“I’m going to ask my mother when she can keep the kids. And then I’ll let you know.”
“Good,” he said. “Because I got plans for you.”
At that moment, I was even more irritated with Kodi. If he was the type of co-parent I needed, I would have the freedom to date like a normal person. But I blamed myself for not breaking things off with him completely sooner. I hoped that once he wasn’t in his feelings anymore, we could co-parent without an issue.
“You got plans for me or this pussy?” I teased.
“Is both a bad answer?”
My cheeks got hot even though I was alone in my car. I had to pinch myself sometimes. After our date, after turning this pussy every which way but loose, he was still courting me, still calling, still checking in, and still moving with intent. It felt unreal.
“I have to clock in,” I told him, glancing at the time. “I’ll call you later.”
“Alright,” Sincere replied. “Have a good day, Rhythm.”
“You too,” I said softly, then hung up.
I grabbed my bag and got out, still smiling.
That smile died fast, though. Kodi was walking toward me from the sidewalk with an angry stride. He looked pissed. His eyes were hard.
I had been ignoring his calls and texts all weekend, mostly because I was with Sincere, and when I wasn’t with him, I was still in such a good mood I didn’t want Kodi’s ignorance to ruin it. I was still upset that Kodi was being so petty that, for the first time my children didn’t see or hear from their father on Thanksgiving.
“So, you gon’ keep playing with me, huh?” he barked as he ran up on me.
I kept walking. “Kodi, not here.”
He followed me. “You think you too good to answer your phone?”
“Kodi,” I gritted through my teeth, “I’m at work.”
“You think you finna just leave me after all these years like I’m nothing?”
I tried to walk past him, but he grabbed my arm. He yanked me back so fast it jerked my shoulder.
“Ah!” I yelped, pain shooting up my arm. “Let go of me!”
But Kodi’s grip tightened.
I winced, looking around. “Kodi, please don’t act a fool outside my job. You know I need this job.”
He just stared at me with this look I had never seen before. I had never seen him this crazed.
“You can’t take care of them if I lose my job,” I pressed, trying to make him hear logic. “You know that.”
Kodi’s nostrils flared. “So that’s what it is? You don’t want me because I don’t have money?”
I blinked at him, then laughed once because the question was so stupid it almost made me angry. My laughter offended him so much that he stepped back, letting go of my arm.
“Kodi, if you knew how to love me, I would be with you for richer or poorer. That is not the problem. The problem is you do not know how to be the man that I need.”
He looked furious. He wasn’t just mad. It was something darker. For a second, he looked like he might hit me. His chest started to rise and fall rapidly. He gnawed on his bottom lip as his fist balled up.
My heart stopped.
Then a door slammed behind me.
“Rhythm?” a voice called. “Is everything okay?”
