Authors Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed it means a lot to me that you'd take the time out to tell me what you think of the story. Here's Chapter 4 I hope you all enjoy and thank you for reading.
Chapter 4
Riven walked into the local laundromat annoyed with a basket full of soaking wet clothes that he did his best to wring out before coming and a few that weren't sopping wet. His washer decided to quit working in the middle of a wash cycle and he had to work tonight he hoped he wasn't here long. He also knew that he shouldn't wait so long between washes but how was he supposed to know that his washing machine would decide to call it quits. Sighing he got to work sorting his clothes then threw them into the nearest machine added some detergent and quarters then sat down in a chair pulled out his phone and waited.
A crashing sound near the entrance had his head shooting up. Standing near the doorway was Musa wearing jeans a red tank top and a long cardigan sweater holding a car seat and a basket of clothes scattered on the floor in front of her. He put his phone in his pocket and got up to go help her clean up the mess. "Thanks but I got it." She said not looking at him.
"Just trying to help." He said placing clothes in the basket.
"Riven." She said surprised finally looking at him as she placed the last item in the basket.
"Hey." He said grabbing the basket before she could and standing up.
"I could've got that." She told him motioning towards the basket.
"Why don't you focus on carrying your baby I'd hate for you to drop him instead of the basket."
"I'd drop the basket grab my kid breaking his fall with my own body if something like that happened."
"Any mother would." He said placing the basket on a nearby counter. "Are there anymore baskets?"
"Yeah there's one on floor of the backseat and one in the front of my truck."
"That one?" He asked pointing to a white truck parked close to the exit.
"Yep." She nodded.
"Alright." He said and went for the door.
"What're you doing?" She asked.
"Getting the rest of your clothes."
"I can get them."
"I know you can." He told her, "But can't have you leaving your baby alone while you get your stuff someone might take him."
"This is Gardenia nothing's going to happen."
"You never know." He told her and walked out the door and grabbed the rest of her things and came back in. "I can't believe you didn't lock your doors." He joked.
Musa just rolled her eyes pulled her keys out of her pocket and hit the lock button on her keychain. "Better?"
"Are you sure it's locked? Maybe you should go check."
"And leave my son alone." She shot back, "I don't think so, but if you're so worried you could always go check"
"That's okay I think I heard it click." He said with a laugh.
Musa grabbed one of the nearby large rolling baskets and placed the car seat with James still secured inside, that way she could just roll him around with her instead of carrying him around with her everywhere. Then grabbed a basket and headed towards the closest machine.
"Aren't you going to sort those before you wash them?" Riven asked.
"I already sorted everything before I came." She told him. "I'm surprised you sort yours most guys I've met don't sort their clothes." She said as she closed the machine door and added the money. Then moved to the next one pulling James along.
"You're the one who got me into the habit of sorting my clothes you know." He told her.
"Really When?" Musa asked as she was loading the machine
"Back when we were dating you complained about some of my clothes being faded and dingy and asked if I sorted my when I did my laundry. I told you no and you said that's why they're like that. Then every weekend after that you insisted on going to laundromat and instruct me on the proper way to do my laundry."
"Oh yeah." She said, "I wonder why I don't remember that."
"Maybe it wasn't that important to you but to me it was one of the first times someone showed any real interest about anything going on in my life even if it was something as simple as laundry."
"Riven." Musa said with awe not quite sure what to say but turned to look at him.
"Musa what happened?" He asked alarmed before she completely turned around.
She was confused at first but then noticed her sweater had fallen down of her arm slightly revealing the part of the bruises from her slam against the wall. She was glad she wore a bit of makeup to cover up the mark on her face "It's nothing." She told him in an off handed tone as she quickly pulled up the sweater.
"It doesn't look like nothing to me." He said "Who did that to you." He demanded
"I don't know." She lied.
"How do you not know?" he asked unconvinced.
"Because they wore a mask."
"Huh?"
"Someone broke into the house a few days ago and I got slammed into wall running for James's room when I heard the noise and since they wore a mask I never saw their face." She explained continuing with the lie.
