“A girl came to the house.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Who?”
I adjusted myself in my chair. “I didn’t know who it was at first. Bully took care of it. He said she was a crackhead, and I believed him until I saw her sitting behind us in court.” I paused, seeing if he was gonna chime in or adjust in his chair, but he didn’t flinch. “Do you know who it could be? I know you saw her in court.”
Gio shook his head. “Nah, boo, I don’t know who it was.”
I stared at that lying ass nigga. I wanted to jump across the table and beat his ass, but I couldn’t; I just held back my tears.
“Gio, please don’t lie to me…please, baby.”
Gio smirked, like he had everything under control. “Baby, you know damn well I don’t want any other bitch. You are my heart.”
“T.” That was the only thing I said.
He adjusted in his chair.
“Why did you say his name?”
I laughed. “HIS, HIS name is Gio.” I gathered myself, realizing I raised my voice. “I found your phone while I was getting the house packed the other day. Your lil’ bitch Trina sent a picture of y’all two to it.”
Gio leaned over the table, trying to grab my hand, and I pulled away.
“How could you do that to me, Gio? Spending the night with the bitch, taking her places, paying the bitch rent! Three fuckin’ years, Gio! How could you?”
Gio stared at me as tears fucked up my makeup. He got me some tissues and stared at me as I wiped them away.
“Islah, baby, I never meant to hurt you. I swear it was nothing like that?—”
“Then what was it, Gio?”
He looked around. “I can’t talk about that in here. We can talk about this when Groom gets me out.”
I shook my head. “No, Gio, we can’t. This will be the only time we talk about it because I’m done?—”
He tilted his head at me. “No, the fuck you are not,” he shot back.
I blinked, took a deep breath, and continued. “I’m leaving you, Gio. You had a bitch on the side for half of our relationship, a bitch that is so delulu she thought you were gonna leave jail and go to her. You were paying rent for a bitch in a house while we were in an apartment, while telling me to thug it out with you. No, Gio, I deserve more?—”
“And you do,” he chimed in. “I never meant to put you through shit like that, but I promise you, shit with that bitch has been done. She just can’t take no for an answer. Just tighten up out here, boo, you know I don’t play ‘bout you?—”
“But you play with me?” I asked.
“Islah, I promise you, baby, that bitch don’t mean shit to me. She never did!”
I stared at him for a second before I let the words come out of my mouth that would change us.
“Gio, I’m done—we are done. I’m out here making sure you are taken care of the whole time you played with me. I think you out trappin’, and you laid up with a bitch. I don’t—I will not deal with that.”
I stood up, and Gio didn’t move; he stared straight ahead as I was about to walk off.
“Islah,” he said, and I paused. “You are mine, WE are not over.”
I shook my head. “We are, and I’ma make sure of that.”
Gio laughed. “Come on now, baby, you know me. You sure you want to do this to yourself?”
I walked back so that he could see my face, and I bent down to look him in his eyes.
