“I get it now. It almost took two decades, but oh, I get it now. I took so much on the chin because I love you. I love your brother. I’d never do anything to hurt you and inadvertently hurt him. But fuck this!” I stood with my shoes on as Elise touched my hand, and I snatched away from her.
“Don’t fuckin’ touch me!” I barked.
“Young man, please watch your mouth and tone,” Peter addressed me.
“Aye fuck y’all too,” I smiled, ready to tell them how I always felt. “Y’all ain’t shit for real. Y’all fucked up both of y’all kids in the head. Ran both of them away, but for some reason, Elise still holds on to that honor thy parents bullshit. I’m glad Essex said fuck y’all when you tried to come back around and apologize to him.”
“Rashawn!” Elise called my name. I glanced at her, that tear stained face I would’ve killed for just five minutes prior didn’t even shake me.
“Nah, don’t call my name now. You should’ve called me when you pissed on that stick and found out you were pregnant. That was the time to call me.” I looked back at her parents. Noreen hugged Peter’s arm like he could protect her if I decided to toss that whole fucking townhouse. The punch I caught him with when I was eighteen wouldn’t be shit like what I would do to him as a grown ass man. “The craziest thing is nobody knows Elise better than me. Y’all had so much to say about Essex when he was fighting his case, and you know all of that shit popped offbecause Elise was pretending to be a goodie two shoes that loved that nigga Jermaine.”
“Rashawn!” Elise shouted my name again.
“Stop fucking calling my name, Elise. Tell these people how Jermaine blacked yo fuckin’ eye because he went through your journal and saw the woman he proposed to professing her love to a street nigga. He saw that you were saying how being with him made you realize that you still loved me. Jermaine didn’t make you feel like I did, right? Tell your parents that you were the one who insisted that we fucked the day you got pregnant. How you also initiate sex when we have it because you love me. You can take this dick in private, and play me in public, then you turn around and kill my jit. You didn’t even feel comfortable enough to tell me, but you told them. The same motha fuckas that probably caused you the most pain in life! So allow me to introduce them to the real you. You treacherous as fuck, Elise.”
I stormed towards the door, her parents parting ways so I wouldn’t bulldoze over them. On the outside looking in, I chased Elise, but behind closed doors, she really loved a nigga. The chase was mutual. For so long, I let that shit rock. I knew how she was raised, and I understood her upbringing. I was right there to see it, so I knew it would take Elise time to pull herself away from them. Essex always told me that if he wasn’t shunned from the family at such a young age, he probably would’ve had the same perspective as Elise. That’s why Essex never judged Elise for still rocking with their parents after everything they put him through. Unfortunately, the grace I extended to Elise for eighteen years finally ran out.
“Rashawn, wait!” Elise sobbed, and I heard her take one step behind me, then there was a loud thud before her crying mixed with a loud groan. My neck involuntarily looked back to see what happened. I shook my head at the pitiful sight of Elise peeling herself off the floor after slipping on my nut she spat out earlier.If I wasn’t furious I would’ve doubled over laughing. Instead, I continued towards the door. I felt Elise rushing up behind me, quickly closing the distance.
“Elise, don’t you dare chase him out of that door!” Her father ordered.
I swung the door open and continued outside, half expecting Elise to capitulate to her dad’s demands and go clean herself up. Surprisingly, her bare feet patted against the cobblestone driveway behind me. Sprinting down the block to find my truck, I was pissed I had parked far away to surprise her. Elise was running behind me, screaming my name, and I never bothered to look back. I knew I couldn’t let her ass catch me. Elise might fuck around and put me in one of those wrestling holds like she did Essex when he tried to off himself, and then I’d have no choice but to listen to her cop pleas. When I reached my truck, I hopped inside, and Elise tugged on the door handle just as I locked it.
“Rashawn! Please, let’s talk about this in private. I will put my parents out, and we can talk!” Elise shouted.
I kept my face forward and pressed the push start button to bring my engine to life. Realizing her cries fell on deaf ears, Elise started banging on my window. Shaking my head, I let my window down just enough for Elise to hear me.
“I let you keep me a secret and drop me off and pick me up when you felt like it because I wanted to meet your expectations, and the whole time, you don’t meet mine,” I spat.
Elise broke and burst into a loud sob. Noreen rushed towards us and pulled Elise away from my truck. Peter slowly hobbled behind with his cane leading the way. As soon as she was off my shit, I peeled out of the visitors parking spot. I knew I couldn’t go home because Elise would just bring her ass over there. Instead, I went to my mama’s house and pulled my truck into her garageto hide out. Even if Elise came over there, I knew my mama would keep it P.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Elise Marshay Hunter
SKRRRRRTTTTTTTTTT!
The reverberating sound of tires squealing as Rashawn’s truck bent the corner made my heart burst into a billion tiny pieces. I grasped my chest, struggling to breathe as I writhed in my parents’ grasp.
“Let her go, Peter. You need to be careful with that knee. Elise, control yourself!” My mother ordered.
“Calm down.”
“No, get your hands off of me!” I snapped, pushing both of them back. “You did that on purpose. You wanted to say that to drive a wedge between us.”
“I only said what was on my heart,” my mother argued.
“Well, thanks, Mom. You, in turn, helped shred my heart to pieces. That’s the only man that I’ve ever loved!” I sobbed.
One of my neighbors drove by, reminding me that we were outside causing a public scene. My thighs were sticky from both of our bodily fluids seeping out of me, my dress was disheveled, and there was dirt, grass, and semen sticking to my left foot. I laughed maniacally, unable to believe that was my reality. Myparents’ actions had me feeling completely unhinged because I didn’t even care. My eyes swiveled between my father and his cane, and my mother by his side with her hands on her hips. Her face told me she thought I had lost my mind, and I had.
“I don’t have anything to say to either of you! Give me my key back!” I roared, extending my hand in their direction.
“Elise, you need to…”
“Key! Give me my key back! We are done here. I don’t have anything else to say to you guys! You have successfully destroyed me.”
“I’m not giving you the key back. We are going to go inside and have a discussion like adults. Stop all of the yelling, Elise. You're causing a scene.” My father commanded, pointing towards my townhouse.
