Lack Of Deceit {Completed}

Chapter 39

Ivena
^^^^^

1 month later.

"Mommy, do you like my cast?" Mini asked me as we walked out of the doctor's office. They out a new cast on her arm and it was a bright yellow, as she requested.

"Yeah, baby. It's really pretty. You want me to sign it when we get home?" I smiled down at her as she held my hand.

"Yeah!" She let go of my hand and ran the rest of the way to the car.

"Amina! Be careful!" I reprimanded her for running in the street. "Don't do that again." I spoke sternly and she nodded.

This girl really didn't have a care in the world for anything. She doesn't think about the possibilities of getting hurt. Hat's the brain of a child, I guess.

Today was kind of a down day for me.

I knew it was Jovan's birthday today but I couldn't even bring myself to unblock him. I didn't want him back in my life because if Mini ever got hurt like that again, I'd be damned.

Before we broke up, I had a lot of plans for his birthday but clearly that won't happen.

"Mini, you want some ice cream?" I asked her and she nodded eagerly. The ice cream was more for me, though.

------

"Mini, get in the tub. Grandma is coming to get you soon." I told her for the hundredth time.

"GG?" She asked, referring to my mama.

"No, Grandma Trisha." I told her and she frowned.

"But I haven't seen GG in a while." She complained.

"Girl, I'm not in the mood for you right now. Get in the tub." I stood up to carry her naked body into the tub. She starting running and finally made it into the tub.

I walked back out and listened to her sing something. I told her she always has to sing so I know that she's okay.

I continued packing her bag to stay over at he grandma's house for a few days. I heard the doorbell ring and answered it for Ms. Trisha to come into view.

"Hey, Mom." I smiled and hugged her.

"Hey, Ivena." She said my name which made me cringe.

"Where's my grandbaby?"

"Shecs in the tub. She was trying me today." I sighed.

"I heard she broke her arm."

Here we go. I know for a fact my mama told her that she broke her arm even though my mom doesn't even like Ms. Trisha. They really don't get along but that's her gossip buddy, I guess.

"Yeah." I shook my head as I walked into the kitchen.

"Well, what happened?"

"My ex-boyfriend was watching her and she ended up breaking her arm." I told her truthfully.

"Oh really? So, you just let random men around my grandbaby?"

"Woah, Ms. Trisha. Jovan wasn't a random man. There is never no one random around my daughter. You know I'm protective over Mini. Don't start." I furrowed my eyebrows.

"I don't know. I don't think she's safe here. Maybe she should come and live with us." She suggested and I looked at her as if she was crazy.

"Don't you dare. Amina is my daughter and my responsibility. She is fine and I already took care of the situation. Do not try to parent my child." I responded and she scoffed.

"Don should have never got with you. I always told him that and he told me to play nice until one day you're carrying his baby and accusing him of doing things he never did."

She's been waiting to say that to me.

"What? Like cheating on me? Oh he sure did that. I saw it with my own two eyes, Ms. Trisha. Please speak on something you know about." I told her and suddenly I didn't her singing in the background.

"Mini, keep singing!" I yelled out and she continued to sing. "I think we're done here." I walked away from her and continued to pack Mini's bag.

If Ms. Trisha wanted to try and take Amina away from me, she was gonna have to try real hard.

-----

Jovan
^^^^^

Happy birthday to me. I guess my 31st year on earth was supposed to be celebrated but that was the opposite of what I was doing right now.

I texted Iva over a billion times and she read a couple of them and then she blocked me. That was like a slap in the face.

All I wanted to do was apologize. I was feeling so alone. Byron and Shania were at school and Byron almost forgot to wish me a happy birthday. Shania didn't even know and I don't blame her.

My parents are gone and my girl is gone. I got a text from Hosea but if I actually responded he would want to take me to a strip club or some shit. He was crazy like that.

My phone starting to ring, startling me because my phone has been dry all day. It was a random number but I decided to answer it anyway.

"Hello?" I answered as I looked around my dark room.

"Good afternoon, may I speak with Jovan Taylor?" A lady's voice comes through the phone.

"Speaking."

"Hello, sir. I am calling to offer you a job in Connecticut to build houses for new neighborhood." She said and it really caught me off guard.

"Oh, wow. When does this job start?"

"September 10th." She told me and I nodded. It was only four months away. "It's okay if you need time to think about it but you need to let me know by June 1st. You can call me or text me by this number."

"Okay, thank you." I told her and then hung up. I did a job like this when I was in my 20's and I took Byron with me for about year and built houses. The money I got from that was big.

Pockets were full, to say the least.

I wasn't sure I wanted to take the job, though. I still had feelings for Iva and I felt like I needed her in my life. I genuinely wasn't sure if she even still loved me. I needed to know that before I made a serious decision like that.

My life basically revolved around her for the last 8 months. I can't just let that shit go.