“Me,” I gritted.
Clearly taking me for a joke, he waved me off. “We both know that you just be talking. A nigga would have to be a damn fool to take you seriously.”
I shook my head. “Ummumm. I’m not about to do this—”
My cell rang, cutting me off.
Picking up the phone, I saw that Harlem was calling back. Then my eyes traveled to Ricky.
“Can you step out, right quick? I need to take this.”
“Nah. If you gotta take it, then answer it,” he offered.
“Are you gonna be quiet?”
He frowned. “The fuck I look like? Just tell the nigga that I’m here.”
I shook my head, while silencing my phone. “What are you doing here, Ricky?”
“Why haven’t you been answering my calls?” He countered.
I tilted my head. “You know why.”
“I don’t.”
I twisted my lips, and sighed. “I told you that we should keep it to just speaking, if we’re both at our parents. Nothing more. Nothing less.”
“What, because you throwing another one of your tantrums? I’m on punishment?”
“No,” I denied. “I’m just done fucking with you.” I shoved past him, exiting the bathroom.
He was right behind me, following me into the living room. “You done, huh?”
“Yep.” I sat down on the couch.
He sat right beside me, like we weren’t having a damn argument. “You so done that you was just fucking me in the Bahamas two weeks ago. What about for my pops’ birthday, last month? You remember that?” He palmed my breast, and gently squeezed. “In that Airbnb in Atlanta. Or what about my bed, Summer? Just last fucking week,” he growled, dropping that fake calm demeanor, causing me to push his hand off me. “And now, you really playing in my fucking face.” He roughly gripped my chin. “Thinking that you about to move that nigga in here. This is where I’m drawing the fucking line. You told me that you wanted me to flourish first. Handle my business. And when I say that I’ve done all that, so it’s time to stop playing. You fucking run off and block me?”
“Yeah, I did,” I admitted.
“For what?!” He snapped, as he opened his arms.
“Because this has gotten too toxic!” I blurted, as his face was just inches away from mine. “You really think that wanting to be together is enough for us. But it’s not. There’ll be trust issues. Old unhealed wounds. Muthafuckas who aint trying to let go.”
“And you’ll be risking people finding out about therealyou,” he claimed. “The Summer who cheats. Lies. Breaks up friendships. You aint tryna be exposed. So, you rather live a lie, just to save face. And you’ll try to make thatmyfault. Swear that I’m the reason you so fucked up.”
“You are the reason!” My eyes bucked. “Let’s not forget how we got here, nigga. You missed one of the most important moments in my life, and chose to lay up with a bitch!Youdid that!” I poked his chest.
“Nah.” He shook his head. “Hell, nawl. You aint putting that shit on me, this time. I didn’t show up, because I had just asked you to be with me for the millionth time, Summer. I hadn’t even been fucking with nobody else. Not even Ora. She was cut off. I just didn’t say nothing, because I wanted to prove it through my actions. The fucked-up part about it was that you didn’t even notice. Cause you had gotten comfortable with dealing with me onyourtime. So, me not showing up at that event had nothing to do with Ora. I was choosing myself. Showing you that if you could coast through life, without really being mine, then you needed to know how it felt not to have me.”
My lashes fluttered. “You always fucking lie. You know damn well that you was fucking somebody else.”
“No, I wasn’t.” He swore. “But looking back, you needed me to be fucking with somebody. Because you didn’t want the pressure of having to show up. Be that girlfriend that has to consider her man. Move work around. Prioritize. At that time, you wasn’t ready, and tried to manipulate the situation into looking like it was me.”
“Oh, there you go—”
“No, fuck that!” He spat. “You literally the reason why we got people in the middle of this. With all your fucking theories and analysis. All to cover up the fact that you fucking scared. Me being attracted to other broads didn’t mean that I was incapable of being the man you needed, Summer. But you had convinced yourself otherwise. And then you double back to that nigga. Knowing that we isneverfinna stop fucking. Shit, it’s been some times that I wanted to stop. Begged God to make me stop wanting you. But none of that worked, and I had to accept what it is. That pussy ismine. Your heart too. But I been letting you skate with this Harlem situation. Told myself that it was just another phase of our ongoing bullshit. As long as I didn’t see theshit. And now, you taking shit too far. It’s time to fucking grow up. Cut that nigga off, before somebody gets hurt.”
Becoming emotional, I sniveled. “I’m trying, but he won’t let me.”
