“Don’t check me about finding some shit that wasn’t supposed to be in your phone anyway,” Lauren said. “And for damn sure don’t check me about your filty side bitch. Dirty-ass bitch. I bet you won’t wife your little whore now, will you?” Lauren asked as she sat sipping coffee at their dinner table.
Demi was on her ass, rounding the table, and yoking her up before he could talk himself into self-control. Lauren pushedhim and then slapped him so hard that she instantly regretted it, bringing her hands to her mouth in shock. She didn’t touch him like that. She knew better. She could see the steam shooting out of his ears.
“We’re done, Lo,” he said, temple throbbing, hands wrapped around her neck as Bails activated at the commotion, barking. Demi released her and clapped his hands. “Let’s go, Bails.”
“Fuck you, Demi! You mad I exposed your slut for what she is?! She was fucking a married man! You thought she was worth it? Huh? You see niggas came running. Guess you ain’t the only one she on the mic for. You gave up your entire family for a bitch that’s for everybody.”
Lauren was so out of character she didn’t recognize herself as she followed Demi as he stormed out. She was glad her son was at school because this was the makings of World War III.
“You’re done with me? You cheat on me, now you playing victim? Got this bitch dog in my house, acting like it’s a gift to MY SON! You dirty! That fucking whore got you turning your back on the people that been in your corner and now you salty because I exposed her! Should watch the company you keep! I been here! That don’t count for nothing?” She was barely out of the hospital. She hurt everywhere. Her body nor her mind was in any condition to handle this battle, but she couldn’t stop herself. The pain was overwhelming and she didn’t know if it was coming from the betrayal or the bullet.
Demi grabbed his keys and was out the door, but Lauren was on his heels.
“Where you think you going? Huh? Now you running to save this ho?” Lauren shouted. He brushed her off and put Bails in the back seat.
“Move, man,” he said, pushing her away roughly.
“No!” she said. “You want to go check on your whore?! Take your wife! Take your wife to meet your whore, Demi!”
Lauren was irrational. She was a woman scorned, and the way Demi felt he would knock her fucking head off if she didn’t let him leave.
“Get the fuck on!” Demi barked. “You out here making a fucking scene in front of my house! You want to take my shit? What I built? Take it, Lo! Take all this shit! The money! The house! The cars! I don’t give a fuck about none of this shit no more! You can do all that and it’s still not gon’ keep me here. You just ruined a girl’s life, Lo. She’s twenty-four-fucking years old!”
The intensity of his words caused her to stop fighting as her anger turned to grief. Shock wore her. She remembered what she was doing at 24. How young she had been. How naïve. “You love her,” she whispered. “How could you love her?”
“I ain’t mean to, Lo,” he said, defeated. “Go in the house before you hurt yourself, man. You just got out of the hospital.”
“Demi, please don’t go to that girl. Please don’t. Please just stay home with your wife.”
“I can’t stay, Lo.”
Demi cleared her from near his door and then slammed it shut before pulling recklessly out of the driveway.
Demi told himself the entire drive that he would be calm, but the closer he got to her the more rage filled him. He pulled up banging on Stassi’s door.
“Open this fucking door, Bird!” he shouted.
Stassi pulled it open.
“Where is she?” he asked, pushing her aside, disregarding that it was even her house.
“You fucking bastard! You leaked a sex tape of my sister and you got the nerve to come here making demands?” Stassi asked.
“Do it look like I would do some shit like that?” Demi barked, he asked, marching straight to the closed door, barging into Charlie’s room. He found her curled in bed, the lights out, and the shades drawn.
“You fucking Shad Brooks, Bird? Huh? Who else you fucking? Huh, Bird?” The bass in his voice shook the entire apartment, but when he saw that she didn’t react, he looked on in confusion.
Charlie was trembling.
He looked back at Stassi who had tears in her eyes as well.
“He’s her ex, Demi. She’s been hiding from him,” Stassi revealed.
For some reason, the scars on Charlie’s body flashed in his mind and he put the story together in his head.
“He’s going to kill me, Demi,” she cried.
Demi picked her up and sat down on the edge of the bed with her in his arms. She bawled.“He’s going to kill me!”
