“That’s enough, Mommy. I promise you. It wasn’t what it looked like. We’re fine. Everything is fine,” she assured. Only it wasn’t. “You and Daddy should go home. Get some rest. I know Daddy’s missing his own bed. He always complains about my guest room.” She forced a lighthearted chuckle. Her heart was slowing, stopping even, and she couldn’t even ask for help because what ailed her was disloyalty by someone who had sworn to love her.
Her mother knew when to back off.
“Okay. You call me if you need anything.”
Lauren nodded. “Love you, Mommy. Thank you for keeping DJ occupied and taking care of things here,” she said.
“I will hurt anybody for hurting my baby.”
Lauren smiled. “I know.” The kiss to her forehead healed something inside her, even if only a small piece, and Lauren let her head rest against her pillow as the pain medication dulled her heartbreak. She closed her eyes, running from the truth. Sleep was a better option than facing Demi right now. She was afraid for him to leave but wondered what it would mean if he stayed.
Charlie winced as the cold towel touched her bruised skin.
“Did he do this to you, Charles?” Justin asked as he nursed the evidence of her run-in with Demi. Charlie looked exactly how she felt. She had cried so many tears that her eyes wereswollen and red. Fighting with Demi had left her body with scratches all over her legs and her nails were broken from hitting him so hard. She had been swinging with all her might, and she knew that she was taking something out on him that had been building in her for a while. The pain she felt was unbearable. The abandonment was choking her.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Charlie said. “Thank you for letting me stay here for a couple days. I don’t know what I was thinking. I gave up my place to be with a man I barely know.”
“You can stay here as long as you want,” Justin said. “I’ll go get the rest of your stuff.”
Charlie nodded as her chin quivered uncontrollably and she lowered her head. “He threw me out,” she whispered. “Like I was trash.”
“He put hands on you. A nigga that will put his hands on a woman is a bitch, Charlie...”
“He didn’t. I mean. He didn’t mean to,” Charlie said. “He asked me to leave. I should have left. He didn’t hit me, but Demi is just a rough man. He doesn’t know gentle. He doesn’t do gentle.” She couldn’t believe she was defending him. Justifying. She knew why he had handled her with so much disrespect.
I deserved it.
“He just needed me to get out. I refused. I fought him. I put my hands on him. He drug me out because I wouldn’t leave. I was touching him everywhere. He just needed me out. He couldn’t even look at me,” she cried.
“I hate that you make excuses for him, Charles,” Justin said. “He doesn’t deserve you.”
Justin leaned into her. A kiss to her lips lowered her head in despair. She sobbed. “I can’t right now, Justin.”
Justin nodded. “I get it.”
Charlie didn’t want to say that she could never. Repeating the thing that had caused Demi to turn his back on her would be like digging into a fresh wound.
“I can’t believe he put all my shit out. He threw me away,” Charlie said. “My whole life is probably in dumpsters by now.”
“Look, I’m going to get your shit. You get some rest,” Justin said. “I’ll take care of it.”
Demi stood in the middle of the condo. The site of Charlie’s boxes cut away at his gut. She hadn’t even taken the time to take her things. He felt like shit but the disrespect that had occurred between these walls was too great to go without punishment. His pride was stopping him from forgiving her, but he knew in his heart that what Charlie had done was fair play. He had given her pain and she had flipped that shit. Women were always the ones with the most power, whether men liked to admit it or not. He hated the power she had over him. Even her lingering scent between these walls put emotion behind his rib cage.
A knock on the door and then a voice that followed pulled his attention.
“Brody, what up?” Day asked as he entered the space. He looked around in admiration. “Nice. When you pick this up?”
“A little while back. Bought it as an investment,” Demi said. It wasn’t a full lie. He had been investing in Charlie.
“And now you getting rid of it?” Day asked.
He eyed the pile of Charlie’s belongings. “Let me guess. Little light skin with locs and that pretty, little ass?” he asked.
Demi didn’t answer but it only signified confirmation. “You done with that?” Day asked.
“My nigga. Not the one,” Demi warned.
Day smirked and shook his head. “Lil’ baby bad, no lie,” Day said.
