Page 95 of Just Listen
“I told you already.”
“And I’m supposed to just let go? After all this time, how can I do that, Khamere? I...I can’t. And this hurts so fucking bad,” she bawled.
“Come on, man.” I hugged her tighter. “You fucking me up, right now.”
“And, and, you broke my heart.” She clutched her chest.
“I know,” I whispered. “I know that, and I’m sorry. But you’ll be good. You always are. Now, just…walk away. This is my mama’s house, and she don’t deserve the disrespect.”
“Get off me!” She shoved me back. “You wanna talk about disrespect, like I didn’t fucking handpick this house! Like the lights aint still in my name! I got all the codes to this muthafucka, and you so pussy drunk that you didn’t consider none of that! Just brought her here! Like shit is sweet, just because you’re getting your dick wet with some new pussy!”
“Okay.” I calmly nodded. “I get your point, but that’s some shit that can be changed, Paisley.”
“Then it should’ve been done! That’s the fucking problem!” She loudly clapped her hands. “You didn’t properly handle shit, while you trying to play family man with the next muthafucka!Had you stopped to think, then a lot of shit might click. Like all the shit that’s in my name. The accounts I have access to. You haven’t handled none of that. Just leaning into the notion that I love you so much that I won’t fuck over you.”
“So, what would’ve been better? Be insensitive and force you to sign a bunch of paperwork, while we were breaking up? Or trust that you aint shiesty, and circle back when everything done calmed down?”
“Nah. Maybe you should’ve brought your ass home, thought things through, before jumping in the next bitch’s bed.”
“But I didn’t, Paisley. Now, what?” I opened my arms.
“Come home.” Her eyes pleaded with me. “I can get past this…this thing you got with Jaylah. It’ll take some time, but I can forgive that. Now, what I can’t forgive…is you walking out of my life, Khamere.”
“Paisley—”
“I feel like this is infatuation and lust. Not love. She’s a Braxton girl, so I get it. A lot of niggas wanna fuck. She’s a rich, pretty girl, with a nice body. So, of course, it’s probably exciting…but when the smoke clears…you’ll see that y’all don’t have nothing, for real. I know that, because you’re the love of my life, Khamere, and I’m yours.”
I wearily exhaled. “Just go, Paisley. I’ll come to the house and we can talk. Alright?”
She finally nodded. “Okay. But I need you to come to the house. Regardless of what you think, we still have a whole lot of talking to do.”
“I got you,” I promised, as she pulled the doors open, and finally stepped out of the house.
~~~Chapter 21~~~
Jaylah
I kept gazing out of the window, while in deep thought, as we were in Malice’s car, driving away from his mama’s. I couldn’t stop replaying he and Paisley’s loud argument in my head, and there were some things that I’d heard that really bothered me. Things that I hadn’t considered. And now, I was wondering if we’d been going about things all wrong.
I guess Malice could pick up on my distance, as he lowered the radio, and cleared his throat. “Why you so quiet?”
I sighed, while gradually turning to face him. “I’m thinking about some of the stuff that Paisley said.”
He loudly exhaled, seemingly becoming irritated. “Stuff like what, man?”
“What, man?” I cut my eyes at him. “Nigga, really?”
Briefly pausing, he took a deep breath. “I’m just asking. What exactly was it that bothered you?”
I twisted my lips, as I thought about it. “I’m wondering…if I’m kinda like an unhealthy distraction. Like maybe I’m stopping you from thinking clearly. Because I didn’t realize how much unfinished business you left on the table, while trying to get right with me.”
“Unfinished business?” He repeated with what sounded like confusion. “Wait. Are you talking about when she mentioned that I didn’t bother taking her name off certain shit?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.” He licked his lips. “Something that you gone have to learn about me is that no matter what’s going on…my head is always on a swivel. So, I’d have to be the slowest nigga alive to entrust my livelihood to a scorned ex. I wouldn’t put myself in that type of vulnerable position. That means that Paisley has access to nothing that could potentially cripple me. Whatever accounts she’s on…if she somehow took every penny, then I wouldn’t break a sweat. Of course, she don’t know that…and if she’d just chill out, then I’d tell her that the money is hers.”
My eyes widened. “So, she could have every penny?”
