“You don’t deserve another chance with her.”
He sighs. “I know. But I’ll regret it forever if I don’t try. You get that, right, my man? I mean, it seems like you know her well…wait. How well do you know her?”
“We’re close,” I brag. “That’s all I’m going to say.”
“Right, well. Then you know what I mean. I have to at least try, because dude, she’s got talent.” He looks around like he doesn’t want anyone to hear what he’s saying. “Her lips…so plump, so fucking good, man. She did things to me with that mouth of hers I still dream about.”
“Men like you make me sick.”
He scrunches his face and has the audacity to ask me what I mean.
“You think you can taint somebody like Annie, somebody so beautiful and funny and clean. You’ve contaminated her with your filth and…” I squeeze my hands into fists because I get nauseous thinking about her body being wasted pleasuring the likes of this pig. “You speak about her in such a vile way that I shouldrip your tongue out!”
“Chill out, man. No need to get aggressive.”
I slap the back of my neck, then dig my nails into it. “Please leave.”
“Okay. Okay. I’ll go.” He sets the flowers down, then backs away and keeps his eyes on me until he reaches the elevator. He looks over his shoulder and then frantically presses the button. It must take too long because he runs to the stairwell, and then he’s gone.
I bring the vase inside with me and throw it directly into the garbage. What a fool that man is…it’s not even her birthday.
I’mrealizingIwaswrong.
Annie
“Ben’s back,” Sterling announces, getting to his feet.
I jump at the authority in his booming voice, and Joan Wick scurries into the bedroom.
“Time to go, V.” He helps her off the couch, and just as she reaches over to hug me, the door whips open.
Ben looks through his parents like they’re not here. His eyes pin me to the spot, and I gulp at the intensity he’s shooting my way.
“Well, then. It was so nice to spend the day with you, Annie.” Vera hugs me, and I have enough forethought to pat her back. “See you soon.”
She will? “Yeah. Nice meeting you, too.”
“Take care, girl.” Sterling takes his wife’s hand and leads her through the apartment, nodding at his son on the way out.
Ben kisses his mom on the cheek, then shuts the door behind them. He flicks the lock, turns to me, and doesn’t say a word. The last time I looked at the clock, it was after four. He’s been gone like twelve hours, and I haven’t heard anything all day. Something’s wrong. It’s bad, it has to be really bad.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
He swallows hard. “Poe? He’s not just a friend or a neighbor. He wants you bad, he’s not right in the head.”
“Why do you say that?”
“It’ll be better if I show you to make you really understand. Parker wore a hidden camera and was purposely pushing his buttons to see what kind of reaction he’d get. It’s not good, babe.” He holds his phone out I watch the video in shock. I can’t see Parker’s face since he’s the one with the camera, but I do see Poe’s, and it’s scary how much it’s changing as Parker talks.
Poe screams at him and I cover my mouth in total shock. “I’ve never seen him like that before.” I continue watching as Parker runs down the stairs of my apartment building, and as soon as he gets outside, Ben’s there. Ben starts to pull his phone away, but I see him rear back right before the screen goes black. “Did you just hit Parker?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t like what he said about you.”
I glance at Ben’s hand and see his bloody knuckles. “But you said he was provoking Poe on purpose.”
