Elijah Baker

Zion handed me the picture wordlessly, waiting to see what my response would be.

I didn't have one.

"I been told you to get rid of the bitch." He asserted, "If you can't do it then you know I got you."

"I...." I let the words trail off because I still didn't have a response.

"It don't matter if she ain't say nun. It's the fact she went her stupid ass to the people house in the first place. Disloyal ass hoe tryna do some lame shit 'cause you ain't stuck on her ass no more."

"Ian know you had nobody watching her?" It came out as a question, 'cause how you got somebody watching my wife and Ion know?

Zi sighed, "Eli you let her do too much. It's no reason she should still be in your house. Ain't no reason she should be able to spend money. Ain't no reason she..."

He kept talking, I just stopped listening.

Leah drove her stupid ass to Houston to leave a letter of some sort in Kensley's parent's mailbox.

You know how crazy you gotta be to drive almost 3 hours to leave a note?

I moved the pictured behind the folded letter, reading the words slowly:

Mr and Mrs. Parker,

"Did this bitch try to go her mama and daddy as a woman?" I looked up, "What type shit?"

"Keep reading."

My name is Leah Baker, and I'm Elijah's wife. I'm not sure if you've met him, but he and your daughter are in a relationship. Adultery if frowned upon by God-

I laughed until my stomach started hurting. When I finally stopped, Zion had a smirk, "Delusional."

-And I don't think that Kenslie knows that he's married. If she does, then have mercy on her. I'm hoping that you're able to guide her in the right direction.

"She ain't even spell her name right."

"Eli I'm finna knock ya' ass out for acting slow. You need to do some about her... I'ma offer my services again, and if you don't wanna say it out loud, kick me or some, and I'll know you with it."

"I'ma handle it." I answered truthfully, "As soon as you leave actually."

"Oh shit." Zi stood up quickly, "Let me get the fuck on then. Don't let me stop you."

I already knew where Leah was, upstairs in the master bathroom taking a bath. She had candles lit, as if she deserved to be peaceful, music playing through the speakers as if she were at a concert.

The same album had been on a loop ever since she found out about Kensley.

"Bitch I scratched out your name, and your face. What is it about youuu... that I can't... erase."

I waited to see if Leah would sense my presence, but she was focused on the lyrics, swaying gently as she sat with her back to me.

Walking closer, I pulled the sleeves of my shirt up, then put my hands on her shoulders, disregarding the scream as she went underwater.

1...2

Leah came up gasping for air, clawing at my fingers to release her. She wasn't strong enough.

1...2

"Look at me." I gripped her neck, her wide unfocused eyes trying to find mine, "I keep fuckin' telling you to stop trying me."

1...2

She expelled water from her nose, trying to breathe, "I understand you don't know me, I get that Ian showed you who I am."

1...2

"Ain't no more warnings. You wanna end up onna poster? Try it again."

• • •

"Hey, uncle Eli." Milani waved as she climbed in the back seat.

Marc turned to look at her, "Youn see me sitting right here?"

Her shoulders dropped, "Hey dad."

"They be so disrespectful." Marc mumbled to me.

I kept my opinion to myself and pulled away from the pick-up area, driving towards the mall.

This was day 5 of her ignoring me. Day 5 of being blocked.

I couldn't think of anything I did that would make her block me so suddenly. I left her apartment, she went to work, then nothing. Leah's letter got intercepted, what else could it be?

Marc looked up as I turned into the mall parking lot, "I thought she asked for bleach? Ain't no bleach in here."

"Lani you coming in?"

She nodded quickly and reached for the door handle, "Grandma gave me $50."

"You itching to spend it, ain't it?"

"I wanna buy a case for my phone."

Jamarcus was following behind us, doing whatever it was that he did, "I thought you just got a case?"

I waited somewhat impatiently in Target while Milani looked at cases for going on 20 minutes. She kept looking at the same two, putting one back just to pick it up and put the other back. The cycle continued.

"You want both?" I asked.

"It's... $39.95. I can't get both."

"Ya' daddy gone buy 'em." I took the cases and shoved them at Marc, "Go pay for these. We going 'round the corner."

I forgot about the bleach.

Milani was the excuse I needed to go in the coffee shop, and Kensley and another girl were standing at the blender.

"You gotta angle it." She instructed, "That way it doesn't shoot everywhere when you pull the cup down."

I felt.... nervous?

She finally turned around, her eyes falling on me, then going to my niece. Kensley reached for a towel, "Carlie you'll watch the register while I clean the tables?"

Carlie agreed, and Kensley walked to the table I was closet to, spraying cleaner on it, "Is that your daughter?" She asked while wiping the table.

"....No. I would've told you if I had kids."

She finally made eye contact, her hand stopping mid wipe, "Like how you told me you were still married?"

I'd stupidly brushed that theory off because how would she know that? It wasn't anything that I was necessarily trying to hide, but I knew she wouldn't see it like that.

I glanced around, "You wanna talk about it right now?"

"I would've wanted to talk about it before we had sex. I don't care to talk about it anymore. I don't care to talk to you at all, actually."

As if the situation wasn't already bad, in came Marc loudly expressing his disappointment that he couldn't immediately find me, "I been walking 'round this motherfucka for-" His eyes fell on Kensley, "Oh I see why you up in here. Wassup?"

"That's my brother," I answered before she could ask.

"I really don't give a fuck."

Well I guess she wasn't gone ask.

"Ouuu shit Lani" Marc laughed, "Uncle Eli made the pretty lady mad. We gotta go."

"Mama said stop calling ladies pretty. You never listen to her."

Their voices faded as they left, and I struggled to think of a way to explain why I didn't tell her I was still married. It was a struggle because I genuinely didn't have an excuse.

When I saw Kensley, the second time, I just wanted to fuck. Then I took her to eat, and I tried to understand her. That shouldn't have happened, because then I wouldn't feel like I owed her the courtesy of telling her I was married.

"Kensley," I paused and sighed in frustration, "I told you it was the wrong person. We're not together."

"I'm at work."

"Unblock me."

She shook her head, "No."

"Then I'll see you when you get off."

Kensley didn't object, and I took that as a yes.

• • •

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