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“I didn’t say he was a headache. I said the situation is a headache.”

“Right,” she drawled as she sipped her drink. “So, you don’t care about him.”

“I didn’t say that either.”

“Bitch, you’re saying a whole bunch of nothing, which is how I know it’s bad.” She set her glass down. “Because the La’Belle I know would’ve taken the money, fucked on him a few more times if the dick was good, and been on to the next one.”

I sucked my teeth and rolled my eyes.

“Can I say something without you cursing me out?” she asked.

“Probably not, but go ‘head.”

“You know what he does, right?” She kept her voice low. “I’m not talking about the businesses. I’m talking about the other shit.”

I looked at her.

“I’m not judging,” she said quickly. “Hell, I’m dealing with his cousin so I’m no better. But you’ve never been the type to get in over your head. So, I need to know that’s not what this is.”

“I know what he does,” I said.

“And that doesn’t scare you?”

“A lot of things scare me, Si. That doesn’t stop me from doing them.”

She turned in her chair to face me fully. “I’m serious, Lala. Running game on a regular nigga is one thing. Running a game on somebody like him—” She let her words hang.

“I know.”

“You sure? Because it seems like you’re in something you didn’t plan for, with a man who wouldn’t take kindly to being played, sis.”

Siani wasn’t telling me anything I hadn’t told myself. The only difference was hearing it out loud from someone who wasn’t afraid to call me out.

I sighed. “What do you want me to do, Siani? Put the money back?”

“I want you to figure out what you actually want. ‘Cause it’s giving you want to have your cake and eat it too, and you can’t do that with a nigga like Cardez.”

She studied my face and whatever she saw made her expression soften.

“It’s like that, huh,” she said quietly.

I didn’t answer, but it didn’t matter. Siani knew me well enough to read my silence. The nail tech asked me if I had picked out my color. I nodded and pointed to the one I wanted, grateful for the interruption. Siani went back to scrolling on her phone.

I picked up my phone and saw a missed call from Cardez, Siani’s words were still ringing in my ears.

I called Jody when I got off the subway.

“Hey cuz,” she said when she picked up.

“You got a minute?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” I shifted my bag to my other shoulder. “We’re not gonna move anymore.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m done.”