transitioning when I met him.

He was never like this until Nehemiah came into your life.

All I know is I’m not putting up with any more of his foolishness concerning this situation.

Megan deserves to know her father. I should have done more, but I saw how much you didn’t want that for him or his father. ”

“Yeah, that’s over now—”

“What have you done?” My father came bursting into the dining room looking upset.

I rolled my eyes as I prepared to leave.

“What I should have done a long time ago. Mom, I’ll be back to get Mariah in a few hours. I’ll see you later.”

“You’re going to regret this, Morgan. I promise you will,” he warned.

“Maybe I will. I know right now, the only thing I regret is keeping Megan away from her father in the first place.”

“Justin is her father!”

I scoffed. “You really psyched yourself into believing that. That lying, cheating bastard will never be her father.”

I made sure to keep my voice low just in case the kids were near. They didn’t need to hear me about to nut the fuck up. I was tired of Gioni Prescott. His ass was nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“If I’m not her father, then why haven’t you told her about that coward after all these years?”

“Ask your advocate and yourself that. Justin, your best bet is to shut the fuck up talking to me before I mace your stupid ass.”

My father looked at me in shock as if I’d just gut punched him.

I should. Stupid ass.

“Get out of my house, you unclean spirit!”

“Gladly, you unclean hypocrite.”

“You have lost your damn mind, Morgan Anissa. Remember, you caused everything that’s about to happen.” He sneered.

I swallowed the fear that was creeping up my spine and stood tall.

“Daddy, go to the deepest corner of hell, and preach to those demons that you allow to corrupt your fake holy mind and heart. You really believed that you were doing a good deed, but in reality, you caused this relationship between us to wither. You’re so hell bent on ruining that man’s life, and for what?

Huh? Tell the congregation the real reason you fear Megan getting to know her grandfather or why you didn’t want me with Nehemiah! ”

“I know the man he is. But you’re so hardheaded that you won’t listen until I make you listen. I don’t want those people anywhere near me and my family!”

“Gio, enough! I’ve had enough of this. You will leave my child the hell alone. I have allowed you to take charge of our lives all these years because I lived in regret with a heavy heart behind my infidelity, but enough is enough dammit!”

We were silent for a moment as I finally allowed my mother’s words to sink in.

“Mom, what are—”

She held up her hand to stop me from speaking.

“Morgan, go. I’ll explain later. And you,” she said, pointing to Justin, “don’t think I didn’t just hear my daughter say you cheated on her.

Then you have the nerve to come up in here playing victim.

Clearly, you’re easily influenced by my husband and by those floozies in the streets.

You had no right opening your mouth about a situation you contributed to.

“Get your black ass out of my house. And you, Gioni, take your ass to that church, and put those people money back into their pockets by giving back to the community somehow. You think I don’t know what you’ve been doing, and you have the audacity to judge and point fingers at the next man?

“My oldest child doesn’t even come around because of your judgments. You don’t care that my girls’ husbands are cheating on them because you still hold hate in your heart for what I did to you! Get the hell over it already. It was years ago, and I’ve repented. Don’t take that shit out on my kids!”