Page 33 of Certified To Handle You 2

He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me closer without askin’ no more questions.

His hand stayed wrapped around mine as the Uber moved toward the airport, and I held on tighter ‘cause I knew what I needed to do once we left Trill-Land behind.

I had to choose the life that gave me peace before the one that kept settin’ me on fire burned down everything around me.

One week later…

I was just a few minutes from Reni’s crib, and I ain’t even gon’ lie, my head wasn’t nowhere near where I was drivin’.

The whole ride, I kept seein’ Sha’Nelle in my mind like that shit between us had just happened five minutes ago instead of a whole week ago.

Then the way I had her in that room, the way she was cryin’ and moanin’ and sayin’ whatever the fuck I needed her to say while my dick was deep in her… I knew I almost had her. I felt it, and it wasn’t no guessin’ shit either. I knew the difference between a bitch just talkin’ and a woman givin’ in, and Sha’Nelle had gave me everything in that moment.

She was sayin’ she was gon’ stay. She promised a nigga she wasn’t goin’ nowhere and sayin’ she was mine… and I believed her. That’s the crazy part.

I believed that shit so much, I ain’t even think about nothin’ else until my damn phone rang and Reni name lit up on the screen like she had perfect fuckin’ timin’. That one damn call flipped the whole night on its head, and next thing I knew me and ‘Nelle was goin’ back and forth, sayin’ shit we both probably ain’t mean, and her walkin’ out like we ain’t just made love.

That shit took us right back to square one, but, I still wasn’t tryna let that shit go.

I had been on her ass all week; callin’, textin’ and not givin’ a fuck about if that nigga was sittin’ next to her. If he heard my voice, good. I wanted that nigga to know the woman he had feelin’s for was in love with a whole other nigga. I told her already what it was, and I wasn’t changin’ that shit for nobody.

Yeah, ‘Nelle kept textin’ me tellin’ me to leave that nigga out of it, and that just made me laugh every time I read it.

Muthafuckas thought I was supposed to respect a nigga that was walkin’ around with my woman.

Man, fuck him…

I had already said as I got what I needed on him, I was on his ass, and that’s just what it was.

But at the same time, I ain’t forget what I told Reni…

I had promised her I was gon’ bring her them herbs from my mama, and I had been bullshittin’ on that for a week straight. She still told me to come through though, so I slid over real quick to drop that shit off and be done with it.

Soon as I pulled up, I grabbed the bag out the passenger seat and got out. I walked up to her door, and outta habit my hand almost went straight to my key like I still lived here five days out the week. That made me pause for a second ‘cause that was dead now. I knocked instead.

A few seconds later, the door opened, and when I saw Reni, I ain’t even move right away. She looked real good.

Her skin was clear and glowin’ like she had been takin’ care of herself, and her hair was pressed down her back, and laid the way I always use to like it. Them green eyes locked on me, and for a second, it took me back to when that used to be enough to pull me all the way in without me even thinkin’ about it.

But I could still see that all that pretty shit couldn’t hide the fact that she been goin’ through it. You could see it in her eyes if you looked long enough.

I stepped in without sayin’ too much and reached for her, pullin’ her into me. She wrapped her arms around me like she needed that, and I held her for a second, but it ain’t hit the same. My body knew it. My mind knew it. Everything about this moment felt familiar, but it ain’t feel right.

I pulled back and handed her the bag.

“Here,” I said. “I ain’t forget. I just been movin’.”

She took it and smiled a lil’, thankin’ me before settin’ it on the counter. Then she motioned for me to come sit, and I walked over to the couch and dropped down, throwin’ my arm across the top and stretchin’ my leg out in front of me.

She asked me if I wanted somethin’ to drink, and I shook my head.

“Nah, I’m straight. I appreciate it, though,” I told her.

She nodded and moved around the kitchen for a second before comin’ back and sittin’ next to me. For a minute, neither one of us said shit. It wasn’t awkward, but it wasn’t comfortable either. It just was what it was.

I leaned back into the couch, lookin’ around the place like I was remindin’ myself I ain’t belong here no more. Then I felt her lookin’ at me.

When I turned my head, her eyes was already on me, and this time they was glossy. She ain’t even try to hide it. She reachedover and grabbed my hand, and the way she held it told me she wasn’t playin’.