“What?”
“I met his wife, Tori, at the game.”
I shook my head. “I don’t be in that man’s business about what he does and who he does it with. All I’m worried about right now is me and you.”
“And yet you still haven’t explained how she ended up with you if she was with someone else. Or do y’all just pass bitches around like hot potatoes?” she assumed.
I sucked my teeth. It was clear she was irritated beyond the point of consoling because she let reckless shit fall off her lips. I needed to bring her ass down a few notches.
“Look, I know I’m not your favorite person right now, but?—”
“But what?” she asked, rolling her neck before journeying into the kitchen.
I stepped up to her. “You ain’t gon’ keep talkin’ to me like I’m fuckin’ anybody. I been told your ass you need to do more listenin’ than talkin’, so sit your ass down and fuckin’ listen for once!” my voice barked over hers.
Her eyes lit up in surprise that anyone would speak over her, let alone give her a command. Without saying another word, she posedher ill-mannered ass on the barstool at the kitchen island, rustling with the half-eaten cookie on the napkin in front of her.
“I need you to hear me, and I need you to hear me clear, aight? The bitch came knocking on my door at three o’clock in the morning because he got drunk and passed out, and she wanted to leave. Niggas ain’t supposed to have nobody in their rooms, if so it’s an automatic fine. She told me her phone was dead, so I called her ass an Uber and walked her down. When the car showed up, she turned to kiss my cheek to thank me and fuckin’ left. I didn’t know her ass then, and I don’t know her now. I ain’t been on no body but yours.”
She sat with her lips pursed together in silence, refusing to offer up a response.
“Well?” I probed.
She shot me a glare that was cold as ice. “Oh, I can speak now?”
My lips twisted in anger. “I’m about two seconds from walkin’ right the fuck outta here, Cass. Cut the bullshit, aight? I’m telling you the truth.”
“And how am I supposed to believe you?”
“Because I haven’t given you any reason not to. You’re so caught up in your past traumas that you don’t even know you’re a part of the fuckin’ problem! I understand you’ve been hurt, but you don’t have to hurt me when I ain’t done shit but be loyal to your ass. I told you to your face that I love you. You think I go around sayin’ that shit to anybody?”
“Clearly, I don’t know what you do when I’m not around.”
My body tensed; I could feel myself seconds away from wanting to throw in the towel. “Even when I’m not around, you get all of my time. If it’s not ball or some shit I gotta do to make money, then you have everything else. I’ve put you second to none for months! You think I curve these hoes every day because I don’t want them? It would be easy for me to fuck, but I don’t. I’ll check any hoe if she cross the line because I ain’t tryna jeopardize what we have. I haven’t lied to you once. Why the fuck would I start now?”
“Because you got caught up with your side pocket!” she fired back, flapping her arms around in the air as she spat out her words.
“I swear to God, Cass, you really about to make me leave.”
She raised her thick, arched right eyebrow. “Run me my key before you leave,” she demanded while holding out her hand.
I scowled. “What? Really, Cass? You really gon’ take it there?”
“Again, I didn’t ask you to come here. You said you wanted to explain, and you did, so you know where the door is. I’m not stopping you.”
“So, that’s it? You done with me just like that?”
“You’re the one who said you were leaving.”
“But do you want me to go?”
She pulled in a tight breath and let it out slowly. “Look, Hendrix, I just think that?—”
“What? What do you think? Because I ain’t done shit but put you on a pedestal and you know it!”
“I did the same for you!”
“Then, why are you letting this go so easily?” I quizzed.
