Page 23 of Just Listen
“Girl, duh. But shit happens, and I’m just checking all the boxes. Cause you just showed your ass, and aint no telling how that nigga is gonna react.”
“Tuh,” I spat, as I absently gazed out of the window. “That nigga aint crazy.”
Jahreiah twisted her lips. “Look, don’t get this shit twisted, Jaylah. Yeah, our family has a name out here, but niggas will always be niggas. So, don’t ever think that one won’t try you. Because let’s not pretend that there hasn’t been family members who regularly get knocked between the washer and dryer. We’ve both heard and seen it. Then those manipulative niggas wager their love, forcing them to either choose their relationship or get the family involved. Because you can never have both. When you make a call for the family to step in, then you have to be completely done. Cause there’s no turning back. Everybody knows that. So, there’s undoubtedly some cousins in this family who suffer in silence, and won’t let anybody handle their niggas because theylovethem.”
“I know, but that aint me,” I swore.
She pursed her lips. “I hear you.”
“Kay,” I inhaled, as I grabbed my bags from the backseat. “Thanks for the ride, sissy.” I leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Love you.”
“Love you too,” she responded. “Call me tonight.”
“I will,” I promised, before hopping out of the car.
With my bags in hand, I moseyed up my sidewalk, and ascended the steps leading up to my front porch. After entering my code into the door, I heard a click, before I pushed the door open.
“What the fuck?” I grumbled, as I noticed the wilted rose petals on the floor.
Cautiously, I traveled through the foyer, taking everything in. There were oversized stuffed animals and balloons on the first floor. Rose petals led upstairs to the primary living area.Once I made it to the second floor, I saw that Zae had gone all out. Looked like he’d had food catered. Everything was professionally decorated in silver, gold, and white. And I’d missed it all, as some of the food had already been eaten, and there were empty bottles of Don Julio on the counter.
Stepping closer to my sectional, I arched a brow, as I saw Zae snoring on the couch. He was shirtless, and merely wore basketball shorts, exposing most of his chocolate, chiseled, heavily tatted skin.
Admittedly, he looked enticing, as his washboard abs flexed, while he breathed deeply. To put it plainly, Zae was that nigga. He was super tall, had a cut physique like a boxer. His skin was smooth, while his hair was in an ocean of waves. He was unquestionably handsome…but that didn’t matter. Me and him had been broken up for over a month, and he had no business sleeping on my damn couch!
“Zae,” I called out to him.
“Huh?” His head popped up, and he opened his bloodshot red eyes. “Oh, shit,” he uttered, after laying eyes on me. “You finally home, huh?” He gradually sat up.
I folded my arms across my breasts. “What are you doing here?”
“What chu mean?” He opened his arms. “You texted me Friday night, claiming that you was about to head home from the club.”
“Right.” My lashes fluttered.
“Okay. So, how the fuck are you just now walking through the door?!”
I sighed. “In case you forgot, I don’t answer to you. And me mentioning going home wasn’t an open invitation for you to show up. So, what are you doing?”
His nostrils flared, as he scooted off the couch. “How the fuck do you just wake up and decide that you don’t wanna be together no more, and think that I’ma just accept it?”
“I didn’t just wake up one day and decide anything,” I responded calmly. “I’ve been telling you that I wasn’t happy. You told me that you were gonna do better. I was giving you the chance to get right, but what do you do? You go and text your old bitch behind my back. And to me, that was the universe showing me that it was time to call it quits.”
“Call it quits?” He snarled.
“Yeah.” I nodded.
He stomped up to me. “Where the fuck have you been?”
I rolled my eyes. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Don’t fucking piss me off, Jaylah,” he growled. “Cause I’m really trying to keep my fucking composure.”
“Zae, are you fucking losing your mind? I keep telling you that we’re through—”
“So, you aint gone even acknowledge my efforts?” He cut me off, opening his arms.
I sighed. “This was…cute, but it changes nothing, Zae. I can bet that you didn’t do any of this yourself. You paid somebody else to do it, and that goes right back to what I don’t want. You honestly didn’t have to spend no bread, and that’s what you can’t seem to grasp. I want what money can’t buy.”
