Royce smirked. “That’s ‘cause he out here hidin’ in women’s bathrooms.”
Trend damn near choked on his wing. “Bathroom?”
I shot Royce a look. “You talk too much.”
He held his hands up. “Nigga, you the one told me you was in the ladies’ room like Jason Bourne.”
Truce laughed. “Ain’t no way, bro.”
I rolled my eyes. “It wasn’t like that.”
“Explain how standin’ in a bathroom waitin’ on a woman is supposed to be ‘like,’ then,” Royce said, eyebrow up.
I ignored him, turned to Trend instead.
“Lemme ask you somethin’,” I said. “You used to talk to Melissa… before all this, right?”
He blinked, then nodded slow. “Yeah. Long time ago, though.”
“How she was back then?” I asked. “For real.”
He scratched his jaw. “Different. Still had a mouth on her, but it wasn’t like it is now. She was softer. More… hopeful, I guess?” He shrugged. “Didn’t mean she wasn’t still on bullshit sometimes, but her guard wasn’t this high.”
“And now?” I asked.
“Now?” He let out a breath. “Jordan did a number on her, bro. Nigga played in her face, had her out here lookin’ stupid. It ain’t just him, her pops, other shit she seen. By the time I really peeped, she wasn’t the girl I used to be with. She was… holdin’ on to herself like if she let go, somebody was gon’ snatch her whole soul.”
I gritted my teeth.
“I wish I could kill that nigga,” I barked. “Jordan. For how he did her. For how she still flinch when she talk about love ‘cause of him.”
Trend nodded. “Trust me, I done thought about it. But Fee would beat my ass and y’all know it.”
Truce snorted. “Facts.”
I leaned back, rubbin’ my thumb over the scar on my jaw.
“It just… it piss me off,” I said. “Watchin’ her act tough when I know she only doin’ it ‘cause some fuck nigga broke her before.”
“And your response to that,” Truce cut in, “is to be a creep ass nigga hidin’ in bathrooms and followin’ her car? Make it make sense.”
They all busted out laughin’.
I glared at him. “Fuck you, nigga.”
“Nah, I’m deadass,” Truce said, still grinnin’. “You talkin’ ‘bout he hurt her, you havin’ a hard time, all that… you not ‘havin’ a hard time.’ You scarin’ sis.”
Royce nodded. “You got her checkin’ over her shoulder like a thriller movie. That’s not the kinda tension you want.”
Trend pointed his wing at me. “You always been intense, bro. That’s why your business work. That’s why you held shit down how you did. But women not contracts. You press too hard, you not gon’ sign nothin’; you gon’ make her run.”
I took a slow sip, lettin’ that sit even though it irritated me.
“What me and Mel had,” Trend continued, “was back when she was different. We ain’t never get too deep ‘cause I knew I wasn’t ready to be what she needed. I was on my own bullshit. But even then, she was more open than she is now. Jordan took that last little piece. You tryin’ to pull her outta a cave. You can’t do that with a shotgun.”
I huffed. “Who said I got a shotgun?”
“All that stalkin’ you doin’,” Truce said. “Kinda feel like one.”
