Thin Ice 7 - Echoes of Reckoning (7 page)

*****

Nikki smiled as Cameron put the steaming cup of coffee down in front of her. She knew was playing with fire seeing him again, but she needed someone to talk too. The entire situation with Ryan was driving her up a wall. She was trying everything she knew to keep him happy, but it wasn’t enough.

“
So does he want you to quit law school or something,” Cameron asked, eyeing her carefully.

He’d been elated when she called and asked him to meet her. As much as her boyfriend was dangerous, Cameron couldn’t stop his attraction to the beautiful woman on the other side of the table.
She should never have given that psycho a kid,
he thought as Nikki talked and unburdened herself. Finally spent she grew quiet and waited for Cameron to speak. She trusted his judgment and valued his advice. Even before they became lovers they’d been great friends. Nikki knew he would still level with her and that’s what she needed right now.

“
Well Nikki, I mean past what you’re already doing, there’s not much left, hell,” Cameron replied calmly. “You hired the nanny, you’re there every free moment you get,” he went on as the guilt hit her hard.

Truthfully Nikki spent far more time than she actually had to researching various things for her classes. It was again that competitive drive to be first in her class that drove her. She didn’t however enlighten Cameron of that fact.

“
Have you tried talking to dude,” he asked exasperated.

Nikki sipped the coffee and nodded that she had.

“
He’s not big on sharing,” she replied somewhat sarcastically as Cameron chuckled lightly.

“
You been handling your business,” he asked, the meaning clear.

Nikki burst into laughter, completely nonplussed by the question and assured him she was doing so, again ignoring that twinge of guilt. Their sex life was another casualty of her super long hours of classwork, projects, and study groups. Most times she was only able to drag herself into the house, through the shower to collapse on the mattresses, almost asleep before her head hit the pillows.

“
Look, after this next semester, things will settle down and you two will surely work this thing out,” Cameron told her, secretly hoping they didn’t.

If they broke up, or there was a chance they would, Cameron wanted to be positioned to slide right into her life. He didn’t care about the child she had. Almost every woman he knew these days had at least one. He wouldn’t push though, whatever happened between them, Nikki could never suspected he wanted it to happen or was giddily happy about it.

“
I suppose you’re right Cameron,” she told him breathing deeply once again and glancing her watch.

It was after midnight. Rising Nikki told him she’d better be heading home.

“
Sure, I understand,” Cameron replied good naturedly. “Let me walk you to your car, its too late for you to be out alone,” he told her as Nikki smiled and thanked him.

They gathered their things and headed out into the night. Her car was parked almost at the back of the lot, having arrived much earlier in the day to do studying and research for her class. Arriving Nikki unlocked the Acura and opened the backdoor, tossing her laptop and text books onto it.

“
Good night, be careful driving home, and call me if you need me,” Cameron told her, hugging her tightly.

Nikki returned the hug taking in the cologne and feeling familiar things that she shouldn’t. Cameron kissed her cheek softly, looking into her eyes again now.

“
Call me, Nikki,” he admonished knowing how independent and stubborn she could be.

Conjuring up another smile Nikki promised she would. His lips were on hers before she could object, the sweet kiss shared between them.

“
Goodnight,” she said simply not making a big deal of it and got into the vehicle, cranking it and heading home.

Cameron smiled as he got into his own car and headed to his own destination, believing finally in second chances.

6

“
Mama, you here,” Tae called out walking inside her parent’s home.

“
Yeah baby, we’re in the den,” Juanita Russell replied.

“
Granny,” Aidan called out running ahead of Tae to the room her parents occupied.

She’d stopped by to see them, happy they were back in Atlanta now so they could visit more often. Her parents adored Aidan and he adored them back. Her father, Calvin, spent plenty of time spoiling him rotten as did her mother, but Tae couldn’t complain. They were like that with all of them as well.

“
Hey girl,” Priscilla greeted.

This was her oldest sister.

“
What’s up Prissy,” Tae threw back hugging her sister, using the childhood nickname still.

Priscilla chuckled and told her not a lot.

“
Hey Auntie Tae,” Paris said smiling as she came in and Tae hugged her niece tightly.

“
Dang girl, you’re as tall as me,” she told the now 11 year old.

Paris smiled and told her she was just short, making both sisters burst into laughter. Leaving them alone Paris headed back to the den where Tae heard Aidan and her father making serious noise as they played with the new car race set they’d bought him.

“
Have you seen your baby sister yet,” Priscilla asked, giving Tae a look.

“
Aww hell, now what,” Tae replied resigned.

Ashlyn or Ash as they called her was their baby sister. She was considerably younger than both Priscilla and herself, coming in her parents later years. She was also spoiled rotten and unusually willful at times. Still she was a good kid for the most part, just full of surprises.

“
Relax, it’s nothing crazy,” Priscilla tossed back. “Seems she’s found herself a boyfriend, a real boyfriend,” she told Tae as her sister rolled her eyes and sighed deeply.

Ashlyn seemed to have a new crush every other week for as long as she could recall, since turning 15.

“
Girl, right, she’s always in love,” Tae tossed back as Priscilla told her she thought it might be different this time.

“
Why,” Tae asked, wondering what wasn’t being said.

“
Mama said she found birth control pills and condoms in her room,” Priscilla told Tae sipping her tea.

“
Shit,” Tae mumbled under her breath. “She just turned 18,” she told Priscilla.

“
Well mama doesn’t think she’s actually followed through yet, but she’s definitely thinking about it,” she told Tae as she nodded thoughtfully.

“
Wassup sis,” Ashlyn greeted Tae walking into the kitchen, since she hadn’t seen her yet.

“
Hey Ash,” Tae replied her mind still whirling.

