The Art of Falling | Szn 2, Episode One
Aftermath | Shameek
"Daughter?" Shameek repeated the end of Amber's sentence in his mind.
Amber watched him with a hopeful expression, while toying with her hands until she seemingly couldn't take any more silence. "Meek. Say something," she urged.
The problem was, he couldn't find words to say. For Amber to disappear for years, then resurface claiming to have birthed a child he fathered, immediately sent off alarm bells that he wasn't equipped to handle at the moment.
“Aye, I don't know what you're on, but I don’t have time for you or whatever story you—”
“Story?” she repeated, tilting her head. “I didn’t pull a fuckin’ child out of thin air, Meek.”
“And you damn sure haven’t breathed a word to me or anyone else about the existence of a mysterious child, either.”
“When the hell was I supposed to do that? Over the phone after driving up to the penitentiary and sitting across from you while separated by a pane of glass? Yeah, that’s always how I dreamed of dropping a pregnancy announcement.”
“You think dropping the news after stalking me once I told you I was done with you is better?” he countered. “Especially when you’ve had access to my mama and Dric this whole time?”
“Dric doesn’t like me, and you know that. And as for your mom—”
“Miss me with whatever bullshit you finna say. None of that shit matters when it comes to the well-being of a child, and that you think it does shows me where your head is. I don’t know what you thought would happen after approaching me with this, but I have better things to do on Valentine’s Day than to stand here arguing with you.”
Shameek turned to head back inside the building, but Amber firmly planted a hand on his arm to prevent him from moving further.
“Like what?” she spat. “What could possibly be more important than our child and me?”
If he hadn’t been so angry, Shameek would have felt sorry for laughing in her face.
“A maggot would be more important to me than you are, Amb. And as far as this kid situation goes, if I’m her father, I’ll deal with it. You, on the other hand, can’t get shit from me.
And with that, he left her on the sidewalk in the cold and went back inside. Hendric and Kiyanne were engaged in an animated conversation, which Hendric ceased almost immediately upon seeing Shameek’s expression.
“You good?”
Throwing an arm around Kiyanne’s shoulders, Shameek nodded. “I’m straight.”
Hendric shot him a look that insinuated he didn’t believe him, and apparently, Kiyanne didn’t either.
Knitting her eyebrows, she planted a hand on the side of his face. “You sure everything’s okay?”
Shameek planted a gentle kiss against her lips in response.
Gabriella graced the stage, providing a needed distraction as she announced the next artist.
“Oh, shit,” Shameek perked up upon hearing the artist’s name.
Hendric looked to him. “What?”
“I know the artist Gab just announced. We were locked up together for a minute, and I told him I’d slide her his info for the showcase, but never heard back, so I assumed nothing came out of it.”
“Can he spit?”
“No lie, he’s the coldest white boy I’ve heard rap as well as he does.”
Hendric released an extremely audible snort, making Kiyanne laugh. “Yeah, a’ight. I’ll be the judge of that.”
Shaking his head, Shameek turned to the stage in enough time to see Kellz walk out. Kiyanne, however, reacted before he did.
“Oh, my God,” she murmured, slapping a hand to her mouth.
“What?”
“I have to go.”
“Kiy,” he reached for her.
“No,” she dodged his grip. “I need to get out of her.”
Shameek didn’t hesitate to chase her as she darted for the door.
“Kiyanne!” he called, planting his hands on her shoulders and spinning her so she was facing him.
“I can’t be here,” her breaths were short and shallow as she hyperventilated. “I need...”
“Breathe, please,” Shameek begged, trailing his hands down her arms and linking his fingers with hers. “I promise I’ma fix whatever’s wrong, but I need you to tell me what’s up.”
“Kellz ...I—he...”
Shameek’s eyes darkened. “He what?”
“He’s my brother...”