Chapter 14

Nicki and LJ sat on the sofa watching Safaree pace back and forth with OJ in his arms crying as if his life was in danger. Her head was laid back against the sofa as she watched him getting frustrated with OJ's crying. He patted his pack, tried feeding him, tried playing with him and now was rocking him, but he continued to cry out.

"Faree, please just give him here."

"No, my son is...."

"You can't force him!"

He sighed then handed OJ over to her and flopped down in the sofa next to them. He huffed hearing him grow quiet as she slowly rocked him side to side. He leaned against the arm of the sofa and looked over his family and smiled.

"We should take some family pictures next week."

"We did take family pictures, remember you're the one who had to work."

"Nic, don't start... I apologized for that."

"I heard you."

She replied looking down into OJ's face. He stared up at her as she ran her fingers through his hair. She looked over at Safaree after feeling the sudden movement on the sofa. He looked pissed, so she reached out and grabbed his shirt. He looked back and yanked out of her grip.

"What's your problem?"

"My own son don't even know who I , but he know his uncles and Mike."

"Well if you stayed home more... Often."

"I have to work! You can sit on your ass all day, but I'm a man."

"What? Sit on my ass?"

OJ started to cry again as he pulled her finger away from his face and yelled out. She breathe in and out slowly to calm herself. I'm on my ass all day, but I'm here with OUR three kids, doing this alone! He has some fucking nerve! I do my work from home just like he can, but he too busy being cheap as fuck and higher niggas who he know will steal from him! Stupid ass. She fussed within as she finally pushed off the sofa.

"LJ get up and go get your soup off the stove. Being it in OJ's room."

"Okay."

He whispered getting up from the sofa feeling like death. He was at home sick with a cold. Nicki stood watching him walk slowly over to the stove then walked down the hall to OJ's room. She placed him on the floor under his music mat and watched his big toothless smile spread across his face. She was admiring her son when he came in and snapped her out of her trance.

"Nic, you heard me? Answer."

"Did you really just ask me that?"

"Don't answer me with a fucking question."

"No, DONT YOU COME IN HERE ACCUSING ME OF NO SHIT LIKE THAT!"

"ONIKA, IM NOT IN THE FUCKING MOOD ANSWER ME OR IM OUT!"

"Like always nothing new."

She stated quietly as she brushed pass him with tears running down her face. He followed behind her feeling like shit for threatening her like that. He groaned loudly at her locking herself in the bathroom and put his head against it.

"Look, I'm not leaving, but I need to know."

"You should already know!"

"How? I was nuts at the time and you come up pregnant."

"Come up? You act like you weren't the one that was in me every night screaming Karens name like I was that bitch!"

"Baby..."

"No, don't fucking baby me!"

She snatched the door open, pointed in his face and calmly spoke.

"Accuse me of anything else, but you won't ever accuse me of cheating on you! I took your abuse for a year and never did I even think about cheating on you!"

She pushed him out the way and stomped off to take care of LJ.

******

"Candi have you seen Nic?"

"No, she called me yesterday.."

"What she say?"

His voice was full of concern because he hasn't seen her in a few hours. OJ was crying, Zuri was pouting and LJ was stretched across the floor coloring in OJ's books.

"Do you need me to come over?"

"Please? He won't stop crying."

"Did you try feeding him?"

"Yeah! He pushed it away."

"Rocking?"

"That too, nothing man."

"I'll be over in thirty minutes."

He sighed and placed OJ down in his rocker. LJ stood up and picked him up and grabbed the bottle to feed him. He instantly latched on. SB threw his arms in the air defeated. He slummed into the rocking chair and just shook his head over and over. He acts like I'm not his father? He looked over at OJ staring at him then let out a big huff.

Candi walked in the door and gave Zuri a look which shut her up. She took OJ from LJ and told him to go clean the dishes while Zuri cleaned the living room that looked a mess. She looked over at Safaree who was on the sofa with his head in his hands.

"What happen between you and Nika?"

"I'm a bad boyfriend."

"You guys argued?"

"Yeah and I haven't seen her since last night when we laid down."

"Did she say anything?"

"She was tired and that she loved me."

"And you?"

"Nothing, I just cuddled up to her."

"This isn't like Nic. Let me call Lauren."

"No, he doesn't like me."

"Safaree hold your son."

He reluctantly took OJ into his arms and sighed of relief when he didn't cry, but they may have been because he was sleep. He stared down into his small brown face and admired his lil nose and long slanted eyes. He slowly rocked him as his thoughts drifted off to Nicki and where she could possibly be. Candi interrupted his thoughts as she cried and rambled.

"Candi, calm down! What Lauren say?"

"That she hasn't seen her, but her car is in the back of the boutique! Her money is gone, ID, purse and all that there is the car."

"The picture of us in the dashboard?"

"Nothing! She looked for any trance of Nic dropping the car off, but it looks like someone dropped it off and snatched her."

His breathing became irregular as his eyes flooded with tears. Candi flew to his side and wrapped her arms around his chest and cried. OJ must of sensed the sudden atmosphere because he too began to cry. He looked over at his watch.

"If she doesn't show up tonight, I'm calling the cops."

"I'll stay here and help you with the kids."

******

She sat in the hotel suite and ate the entire plate of wings feeling guilty about leaving them in the middle of the night, but she needed a break from him and wanted him to experience what she went through daily while he was at work. She sighed heavily missing them already.

"Just one day."

She told herself out loud as she looked around the suite. It was a couples suite that she had paid for, for the whole week. Even though she planned on staying just for that day, she knew that her and SB needed time alone too. He may have been absent during the day and most of the week, but he did whatever the kids wanted to do during the weekend. She looked down in the bathtub and started the water to take a shower.

[After the Shower]

She smiled down at her phone as she read his text messages.

Hubby: I miss you.
Hubby: Are you okay?
Hubby: I'm really worried.
Hubby: Omaree misses you.
Hubby: I can't do this without you.
Hubby: Zuri keeps whinning, what do I do?
Hubby: I promise to change just come home baby.
Hubby: Did someone snatch you?
Hubby: I'm sick without you!

She shook her head then laid in the bed. It was empty without him behind her. God, this is going to be a long night. She called up room service to bring her some extra pillows, so she could fill the emptiness. Just one night without him.