"Did you call the police?"
"No I didn't."
"Why the hell not?" He asked irritated.
"Because Derrick scared them off and nothing was taken besides I didn't see there faces so I didn't feel the need to." She told him continuing with the lie.
Riven sighed heavily and shook his head, "Musa you still should have called the police that way they could've made a note about the break-in so they could be on the lookout in the neighborhood for suspicious activity. That way it doesn't happen to you again or anybody else in the area."
"I didn't think of that." She said. "If there's another break-in I'll report it."
"Good." He said, "Nothing happened to this little guy did it?" he asked indicating James.
"No nothing. In fact he slept right through it." She said, "If something had I'd of hunted them down and no one would ever see them again."
As if James knew they were talking about him he reached up his hand and grunted. Riven reached out his hand and James grabbed onto one of Riven's fingers and held tightly.
"He's got a strong grip." Riven said.
"Yeah he does." Musa agreed.
The two talked about old times in high school and played peekaboo with James getting him to smile and kick happily at the antics while finishing up their laundry.
"So is he crawling yet?" Riven asked grabbing two of Musa's baskets as they headed out the door. He'd come back for the last one in a moment.
"No babies don't normally start crawling until around six months and he's only three months." She told him opening the backseat and putting James in and securing the car seat.
"Oh." He said lamely as he put the first two baskets on the floor of the front seat, then went back for the last one.
"Thanks." Musa said as Riven placed the last basket on the floor of the backseat and shut the door.
"Don't mention it." He said with a smile
"I guess I'll see you later then." Musa said, she wasn't sure if she just get in her truck or give him a hug before she left. Granted they were friends but they hadn't seen each other in years and didn't want to make him uncomfortable with the gesture.
"Yeah I'll see you later." He said and pulled her into him for a quick one armed hug. "Stay out of trouble." He joked as he let her go and she climbed in her truck. "Oh and tell your boyfriend I owe him beer." He said as he was walking away.
"Why's that?" She asked as she started up her truck.
"For protecting you of course." He told her and walked back into the building to grab his clothes and get ready for work that night.
Musa arrived back home Derrick and a bunch of his friends were hanging out on the front porch drinking. She got out of the truck grabbed James out of the car seat and headed inside. "Hey babe." Derrick said and gave her a one armed hug and kissed the side of head as she walked onto the porch.
"Hey." She said back.
"Why don't you put the kid down and check the kitchen while I get the clothes out of the truck."
"Okay." She said and walked into the house and placed James in the living room playpen and made her way to the kitchen.
Sitting on the island countertop was a small rectangular box wrapped with golden paper and matching bow. She walked over and picked it up.
"Don't just stare at it." Derrick said from the doorway, "Open it up." He said.
Musa unwrapped it and opened the box inside was a heart shaped emerald pendant on a golden chain. "Derrick it's beautiful." She told him.
"I'm glad you like." He said as he walked over to her and picked up the pendant so he could help her put it on. "Think of this as my apology for what happened the other day I never should have hit you. I'm sorry." He told her as he clasped it. Then wrapped his arms around her waist. "Of course I wouldn't have to if you didn't have such a smart mouth.
"I'm sorry. You're right I should watch what I say." She said.
He smiled and stepped away from her, "Turn around and let me look at you."
She turned around and faced him.
"It looks good on you I'm glad I bought it."
She smiled at the compliment.
"You know it almost makes you pretty. I mean you're still ugly but the necklace distracts from the fact at least a little bit." Then he kissed her forehead, "Once you get the clothes put away get started on dinner I'm starving." He said and left the room.
"Hey Riven do you think you can come in early in a few days?" Layla asked while he was fixing a few drinks for a customer.
"How early and why?" he asked.
"Well theme day is on Friday and I wanted you to help me decorate and I'd need you here around one o'clock."
"Sure I'll be there." He told her, "Do I have to dress up?"
"Thank you and yes." She said and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and took the drinks to the waiting customers.
"Trying to steal my woman." Nabu teased coming up next to Riven.
