How To Love

152

Omniscient Pov
Atlanta, Georgia

Kentrell held the slim blunt between his fingers, before placing the blunt to his lips. He slouched on the couch alone in silence. He couldn't help but to think about the altercation with his former friend a few days ago.

The words Jalanee told him that morning in the hospital replayed in his head. How she didn't want any more violence around her, but he just felt like it was needed.

He exhaled smoke, and Jalanee happened to walk into the room dragging her feet. He watched her, walk into the kitchen with a baby bottle and baby formula.

Softly letting out a sigh, Jalanee shook the bottle, mixing up the water and formula. Kentrell looked down at his arms, taking note of his tattoos.

The sounds of Jalanee's hums echoed through the halls. He assumed she didn't notice his presence, but she did. She spun on her toes, grabbing a warm towel to keep the bottle warm.

Kentrell looked back at her, and felt a fuzzy feeling in his stomach and chest. Shocked that he still felt that when with her.

Lately the small family been used to being alone for a while. They enjoyed it, but they knew it wasn't going to last. So it was now common for the house to be this quiet.

"She up?" He said breaking the silence.

"No. Just want to make a bottle for her, she should be up soon." She said, walking out of the kitchen. Her eyebrows furrowed, when he put the blunt back to his lip, not making any eye contact with her.

"Say' I gotta talk to you." He blurted out. He wasn't sure what he was going to say, but he knew he needed to tell her what's been going through his head.

"What's going on?" She says putting all her weight to her left leg. He put out his blunt and tossed it in the tray.

He stared at her hand with her engagement ring, and bit down on his lip. All he really wanted to do was to be happy with her, and whenever they were, something horrible happened to them.

"You remember what I told you yesterday right? Wit' Boomer?"

"How could I forget." She said tugging on her leggings. "Did something else happen? Do I need to get Amira?" She said with a concern impression on her face, stepping back.

"Nah. You straight." He said holding her hand, gently pulling her close.

"So what happened?"

"I wanna handle this situation. But ion know how to go about it."

"What do you mean? Kentrell-"

"Just hear me out mane." He cuts her off, already knowing she was going to the jump to conclusions.

"You know I ain't tryna get back locked up. But this just sum we need to do." He said, hoping she'll catch on. His light brown eyes focused on the blank expression on his fiancée's face. "If you think about it...after he gone, we can be happy foreal."

He felt sad even having to say that, but it was the truth. As much as the two loved each other, the people around them are what hurts them.

"We can be happy without killing someone." She says with a hint of attitude.

"Mane how you expect this shit to go? You think he just gon wake up one day and decide to leave us alone? That nigga not gon stop." He explained trying not to get frustrated with her.

"I don't know about this." She said sighing. She sat on the grey couch frantically bouncing her leg up and down. Kentrell read her body language and threw his head back. "I just don't want you to go to jail."

"How else I'm gon make sure ain't none happen to us again?" He says, looking straight at her.

She didn't need to answer, because they both knew they didn't have much options left.

"Kentrell...."

"Mane you know I already feel at fault for the shit that happened to you. Jania locked up but that ain't enough." He says.

"You know it wasn't your fault." She mumbled; eyeing him. "Stop saying that." She says lowly. She slid her hand on top of his, squeezing it a bit.

"What are you going to do?" She asks, looking up at him.

"Thinking about having someone set him up."

"So you won't actually have to do the killing?"

"Nah, Imma kill him. I just wanna have him where I want to."

"Kentrell" She huffed.

"Listen. You might have to be there. Police know ion act out if you with me. I just need someone to say I was with them that night. You could do that for me?"

Jalanee froze and watched to see if he was serious. She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked away.

It was obvious she didn't want any part of this, and didn't want Kentrell in it either, and no matter what she said, she couldn't convince him not to kill him.

The wailing of Amira made the two cut eye contact, and Jalanee quickly rushed upstairs.

Kentrell sucked his teeth, and sat up straight. He didn't know why she was so opposed to getting rid of a threat. Usually, he would've did it anyways, and went against her word, but he didn't want to do that anymore. He respected her, and wanted to make sure he was fulfilling her best interest.

The echoes of Amira crying got closer. Jalanee came down the steps with her patting Amira's back. "Can you pass me her bottle?" She said pointing at the table.

"I'll feed her." He mumbled, reaching his arms out. Jalanee side eyed him, and put her in his arms.

The child's wails died down when the bottle let her mouth. Kentrell stared down at her, and then back at Jalanee. "I ain't done witchu."