Checkmate: THE NEXT LEVEL (R)

Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen
Omniscient
Sherman Oaks - Saturday Evening

Timothy pulled inside his sisters gate. He was nervous as hell because he didn't know how this conversation was going to play out. He hoped for the best, but with the way his sisters temper is set up, Tim expected the worst.

Pulling behind Chris's car, he climbed out then went to the front door and knocked. It took a while but it was finally answered by Royalty. "Hey Tim." She said with a smile and wave.

"Wassup Ro." Tim pulled his niece into a quick hug.

"Mya and daddy are in the kitchen."

"Okay." Making his way to the kitchen, he exhaled. When he rounded the corner it was like his heart rate picked up. "Hey y'all."

"Damn nigga, long time no see." Chris said while walking over to his brother in law.

Mya watched as they hugged and laughed like long lost brothers.

"You been smooth?" Chris asked.

"I'm hanging in there." Tim answered before his eyes fixated on his sister. "Hey Mya."

"Hello." She was nervous too. In her head she kept praying about keeping cool because she's been working so hard about managing her anger.

"You good?" Tim asked while pulling her into a side hug.

"Yeah I am." Mya embraced her brother. "The food is ready, you guys can go have a seat I just need to take these kids their plates."

Tim and Chris nodded then went and sat at the table. Chris noticed how nervous Tim was. "Man relax." He said while laughing.

"I'm relaxed. I'm just not tryna get my head knocked off."

"Mya cool dawg. She still crazy but she better at controlling her temper."

"You sure? What if I say some shit she don't like?"

"What could you possibly say? She know about you and Syren, so the worst part is over."

"But honestly Breezy, you know that's not everything I've kept from my sister. What if she finds out how you became back hooked on drugs and shit? You wouldn't even know about Whippets it if wasn't for me."

A blank look fell over Chris's face. "We already dealt with my drug problems, I don't even think she needs to know that."

"But this isn't really on your end, it's on mine. I want a clean slate with my sister."

"I just don't think bringing this up is important."

"Well I do."

Chris clinched his jaw and sat back in his seat. He wasn't trying to have their household in shambles AGAIN, because Tim wants to clear his conscious. He fixed his drug issues so who gave them to him or what he was using shouldn't even matter.

"Okay, here you guys go." Mya said while sitting down two bowls of gumbo. She ran into the kitchen and grabbed her bowl then went and sat down.