“How long?” She was vehement about it. She wouldn’t let up. They both knew it. Demi blew out a sharp breath.
“15 years, Bird,” he admitted. There was so much solemn in one room.
She almost choked on the notion. She didn’t even have a response to that. She scoffed. There wasn’t even room for her in his life. There wasn’t room for her to compete if she wanted to. His wife had paid for that dick in full. Charlie was just test-driving it.
“Just give me my car and go on your way,” she said. The defeat in her voice was crippling. It haunted him.
“Can we talk about...”
“Where is my car, Demi? Just give me my fucking car and go! Where is my car? I need my car!” she screamed, hitting him, again, this time slapping him, her hand connecting with so much force that he exploded.
He pinned her to the mattress, holding her hands above her head. “Calm the fuck down!” He barked. He was so close to her face that she felt his spit as he yelled. “The fuck is wrong with you?”
“I lived in that car with my mom for a year before she died! It’s the last home I shared with her. That’s the only place that feels like home! I don’t want your stupid-ass car! Where is MY car?” Charlie’s tears were rolling out of her eyes, one after another, and Demi lifted off her.
“I didn’t know about the thing with your mom, Bird. They took it apart at the junkyard,” Demi said.
It was that revelation that destroyed her. Charlie fell apart, crying inconsolably as Demi pulled her into his lap.
“Life been on me heavy. Keep me here with you. Burn me, Bird,” Demi said, voice low, pleading almost as he pulled at her hand, forcing her into his lap. She straddled him and his nose touched hers. Her entire face was wet, and Charlie quivered as he took his tongue to her tears. “I’m in love with you Bird,” he whispered. “I tried to fight the shit. Tried to stay away from you. I felt it when I met you that you were going to dismantle my life. That’s why I didn’t call. After the first time, I went ghost because I knew I had no business being with you. I tried, Bird, but your voice. Your burns. You. I just need you, baby.”
“You turned me into somebody I would never choose to be. You are somebody’s husband. I do not sleep with unavailable men. I don’t cash in on another woman’s pain. I would have never done this with you. Ever. It is not who I am. I watched my mother fade away and die after my daddy left her foranother woman. I would never, knowingly, be a part of that,” she whispered.
“I understand that, and I know I put you in a position that’s fucked up, but ain’t no backtracking, Bird. The way I am with you,” he paused. “The way I feel about you. The way you touch me without permission. The way we fuck. The way that pussy feel sliding down on a nigga dick.”
“Demi, stop,” she interrupted.
“I want to take your soul out your body while you call to God,” Demi said, as he placed his lips on her neck, then his tongue, then his teeth. OCD where? He was accustomed to Charlie now. Whatever covered her was a delicacy. Her germs. Her sweat. Her dirt. Demi was infected with her and he wasn’t seeking the anecdote. He could die just like this and he would die a happy man.
Charlie hated that she wanted that too. God, how she wanted that.
“I can’t do shit with somebody else’s husband,” Charlie said. “You need to get out.”
“I’ll leave her, Charlie,” Demi answered.
Charlie looked around the room to make sure the second hand was still ticking on her clock because it felt like time stood still.
“It’s that easy for you? To leave your wife? She’s your wife, nigga. She has your son! If you’ll do that to her, what the fuck will you do to me?” Charlie asked, confused, disgusted.
“Just give me some time to figure shit out, Bird, damn. I ain’t got all the answers, and I ain’t trying to do nobody dirty. I want you, though. If that’s wrong, shit, that’s what it’s going to have to be. I’ll leave her. Yeah.” It was like he was convincing himself, psyching himself up for the challenge.
“If you were going to leave her, you would have done it already. You should have done it before you ever touched me, before you ever promised me one thing. You should not have tobe caught up to move accordingly. I am not interested. I meant what I said. I’m done.”
“You don’t mean that shit, man,” he said, forcing her out of his lap as he stood.
Charlie turned to walk away but he snatched her back. Charlie swung on him, going crazy, her anger building as she pushed him, smacked him, scratched him. Bails jumped and barked, getting between them as their toxic energy put him on edge.
Demi hemmed her up, breathing hard as she screamed, “Get Out!” at the top of her lungs. “I hate you! I don’t want to see you! Just leave me the fuck alone!” She was a mess and Demi released her, realizing that he was only making things worse.
“Don’t do this to me, Bird. I cannot be out here fighting a war with niggas and thinking about losing you. I can’t handle both at the same time,” he said, honestly. From the moment she had discovered his secret, he had been in turmoil. Hurting her, hurt him. He couldn’t think straight knowing she was in pain. “We not done, baby. You the one. I don’t know how, or why the shit happened, but you belong to me. Tell me how I can make us right.”
“Go home to your wife and your son,” Charlie said.
Charlie climbed to her feet and retreated into the bathroom, shutting the door, and locking it. Bails was going crazy, barking, and scratching at the door, trying to get to Charlie.
“Bails!” Demi said, clapping his hands. Bails came to his feet and Demi picked him up, carrying him to the front door. He opened it and handed the dog to his young gunner, Malachi.
“Take the dog out to piss and when you in her face, you make sure your eyes are in the right place. Keep it respectful with my lady, my nigga, and keep her safe. Ain’t nobody coming or going without permission from me. If you don’t hear it from me, they don’t enter this door. Have the dealership pick up the car and fix it, then park it back in her spot. Understand?”
