And of course, he followed.
I went into the livin’ room, and he was right there behind me. I turned toward the kitchen, and he followed me there too, still talkin’, still goin’ off, still tryna force a conversation I wasn’t ready to have.
“This what you do,” he said. “You run. Every time shit get uncomfortable, you fuckin’ run.”
“I’m tryna keep the peace,” I snapped, grabbin’ my phone off the counter.
“And I’m tryna fix my marriage,” he shot back. “But I can’t do that if you keep actin’ like I’m the problem.”
I walked past him again, headed for the stairs this time, and he followed me up like he was glued to my back. My chest was tight now, my nerves shot, and all I wanted was space.
Just fuckin’ space.
I went back downstairs, my patience officially gone, and started dialin’ Pluto’s number without even thinkin’ about it.
The second he saw the name on my screen, Kay’Lo lost it.
“You gotta stop doin’ that,” he said sharply, reachin’ for my hand. “Stop puttin’ people in our business.”
“Get off me!” I snapped, pullin’ my arm away. “I need somebody to talk to.”
“No, you don’t,” he said. “You need to deal with me.”
Before I could react, he snatched my phone clean outta my hand.
That was it, ‘cause somethin’ in me broke.
I stared at him like I ain’t even recognize who the fuck he was no more, my heart beatin’ fast and my hands shakin’. “Give me my phone.”
“I’m not playin’ with you right now,” he said. “You always gotta bring somebody else in when shit get hard.”
“You don’t get to take my shit,” I yelled. “Who the fuck you think you are?”
And that’s when it hit me.
The way he was standin’ there, the tension in his shoulders and the look in his eyes let me know he was fightin’ himself.
I knew him.
I knew what came next.
“So what?” I asked, my voice raisin’ as adrenaline flooded my body. “You gon’ start tearin’ up shit now?”
“I ain’t said that,” he snapped.
“But you thinkin’ it,” I shouted. “I know you. I see it all over your face.”
Somethin’ ugly took over me then, somethin’ reckless and furious and tired of always bein’ the one holdin’ shit together.
“You know what,” I said, my voice crackin’. “Since you like tearin’ up shit so much?—”
Before he could stop me, I grabbed the glass off the counter and slammed it onto the floor.
It shattered loud as hell.
I knocked shit over with no rhythm or plan, just raw emotion pourin’ outta me like I couldn’t contain it no more. Plates broke.Glass cracked. The sound echoed through the house while my chest heaved and tears streamed down my face.
Kay’Lo rushed toward me. “Toni, stop?—”
