Page 46 of Certified To Handle You 2

I couldn’t keep lettin’ whatever I felt for him make every decision for me.

“Please just let me go in the house,” I told him, and this time I wasn’t tryna argue.

“My mama already feel some type of way about you bein’ out here, and I don’t want this turnin’ into no bigger shit than it already is.”

Renza looked toward the house before bringin’ his eyes back to me.

“She don’t gotta worry about me doin’ nothin’ to her,” Renza assured me.

“That ain’t the point,” I explained. “You outside her house in the middle of the night, Renza. She don’t know what you got goin’ on in your head. All she know is you keep leavin’ and comin’ back, and now her daughter had to leave wherever she was to come deal with you. If you really give a fuck about me, then don’t make this harder.”

His face changed a lil’ when I said that.

I stayed right here lookin’ into his eyes ‘cause I needed him to hear me instead of hearin’ whatever the hell he wanted to hear. I wasn’t tellin’ him I ain’t love him. I wasn’t tellin’ him I never wanted to see him again either. I was just askin’ him not to bulldoze his way through another situation ‘cause he couldn’t stand not gettin’ what he wanted.

Renza eventually looked down and rubbed his hands together before glancin’ back at me.

“I got an Airbnb,” Renza told me. “Come stay with me tonight.”

I closed my eyes and sighed ‘cause of course his ass had somewhere for us to go already.

“No, Renza,” I told him.

“Just come with me, ‘Nelle,” he tried again. “We ain’t even gotta argue. I just wanna be with you.”

“I said no,” I repeated, openin’ my eyes. “And you need to leave from in front of my mama house. You makin’ her uncomfortable, and I’m not doin’ this with you out here all night.”

Renza stared at me for so long that I started wonderin’ if he was gon’ listen at all. His eyes moved over my face, and I could tell he wanted to say somethin’ else, but eventually he gave me a small nod.

“A’ight,” he finally replied, and even though he agreed, the look in his eyes told me he wasn’t nowhere close to done. “I’ll leave from in front of her shit.”

“Thank you,” I told him, and I meant it ‘cause I ain’t have the energy to fight him no more tonight.

He stepped closer to me again, and I almost backed away until I realized he wasn’t reachin’ for me. He just stood there lookin’ down at me for a second before he spoke.

“But I ain’t leavin’ Greystone City,” he told me. “I’mma be right here until you ready to come back home with me. However long that shit take.”

My stomach twisted ‘cause I knew he meant every word.

“Renza…” I started, already knowin’ this nigga wasn’t about to make nothin’ easy.

“I said I’m leavin’ from in front of yo’ mama house,” he reminded me. “I ain’t say shit about leavin’ you.”

I ain’t even know what to say to that.

Renza held my eyes for another second before he finally turned away from me and walked back toward the rental. I stood here clutchin’ my purse against my side while I watched him open the driver’s door and get inside. The car started a few seconds later.

I swallowed hard as Renza pulled away from the curb, and my eyes followed those taillights until he made it down the street. My emotions was everywhere, and I couldn’t even figureout which one I was supposed to deal with first. I was mad that he came here. I was relieved that he finally left from in front of my mama house, but underneath all that shit was the part of me that had wanted to stay in his arms when he hugged me.

My phone started ringin’ inside my purse before I could even get myself together.

I reached inside and pulled it out, and the second I saw Couture’s name across the screen, my stomach dropped.

“Shit,” I whispered as I looked down at it.

I wiped under my eyes even though I wasn’t cryin’ yet, took a second to pull myself together and answered.

“Hey, baby,” I greeted him, tryna make my voice sound as normal as possible.