Page 153 of 4 Corinthians

“Cori-“

“Put them on,” she said, shaking her head. I didn’t move, and she stopped putting on one of the gloves to look at me. Her eyes were dark, alert, and guarded. “Put them on.”

“No-o-o-o-o-no,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m good.” I turned to leave.

“Uri!” she yelled, making me stop. “Put on the fucking gloves!”

“Don’t yell at me,” I said without turning around.

“Then put on the fuckin’ gloves!” I felt the pressure from something hitting my back, then heard it hitting the floor. I looked down to see the gloves she had given me earlier next to my feet. “Put them the fuck on!” She rounded me, pushed my chest, and looked up at me. “Put them on.”

“Cori-“

“Put them on and fight me,” she cut me off. I stepped back, shaking my head. “Put them on!”

“No.” I hated being yelled at, and she knew that.

She stopped, nodded, then stepped back. “And that right there is how I know what you did wasn’t intentional; it wasn’t abuse. It was an accident.” She pulled her hands from the gloves and tossed them aside.

“Wait what?” I stared at her in disbelief. Had she done all that as a test? The yelling, throwing the gloves at me. It was all a fucking test? “Cori-“

“You been talking to your therapist?”

“Yeah.”

“Taking your meds?” she asked, and I looked away. “Uri, have you been taking your meds?”

“Yeah.”

“Then let’s go upstairs, watch TV, and finish talking,” she suggested.

I stared at her, trying to figure out how all of this was so easy for her, and I realized it wasn’t. She just trusted me. She saw things in me that I didn’t. Even though she hadn’t said it, the love she had for me was right there in my face.

“Alright,” I said, and this time I put my hand out for her to take. Without worry, she put her hand in mine, and we walked back to the living room. “Question.”

“Yeah?” she answered as she picked up her blanket and put it around her shoulders.

“What would you have done if I wanted to fight you?”

Cori smiled, a sweet but deadly smile, as she sat. “I would’ve killed you,” she answered.

And I believed her.

***

“Have a seat, nephew,” Uncle Bradon said, pointing to the empty chair across from him. I dropped into the chair, wiped my hand over my face, then looked between him and Nadine. She was watching me hard. Over the years she’d become the mama I never experienced as a child. She was tough but fair. She didn’t hold back when she thought we were fucking up, but she loved us hard. I would be forever grateful to her and would always respect her for it. “Nadine told me she saw Corinthians.”

“Yes, sir.” I sat up.

“She had bruises.” He pushed back from his chair and stood. Uncle Bradon typically wore a suit; he always said that business didn’t stop when he walked out of his office. Seeing him dressed down in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt had my head spinning. He rounded his desk, sat on the front of it, and crossed his arms. “What the fuck is up with that?”

“I-“

“You putting your hands on women now, Four?” he pulled his gun from behind his back. “I didn’t raise you to respect women? Huh? Speak up, son. Tell me where the fuck we went wrong with you? We know the shit with Robert was fucked up and you went through some shit, but this ain’t acceptable.”

“Unc.”

“Don’t fuckin’ Unc me,” he said, shaking his head. “Tell me what the fuck is up!”