Chapter 13
If money still moved him the way it had when he was broke and trying to make a come-up, Heavy wouldn’t be where he is today. He followed the beat of his own drum and ran shit how he saw fit. That’s why he was parked outside of Tish’s crib at two in the morning, waiting for her to pull up.
Thanks to Mesha, Heavy had an inside scoop of what she’d been posting on social media.
Tish hadn’t come right out and said his name, but speaking on what she did for him and how she helped line his pockets with money while he was locked up was enough to cut her off for good.
It would only take two plus two to figure out who she was speaking on, before it became four more other mothafuckas in his business.
The same business Heavy didn’t need Tish for any longer.
Heavy ignored her and the sad quotes she sent him about loyalty and pouring into people who leave your cup empty.
Women vented differently. He understood that hurt sometimes made people speak out the side of their necks, but bringing what he had going on into public spaces was crossing a line, especially after he’d spared her feelings more than once.
His truck idled quietly in the reserved parking spot in front of her house.
Tish now stayed in a nicer complex, much better than the one he had visited before he got locked up.
It was gated, with security, lawn service, and valet trash.
It was the kind of place women moved into after years of surviving and finally having some money.
It was well-earned, considering she used to share a cramped apartment with two other dancers and slept on a mattress with just a frame.
He’d watched her come up, and that was part of the problem. Love—or whatever version of it they shared—made her comfortable. Too comfortable sometimes.
Tish’s car pulled onto her street five minutes later.
She backed in next to him and climbed out seconds later.
Heavy suspected she had been at work, but based on her attire for the night, she hadn’t gone in at all.
The high heels and mini skirt she was wearing were nothing like the leggings and T-shirt she’d slip into after a shift.
Tish walked toward the driver’s side, and Heavy lowered his window halfway.
“You stalking me now?” she asked, rolling her eyes.
Heavy chuckled, though it wasn’t shit funny. “Nah. You’d know if I was stalking you. Back up,” he said, cutting his truck off and hopping out.
Tish moved out of the way, walking toward her front door.
Heavy hit the locks and followed her inside.
The first thing he noticed was the smell.
Not the one he’d recently fallen in love with from someone else, but a different kind.
A floral scent lingered in the air, along with the faint aroma of the hookah she smoked before leaving the house.
The place looked different from the last time he’d been there, too. A bigger television was mounted above the fireplace, and she had a new sectional with decorative pillows nobody actually used. Money—his money— had upgraded her living.
Her heels clicked against the hardwood as she crossed toward the kitchen island, dropping her purse beside a stack of unopened mail.
“You can sit down,” she said casually over her shoulder, hoping he planned to stay. “Or stand there looking irritated. Either one.”
Heavy’s eyes moved around once before settling on her. “I’m good. I’ll stand.”
Tish rolled her eyes while opening the refrigerator. “Of course,” she huffed. “Do you at least want something to drink?” she asked.
“Nah. Where my money at? That’s why I’m here,” Heavy said before she could ask him another question that didn’t have shit to do with his presence.
She paused from twisting to cap off a bottle of juice. “Damn,” she muttered under her breath. “Is that all you care about? A hello would’ve been nice.”
“Hello, Tish. Go get my money so I can leave.”
Despite the anger building inside of her, Tish chuckled to mask her hurt. “Why are you—”
“Acting like this?” Heavy asked, completing her sentence.
Tish swallowed hard. “Yes! You’re treating me like some random bitch. You think I don’t have feelings? Like I don’t want more from you?”
“But who said I had more to offer you? You knew what this shit was before you even agreed to it.”
“I didn’t agree to get my fucking heart played with. So, now what?” Tish queried, wanting an answer.
Heavy didn’t have one to give her. Mixing business with pleasure was the most fucked-up, toxic thing he could’ve done. Heavy was a man, though. One who could admit when he was wrong and apologize.
“My intentions were to never play with your heart, T. You know that. Shit between us moved quick and just became what it was.”
“But you never try to make it anything more. Why?”
“Because I don’t want to.”
Heavy was a firm believer in giving and telling a woman exactly what she asked for. Hurt flashed across her face.
“That’s... that’s crazy. Knowing I love you, you stand here and give me some lame excuse. Because you didn’t want to? What I’m not good enough to be your girl, but I’m good enough to push drugs for you?”
