“Tati, fuck you and this nigga. This is what you want, cool. Have it! Don’t bring your ass back when shit doesn’t go your way.”
I just stood there smiling. He got the picture and got back in his truck. When he pulled out, I made sure to hit the gate so it would close. I kept the bitch open because I knew Tatiyonna was coming.
“Come on, let me run you a bath.”
I let Tatiyonna cry it out as I bathed her. This was not how I wanted her marriage to end, but I couldn’t say that I wasn’t glad the shit was over and I could freely be with the woman that I loved. I oiled her up, ordered her some food, and crawled in bed with her while she laid on top of me and let the tears hit my chest.
“Baby, I’m here. You cry as long as you need to. It was never my intention for him to find out like that. If I handled it wrong, that’s my bad. He needed to know that he wasn’t the only one that could make your chest hurt.”
“You did nothing wrong, Jah,” she said with a sniffle. “I think I’m hurt because I picked him over you, and he was still sleeping with that girl.”
Now was not the time to tell her about the time I saw them at the arcade. Shit, we were on good terms, so I would probably go to my grave with the shit. She was mine now, and my only goal was to make sure she had the world, and she was comfortable being herself with me.
“Thank you, Jah.”
“For what?”
“The last night we spent together, and you told me if I ever needed you, you would be here. I never let that thought leave me.”
“I meant that shit. Not going to lie to you, I was willing to block you on everything if you left me tonight.”
“I’m never leaving.” She squeezed me.
I kissed the top of her head and let her lay there in silence. Once she was asleep, I eased out of bed and covered her up. I knew this was going to be a battle with Kileen. His ego was bruised, and he wasn’t going to go down without a fight. I was ready for whatever he had. I thought it was time that I sat and had a conversation with Mr. Cole just to make him aware.
The next morning, I left Tatiyonna sleeping as I headed to meet Mr. Cole at the gun range. He was already shooting a target when I walked in and grabbed my earplugs. I threw a magazine in my gun and started pulling the trigger on the target in front of me. That was the gist of me and Mr. Cole’s relationship. We spoke through our guns first. After a few rounds, he tapped myshoulder, letting me know he was ready to talk. We walked to the outside patio and took a seat.
“If you’re coming to tell me about you and Tati, I already know.”
“Well, that is something I was coming to ask your blessing on, but last night, things got a little sticky.”
“Sticky how?” He raised his eyebrow.
“She came to see me last night. I forgot to close my gate because we kind of got into a heated argument about her choosing her husband over me. She ended up storming out and I chased behind her. Kileen ended up following her location to my spot.”
“And?”
“Things were said, and Tatiyonna cried herself to sleep. She did tell him that she was filing for divorce, and I just feel like he’s not going to play nice. I knew she wasn’t going to tell you, and I want to put you on notice that if he does anything to harm her, I will kill him.”
“Understood, son. I’ll do whatever needs to be done. All I ask is that you make sure you love my daughter like she’s never been loved before. Listen to her and be honest with her. She appreciates the truth. Oh, and the support for my baby’s dance studio. Kileen hated the idea of it, and she’s been slowly getting it going with a little help from Casi and me.”
“She knows that I fully support the dance studio. It’s where I fell in love with her.”
“Well, we’re good then, son.”
I held my hand out, and we shook hands.
TWENTY-ONE
TATIYONNA
Song: Summer Walker- Finally Over
I got up with a headache.From all the crying I had done last night, I knew that was the culprit. Jah was gone when I got up, so I decided to get up and get myself together so I could go home and prepare for whatever Kileen was on when I got there. A weight was lifted off me now that I could openly be with Jah and not feel bad about it. As I washed my face, I smiled, knowing that even with the no-contact Jah and I had, he still made sure my things stayed in place. That was a green flag. Most men would’ve boxed it up or thrown it away.
I took the steps so I could grab my shoes when Jah walked in through the garage. He was shocked to see I was up and getting ready to leave.
“Where are you going?” Jah asked.
