18. Anastazia

“Thank you, baby.” I smiled as Sophie handed me my plate she’d made in her play kitchen.

Her bedroom at Asif’s place was far better than the one at my home. As far as my moms went, it wasn’t even in the competition, because she and I shared my old bedroom which was pretty cramped with both of our things everywhere. By saying that, she loved it here, and when she mentioned going home, she always meant Asif’s penthouse.

My phone rang, and when I looked down, I saw a 310 number, making me answer it.

“Hello?”

“Hi, baby.” Cedric’s voice rattled me from within. I hadn’t heard it in so long that I’d forgotten how much it frightened and bothered me.

“Eat, Mommy!” Sophie pointed to my fake pasta.

“Is that my baby? Let me talk to her.”

I was still frozen in place, hoping this was just a cruel joke. I’d been praying he died after the trial was over, but of course, that wasn’t gonna happen.

“Mommy—”

“Hold on, Sophie!” I barked at her unintentionally, making her start to cry. “I’m sorry, baby. Come here.” I tugged her to me, bringing her into my lap.

“Bitch, I said let me talk to her.” Cedric spoke through what sounded like gritted teeth, reminding me he was on the phone.

“I’m not letting you do shit.” I bounced a now calm Sophie in my lap.

“Ooooh.” He laughed. “You think ’cause I’m in here and you out there, you can talk crazy, huh? Think again, because as soon as I get discharged, I’m on yo’ ass. You ruined my life with that stupid ass stunt you pulled.”

“Actually, I didn’t, because you’re still alive, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, but I can’t ever fucking walk again, thanks to you, and I’ll be lucky if I can make my dick work,” he all but growled. I could imagine him seething, spit flying everywhere like it always did when he was irate.

“It wasn’t doing that good of a job anyway,” I said, knowing it would piss him off. “About time it retired.”

“I should let yo’ ass rot in prison,” he said, but I ignored him, letting Sophie down out of my lap. I listened to him sigh, the one he always did when he was about to change his tune. He was truly crazy, only right now I was realizing he wasn’t that scary to me. Could’ve been because I had Asif, but also because I could sense he was weak right now. “Anastazia, baby, I didn’t call you for this. If you come home to me, come back to me, I can make all of this shit go away.”

“How when you’re not even the one pressing charges, Cedric? Your barely got a job, unconnected ass can’t make shit go away.” I kept it real with him.

“Bitch—”

I quickly hung up, knowing the conversation was going nowhere. Knowing he was paralyzed helped me to calm down a little bit, though he was awake, but Cedric was the type of nigga who would find a way around that.

“Come on, baby, let’s take a trip.” I rose to my feet, taking an excited Sophie’s hand as I led her out of the room.

I quickly got dressed, put shoes on Sophie, since she was already dressed, and then left to go see Bashar. I didn’t know if he knew about Cedric, but I doubted it. I was sure the nigga had only been awake for a tiny bit, making sure I was the first person he called.

I chuckled to myself as I pulled into the lot of Bashar’s law office, thinking about how Cedric was caught off guard by our conversation. I knew he expected to get the same bitch he’d been able to control and scare on the phone and was surprised to find the opposite. I could see him now, raging in that hospital bed as we spoke.

Grabbing my baby, I entered the building and rode up to Bashar’s floor. His assistant, Ashlee, gave me no problems this time, telling me I could go back and see her boss after phoning him.

“Shar!” Sophie screeched at the sight of her uncle, damn near fighting me to get down.

Squatting, Bashar welcomed her run to him before embracing her. I smiled, watching the exchange, thankful that even though she’d, in a sense, lost her father, she had male figures around. And an even closer one now that Asif and I had bloomed into something.

“I got plenty of toys for you.” Bashar escorted Sophie to the blocked off area that I was sure he’d accumulated for his own children when they visited.

While Sophie busied herself with the plethora of toys, I said, “He’s awake. He called me.”