"You worried she might leave you and come to me." Riven teased back.
Nabu just laughed "That'd never happen you couldn't handle her." He said and started cleaning the dishes
"You're right I couldn't," he agreed and dried the dishes that Nabu finished washing.
"Hey you two I've got orders that need filled." Layla shouted at them as she leaned over the counter.
"Coming." They said together
Riven grabbed the drink orders and Nabu the food orders then went to take care of them. Shortly after shouts and laughter was heard from the door. Riven looked over and noticed it was Derrick Musa's boyfriend and he assumed a bunch of his friends, but sadly he didn't see Musa with them and he wondered where she was.
"Let me get a pitcher of beer." Derrick said when he came up to the bar and his friends went and grabbed a table.
"Sure thing." Riven said and went to fill up a pitcher. "Here you go." He said and set it on the counter. "It's on me." Riven told him when Derrick pulled out his wallet.
"Seriously?" Derrick asked surprised
"Yeah."
"Did I win some kind of you're the 100th customer of the day award or something?" Derrick asked while putting his wallet back in his pocket.
"No nothing like that. I owe it to you." Riven explained.
Derrick still looked confused.
"Sorry we haven't been properly introduced I'm Riven an old friend of Musa's from high school." He said extending his hand.
"Derrick." He said shaking Riven's hand while eyeing him cautiously and jealously as he sized Riven up like most men do when meeting another for the first time trying to gauge the other's strengths. "Strong grip you got there." He said when they let go.
"Yeah yours isn't so bad either." Riven said.
"So why do you owe me a beer?" Derrick inquired.
"I ran into Musa today at the laundromat and saw the bruises on her shoulder, and she told me about the break-in at your place and how you protected her. So I figured I owed you a beer for looking after one of my best friends."
"Right the break-in." Derrick said as if he was trying to convince himself that it happened. "Well a man's got to protect his family you know"
Riven nodded in agreement and Layla came up and handed him an order.
"Thanks for the beer." Derrick said and went to join his friends.
"Why's he thanking you for beer?" Layla asked.
"Because I bought him beer." Riven said grabbing out the bottles of beer she had requested and placing them in front of her
"Why?"
"I'll tell you later Miss Nosey. We're getting busy" he said as someone asked for a drink.
"You better." She said walking away not even phased buy the fact that he called her nosey.
The night went by quickly. Derrick and his buddies left after their second round of beer. Which wasn't surprising since it was Sunday and they probably had to work in the morning. They were cleaning up for the night when Layla walked over to Riven, "So why did you buy him beer?" she asked.
"Because he protected Musa from a burglar."
"Burglar? Then… oh my gosh someone broke into Musa's house."
"Apparently."
"Is she alright? What about James? Did she call the police? Did they catch the guy?" She rattled off question after question frantically.
"Take a breath sweetie." Nabu said coming up behind Layla and placing his hands on her shoulder to help calm her down.
Riven waited for her to calm down then said. "Musa's fine just a few bruises on her shoulder from where she was slammed against a wall. James is perfectly fine, he actually slept through it. No they didn't catch the guy because Musa didn't call the cops." He explained.
"Why the hell didn't she call the police is she an idiot?" Layla seethed.
"She said since they wore a mask and couldn't see their face making it unable to identify them it'd be pointless to call the police. Plus Derrick scared them off so she thought they were okay." He answered.
"My friend is a moron." Layla said shaking her head. "Even if she couldn't see their face she should have reported it so the police could be on the lookout for more robberies or attempted robberies."
"That's what I told her."
"Well don't think I'm not going to give her a piece of my mind the next time I talk to her." Layla said then walked off to clean some tables.
Riven and Nabu went back to cleaning, but there was something on Riven's mind when he mentioned the burglary to Derrick he seemed confused about it like he didn't remember it happening and just went along with it. That made him feel a little weirded out by him. Who doesn't remember a person breaking into their home and attacking their family, especially if you were the one who ran them off? Layla and Nabu were right there was something not quite right with that guy and he didn't trust him one bit.
