I thought he was about to beat me up. I curled in slightly, bracing for whatever was coming next. But he didn’t move. He just glared down at me, breathing hard, nostrils flaring.
“You think you better than me,” he said.
I didn’t respond because that wasn’t a question; that was a statement made through jealously that I wasn’t going to waste my time responding to.
He stared a second longer, then turned and stormed toward the door. It slammed so hard the walls shook.
I stayed on the floor for a moment, staring up at the ceiling with my cheek throbbing, my back aching, my heart pounding so loud I could hear it in my ears.
He had never put his hands on me before.
And as I slowly pushed myself up, one thing became clear in a way it never had before.
Kodi wasn’t just jealous.
He was losing control.
I snapped out of it, jumped up, and ran to the door. I locked it fast, then twisted the knob twice to make sure it was secure.
I pushed off the door and went looking for my phone. I found it on the dining table next to the folder Sincere had left me and dialed Joi.
She picked up on the second ring. “Hey, girl. What’s up?”
“Kodi just hit me.”
It was silent for a few seconds before she yelped, “What?!”
“He came over talking crazy about the show and news segment. He was jealous. He smacked me and knocked me into the table.”
“Are you safe?”
“Yes. He left.”
There was a pause, then Joi exhaled slowly. “You need to tell Sincere.”
I rubbed my cheek gently. “For what?”
“So he can handle it. He has goons as friends. Let them deal with Kodi.”
I knew she was right about one thing. By now, we both knew the Cartiers had street affiliations. They weren’t loud about it, but it was obvious.
But my stomach twisted at the thought. “I’m not telling him.”
She warned, “Rhythm...”
“I’m not. I just got into something new with this man. He’s fine. He’s rich. He’s got his shit together. I am not about to come off like a bunch of drama.”
Joi scoffed. “Why you sound so calm?”
I thought about that. I was calm. Despite the sting on my face, the way my back hurt, and what just happened, I felt… happy.
“Sincere had just left right before Kodi got here. That man makes me feel different,” I admitted. “And the dick is so good, Kodi can’t even ruin my good mood.”
Giggling, Joi asked, “Oh, your boo spent the night. That’s why you’re so calm.”
I smiled, even with a sore face.
“Has he made it official yet? Or you all just fucking?”
