Page 22 of The Hellcat Barbies: Aubree

AUbrEE

I had already informed Brianna that I had a friend coming over but when she saw Brasi’s red hair, she squealed. “You’re a ginger like me!” her eyes widened with shock. It was the cutest thing ever.

Brasi grinned. “I am. It’s nice to meet you. I always like meeting other gingers. We’re special you know?”

“Yeap! Very special. People wish they had red hair like us.”

“Yoooo,” Brasi laughed loudly and looked over at me. “I like shorty. Where do you ladies want to go first?”

I looked over at Brianna since I was letting her choose. She had on the cutest denim skirt, white print tee, and matching denim jacket with some J’s. I had done her hair in little twists. She was Brasi’s literal twin, and it was making me sad and happy at the same time.

“The park.”

“Okay cool. We’re going to the park.”

When Brianna walked over and grabbed Brasi’s hand, my heart skipped a few beats.

She had literally known him for less than ten minutes.

Maybe she felt a connection to him because he was unique like her.

The look that Brasi tossed over his shoulder at me further melted my heart.

Appreciation, gratitude, joy, it all seemed to be flickering in his orbs.

We got settled in his car, and when he went straight to Apple music and only played the clean version of songs my cheeks lifted into a smile.

Brasi was going to be a great father one day.

When Brianna started singing along with a Chris Brown song, I glanced back at her. “What you know about this song?” to my knowledge, my aunt only listened to gospel music.

Brianna grinned. “I heard it in grandma’s car.”

That got a laugh out of me. My aunt’s mother was my grandmother, so technically, she was Brianna’s great grandmother, but technically I wasn’t her mother so…

One thing about my grandmother, she was unapologetically her, and I loved it.

She would pray for you, cook you up a hot delicious meal, then spank your behind in Spades.

Granny was always on the go too. One day I called her, and she was at a comedy show with her best friend.

I called her the very next day, and she was at karaoke. I legit loved her life.

“Granny said, if he was a little bit older, she’d let him sing to her. I said grandma, why he gotta be older just to sing to you?”

I snickered, and Brasi laughed. Brianna was a character for sure.

At the park, I sat on a bench and let Brasi and Brianna play until she found some kids to play with, and he walked over to where I was.

“I gotta get in shape,” he sat down breathing hard.

“I might never get this chance again, so thank you. For letting me be here.” Brasi was speaking to me, but he was staring straight ahead watching Brianna play.

“Of course. All I ever wanted was to see her happy. Sometimes, I feel like a failure because I didn’t even try.”

“We not doing that. She’s with your aunt, she’s loved, and she’s thriving. As long as she always remembers me as uncle Brasi with the red hair, I’ll be happy with that.”

“The older she gets, I think she’ll be able to put two and two together. You’re my man. Not a blood relative. You don’t think she’ll notice that she looks more like you than anyone in the family?”

“We can cross that bridge when we get there. I’d never try to step on your aunt’s toes. But I do plan to be around as your man, so she will definitely know of me.”

Thoughts of Brianna one day finding out that I lied to her and that I was really her mother made my gut churn.

I didn’t want her to be upset with me for lying to her and end up hating me.

Only time would tell how things would play out, but all I could do was pray they ended up working out, so all parties involved were happy and content.

“What if I have another child, and if she finds out she’s mine, she resents me for giving her up and keeping the other baby?”

Brasi finally tore his eyes away from Brianna and looked over at me.

“Stop. You can spend the rest of the day coming up with scenarios that stress you out, and it’s all a waste of time.

We don’t know how things are going to go in the future, so we can’t worry about them. Just chill and enjoy today.”

I nodded. After the park, we went to the same diner I got shot at and had lunch.

I wasn’t traumatized to the point where I wouldn’t go back and eat there, but I damn sure didn’t like strangers getting too close to me or staring at me.

For that reason, I had signed up for a class so I could become licensed to carry.

After we left the diner, the next stop was Target, and Brianna literally shopped until she dropped.

I got five items, and Brasi got three. The total at checkout, however, totaled $649.

“My aunt is going to have a fit at all this stuff Brianna is going home with,” I chuckled as Brasi loaded the bags into his trunk.

It had been an eventful day for Ms. Brianna because before he even left Target’s parking lot, she was knocked out.

“I’d say she had a good day.”

“That she did,” he nodded.