“And that’s exactly why you’re cut off,” Heavy said with a harshness in his tone that made Tish’s body catch chills.
“So, I’m not good enough?” Tish reiterated.
“It ain’t about you not being good enough. When you start thinking you can get away with not following the rules and make me do extra shit to get my money, that’s when you gotta go.”
“Because I wanted to fucking see you!” she boomed. “Is that so bad? Obviously, because it’s been two weeks and you’re just now popping up.”
Rolling her eyes, Tish sucked her teeth. She answered her own question, and it annoyed her.
“I told you what it was the last time we talked,” Heavy said, reminding her of their conversation at the club.
“Yeah, and after that we fucked. So, what’s the point?”
Heavy could only shake his head. He hadn’t fallen into temptation while she gave him a dance, but somehow, he ended up at her crib the same night. Having sex with her and expecting her not to want more was absurd.
“My point is, after tonight, everything between us is a wrap,” Heavy said. “You ain’t gotta post on social media about me no more.”
Her mouth dropped open slightly before she laughed for real this time. “Oh, so that’s what this is about?”
Heavy shrugged. “Sure. We’ll go with that. Why speak on shit that should stay between us?”
“Oh, my God. I posted quotes, Heavy. Everybody posts sad shit when they’re irritated.”
“Not everybody, but you got it. I’m not about to lay it all out for you to understand. I’m not trying to be an asshole, and you know it’s always gon’ be love between us, but whatever this is,” he said, gesturing between them, “is over with.”
Tish stared at the man she’d fallen in love with and forced herself not to cry. She was hurt, but more than that, she was angry. Angry for thinking they were more than just two people getting money and fucking from time to time.
“Okay,” she mumbled and cleared her throat. “Understood. Let me go get your money so you can get back to whatever and whoever has your heart. ‘Cause it damn sure isn’t me.”
Tish moved quickly past him, and Heavy grabbed her arm.
“Man, come here.”
“No,” Tish cried, trying to pull out of his embrace. “Just let me go.”
“Nah. Stop all that crying,” Heavy urged.
He held her while she got a few tears out before pulling back. Tish swiped her nose, refusing to make eye contact with him.
“We had a good run, a’ight. Ain’t no need for the tears, T. You breaking a nigga’s heart,” Heavy said, adding insult to injury.
Tish scoffed, putting space between them. “Imagine that.”
She didn’t glance at him again before heading to her bedroom.
Heavy scratched his scalp and glanced at the incoming call on his phone.
The woman who had captured his heart was calling because she couldn’t sleep and was thinking of him.
Meanwhile, he was about to leave another woman, who would likely have a restless night.
Tish returned to the kitchen with a thick envelope in her hand. She held it out for him to grab and exhaled when he did. Heavy looked down at it briefly before sliding it into the pocket of his hoodie without counting. That immediately caught her attention.
Her brows knitted. “You’re not going to check it?”
“Nah.”
There was no need to. Despite everything, he did trust her. Maybe not with his feelings, but with his money. Plus, she hadn’t been short since he told her to talk with her brother. At least she got through to one of them.
“Funny,” she muttered. “You trust me with your paper more than you trust me with your heart.”
Heavy stared at her and sighed. “Tish…”
“No, it’s cool,” she quickly interrupted, shaking her head before tears could start again. “I’m done. I heard you loud and clear tonight.”
Not wanting to hear anything else from him, Tish walked toward the front door. Heavy followed behind her, trying to think of words that wouldn’t further piss her off. Unfortunately, he came up empty-handed. Whatever he had to say wasn’t what Tish wanted to hear, so it’d never be good enough.
“I guess this is it,” Tish somberly said.
Heavy cleared his throat. “Yeah, I guess so. Take care, a’ight. If you ever need—”
“What I need you can’t give me, so save it, okay?”
Her words shut him right on up. Nodding, Heavy leaned in for a hug that she did reciprocate.
It lasted longer than it should’ve, crumbling Tish’s resolve and her heart all over again.
She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but she swallowed the words.
Her ego had been bruised enough for the night.
Pulling away, Heavy kissed her cheek. “Be safe, a’ight.”
“Yeah... you, too.”