Page 40 of Surrender to Love

Shaking her head, she turns back to me and rolls her eyes hard as fuck. Them shits look like they are about to get stuck. “Just give me thirty minutes. I’ll be done. Black will close up and we can talk.”

“Talk!” she exclaims, sounding disgusted at the idea of talking to me. “You should have talked to me the minute you decided to hire your little fuck buddy. Talking now won’t change shit. I came here and had to be informed by her that she fucked my supposed man. You let me walk right into that bullshit without saying shit and I trusted you,” she says and her voice cracks.

My whole chest gets tight as hell. Fuck! She’s crying over my fuck up.

I step closer and attempt to reach out to her. She steps back, places her hands up to stop me, then closes her eyes.

Surrendering, she utters, “Just fix it so I can leave. We aren’t going anywhere.”

She walks out the bay then heads to the front of the shop and I let her go. She’s still here and I have time to figure out how I’m going to fix this shit because I have to. I can’t lose her over this one fucking mistake.

“Shit. I fucked up,” I spit as I walk over to her ride.

I should have followed my first thought on the day Matika started. I really was going to let her go then but felt like shit when she begged to stay. I also believed her ass when she said she wasn’t here because of me. She was lying and my dumb ass fell for it. My fucking brothers were right. I should have told my baby about her the minute I let Matika stay on. This is all my fault and I have to make it right because the alternative isn’t a fucking option.

I take one final look under her car and spot fluid around her back brake pads. That’s not good. Changing brake pads takes about thirty to forty-five minutes.

“Ay, Niko,” I call out to the mechanic standing by the parts bins.

“What’s up?”

“Can you see if we have some of those Duralast Gold DG2060 pads?”

“Twenty what?”

“Twenty sixty.”

After checking two trays, he confirms we have three boxes. I only need one. Once he brings the box over, I thank him then walk around front to check on Kyrah and let her know I need to change her back brakes. As soon as I bend the corner, I see a Camry pull up right in front of her. When I spot the white iDrive sticker on the bottom left of the rear window, I pick up my strides and step between her and the car. I tap the passenger window and the driver lowers it.

“Ay, homeboy. This ride is canceled,” I grit.

“What?” she yells from behind me as he asks the same.

“You heard me. Cancelled. Dip before I make you,” I tell him, and without any words, he raises the window then skirts out of the parking lot.

“Are you fucking shitting me right now?”

“Baby, you need new back brake pads. It’s gonna take about forty-five. Just wait inside and we can leave.”

“There is no we, Shiro. I’m leaving, even if I have to walk. So you change my brakes or whatever lie you conjure up but I’m leaving. I cannot even look at your lying ass right now and my fucking fists hurt,” she huffs and turns to walk away, pressing something on her phone then talking. “Reya, can you come get me please? Yes, the shop. I can’t be here anymore.”

At the sound of Reya’s name, I fall back. She’s talking to Sis, and if she comes, at least I know Kyrah will still be here in my city. I can change her brakes and scoop her later, hopefully after she’s calmed down.

She intentionally stays at the other end of the parking lot until I head back to the bays. My cell rings in my pocket. I pull it out, it’s Sis. I accept the call, but before I can say shit, she goes the fuck off.

“What the hell did you do to my sista?”

“I fucked up,” I admit because shit I had, bad.

“You damn right you did. She’s crying and her feelings are hurt. You hired a woman you used to fuck and didn’t tell her?” she asks, although she clearly knows the answer. “Why would you do that?”

“That shit wasn’t intentional. I don’t even remember the girl.”

“Shiro!” she huffs.

“I know. I said I fucked up. Imma fix it though. You coming to scoop her?”

“Yes. I’m leaving now.”