When I pulled off from Adore’s house, I didn’t look back. If I had, I probably would’ve turned the truck around and walked right back in the house like nothing had happened. That was my problem. Adore had that pull on me. I loved her. Probably more than I loved myself. Tonight, I was standing on business. The streets were already messy enough without letting my heart make me look weak. If I let her ass disrespect me, she would never stop. She would always think that shit was sweet. The little boy in me was crying out, and I just wanted to be alone.
I drove straight to my condo after putting the majority of my shit in storage. Removing my shit from Adore’s place was my way of cutting relationship ties. I didn’t need her calling me, telling me to come get my shit whenever I didn’t move when she wanted me to. Now that we were back to business, I could focus more. Not saying that my protection for her had lifted, it just wasn’t my main focus anymore.
When I opened the door to my condo, the quietness hit me like a muthafucka. Adore had very loud energy. The energy that a nigga like me loved. So, when we were in the house together, it felt like love. Now that I was here, the stillness was hitting hard. Icame here to clear my head and then go lay right back under her. Now, this was it. This was home again.
I dropped my keys and walked out to the balcony. The inside of the condo was quiet, but as soon as I walked outside, the busy streets below became loud. Most niggas would love this view. All I could think about was how empty it was. Back to childhood again.
I grabbed my weed and started to roll me a blunt. I gave that muthafucka two days, and she couldn’t say the one thing I needed to hear.Sorry.That one word would’ve fixed this whole shit between us. I wasn’t asking her to beg. Wasn’t asking her ass to cry. Just own your shit. Adore was stubborn and now she got to see where her stubbornness was going to land her. She wanted to be a wife, go be that. Just won’t be with that nigga.
My phone buzzed in my pocket as I leaned against the railing. Really didn’t feel like being bothered at the moment, but I pulled the phone out anyway.
Hollow: Aye bruh, I’m checkin’ on ya. Let’s chop it up tomorrow
Me: I’m straight. I’ll hit you once I get free
Hollow: Bet
I didn’t care what she told her brother. Shit was not going to make me change my fucking mind. It was time for the people I love to stop playing with my muthafuckin’ feelings.
The next morning, I took a long, hot shower with my music blasting to clear my mind. A nigga even cooked some breakfast and washed the dishes before heading out the door for the day. Adore hadn’t hit me up about anything, so I was going to do my usual routine. I was going to head to the eastside first since thatwas my neck of the woods and chill. I had some money to pick up later, so I was going to kick the bobo with a few of the OG’s and see if they heard anything.
The dice game was already jumping when I parked. The music was blasting, niggas arguing over money, and smoke in the air. It was normal.
“Whodie!” Someone yelled.
I nodded and dapped the boys up one by one.
“Thought you were laid up with boss lady today,” one of them said.
“Man, shut the fuck up,” I muttered.
His grin told me what I already knew. Word travels fast in the streets. I leaned against the car and watched the dice game, not wanting to get in on this one because the niggas were about to go to blows. I didn’t want to have to kill one of these niggas about my money today.
“Who the fuck is that?” someone said, making all of our heads turn in that direction.
It was a white SUV. Nothing we had seen before over here. A woman stepped out with long hair and big ass shades on. Her body was thick as fuck. Made a few of the niggas lick their lips. As she approached and took the shades off, my stomach dropped. Zhane’s ass was a bitch I fucked on the regular. Her ass up and disappeared, so I never thought shit of it.
“Aw, hell, nah! Not this bitch,” an OG said.
She walked her ass straight to me like she had every right to be there.
“Whodie,” she said calmly.
“What the fuck you doin’ here?”
“I came to see you,” she said.
“You picked the wrong place and time.”
She turned her head towards the SUV and waved her hand. The back door opened, and another woman hopped out witha toddler. Everything around me slowed down. The kid looked about two, shit, maybe three. He was brown, with curly hair, chubby, and cute.
“Whodie,” my ex said softly. “This is your son.”
Everything got quiet. The dice game stopped, niggas even turned their music down. All them niggas was waiting for me to explode. This was the first time since being a kid that I didn’t know what to do. What the fuck was going to do with a kid? Shit, in my eyes, I was still battling my childhood trauma. I didn’t want to spill that shit over on him.
“Fuck you just say?”
“This is your son.”
