“Look, we can talk some more about philosophy—“
“Sociology.”
“Whatever. We can talk about whatever you want after you untie me. I admitted what I did. You said you’d let me go after that.”
“Did you forget that I’m a liar?”
My eyes stay fixed on her as she paces back and forth in front of me. She’s thinking of her next move.
I need to think about mine.
“How long are you gonna keep me like this?”
She humsI don’t knowwithout missing a step.
“Is this about your mother?”
That stops her in her tracks.
“Because if you think you’ll be a bad mother becauseshewas, I disagree. I’ve seen you care about people, Raya. You can love a child.”
“First of all, bitch, my mother wasn’t a bad mother. She was selfish. And guess what? So the fuck am I.”
“A lot of people are selfish before they have kids.”
She glares at me. “I know you’re happy about this. I can see it in your eyes, you little bitch.”
“Ease up on the name calling. I haven’t disrespected you.”
“Forcing me to get pregnant isn’t disrespect?”
“Okay, but—“
“I’d rather you call me a bitch than what you did." She smiles. "In fact, go ahead. I want you to say it. I’m a bitch, right? I’m bout to kill your baby, so I’m a cunt, too, right?”
“You’re trying to bait me.”
She smiles. “Ace Jr. We could have named him after you.”
I shake my head.
“Elijah and Ace Jr.”
My fists clench. Now my blood is boiling.
“That’s two dead babies for you.”
“Shut the fuck up, bitch.” I look at her and see straight up ugliness. "You really are a fucking cunt."
“There it is!” she says, giggling like a fucking maniac. “If I untied you right now, would you hit me?”
“After what you said, I just might.”
She laughs again. “Well, you can’t. All you can do is sit there and picture Ace Jr floating up to heaven to meet his big brother. Or down to hell. I don’t know what kind of person Elijah was.”
My arms strain against the restraints, making me even madder and more frustrated. “I see why your mother left you behind. I would have done the same thing.”
“Whoopty do.”
