She falls back, pressing her fingers to her temple, looking at him. “You don’t get it.”
He exhales a strangled sound, and for a few seconds, neither of them speaks. He turns to face the window as it rattles, a thunderous clap echoing outside that startles several customersin the store. The whir of blenders and clang of spoons halt when the lights flicker overhead.
The conversations around her still momentarily, before continuing in hushed tones. She watches a few people leave, gathering their belongings. She realizes she should do the same.
Before it gets worse.
“Do you love me?” he asks, turning to look at her.
Her heart stops for a moment, and her skin prickles. She knows the right thing is tosayit, but instead she scoffs.
“What?”
He moves forward, eyes bouncing over her face. “Do you love me?”
“I—” she pauses, searching his face, his gaze that seems to be pleading with her. “Of course I love you. Loved you,” she says, correcting herself.
He shakes his head, running his tongue over his teeth. “Yeah, next time, try to say it without sounding like you’re being held at gunpoint.”
She clenches her fist, her skin tightening. “Oh, I’msorry,was my affection not good enough for you? Did it not check all the boxes on your‘How to Love Micah’list?”
His lip curls upward. “Screw you, Jahlani.”
“No, screw you,” she says in a harsh whisper. “Youcheated on me. You left me.”
“This iswhy,” he says in a hushed tone. “This is why.”
Her body trembles as she exhales. “Tell yourself whatever you need to sleep better at night, but you’re not the victim here, and I don’t have to prove anything to you.”
She shakes her head, her heart pounding in her ears as he rubs his jaw, settling back.
“You know what?” he says. “You’re intelligent, good at what you do, you’ve made it far for a woman, but this obsession you have with your career, your detachment … it’s going to cause youto end up alone.” He raises a finger, tapping it to his temple. “Wake up and realize that because you lost a good man. I’d hate for you to lose another.”
Jahlani’s lips part, her face flushing in bewilderment as she barks out a laugh.
“A good man?”
Drawing out a ragged breath, his shoulders slump. “I’m not trying to be mean. I’m just telling you the truth. If you worried less about that internship and spent more time on ourrelationshipand me”—he waves his hand in the space between them—“we wouldn’t be in this situation.”
Cutting her eyes, Jahlani lets out a soft scoff, looking over his closed fists and drawn eyebrows.
So, this is who you really are.
Shifting closer, she sets a finger on the table.
“No. Thissituationwouldn’t have happened if you weren’t the type of man intimidated by a woman's intelligence. You’re the problem. Not me.”
Her inhale is long and drawn out, and she tries to control her chest rising and falling. She stares across the table as he wipes his hand down his mouth.
“Jahlani, I care about you, which is why I’m telling you this: you need to talk to someone. You need a therapist.”
At this, her skin flushes. She looks around, suddenly remembering that they’re in public. Lowering her head, she does everything to control her pitch from rising as more people walk in and out of the parlor, swallowing the acid in her throat.
“Fuck you, Micah,” she says. “You don’t get to cheat on me, blame me for this relationship falling apart, and give a half-assed attempt at psychoanalyzing me with somebullshityou probably read on WebMD. I don’t need you or anyone else.”
His jaw ticks. “Keep telling yourself that,” he says before letting out a humorless laugh. “I can’t do this anymore.”
He stands up from the booth so that he towers over her. “I’m going to stay with a friend for a few days. We can talk about the living arrangements once we’ve both had some space.”
