“Boy, don’t make me remind you how you were acting when Doc cut your water off.”
My brother chuckled. “Nigga, that’s my wife, and don’t ever mention my wife’s water. The fuck you on?”
“She wasn’t your wife when you were crying on my shoulder talking about ‘that’s my wife, Bro. She just don’t know it yet.’ Who wiped your snotty ass nose when that girl didn’t want your crazy ass?”
“So, your little heart is broken for real, ain’t it? You want a puppy or something, nigga?”
“Man fuck you!” I spat.
“I’m just fucking with you, Kannon. I do think you need to leave that old lady alone and go get your fucking girl. Unless you’re into older women. I wouldn’t put it past you. I know you’re into some freaky shit.”
“I’m not doing this with you. I told you she used her safe word. I have to respect that.”
“Well, you need to respect the fact that the red ass nigga that was just grabbing her ass on TV is eating her up like a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch right as we speak. What time was this show over, like nine thirty? He probably had her out of that tight red dress and in a three-point stance by ten.” He chuckled.
All of that laughing and cackling ceased when I threw a pillow and hit him in the face.
“I got enough shit going on in my head without your ass auditioning for stand-up night at the Apollo.”
“Nigga, you’re usually the one cracking all the jokes. This girl got you messed up bad.”
“I’m seriously worried about her, Kross. I can’t even check in, ’cause she changed her number.”
“You sure she didn’t just block you?” Kross asked me.
“You already know I tried calling from a different number.”
“You think her people hindering her from reaching out?”
“I don’t know, man.”
“For somebody who’s so worried about somebody, you damn sure don’t know nothing.”
“I know what I need to know.”
“And what is that?” he countered.
“That she made her choice.”
“And you’re losing your mind behind it. If you’re so worried about her, find a way to get in touch with her then go get your girl, Kannon.”
“She left, OK! I didn’t make her leave or run her off; she left!” Leaning forward, I picked up the remote from the table and put the TV on the first football game I could find. “Either roll up or shut up, Bro.”
“I know niggas get hostile when they’re heartbroken, so I’ll give you a pass for talking to me like you out your damn mind.”
Thankfully, Kross reached into the ashtray and picked up the blunt he’d rolled way too long ago, signaling the end ofthat conversation. I could only hope that he would let it go. I had enough trouble warring with myself about going to get her without his in-love ass in my ear.
My eyes popped open like I was waking up from a bad dream. The couch was hell on my shoulders, but it had been my resting place for the last eight weeks. I couldn’t bring myself to sleep in my bed without her. Hell, I didn’t even bother to drag my sorry ass to my guest bedroom. It seemed like it smelled even more like her than my own bed.
I looked around before my eyes landed on the digital clock on the entertainment center. It was only five in the afternoon, but being up all night had me taking cat naps all day. Somewhere in the house, my phone rang like hell. I considered not answering it, but it could have been one of my brothers. I sat up straight on the couch and saw my phone lighting up on the side table. I picked it up and frowned. I didn’t recognize the number but answered anyway due to the nature of my job.
“Hello?” I answered, waiting for the inevitable distress call that came with my line of work.
“M-mercy.” Even with her voice gravelly and muffled, I knew it was her.
“Carteay?” I asked, just to confirm what my heart already knew.
I wouldn’t get that confirmation before the line went dead. That didn’t mean I didn’t know it was her. When I first started working for her, I gave her a safe word and told her to use it if she ever needed me. I promised that if she called, I would alwayscome. She’d left me high and dry, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to keep my word.
