Page 90 of Finessed By A Hood White Boy

“Yeah.”

I had to laugh to keep from tweaking on her ass.

“You really wanna do this?” I asked, swiping my nose with the tip of my thumb. “Is it because you’re fuckin’ that white boy or what? Is he in your ear, telling you what to do?”

“He doesn’t have anything to do with my decisions. I had my mind made up before I even met him.”

“Which made it easy for you to start fuckin’ him, right?” I could feel my temperature rise.

“We’re not about to stand here and discuss who I’m fuckin’.”

“I don’t see why not. I had the pleasure of seeing your little video. That shit hurt, Ava,” I admitted.

“I’m glad it did,” she boldly stated.

That shit shocked me because she wasn’t giving no fucks or trying to sympathize with my feelings. I could no longer see the fear in her eyes. I was talking to a different woman. I could see plain as day that she wasn’t the same woman I married and took advantage of. In a sense, I felt a little proud that she was finally growing a stronger backbone. She wasn’t allowing me to walk all over her, and that turned me on. I wasn’t about to continue speaking on white boy. I had my own personal beef with him that would be handled sooner rather than later.

“I love you, Ava. All this shit about filing for divorce wasn’t a part of our vows.” I changed the subject.

“Yeah, and neither was putting your hands on me. You weren’t trying to change then, and I don’t think you’re trying to change now. I think you’re finally starting to realize that you lost the best thing that happened in your life. All of a sudden, you want me and want to do right by me. Why? Because you see someone stepping up to take your place? Because you see that I’m flourishing without you? Which you probably thought couldn’t happen, but I am. The vows that we made are no longer valid, so I don’t want to hear about them. I don’t want to hear about me being involved with another man. I’ve given you everything. All of me. You chose not to handle me with care. You chose to take me for granted. I should’ve walked away from you a long time ago, but I couldn’t because I was blinded by love. I genuinely loved you, Robert. But you never loved me.”

For the first time, I actually stood and listened to every word she spoke. I took it in and allowed it to register in my brain and in my heart. She was half way right. I did make those decisions because I thought I had control over her. I thought I could do whatever I wanted, and she’d never leave me. I thought I planted enough fear in her heart to never have that type of courage, but I was wrong. When it came to loving her, I did and still do. I was going to fight for my marriage despite what the hell she was talking about. I knew it would take some time, but I had all the time in the world. We would be back together again, one way or another.

“Can I see Savannah?” I asked.

“She’s taking a nap right now.”

“Can you Facetime me when she gets up? I mean, you would have to unblock me first.”

“I’ll think about it.” She shook her head. “I have to go.”

“Wait.” I grabbed her wrist.

Instantly, she snatched away like my hands were on fire. I held up both hands in surrender to let her know I wasn’t trying to be aggressive or anything like that.

“By the end of the month, I want us to meet up and go over all this shit. I want us to actually sit down and talk like two adults. Cool?”

She didn't even say anything. She just closed the door in my face, leaving me standing alone.

CHAPTER 25

Ethan Whitmore

For the past twenty four hours my nerves had been rattled. Shit, I barely slept or ate anything because my heart was so full with excitement. The day had finally come to bring my mom back home. Internally, I felt good as hell. To be honest, I should've made arrangements for her to be home a long time ago. My mother’s condition hadn’t been getting any better. Over time, I’d been preparing myself for the day she transitioned. However, the facility and staff had been amazing but it was time for her to be surrounded by nothing but family.

“Are you ready?” Ava asked, walking into the room.

“Yeah,” I eyed her as I dabbed out my blunt.

The ride to the nursing facility felt longer than it actually was. However, the moment we pulled up, the staff had my mother waiting in the lobby ready to go. The day before, I came to pack her belongings. On the way to Big Momma’s, I found myself checking the rearview mirror every few seconds. I couldn’t believe I had my mom in the car with me. I purchased a wheelchair-accessible van to make it easier to get her around. She sat quiet and comfortably in the back seat with Ava. Her hands rested in her lap while her eyes slowly drifted across the passing traffic and neighborhoods. I noticed the majority of the ride she stared at Ava. I admired how my shorty interacted with her while smiling and being so gentle. I had asked her ahead of time to be by my side when I picked my mom up. Without hesitation she agreed.

“We’re almost home, ma.” I announced turning into Big Momma’s neighborhood.

Big momma refused to let me or Duke buy her another house. It wasn’t anything wrong with the one she was currently living in, we just thought an upgrade would be nice. So instead, me and bruh went half and half to have her place remodeled. The front porch now had a gently sloped wheelchair ramp with black iron railings. Every doorway had been widened as well as her hallways. For my mom, the guest bedroom had been transformed into what looked more like a luxury rehabilitation suite than a bedroom. An adjustable hospital bed and medical monitoring equipment tucked away neatly inside custom cabinetry. A reclining chair for the nurses, a walk in shower with handrails. Non-slip flooring. Motion sensitive lighting. Everything. If my momma couldn’t have her mind back, she’d at least have comfort.

When I pulled into the driveway, Big Momma was already outside on the porch crying.

“There goes my baby…” I heard her say as she made her way toward the van.