I muttered, shakin’ my head. “This not cool or fair, Kay?”
“It ain’t about fair,” he replied. “It’s about me makin’ sure you and my daughter is safe. That’s what I’m on, and I don’t give a fuck about nothin’ else. You decided you was gon’ do what you wanna do without talkin’ to me, so now you gotta sit in it.”
I stared ahead, feelin’ that shit settle deep in my stomach, my hand still movin’ slow over my belly while My’Love moved undermy palm. Even though I understood where Kay’Lo was comin’ from, I couldn’t shake how this felt, ’cause yeah, I knew what I did, and I knew why he was movin’ like this, but in my mind, that was one situation. It was one moment that got outta hand, not somethin’ that meant I needed to be watched every second like I couldn’t be trusted to breathe on my own.
“You treatin’ me like I’m a prisoner or somethin’,” I said, my voice tight. “Like I’m a crazy bitch or some shit, ’Lo.”
“It ain’t even that,” he came back. “I’m treatin’ you like I give a fuck about you. I’m treatin’ you like you my wife, carryin’ my child, and I’m not about to play about that.”
I swallowed, my jaw tight, not likin’ it or agreein’ with it, but hearin’ exactly what he was sayin’ whether I wanted to or not.
Then ,I pulled the phone away from my ear and hung up without sayin’ another word.
When I looked back at the door, them damn guards was still standin’ there like nothin’ had changed, and that’s when it really hit me…
I had just unlocked a whole different side of Kay’Lo.
Ten damn hours passed, and Kay’Lo still had me in the room like I was some fuckin’ child. No matter how many times I tried to lie here and calm myself down, that shit kept sittin’ on me wrong. Every time I glanced at the door and remembered it was two big ass guards standin’ right outside like I was finna do somethin’ stupid, it made my chest feel tight in a way I couldn’t shake.
I had been layin’ on my side for a minute with my head sunk into the pillow while my hand stayed glued to my stomach,rubbin’ slow over my belly as My’Love moved under my palm like she could feel everything I was feelin’. That only made me sigh deeper. I knew exactly why Kay’Lo was actin’ like this, even if I ain’t agree with how he was doin’ it.
A bitch wasn’t dumb, and I knew I fucked up.
But at the same time, bein’ stuck in this damn room like I couldn’t even step out on my own without somebody watchin’ me felt like too much, and I hated that I couldn’t even really argue it the way I wanted to, ’cause deep down, I knew I had put myself in this position.
The sound of the door openin’ pulled me out my thoughts. I turned my head just enough to see Sha’Nelle walkin’ in, her eyes already on me like she was tryna read me before she even got all the way inside.
She pushed the door shut behind her, then looked back at me with that same expression that told me she wasn’t about to let shit slide no more.
“Bitch, what the fuck goin’ on?” she asked, her tone low but serious while she crossed her arms. “Why ’Lo got security outside the door and all around the house like you on punishment or some shit?”
I pushed myself up slow, adjustin’ the pillow behind my back while I tried to keep my face straight, reachin’ for the glass on the tray that was brought up to me earlier, just to give myself somethin’ to do.
“I don’t know,” I said, keepin’ my voice calm even though it ain’t feel calm at all. “You know how he is. He just bein’ extra right now ’cause the baby almost here.”
Sha’Nelle ain’t even blink at that. The bitch just stared at me like she was waitin’ for me to correct myself. When I didn’t, she shook her head like she wasn’t buyin’ it.
“Toni,” she said, sayin’ my name slow like she was warnin’ me. “Bitch… don’t do that.”
“I’m not doin’ nothin’,” I replied, takin’ a sip of the juice, even though I wasn’t really thirsty. “I just said what it is.”
She let out an irritated breath and walked over to the bed, sittin’ down beside me while she angled her body toward mine, her eyes not leavin’ my face.
“Bitch,” she said, her voice low but firm, “’Lo might be crazy, but he ain’t that fuckin’ throwed off.”
My fingers tightened around the glass just a lil’, and I swallowed before I set it back down, my eyes flickin’ toward the door like I needed a second to think.
I pushed myself off the bed without sayin’ nothin’ else and walked over to it, snatchin’ it open just enough to look at the guards standin’ there like they ain’t have nothin’ better to do.
“Can y’all please get away from my door while I’m talkin’?” I asked, already irritated.
They ain’t respond but just stood there lookin’ stupid.
I rolled my eyes and slammed the door in they faces before I turned back around and walked to the bed again, my irritation sittin’ heavier on me now.
I barely had time to settle back into bed before Sha’Nelle spoke again, but this time it wasn’t no attitude behind it or sarcasm. It was more serious, like she had already put the pieces together and just needed me to confirm it.
“You did it, huh?” she asked. Her eyes locked on mine in a way that made it impossible to look anywhere else.
