understands me for me. You guys don’t worry about anything, and you guys are so in love that I can’t believe we even . . ” Her voice trails off. “I’m still leaving,” Jessica concludes.
I take a deep breath. “How are you going to get to his house?”
Jessica’s hesitation says it all, and I realize Chris is somewhere in the area. I look over my shoulder down the street at the parked cars. I take a closer look and zoom in on the black Honda five cars down. “He came here,” I say more to myself than to Jessica.
I take one step toward the car, when Jessica grabs my arm. “Jay, don’t. Just leave us alone,” she says, tightening her grip.
“Leave you alone? Jess, that nigga put his hands on you. What makes you think he’s not going to do it again? What? ’Cause he went to anger management? He’s probably lying to you. That certificate don’t prove shit.”
I can see the tears in her eyes, but she won’t let herself cry. She turns her eyes away from me and looks toward Chris’s car. “I need to live my own life, Jay. Not the life you think I should live.” She pauses before adding, “You’re not my brother or my father.”
“I never said I was,” I say in a low voice. “Just don’t do this, Jess.”
“I’m sorry, but I have to live my life. This is what I want. I know deep down I won’t be happy unless I’m with him.”
“That’s not true. You really think I’m going to let you go with him?” I ask.
“I’ll call the cops if you try to stop me.” She says those words so fast and smooth it sounds rehearsed.
I shake my head. “I thought we were better than that, Jess.”
“Just let me go.”
“Why? So you can just run back to me a couple weeks later? ‘Jay, he’s hitting me! Jay, he’s cheating on me! Jay, can I stay with you because my boyfriend’s an ass, but I knew that, though!’”
“That’s not—” she starts, but then stops. She lets a tear fall, and then another one. She grips her bag and starts walking toward his car. I reach my hand out and catch her easily. “Let me go!”
“No,” I say.
“Leave me alone!” She thrusts and twists, and to all the spectators outside it looks like a regular domestic violence case, but I’m not letting up.
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re doing,” I say. “Don’t be stupid.”
Jessica stops moving and turns to me. “I’m not stupid. I don’t want to stay with Malcolm. I don’t want to stay with you. I want to be with Chris. Now leave me the hell alone!”
I drop her arm then, and she rubs it with her free hand. She looks at me for a long time before she starts walking toward Chris’s car, and this time I don’t stop her.
Just as she opens his car door, I take two steps forward. “Jess, I swear if you leave with that man, you’re dead to me. Don’t call me no more. Don’t text me telling me he did this or that shit. It’s done. It’s over. Have a fucking good life.”
Jessica looks in the car at Chris, and then back to the sidewalk at me, and says, “Fine, because you’re already dead to me.”
Chapter 12
I stomp on my brakes just as the car in front of me stops. The freeway traffic’s on that bull, and I’m not in the mood to be dealing with this crap. Malcolm’s with me to check out some property I can lease or rent for a new sports bar I plan on opening. Even though I’m satisfied with my first bar and the income is good, it’s time to expand the Miller brand.
Malcolm’s sitting next to me not saying anything. When I had told him everything that happened last night with Jessica, he was furious. When I came to the part where I cut her off from my life, though, he didn’t agree with that. He probably doubts that I’m serious about it.
Traffic starts moving again, and I blow out a heavy breath. I just want to look at this building and get it over with.
“You all right, bro?” Malcolm asks.
“Yeah, I guess. Why?” I ask.
“Aw, ’cause you gripping
I take a deep breath. “How are you going to get to his house?”
Jessica’s hesitation says it all, and I realize Chris is somewhere in the area. I look over my shoulder down the street at the parked cars. I take a closer look and zoom in on the black Honda five cars down. “He came here,” I say more to myself than to Jessica.
I take one step toward the car, when Jessica grabs my arm. “Jay, don’t. Just leave us alone,” she says, tightening her grip.
“Leave you alone? Jess, that nigga put his hands on you. What makes you think he’s not going to do it again? What? ’Cause he went to anger management? He’s probably lying to you. That certificate don’t prove shit.”
I can see the tears in her eyes, but she won’t let herself cry. She turns her eyes away from me and looks toward Chris’s car. “I need to live my own life, Jay. Not the life you think I should live.” She pauses before adding, “You’re not my brother or my father.”
“I never said I was,” I say in a low voice. “Just don’t do this, Jess.”
“I’m sorry, but I have to live my life. This is what I want. I know deep down I won’t be happy unless I’m with him.”
“That’s not true. You really think I’m going to let you go with him?” I ask.
“I’ll call the cops if you try to stop me.” She says those words so fast and smooth it sounds rehearsed.
I shake my head. “I thought we were better than that, Jess.”
“Just let me go.”
“Why? So you can just run back to me a couple weeks later? ‘Jay, he’s hitting me! Jay, he’s cheating on me! Jay, can I stay with you because my boyfriend’s an ass, but I knew that, though!’”
“That’s not—” she starts, but then stops. She lets a tear fall, and then another one. She grips her bag and starts walking toward his car. I reach my hand out and catch her easily. “Let me go!”
“No,” I say.
“Leave me alone!” She thrusts and twists, and to all the spectators outside it looks like a regular domestic violence case, but I’m not letting up.
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re doing,” I say. “Don’t be stupid.”
Jessica stops moving and turns to me. “I’m not stupid. I don’t want to stay with Malcolm. I don’t want to stay with you. I want to be with Chris. Now leave me the hell alone!”
I drop her arm then, and she rubs it with her free hand. She looks at me for a long time before she starts walking toward Chris’s car, and this time I don’t stop her.
Just as she opens his car door, I take two steps forward. “Jess, I swear if you leave with that man, you’re dead to me. Don’t call me no more. Don’t text me telling me he did this or that shit. It’s done. It’s over. Have a fucking good life.”
Jessica looks in the car at Chris, and then back to the sidewalk at me, and says, “Fine, because you’re already dead to me.”
Chapter 12
I stomp on my brakes just as the car in front of me stops. The freeway traffic’s on that bull, and I’m not in the mood to be dealing with this crap. Malcolm’s with me to check out some property I can lease or rent for a new sports bar I plan on opening. Even though I’m satisfied with my first bar and the income is good, it’s time to expand the Miller brand.
Malcolm’s sitting next to me not saying anything. When I had told him everything that happened last night with Jessica, he was furious. When I came to the part where I cut her off from my life, though, he didn’t agree with that. He probably doubts that I’m serious about it.
Traffic starts moving again, and I blow out a heavy breath. I just want to look at this building and get it over with.
“You all right, bro?” Malcolm asks.
“Yeah, I guess. Why?” I ask.
“Aw, ’cause you gripping
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