“Oh shit. He must’ve just woken up, because they would’ve notified everybody.” Bashar ventured back to his desk. “This is good, Stazi. Not only because you won’t have to worry about murder charges but because of how Cedric is.”

“What do you mean?”

“Meaning he acts like a child, quick to anger and blow up. That’s the worst kind of witness you can have, and best believe the prosecution team is gon’ call his ass up there.” Bashar took out a legal pad and pen, flipping to a clear page. “I can’t wait to cross examine this nigga.”

“Seeing you alone is gonna make him blow a gasket,” I said, making Bashar chuckle with a nod.

“Aight, Stazi. You know Cedric better than anybody. What makes that nigga angry? I can’t come at him how I did when I met him and shit. I gotta be a professional, so I wanna ask him the right shit to hit those tender spots.”

“Right, umm,” I fidgeted, glancing at Sophie, “he hates to be made a fool of. He likes for people to believe he is always in charge, ahead of everyone, and knows what’s going on. So if you ask or allude to him being played or having the wool put over his eyes or like I was running things, he will explode.”

“Aight, this is perfect.” He scribbled as I talked. “I’m gon’ work on some things, and then, next time I see you, we can tweak some shit if need be.” Retracting the pen, he set it down. “If he calls you again, tell him he’s being recorded. If he keeps talking, we can use whatever he’s saying in court. If he doesn’t want to talk, even better because that’ll mean he’ll have no choice but to leave you alone.”

“Okay. Thank you.” I nodded, exhaling heavily.

“Don’t worry about that nigga, and don’t worry about this.”

“I’m more so worried about Asif reacting to him being awake and calling me.” I tried to laugh.

“Sif is smart, so no need to worry about that shit either. Relax, go on about yo’ life, and let me handle this legal shit. Let my brother handle everything else.”

I nodded, praying that everything went as smoothly as Bashar was making it sound.

DAYS LATER…

Tightening my robe, I grabbed my toiletries as I walked out of the bathroom at my mother’s house. The door was barely closed before she tried to come in.

“Dang, Ma, you that tired of Sophie?” I giggled but let it dissipate when I saw her serious expression.

“She’s napping. This’ll only take a second. Can I sit down?” She pointed into my bedroom.

“Of course. It’s your house.” I stepped back, widening the door and allowing her in.

Coming inside, she exhaled heavily then said, “He wants to see Sophie.”

“Who?” I frowned, feeling my heart sink to the pit of my stomach since I already knew the answer.

“Cedric, Stazi. I wanted to say no, but the paperwork states that if I allow you to see her, I have to allow him as well. You both have to have equal visitation.”

“No, Ma. No.” I shook my head, nervous all of a sudden. I knew shit wouldn’t just be smooth. There was always fucking something.

“Anastazia, if I say no, his family can let the court know I have violated the temporary custody agreement, and I don’t know what will happen after that, but she could be given to his side of the family if that happens.”

“So I’m just supposed to let him see her as if he’s not a fucking monster?” I asked. “Sorry,” I said, referring to my yelling. My eyes watered and burned at the thought. My mother wasn’t weak by any means, but I wouldn’t put it past Cedric to do something to her and kidnap Sophie. I would legit have a fucking heart attack if that shit happened.

“It’s supervised, so I will be there.” She watched me pace back and forth.

I couldn’t go because the day after he woke up, his family filed a temporary restraining order against me on his behalf. Of course it was granted immediately due to the circumstances.

Go figure, as if I would be the one trying to see him. They were truly running with this ‘Anastazia is dangerous’ narrative for the public. They couldn’t wait to tell the news stations a restraining order had been filed.

“No, umm, you need to bring someone with you.”

“Who? Fiona?” she asked, referring to my aunt.

“No, Asif.” I eyed her. “He’s the only person I trust to go. Bashar is doing enough as it is and pro bono. Let Asif come with you. That will make me feel better.”

Sighing, my mother raised her brows, and I could read her mind. “You sure? If he comes, Cedric is gonna immediately know what’s up.”

