I let out a harsh, humorless laugh. “Nah, you ain’t do nothin’. I’m the problem. I shouldn’t have fucked you.”
When I glanced over at Daee, her brow furrowed in confusion. “And that means what?”
“Daee,” I huffed. “It doesn’t mean shit. This doesn’t mean shit. We fucked, and that’s it. This shit was fun. And now it’s back to reality.”
I watched her beautiful face fall. I watched the light in her eyes dim. That’s what I needed to happen. That right there. I had to push Daee away ‘fore shit got too deep.
So why did it feel like I was carving out my own damn heart?
Daee angrily found the shirt she’d been wearing, threw it over her head, and hopped up. She stomped to the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. I opened my mouth to cuss her out, but I decided to eat that shit.
I was in the kitchen, throwing out all the shit in my refrigerator when Daii appeared, fully clothed, including her shoes.
“Where the fuck you goin’?” I asked.
“Home. The roads are clear,” she muttered.
“Is that what they said?”
“Yeah.”
I tucked my bottom lip in and nodded. “Get home safely, aight?”
Holidaee’s lips trembled, and I could see her heart breaking in front of me. This shit was crazy. How did we even get here? How the fuck did feelings even get involved? This shit was fucked up. It was really fucked up.
The tears didn’t fall. I was proud of her for that. It was the bravest, most heartbreaking shit I’d ever seen. In the short time Daee was here, I’d seen her vulnerable and soft. I’d never seen her fighting this hard not to break.
“Fuck you,” she spat.
Still Christmas day…
I’d gone by my parents, fell asleep in my Pop’s den after smoking with Kasim. The time on my phone read 10:34 P.M. when I finally sat in my car with a to-go plate filled with deviled eggs, ham, dressing, greens, and mac ‘n cheese that I planned to eat after I smoked.
As I started my car up, I thought about Holidaee. I’d pushed her out of my head for a few hours, and now she was back. What she didn’t know was that while she was asleep, I’d unlocked her phone with her facial recognition and called my phone from hers so I could lock her number in and share her location with me. So right now, I know she was at Greenswood Apartments. I knew she was safe. I wasn’t sure which apartment she was in, but when I locate her car, hopefully I could figure it out. I’d fucked up letting Daee leave, but I was ‘bout to be like Sheila and go get my girl back.
That was some unhinged shit, and I guess Daee hadn’t figured it out yet ‘cause I could still track her ass.
I drove carefully. The roads were still wet and slick. The heat blew from my AC. It was freezing cold, especially with no sun out.
Greenswood was on the other side of town, a decent-looking complex. I cruised through the parking lot slowly, my eyes scanning every car, looking for her car. I found it parked near Building E. I killed the engine and just sat there for a minute, looking up at the rows of lit windows.
Which one was hers?
A nigga walked out of the building. I killed my engine and stepped out of the car.
“Aye!” I called out to him. He frowned at me. I ignored that shit. “You know which apartment Daee stay in?”
“Who you?” his bitch ass asked.
“her fuckin’ cousin, nigga. It’s Christmas.”
“Oh. She in E12.”
“Bet.”
I turned and walked toward Building E without another word, not even a nod of thanks. I was here on a mission.
I found her door, E12, and just stood there for a second, trying to talk myself out of this wild shit. Holidaee had been in my territory. Now I was on hers.
