“What? Jas, go back inside the hospital. Where’s Monica?”
“She left already.” My voice was barely above a whisper. My heart began hammering as I squinted and froze.
Marcus.
“Baby, let me call you back.” I ended the call and slid my phone into my pocket.
He was leaning against the new BMW X4 that Cash bought me. He’d gotten rid of the gaudy Benz Marcus bought me, saying there was no way I was driving around in something another man gave me. That much we agreed on—I didn’t even like it. He sold it and dropped the money in my account. I still felt like a BMW was a bit much, but at least this felt more like me.
“What’s good, Juicy?” he drawled with a smug smile that made my stomach turn as he pushed off the car’s hood.
I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and took a cautious step back.
“What are you doing here, Marcus?”
He lifted his hands. “You been ignoring my texts. Figured it’d be better to come speak in person—without your nigga interrupting us.”
“I’ve been working,” I scoffed, trying to keep my voice even despite the growing sinking feeling in my stomach. “It’s late, Marcus. I’m tired. Whatever this is, it can wait.”
He continued moving closer to me until I was backed up against the car next to mine.
“See you got a new whip,” he said and nodded toward the BMW. “My shit wasn’t good enough for you?”
The air around us felt thick. I swallowed hard and glanced around the empty garage. “Marcus, please. Just let me go home. We can talk some other time.”
“You know,” he said as he rubbed his jaw, “ I thought we had a nice time together. Then, just like that—” he snapped his fingers, “—you ghost me and get back withthatnigga? Explain to me how that works, ma?”
Was this nigga out his rabid-ass mind? What the actual fuck was happening right now?
“It wasn’t like I planned any of this. It just happened,” I mumbled. I felt hot, sweat rolled down my back—every nerve in my body screamed at me to run, but it felt like my legs were bolted to the floor.
“So, that’s it?” he sneered, his gaze narrowed, and his eyes darkened. “I waited ten years for a second chance with you, and you just toss me aside like what we had was nothing?”
He reached out and grabbed me. His fingers dug into my arm.
“Marcus, you’re hurting me,” I whispered, tears stinging my eyes.
“You hurt me first.” There was an unhinged quality to his voice now.
My phone started vibrating in my pocket.
A slow smile curved on Marcus’s face. “I bet that’s him.”
“Don’t—” I started, but he’d already snatched the phone from my pocket.
“Yerrr!” he answered, putting the phone on speaker. “What’s good, my guy?” His eyes never left mine.
“Who the fuck is this?” Cash asked angrily.
“Come on now,” Marcus grinned. “You know who this is.”
“Put Jas on the phone, Marcus,” Cash growled.
“Sorry, my wife can’t talk to you right now.”
“Wife?!” Cash and I exclaimed at the same time.
Marcus disconnected the call and slid the phone into his pocket. “Time to go home, Jas.”