Back at my house, Brasi carried Brianna inside and lay her on the couch. He invaded my personal space. “I’ll be on my way since shorty has taken my spot in the bed, but as soon as she goes home, I’m punishing yo’ ass so prepare to be walking funny.”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

Brasi chuckled before suckling my bottom lip. “You and Baby Girl sleep tight.”

“Why you starting something you can’t finish?” my words came out in a low moan.

“My bad. I’m out.”

I really hoped that God would work it out so if Brianna ever found out that me and Brasi were her parents, she wouldn’t hate us.

The Hellcat Barbies were sponsoring a little league football team.

Two teams were playing against each other at a local park.

Since our car club was sponsoring them, we were all in attendance at the game.

We wore matching Hellcat Barbies letter jackets.

We also brought water for the team and snacks for after the game.

We’d also purchased their jerseys and got shoes for the ones that needed it.

Two of our members were helping to work the concession stand.

With a smile on my face, I watched both teams run out onto the field.

I pulled out my camera and decided to do a little vlogging.

It had been two days since Brianna went back home and the day before, when Brasi wasn’t sexing me crazy, we were filming content for his channel.

He was finally up to 1,360 subscribers, and his first video had almost 2,000 views.

He also had enough followers on Tik Tok to monetize his account.

I kept assuring him that passive income would come in handy once he started school.

My phone vibrated, and I grabbed it out of my purse.

My mom had texted me and when I opened the message, I saw a mugshot.

The person in the mugshot looked exactly like me.

But of course, it wasn’t me. I read the charges.

Possession with intent to sell and distribute narcotics.

Trafficking more than three ounces of cocaine.

My jaw slacked while I almost felt sorry for her.

In the photo, Autumn’s eyes held so much sadness and pain that it was hard to look at it.

For just a brief moment, I forgot all the things she’d said and done to me over the years.

I still wasn’t going to talk to her but in hindsight, the things she did wasn’t bad enough that I would wish prison on her.

More than likely, she was moving or holding something for a nigga.

Her bond wasn’t super high, but I wasn’t getting her out.

Autumn was so spiteful and vindictive that she probably wouldn’t even appreciate it.

I texted my mom and asked her how she felt.

She responded with of course she was upset, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

My mother had gotten the promotion at work, and I had started giving her money monthly, but I doubted she could afford to bail Autumn out.

I tried to focus on the game, but a million thoughts were swirling around in my head.

I wasn’t shocked by the charges but a big part of me wished that Autumn wasn’t the way she was.

“Alright number thirty-three!” I yelled as loudly as I could. One of the players on the team we sponsored how just scored a mean touchdown.

I let myself become lost in the game. The team sponsored by the Barbies won.

The boys from both teams wanted to take pictures in front of the cars, so we let them.

I used the camera that I vlogged with and told them if they gave their parents my email address and had them to message me, I’d send them the pictures.

“Can I get a picture with your car next?” a deep voice that I recognized all too well called out.

Blushing, I smiled at Brasi like I hadn’t seen him earlier that morning.

“I didn’t know you were out here.”

“I got out here about two minutes after the game started. You were sitting with your girls, so I didn’t want to bother you.”

“I don’t mind being bothered by you.”

“Word?” Brasi peered into my eyes with a look on his face that had me moist in a matter of seconds.

“Word.”

He parted his lips to speak but before any words came out, his brows furrowed.

I followed his line of vision to see what he was looking at, and I saw Nice.

He was surrounded by flunkies, and he looked terrible.

I wasn’t sure if he was growing his hair out or if he just hadn’t had a chance to get a haircut.

He had on an outfit that I’d seen him in before, and that was a surprise because he usually blew a bag on an outfit and a pair of shoes before he went anywhere.

I knew that Brasi would never be able to look at him without thinking about what he’d done. “You okay?” I asked, and he glared at Nice for a few seconds longer before he gave me his attention.

“Yeah, I’m good. How long you gonna be out here?”

“Probably just another thirty minutes or so then I’m going home.”

“Bet. I’ll see you later on.”

Before I could finish my prayer hoping that Brasi kept his temper in check, my phone began to vibrate again.

The number on the screen wasn’t saved, but it didn’t have to be.

I knew the number was from the county jail, and the only person that could be calling me was Autumn.

I damn sure wasn’t interested in answering. I didn’t have a thing for her.