“I didn’t answer the question, because you already know the answer to it.”
“So I’m asking too much of you? That’s always your excuse to not talk to me.”
Releasing my bottom lip, I said, “Nigga, you a selfish ass muthafucka. Until you can see that bullshit, gone ’bout yo’ fucking business. I done had e-fucking-nough. I shouldn’t have to constantly bite my tongue around yo’ ignant ass! The sun don’t rise and set on yo’ entitled ass. Find you an unintelligent, submissive ass bitch to put up with you and your hormonal ass mood swings. I’m fucking sick of it, nigga.”
I ended the call in his face and dropped my face to my hands. Red didn’t seem to be getting better in our relationship. He was getting worse and lying to himself about his progression. He felt like he was progressing because I wasn’t pushing back as much. We weren’t arguing as much because of me trying to keep the peace.Fuck the peace.
My phone started ringing again, and I knew he was calling back to go awf. I was ready. “What, nigga?”
“Man, you serious? You gon’ just throw this away because you can’t control your temper?”
“Be at the clinic when I get back. I’m gon’ show you a fucking temper. I refuse to let you control me any longer. I thought I was helping you by trying to be softer, but muthafucka, you don’t deserve my soft side. You need me to go upside your big ass head. I’ll deflate that shit for you in a couple of hours.”
“Hold the fuck on, Noni.”
“Naw! Fuck you! Fuck you for making me think I was the problem. Until you can see yourself, you gon’ bebyyour-fucking-self. You wasted years of my life when I could have been with the nigga that was gonna cherish me and treat me like a queen. I should have listened to my sister, because she was right.”
My voice quivered, and I hated that shit. I loved him. That was the only reason I had put up with his bullshit and let him convince me that I was the problem. I ended the call as Bali and Carter came out of K-Asian, then quickly wiped the tears that had fallen down my cheeks.
I watched Carter help her inside, and she immediately looked at me with a slight frown on her face. I knew she could sense that I wasn’t good while she was still in K-Asian. When he closed the door, she said, “Fuck that nigga. I got yo’ back, even when you think you don’t need me to.”
I nodded and swallowed hard. This shit hurt. I knew it would hurt even more once the anger wore off. When Carter got in, he said, “A’ight! Now for the tacos!”
When neither of us responded to him, he looked back at me. He gave me a tight smile and reached for my hand. I extended my hand to his, and he squeezed it. “I’ma talk to him, sis.”
I shook my head. “Fuck him.”
His eyes widened slightly as he released my hand. Without another word, he headed to the food truck. I hopped out of his truck and went and ordered my tacos. My phone buzzed so I pulled it from my scrubs. It was a text from Red.
Noni, you really breaking up with me? I’m sorry, baby. I love you. Damn. Don’t leave me.
My lip quivered, causing me to bite it. This shit was toxic. I knew I had to follow through this time though. I’d threatened to leave him before but allowed him to sweet talk me into staying. That shit wasn’t going to work this time. Before I ordered, I quickly texted back.Forget my number. I’m about to block you. You don’t listen, and I’m tired of talking for the hell of it.
I blocked his number, then walked to the counter to place my order. All this was because I “ignored” him after we found out what was going on with Uncle Marcus. That shit was a family emergency. If he couldn’t understand that, then he was dumber than I thought. He didn’t deserve me, because he lacked emotional intelligence. Bali and I were damn near geniuses. Our IQs were over 145. I didn’t have time to keep explaining what I considered common sense shit. He didn’t want to change.
Once I got my food and got back in the truck, we headed back to Nome in silence. I was grateful because I didn’t feel like talking to nobody . . . not even Bali.
I sat on my couch, feeling depressed. Bali was at her house, getting ready for the rodeo in Mississippi. Since Red and I were no longer a couple, I didn’t think I would be going. I’d made up in my mind that I would chill out at home and watch movies, unless there was an emergency of some sort. When we’d gottenback to the clinic that day, I barely talked to anyone, unless it was unavoidable.
My mama did her best to get me to talk . . . about anything. I barely even spoke to her. She finally just let me be. Maui and Shani just rubbed my back. That only had my emotions in my throat, about to choke the shit out of me. The minute Shani left, I hauled ass here and had been here ever since.
I didn’t feel like being bothered with anybody, but I was more than sure, someone would interrupt my pity party. I was embarrassed. Everyone saw what I couldn’t see. Love was fucking blind and deaf for the time I subjected myself to Red Squared’s control. It didn’t help that he had demon dick. Toxic niggas usually did. That was what made it so difficult to leave their asses alone. I didn’t have personal experience, but I’d heard enough stories to know.
As I scrolled through movie choices, my doorbell rang. I rolled my eyes, knowing this would happen. I hated people showing up unannounced. When I got to the door and saw my daddy, I took a deep breath. Opening the door, I said, “Hey, Daddy Mayor. What’chu doing here?”
He walked inside. “Checking on you, Doctor Henderson. I haven’t talked to you in two days. What’s up?”
I took another deep breath and walked to the couch. He followed me with a deep ass frown on his face. He was in protective mode. That was never a good thing.
“I broke up with Red.”
He nodded repeatedly. “You need me to get at that nigga?”
“No, sir. I already lit his ass up, then blocked him.”
“That nigga a chip off the old block. Red was hotheaded, too. Nigga stayed fighting. Shana got that ass together, especially when she pulled her gun on his ass.”
I frowned, then turned to him. “Damn. What the fuck he do to make her point a gun at him?”
