Page 35 of Color Me Broken
Juelz watched her walk away, his eyes lingering on the way she moved, a little slower, a little more fragile than yesterday. The second she turned the corner toward the bedroom, his face dropped. The "half-smile" vanished, replaced by a look of pure, unadulterated rage.
He snatched the phone out of his pocket. Opening the text message that she sent.
Shyann (3:10 PM):
*video attachment*
He hit the play button on the screen. His face turned sour instantly.“Yes, Juelz. Umm…yessss.”
He froze. “I know this bitch didn’t recor?—”
Shyann (3:14 PM):
Come meet me in 30 minutes. Don’t be late. 226 Column Lane. Hotel on the right. Room 069. Or I could just send it to bestie!
Shyann (3:15 PM):
*tongue emoji*
Juelz frowned; the grip that he had on his phone tightened. He looked toward the stairway where Tasha had disappeared. He could hear the bed creaking as she lay down. He could hear the soft sounds of her crying.
He grabbed his keys and walked out the front door, the click of the lock sounding like a gunshot in the afternoon air.
He was going to meet the devil. But this time, he wasn't sure if he was going to come back with his soul intact.
Juelz stepped into the hotel room already frowning. This was the last place he wanted to be. This wasn’t desire. This was an obligation, and he hated every second of it.
Shyann was already there, stretched across the bed like she owned the space. She wore a silk robe with red lingerie underneath as she strolled through social media.
“Ya late,” she said.
“I’m here, ain’t I?” Juelz replied flatly.
She slid off the bed, looking a little too comfortable. She let her robe drop once she got in his face. “You better be.”
He felt disgusted. Bile began to rise in his throat. He held his breath as he frowned, looking at her. “Tell me somethin’, Shyann?” He ran a finger across the bridge of his nose. “How the fuck you chewin’ on gum and yo breath still foul.” He wrinkled his nose. “You don’t smell that shit?”
She was down on her knees now fumbling with his pants, looking up at him. “Whatever, nigga.”
Juelz shoved her hands away, causing her to lose her balance. “Man, watch out!” The words were rough, but his anger wasn’t just for her. It was for himself also, for the corner he’d let himself get painted into. Every second that he was in that room was like a knife getting placed in Tasha’s back, a price to pay for her future. “I gotta go piss. I should piss in ya mouth. Hell, you wouldn’t know no difference.” The cruelty was a shield, the only weapon he had left.
He was irritated, turned off. He knew Shyann was a nice-looking girl, but her breath was on another level. He turned and walked towards the bathroom, shaking his head. On the way, he emptied his pockets onto the nightstand. Keys. Cellphone. A gold Magnum wrapper. He was ready to get this over with.
Shyann was watching his every move. Once the bathroom door closed, her eyes darted to the gold wrapper, and something evil crossed her face. She was moving fast, her hands trembled as she dug through her overnight bag, past her makeup, past her wallet, until her fingers landed on a small, sharp earring. She was desperate. She turned her head to the bathroom, making sure Juelz wasn’t coming, and she fumbled with the condom wrapper, as sweat began to form on her forehead.
She jabbed a tiny hole into the gold foil, then once again to make sure it went through. This was her only shot. She heard the water running from the sink, signaling that Juelz was done, and she shoved the earring under the pillow. Her heart was racing, damn near about to jump out of her chest. This wasn’t a game. It was a gamble, and Shyann was all in.
He came out of the bathroom, his eyes wandering to hers. He placed her toothbrush and mouthwash on the sink and pointed to them. “Aye… come handle that mouth.”
She didn’t argue, just pushed herself off the bed, shoving past him toward the bathroom. His cologne filled the space between them, making her want him even more. When she was done,Juelz was sitting on the edge of the bed, scrolling through his phone. She stepped between his legs, and started unbuckling his jeans. He dropped his phone on the bed and leaned back to reach for the condom on the nightstand. The wrapper crinkled in his hand as he tore it halfway open. Then he froze. His eyes went to slits as he held the wrapper up to the light.
He turned the wrapper over, eyeing a tiny hole in the middle of the gold package. Shyann's plan had just blown up in her face. She tried to play it off as if nothing had happened. He stood up, belt buckle dangling.
“You must think I’m one of them lame ass niggas you used to fuckin’ with?”
“Huh?” she asked, looking like a deer caught in headlights.
“Bitch! If you want a slow muthafucka? You betta go get a fuckin’ turtle. You tryna trap me, Shyann?”