“Him knowing what’s up is at the bottom of my list of cares, Ma. I want you and Sophie to be safe, and Cedric is not gonna bust a grape with Asif there.”

“He sure won’t. He looks mean, and the boy ain’t small.” She chortled, and I followed suit.

“He does look mean, but he’s sweet.” I half smiled as he crossed my mind.

“He’s sweet to you .” She laughed, stating facts. “Alright, baby. Well, let him know, and then we can coordinate the date and time.” She walked to the door. “I’ll let you get dressed.”

As soon as she was out, I took a deep breath, hoping Cedric didn’t act crazy and make Asif shoot him right there in the hospital or something. Because while Asif was smart and calculated, he had a temper, too, one I’d been privy to while working in the warehouse.

That evening…

After running errands all day and mentally preparing myself to allow my baby to go see her father, I was now in the comfort of Asif’s penthouse. The living room was warm with the fireplace blazing, and Sophie completely knocked out on the humongous and plush couch.

“You love for me to play in your head.” I stared down into Asif’s handsome face as he lay in my lap. The couch was long enough for fifteen people to sit on and wide enough for three people to sleep on their sides.

“I do.” He shut his eyes, licking those supple lips that were surrounded by his juicy beard. “Feeling your hands and shit while smelling you.”

I giggled, leaning down to kiss his lips, my hand still tangled in his dreads.

“Cedric is awake.”

“I know.” He nodded. “Bashar told me. I was just waiting on you to tell me.” He opened his eyes.

“I was going to. Why did he tell you first?”

“Just to remind me to leave the nigga alone for right now. Told me no matter how that nigga perishes, they would still change yo’ charges to murder.”

“I see.” I snickered, looking across the living room at the fire flickering in the marble fireplace.

“I don’ told that nigga I’m gon’ let him live, just until that judge bang the fucking gavel.”

I nodded. “Would you do me a favor?”

“You know you didn’t have to ask that shit. Only time I would ever tell you no is if you tried to leave a nigga.”

“How could you tell me no if I wanted to leave you?”

“I can show you better than I can tell you, but don’t make me show you. We’ll both be living with Mrs. Chase muthafuckin’ ass for starters.”

I guffawed. “You think moving into my mama’s house is gonna keep me with you.”

“Don’t know, but I know it’d be hard for you to date with my ass living there.” He sat up then brought me into his lap. “What’s the favor?”

“He wants to see Sophie, and my mom kind of has to let him. But I don’t want her to go see him alone. Would you go?”

“Sure and the fuck will.”

“Asif… just to escort.”

“Mhm.” He kissed me, basically telling me he was gonna do more than that without saying as much.

Making me straddle him, he massaged my ass while kissing on my neck.

“I’m on my period, Asif.” I smiled when I felt him freeze up.

“We can just lay together then. I fuck with that.” He kissed the corner of my mouth.

“Don’t be weird when you see my adult diaper,” I joked.

“Anything you put on is sexy.” He helped me stand.

“Let me put her in the bed, and then I will be in there,” I let him know as he put out the fire within the fireplace.

He nodded, so I scooped Sophie up to take her to her room. Once she was laid down, I made sure the baby monitor was on and then brightened her night light.

As I was walking out, my phone buzzed inside of my pocket. Retrieving it, I saw I had a message request. Venturing into the app, as soon as I saw it was from an unknown profile, I was able to conclude it was some bullshit. Either this was some crazed theorist messaging me their thoughts on my crime or one of Cedric’s family members trying to start shit.

Unknown: I hope you know he’s still fucking Milan.

Unknown: he never stopped.

I chose not to accept the message and left the conversation thread. Going onto my story, I quickly typed a message reading: I love my man .

Simple, to the point, and just enough to let unknown, aka Milan herself that she’d have to do better than typical petty shit to part me from Asif.

Locking my phone, I went to find him, and since he already had the shower running, I decided to join him, where things went pleasantly further than we planned. And that quickly, I had forgotten about Milan’s stupid ass message.