Page 61 of Color Me Broken
She muted the music and leaned down to grab it, then swiped the screen with a trembling thumb. “Kenji?”
“Hey,”he said. His voice was thick, sounding strained like he was talking through a jaw that didn’t want to move.“You home?”
“Yeah,” she whispered, a tear finally escaping and hot-trailing down her cheek. “I’m home. Sorry about what happened at brunch today. I didn’t know that he would pop up like that.”
“Who was that, Tasha?”Kenji asked, feeling confused.
Tasha let out a shaky breath, closed her eyes, and gave the truth. “That was my ex, Juelz. We broke up recently…’cause he slept with my best friend.”
There was a long pause on the other end. She could hear the low hum of the city in the background.
“Wow,”Kenji said, his voice dropping to that low, steady frequency. He let out a slow exhale that sounded more like a hiss.“No wonder he came in there the way he did. I just hate that I was blindsided. I don’t like being the last one to know what I’m walking into.”
Tasha sat up straighter in bed. “I just didn’t wanna scare you off. It’s complicated, Kenji. He’s… a lot.”
He didn’t say anything for a second. Then?—
“Tasha, it’s not your fault. But next time? I’ll be ready for him. I know Taekwondo.”
Tasha blinked, the absurdity of his comment catching her off guard. She burst into sudden laughter. “Boy, you gon’ need a gun to stop Juelz. That Taekwondo shit’ll get youshot.”
Kenji chuckled, low and easy, the tension breaking. “Damn, that’s how you feel? You don’t think I can hold my own.”
“Just sayin’…Juelz is not the average nigga. He really don’t give a fuck bout a belt or your stance. He’s a different breed.”
“Noted,”Kenji said, laughing now. Then he paused, his voice dipping back into that steady, serious tone.“You owe me another date, Ms. Tasha. Preferably one outta this city or state.”
Tasha’s smile faded just a little, but not in a bad way. Just softer. Warmer.
“I feel you on that,” she said, chuckling. “But after all that? You still wanna test the waters, huh?”
Kenji laughed again. “Yeah… After all that. I’ll just buy myself a gun. A very big one at that.”
She was quiet. Not because she didn’t want to say yes. But because part of her hadn’t had somethinggentlein a while. Tasha and Juelz’s relationship was one of a kind. It was anything but the fucking wordgentle. It was straight chaos. But most of all, it was theirs.
“Okay… I’ll think about it,” she said.
“Alright then,”Kenji replied.“I’ll wait.”
They ended the call.
Tasha let the phone fall from her fingers, the screen dimming as it hit the mattress. She unmuted the radio and fell back into her pillows, eyes heavy, but her mind still spinning.
Kenji was solid. Patient. Safe.
So why did her heart still ache for the man who broke it? She pulled the covers over her shoulder, curled into herself, and tried to find the sleep that had been evading her. But peace didn’t come easy when you were still in love with the storm.
Tasha was just starting to drift off when a soft knock hit her bedroom door. The hinges creaked, and the hallway light spilled in, silhouetting a figure.
“TT, are you awake?”
Tasha sat up, muting the radio and rubbing her eyes. “Yeah, baby? Whachu doin’ up, Ant?”
Her nephew, Ant, stepped into the room, dragging his feet. He was wearing his oversized basketball shorts and a faded jersey. He climbed onto the edge of her bed, looking sadder than her.
“I was tryin' to call Uncle Jue,” he whispered, looking down at his hands. “He didn't pick up. He always picks up when I’m stuck on the 2K challenges.”
Tasha felt a sharp pang in her chest. Juelz didn't just love her; he had stepped in as a father figure, a big brother, and a coach to every kid in her family. To Ant, Juelz wasn't a "street king" or a "toxic ex". He was just the man who taught him how to crossover. How to pick up girls.
