“See you, ladies.”
I breezed out of the pastry shop, hopped into my car, and headed to the mall with a lightness in my heart.
I had just left out of the mall, where I had picked up a few items for Harlem, when I heard a familiar voice calling my name in the parking lot. I slowed up and turned around but immediately wished that I hadn’t.
It was Carl walking toward me with the brightest smile, like we were old friends who hadn’t seen each other in a while but missed each other dearly.
“Hey, Baby. How are you?”
Although I should have turned and ran or told him to kiss my behind, I didn’t.
“Life couldn’t be better, Carl.”
“I heard you have your own shop. Things must be looking up for you, beautiful.”
I crossed my arms over my breasts when he lowered his eyes to them, and I nodded. “They are, Carl. I have to go. I’m late for an appointment already, but I wish you well.”
I turned and walked away, but he grabbed me by the elbow and pulled me back. It stunned me, but not enough to not try and free myself, but he refused to let go.
“Listen, Baby, we broke up on bad terms. I never wanted that for either of us. I loved you too much to ever hurt you, but it seemed like I did. Back then, I was in a bad place, and I just want to explain what happened back then and ask you to forgive me. I know that I was wrong, and I never meant you any harm. Things just got bad.”
“Carl, I’ve forgotten all about you until this point. You’re not even a thought in my life. So, there is literally nothing to forgive.”
“Oh, you’re feeling yourself like that?” The sneer on his face told me something cruel was coming.
“No. I’ve just gone on with my life, and I’m happy with where I am in life. I’m not about to risk that peace on the past.”
“Who held you down when you didn’t have shit, Baby?” Carl grabbed my hand and clenched his teeth.
“Not you. Let me go, Carl!” I shouted, jerking in his hold.
“It’s funny how easily people forget when they think they’ve got a little something.”
“Let me go or I’ll scream to the top of my lungs that you’re assaulting me,” I warned when his grip tightened.
“I’m trying to explain to your hardheaded ass. Would you just listen?” he asked in a harsh tone.
Before I could respond, I heard Harlem’s voice behind me. Where in the hell did he come from?
“Nah, nigga. You’re the one who needs to listen. She said leave her alone. Get ya hands off my woman before you have problems you ain’t ready for.”
“Who the fuck is you?” Carl asked, sneering at Harlem.
“I’m her nigga. Who the fuck are you?” Harlem placed his arm around my midsection and pulled his gun out. He aimed the gun at Carl and pulled me free from Carl at the same time.
Carl lifted his hands in the air and backed away.
“That’s Carl,” I whispered to Harlem, who chuckled.
“The nigga who lost a woman because he didn’t know what to do with her, now you wanna be sniffing after her . . . for what? You thought she was on the come up, and you wanna ride her coattails? Ain’t gon’ be none of that shit around here.”
“Is that what you told him? Always playing the victim. Baby, you ain’t shit,” Carl declared.
Harlem pushed me behind him and placed his body as a barrier between Carl and me. He passed his gun back to me and stepped closer to Carl. I tucked his gun in my purse, and Harlem yoked Carl up and slammed him against someone’s car so fast my head spun. In a calm voice, he declared, “From what I hear, you’re the one who ain’t shit. She’s worth more than the air you breathe and every dollar in this world, nigga.”
I reached out and grabbed his arm when he lifted it. “Harlem, he’s not worth it. Please, let’s just go.”
“Nah, niggas like this don’t learn easily.”
