“I don’t want her anywhere near Amelia.”
“Done.”
Relief surges through me and I nod slowly. I can always rely on Jermaine for anything. Tariq pulls up and the second he opens his door, the front door slams open and Clare storms down the front path. I kick back and get ready for the show.
“You fucking asshole!” she shrieks and everyone quietens.
“Fuck you, bitch,” Tariq spits through gritted teeth.
“Anything could’ve happened to me,” she screams shoving him in the chest.
“But it didn’t, did it.”
She shoves him again and he stumbles back. He quickly rights himself and lunges forward, getting in her face.
“Don’t act a bitch and I won’t treat you like one.”
“Fuck you!”
She slaps him around the face, and Jermaine and I fail to smother our laughter. It’s cut short when his arm springs back and he backhands her. His slap strikes her so hard she falls on her ass and I lose the amusement. Jermaine is fully entertained. I don’t agree with hitting women, but I don’t put my ass in other people’s business.
She scrambles back and Tar’s face falls as he realises what he’s done.
“You… you hit me.”
The fact she’s surprised a man has raised his hand to her goes to show she isn’t from around here.
“Go stop that shit…”
Before I can finish she’s picking up the metal pipe off the sun-burnt lawn. She swings it, hitting Tariq dead in the arm, she goes for a second swing when I give the nod to Jermaine.
“Help him out, he can’t be getting his ass handed him to by a girl one-tenth of his size. Shit’s embarrassing.”
Jermaine hauls his ass off the porch, wraps an arm around the bitch’s waist and swings her away from Tariq.
“Let me go!” she shrieks as he drags her into the house.
“You see that shit?” Tar asks coming to sit next to me.
“I see you get what you deserve.” I snort. “What were you thinking laying your hands on a woman, even if she is a cunt.”
“Hey, she’s not a cunt.”
“No? Then why did you hit her like one?”
“I don’t like it when she’s screaming in my face, it… she sounds like my mom.”
His fuck ups always end up tracing back to her.
“Regardless, don’t be hitting a bitch in front of me again. We have enough shit to deal without trouble in our front yard.”
“Fair enough… I’ll keep it in the house.”
“How about you keep it away from me.”
“I can do that.”
He disappears into the house, and I wait long enough for Amelia to get home before calling. She must have her phone in hand because she answers on the third ring.
