13. Pearce #2
“It’s done,” I shrugged. “I tried. I really tried. I tried to let it go and get past it, but Tasha showed back up, and it pissed me off all over again.”
“Now that you know why she left you two can talk about it. Your father can be quite intimidating. Maybe she was scared.”
Shaking my head, I snorted. “Nah. I’m not buying that.
If she didn’t know me that would be one thing.
I feel like I wasted a year showing her who I was.
Because even after a year of straight action, she let that nigga’s words get her on some other shit.
There’s no coming back from that,” I shook my head.
That morning, it dawned on me that I hadn’t spoken to Vanya since we got back.
I was sure she was visiting her cousin and spending time with her family.
Since Kalim was locked up, I wasn’t sure if she felt secure or not.
The people on his payroll were endless. It was still possible for him to get someone to go after her especially since she was alive and could identify him.
When I got around to it, I was going to hit her up and see where her head was at.
“I hate for it to feel like your father won. If you refuse to work things out with Tasha, that will essentially be just like he won. Don’t give him what he wants.”
I chuckled. “Too late for that. He won the moment Tasha took his money and left town without so much a goodbye. She let him win. That’s not on him or me. She had a choice to make, and she made it. I love her, but it’s over for that. She made her decision, and she has to stand on it.”
My mother stared at me with a solemn expression on her face.
She liked Tasha. And if our breakup had her bothered, she had to imagine how it made me feel when my shorty up and left without so much as a fuck you and your daddy.
Sitting back, I clenched my jaw muscles.
I couldn’t tell my mother one of the reasons that Tasha’s act was so unforgiveable.
Vanya was supposed to be fun. We were supposed to go with the flow but when I saw Tasha the last time, my heart sank when I realized that forgiving her might mean never seeing Vanya again.
It was crazy as hell how the thought made my chest tight.
Not being able to make her feel protected.
Not being able to kiss those lips. Being denied the pleasure of nutting all up in that pussy.
Being robbed of the chance to look her in the eyes and tell her, I got you.
None of that shit sat right with me, and I didn’t know what to make of it.
I still loved Tasha for sure. But Vanya had come along and ignited a part of me that I thought only Tasha could do.
My firmness and standing on business didn’t all stem from anger.
It stemmed from the fact that Vanya had fucked my world up and saying that shit out loud to another person made me feel like shit.
I loved Tasha and was considering marrying her, but this other woman came along and…
fuck. I didn’t even know what she did. But letting her go wasn’t something that I wanted to do. Fuck kind of man did that make me?
“I really hate that this happened.” My mother spoke again, and I could tell by the sadness in her eyes that she was bothered by what had transpired between me and Tasha.
“It’s like you always say. Everything happens for a reason. Maybe I needed to go through this at this exact time for whatever reason.” To meet Vanya.
“Everything does happen for a reason. In time, you two will figure things out. Just trust God. And I won’t bring your father up anymore.
” She sucked her teeth and just that fast she was scowling.
“It makes no sense for a man to act like Kalim does. His old behind needs to grow up.” She shook her head in angry disbelief.
“I’d never try and urge you to have a relationship with someone so toxic.
I knew he had his ways about him, but this doesn’t make any sense. ”
My head bobbed. Whatever went on with Kalim was between him and God.
I was washing my hands of him, and I’d still properly hand his businesses over to whoever he deemed worthy.
When I could have robbed him blind or let the shit destruct.
I wasn’t on that type of time though. I didn’t have to do one thing to Kalim to hurt him.
Karma was gon’ get his ass all on her own.
Speaking of karma, I was waiting to see what that bitch had for me.
I had plenty sins to atone for, and I knew there was no way I was leaving this earth without paying for the shit I’d done.
I almost hated that I told my mother what happened with Kalim and Tasha because once her anger dissipated, she was right back looking stressed. I didn’t want her worrying about what me and Tasha had going on. I stood and walked over to where she was sitting. Leaning down I gave her a tight hug.
“It’s gon’ all work out,” I promised her.
In the car, I chuckled at the revelation that Tasha’s return had me feeling like a kid that had been running wild and free then his parents came back home and abruptly stopped the fun.
Since I had calmed a bit, I felt like I should at least let Tasha know that I had never cheated on her or planned to marry Vanya while I was with her.
I stared at my phone and contemplated calling Vanya.
It had been a few days, and I just wanted to know if she was good.
My finger hovered over the screen while I mulled over unlocking the phone and hitting her up.
Before I could do so, the phone sounded off in my hand.
Tasha. Seeing her name irritated the fuck out of me, and I almost ignored it. But for some reason, I answered.
“Yo.”
I couldn’t make out what she was saying at first. My heart skipped a beat as I heard chaos in the background along with Tasha screaming and crying. As if sitting up could make me hear better, I did just that.
“Tasha, you gotta calm down. I can’t understand you. What’s wrong?”
“My mother is dead!”