“Ay, you need to tone all that down. Way fucking down. You not gon’ be up in my spot, or anywhere else for that matter, yelling at me like you lost your fucking mind, Madeline. Fuck you thinking?” he said, stepping toward me, standing over me.
“I will yell if I want to until you tell me what you did,” I said, moving closer to him and rearing my head back to look up at him. I was mad as hell and he didn’t scare me.
Carlos stepped back and ran his hand across his hair before he laughed. He was trying to stay calm, but I didn’t care.
“Yo, let me back the fuck up before I jack yo’ ass up. What is that and what the fuck you mean what did I do?” he asked, nodding at the folder.
I threw it at him and the papers fell out, hitting the floor.
“Yo, you’re bugging. I think you better leave before I do something I can’t take back.”
Kneeling, I grabbed the paper that showed my settlement. I held it close to his face and he snatched it out of my hand to examine.
“What did you do to make him say fuck the prenup?”
“That’s what the fuck you acting crazy about? I ain’t do shit but make it clear to him that he was gonna give you what you deserved. You are muthafucking welcome.”
Carlos pushed past me, coolly striding toward the kitchen. I watched him move, turned on by the grace of his movements. Even pissed at me, he still moved like he was unbothered.
“But what did you do? He would never just agree to give me money unless you… Oh God, did you threaten to kill him? Did you try to kill him? Please tell me you didn’t do that.”
Carlos shot me a nasty glance before he spoke. “Why? You gon’ miss that muthafucker if I take his life? You worried about that, Madeline?”
“No, I’m not, but I’m worried about you. Do you know who he is and what he’s capable of?”
Carlos looked at me like I was crazy before he laughed sarcastically. “Do you know who the fuck I am and what I’m capable of? Fuck him and I mean that. You worried about me taking his life, maybe I should do just that, and fuck you too if you care.”
His words cut me deep, but I understood why he was upset.
“I don’t care about him; I care about you. I don’t want him to?—”
“Nah, it’s cool. Don’t worry about me, Maddie. I’m good. Real muthafucking good. Lock my door on your way out and don’t forget those.” He pointed to the papers on the floor. “I’m sure you’re gon’ need it to collect your money.”
Without so much as another look or word for me, Carlos walked to his bedroom and my body jumped when he slammed the door. I felt my heart sink to the pit of my stomach as I stood there feeling stupid. I collected my papers, and with my head down, found my way to the door. I had just messed up, bad. What the fuck had I done?
Iwoke up feeling like I was dreaming because the smell of Carlos’s cologne hit me, causing me to feel even more depressed. Then his voice floated around me and I sat up in my bed and wiped my mouth.
“Ay, we need to talk.” His voice was steady and calm, but made me nervous.
“Okay,” I said, scooting back against the headboard.
He was on the opposite side of the bed with his head down, resting in his hands.
“I didn’t kill anyone to make him agree to give you anything, Maddie. Thank Trooper for that, but I did threaten that muthafucker. He deserved it though.”
“But why?”
“Fuck you mean why?” His voice raised slightly but remained calm. “You deserved that money, shorty. You married him and he cheated on you. He treated you like a prostitute. As long as he kept buying you things and your accounts were full, he treated you like shit.”
I was quiet because he was right, but didn’t understand why he cared so much.
“Look.” He glanced over his shoulder before he stood and walked around to my side of the bed. He was so fucking sexy, even with his eyes red and the scowl on his face, but I stayed put because I couldn’t read him.
“I’m not him, Maddie. I don’t wait for people to do shit. I make shit happen. Maybe I was wrong, but he fucked with you, so he fucked with me. It’s not even about the money, ’cause I got money, more than that pocket change he gave you and I would have given it to you.
“This place, it’s yours for as long as you want it to be. It doesn’t mean shit to me. You need money, I’ll open an account for you, ’cause that don’t mean anything to me either, but I’m trying to let you be you. I know you don’t want to leave onepayroll and get on another. I respect that about you and he owed you, so I made him give it to you. I need you to respect how I do things ’cause I want you with me, but not if you can’t understand who I am.” He stared at me like he was looking into my soul and I nodded.
“I can do that,” I said, climbing off the bed and standing before him. There was little space between us as his eyes stayed on mine.
