I cleared my throat, fighting hard to keep my lips pressed tight. I released his neck and gave his shoulder a squeeze. I tried to make my tone as reassuring as I could muster.
“Nah, bro, you good. Let it out. Ain’t nothing wrong with missing that girl like that. Shows you got a heart under all that tough and rap talk,” I chuckled.
“Besides, everybody got a Jatavia. I’d probably cry like how you crying if Truly left me alone for good in our future.” I tried to sound as serious as possible.
Inside, though, I kept biting my cheek, trying not to bust out laughing at the way Dreu alternated between sobbing and saying some dumb ass shit.
He sniffed loudly and wiped his nose with the back of his hand.
“Man, you ever get your heart broke, and your stomach hurt at the same time? I swear, I feel like I got food poisoning and heartbreak all mixed together, it’s triple homicide in my chest right now. You got me out here on a mission then made me emotional.” He let out a dramatic sigh, then side-eyed me.
“On some real shit, Bleu, if you ever see me texting another woman while I got a good one, just slap the phone out my hand. Matter fact, just slap me. I give you permission.”
His mix of raw misery and ridiculous commentary hung in the air, and I finally let a small chuckle slip. Dreu shot me a look, but I could tell he was glad for the moment of levity, even as another tear rolled down his cheek. The car was quiet except for his sniffling.
“I need to smoke a blunt, I’m ready to go already. Tell me what’s the plan and let’s get this shit out the way with.” Dreu sniffled one last time.
He pulled the sun visor down, looked at himself in the mirror for a couple of seconds too long. A mischievous smile broke through his sadness. He leaned to the side, pulled his phone out and took a couple of selfies.
“What the fuck you doing?” I asked him.
“I’m sending this shit to her on messenger since she got my numbers blocked. She needs to see that even with time passing, I’m still torn up about her.”
He wiped his eyes again, flashing me a grin that almost looked like his usual self.
“Bro, I gotta update my story. Let my fans know I survived heartbreak and came out looking even better. You know they love the drama. Shit would hit the blogs too. Maybe Jatavia will see it and want me since my name do got a buzz. A nigga a B-list celebrity right now. In another month, I’ll be A-list.”
He angled the phone for another shot, tilting his head to find his best light. Dreu blinked his eyes real hard, forcing a lone tear out of his left eye. I shook my head, half-amused, half-annoyed, but couldn’t help but laugh at how fast he switched up.
“Alright, be done with that. Aubry sent Princess to his mother’s house. She’s been there for two days. It’s the only way Truly has been able to talk to her daughter without Aubry acting like a bitch. Before he took their daughter over there, Truly would go hide in my guest room just to make it seem like she ended things with me.” I frowned, feeling myself grow angry all over again.
I forced myself not to say shit about her going in my guest rooms just to talk to Princess. I had to make shit clear as hell to Aubry that his days of controlling Truly by using their daughter was over. He was going to stop making her life a living hell. He had no other options.
“Aww nah! You can’t let her try to hide you for him,” Dreu spat pissed off. “You too much of a boss ass nigga to play some fake ass side nigga.” He continued hyping his words up.
“That’s why I’m paying him a visit.” I smirked then tapped the top of my glove compartment.
I could have killed Aubry but that wasn’t what I was about. Even this side of me was the dark part that I tried to avoid. This part of me made me feel like my parents. They handled every problem with force, anything that posed as a threat got handled accordingly. My mother and father had bodies under their belts that they would never acknowledge. Of course, they never had to get their wealthy hands dirty, but it was still their money that got rid of certain individuals permanently.
Dreu opened the glove compartment and pulled out two sets of matching black leather gloves. He kept a set then handed me the other.
“I told him I would see him soon. I’ve been enjoying this week spending time with Truly…I also was able to find the time to get all the information that I needed on Aubry to get him to fall the fuck back and co-parent with Truly without problems.”
I slid the gloves on slowly then flexed my fingers like I was getting ready for a job. The mood in the car shifted, the banter faded into something heavier.
“So, what you got?” Dreu broke the silence.
“A flash drive full of information that I had my private investigator pull. I brought my laptop with me; I’m going to force him to look at everything on that flash drive. It’s basically his digital footprint. Every inappropriate message sent from his work email. The quiet embezzlement trail hidden in his software firm’s database. It’s enough to end his career and put him in a court room if he makes me take it there.” I gritted out.
“Man, that’s some snitching shit! We can go in there beat his ass; threaten his life and it’ll be enough. I can’t have snitching on my street resume?—”
“Shut the fuck up!” I snapped tired of Dreu’s bullshit.
“I’m not a thug, and you’re not either. Snitching is for street dudes. Stop trying so hard to be a YN, Dreu. Get out the car, I’m ready to get this over with.”
Twenty
BLEU
