Page 61 of Certified to Handle You
“Locked in?” I scoffed. “Nigga, you ain’t tell nobody nothin’. You just popped back up actin’ like shit was normal. You would’ve left yo’ fuckin’ head if it wasn’t attached to your body for Toni.”
Pressure laughed at that, but I turned to him next. “And nigga, you,” I said, pointin’. “You chased Pluto all over the damn world. Nigga, you was flyin’ out here, flyin’ out there and all that extra shit. We thought you was ’bout to literally lose yo’ damn mind.”
He smirked, unbothered. “It was worth it too, nigga.”
“I’m just sayin’,” I muttered, grabbin’ my towel again. “Y’all sound crazy.”
Kay’Lo rolled his shoulders, still smilin’.
“That’s cool, bitch. You can say whatever you want, but at least we knew who we wanted.”
That shit kinda landed, and I looked at him like, ‘Nigga, really?’
I pointed back at Pressure. “Man, he was stuck between two women. That nigga ain’t know what the fuck was goin’ on with his heart.”
Pressure let out a laugh, shakin’ his head. “And you thought that shit was funny back then,” he said. “You used to clown me and ’Lo like this shit was a game. Now look at yo’ ass.”
I frowned a lil’. “Man?—”
“You don’t like that shit, huh nigga?” he cut in. “You feel that shit settlin’ on you, and you don’t know what to do with it. Yo’ ass don’t like ACCOUNTABILITY.”
That made me pause for a second longer than I wanted to.
Pressure watched me, then asked it plain. “Where ya heart at, nigga?”
I stopped movin’ completely, lookin’ at him like he done lost his fuckin’ mind. “What the fuck that supposed to mean?”
’Lo stepped in, noddin’ toward me. “You know what it mean, nigga.”
“No, the fuck I don’t. Y’all niggas questionin’ my love and loyalty, and I don’t like that,” I shot back with my brows pulled together.
Pressure leaned against the machine, foldin’ his arms. “Ain’t nobody sayin’ you don’t love Reni. I personally think you do got a lot of love for her, but she be puttin’ some serious heat on yo’ ass, whether you wanna admit it or not. It just seem like you tryna put out more than you can really give.”
Then, outta nowhere, he added, “And don’t think we forgot ’bout Sha’Nelle.”
That made Kay’Lo laugh instantly. “Nigga, we heard you was laid up with her weeks ago… the same night as my reception.”
I paused, then looked between them niggas, frownin’. “Damn… when the fuck y’all start gossipin’ like hoes?”
That made ’Lo laugh instantly. “Nigga, I know you ain’t mad about it.”
“I’m deadass,” I said, pointin’ between them. “Y’all get married, and now y’all sittin’ around collectin’ tea and shit, like some housewives,” I said, still lookin’ between ’em.
“Every time I turn around, one of y’all got some info. I know Pluto and Toni be feedin’ y’all that shit too. And y’all just be sittin’ there listenin’. Y’all startin’ to act just like them.”
’Lo laughed harder, leanin’ over. “Nigga said we actin’ like them.”
Pressure shook his head, smirkin’, but I could tell that hit. “A’ight, so you wasn’t with her then?”
“If you wouldn’t have spiked them damn cupcakes, I would’ve been home,” I shot back.
Pressure looked at me for a second, then gave a small nod.
I could still see that smirk sittin’ on his face.
The gym got quiet for a minute after that with just the sound of weights clankin’ and our breathin’ fillin’ the space. I found myself driftin’ off again, replayin’ that lunch with Reni’s people in my head whether I wanted to or not.
I shook it off and grabbed another set, but it ain’t stick. That shit kept comin’ back; the way her pops was lookin’ at me and the way he said certain shit like I was supposed to jump ’cause he said so. At the end of the day, I was a man first, and older or not, I wasn’t just gon’ let no other man run shit I had goin’ on over this way.