“
Are you and Shells coming to my party,” Ashlyn asked giving Tae a look.

Chuckling Tae told her they would be there.

“
Good, I want you to meet my boyfriend,” she told her sister, trying to gauge her reaction.

She and Tae were closer than she and Priscilla, and she knew her older sister wouldn’t understand like Tae would the things she was feeling right now. Priscilla took that as her cue to leave, knowing how close the two were and hoping her middle sister could talk some sense into the younger one.

“
What boyfriend, and how come I’m just hearing about him,” Tae teased wanting her sister to relax and honestly open up.

If she was contemplating sleeping with him or already had, she wanted to be sure this guy wasn’t some loser or user who ended up hurting her. Ashlyn laughed and grabbed a soda from the fridge.

“
Because you just got back to Atlanta, and I did kinda mention it when I called you about a month ago,” Ashlyn reminded her.

“
Hmph, well okay let’s say for arguments sake you did,” Tae returned as Ashlyn chuckled again and they ventured to her bedroom to talk.

*****

“
Well call me later if you get a chance honey,” Sapphire told her son as they disconnected and she lay back down on the couch.

She was exhausted, but it was pretty routine for her. She had dialysis three times a week and it always left her drained and tired. Sighing deeply Sapphire thought about her son, pleased he was doing so well in college.
Just let me live long enough to see him graduate,
she prayed, closing her eyes as her thoughts assailed her once more. True to his word Cartier returned that day from the hospital, after seeing Hope, asking about Sa’Cari and his birth. Sapphire had never been as scared as she was at that moment, but Cartier hadn’t hurt her or even raised his voice. He simply asked her to explain.
“How did you manage being pregnant right under my nose,” he asked calmly, looking directly into her eyes. Sapphire smiled just a touch, swallowing hard before answering. “I wore a girdle and tight clothes for as long as I could,” she told him. “I made it up to my eighth month before Quita noticed and said something about me getting fatter,” she continued as Cartier sipped his drink and continued to watch her. “That was when I knew I had to disappear for a while,” Sapphire told him quietly as Cartier’s mind clicked for him. “When you left the note saying you were going home,” he threw out and she nodded silently. Sapphire had been eternally grateful neither he nor Carlo were the type of pimps who chased their whores. If you wanted to leave, they let you. They didn’t ask questions and they didn’t threaten or hurt you. They’d always treated their girls well, so if one wanted to leave they never took it personally, just chalked it up to the women wanting something else in their lives.

“
I gave birth to him two weeks after I checked into the run down hotel on the other side of town,” Sapphire told Cartier as he frowned. “Why didn’t you just come home and tell me Sapphire,” he questioned the hurt obvious in his voice. “You’d just given birth to my seed and you kept that from me.” Sapphire pleaded with him to try and understand. “Socrates, I was 16 years old, I was a prostitute in love with her pimp,” she told him beginning to cry now. “I was scared as hell. I’d heard all kinds of horror stories. I thought you would beat my ass, kill me, or take my baby from me,” she told him breaking down now. Cartier pulled her into his arms at that point and told her it was all right and he understood. “I want my son to know who I am,” he told her once she composed herself. “Socrates, he doesn’t know about my life, about the things I’ve done,” Sapphire returned. Cartier smiled and kissed her gently. “You don’t do anything Sapphire, you’re my woman and that’s all he needs to know,” he assured her as she finally acquiesced. They sat down together one month later and told Sa’Cari the truth.

The phone ringing broke her thought and Sapphire was amazed to see she’d been asleep for almost two hours.

“
Hello,” she answered softly, the sleep still in her voice.

“
I didn’t mean to disturb you,” Horse returned.

He told her he was simply checking on her.

“
I’m fine Horse,” Sapphire returned genuinely glad to hear from him.

They remained close even after Cartier’s death. Losing him had devastated her world. She was at a complete loss and if it hadn’t been for Horse helping her through the rough times and the legalities she didn’t know what she would have done. Of course Cartier had provided for Sa’Cari and the other two sons she knew about but had never met. He’d left her the house and the money it contained. Sapphire immediately sold the huge home, knowing the space was too massive and the memories too painful for her to remain there. She bought the smaller two bedroom condo choosing to remain in Chicago. Horse helped her with the day to day routine until she learned how to be self sufficient and take care of her finances. When Sa’Cari graduated high school two years ago, his college wasn’t a worry. He had almost 400K in his trust fund at that point with the monies Cartier had invested in his name.

“
Do you need me to stop by later,” Horse asked.

“
Sure, that sounds good,” Sapphire told him; thinking how much she would enjoy the company.

“
I’ll be there in a couple hours,” He told her giving her his proposed arrival time, and disconnected.

*****

“
All right, we’re alone now, so get to talking,” Tae teased Ashlyn, poking her playfully in the arm.

Giggling Ashlyn began to tell her about her new boyfriend. “He’s so cute Tae, tall and sexy,” she gushed as Tae smiled seeing the youthful exuberance of young love and wondering if she sounded as goofy when she was 18.

“
Mmhmm, and where did you meet Mr. tall and sexy,” Tae asked sipping her water.

“
At the AU center,” Ashlyn replied.

“
So he goes where,” Tae asked referring to college.

“
Clark-Atlanta just like me,” her sister responded.

“
OK, well at least he’s in school,” Tae threw out as Ashlyn giggled again.

“
What makes this one so special Ash,” Tae asked becoming slightly serious.

Her younger sister exhaled noisily shrugging slightly.

“
I don’t really know how to explain it Tae,” Ashlyn answered honestly. “It was like, I dunno, just extreme chemistry,” she tried to put into words.

“
I mean it wasn’t like he’d been checking me out forever or anything, and honestly I don’t remember ever seeing him on campus before we actually met,” Ashlyn told her.