Chapter 12
The Same Night
"Are you sure you're good? I could kill that muthafucka for putting his hands on you like that," Jamari growled.
The rage I saw on his face should've scared me, but it didn't. He clenched and unclenched his hands together. I had never seen him like this. It made me feel like he'd protect me against any and everything. I just wish he'd fully embrace what we had.
"Yes, I'm fine," I replied, trying to get out of the hold he had on my face. If I didn't, I'd fall weak and didn't need that. He had too much power over me already.
"Look, about the last few days. I haven't gotten back in touch with you because Zach was sick, so I had to focus all my attention on him."
I scoffed and jerked away from him. "That's still not a good reason to ghost me. You could've texted and let me know what happened, but you chose not to. If that's the excuse you want to use, you can miss me with that bullshit."
"It's not an excuse. It's the truth," he shot back.
"I see it as an excuse. Even if it's the truth, it doesn't take two seconds to send a text.
You could've let me know what happened, and I would have understood.
I'm not some toy you can pick up and put down whenever you want.
I have feelings just like the next person.
" I dropped my head to my chest and shook it.
Jamari reached for me again, and I let him pull me into his arms. Regardless of how I felt right now, I loved being in his arms.
"You're right, Chy. I should've reached out. I apologize for not doing so. What can I do to make this right?"
Jamari said everything I wanted him to say, and he apologized. I hadn't counted on him doing that.
I sighed deeply. "You hurt me when you didn't reach back out. I'm going to need time to get over that. You need to realize I'm not in your life to hurt you. I don't know what you've been through in your past, but I'm not the one who did you wrong. Just give me some time."
My throat felt like it wanted to close up when I said that.
My eyes welled with tears, too. This was not how I thought a relationship with Jamari would go.
I couldn't even say we were in a relationship, given how things have gone so far.
I just knew I wanted him in my life, but he had to want me too.
Jamari nodded. "I can give you time. Just don't take too much time. If you do, I'm coming after you." He pulled me back into his arms and dropped a kiss on my lips.
I didn't want him to leave me. It felt like I'd be losing him. My heart broke into pieces as a tear slipped out of my eyes when I stepped back away from him.
I peered around for my keys that I had dropped on the ground.
Once I found them, I made my way to my car and got in.
With a deep sigh, I wiped away the tears that were on my face.
I was grateful Jamari came to my rescue today.
It was appreciated. I'd never take someone looking out for me for granted.
On the drive home, I peered into my rearview mirror, seeing that Jamari followed behind me.
I couldn't help the smile on my face. Even though I wasn't talking to him, he still looked out for me.
That was why I loved him. Fresh tears filled my eyes at that thought.
I could admit that I had fallen in love with him.
He was too damn blind to see it, but I couldn't dwell on that any longer.
I had to stand my ground and not let him think he could do whatever he wanted.
He couldn't want to be in my life one minute and then go ghost the next.
Nah, no man would ever treat me that way.
I got enough of that from my father, and I refused to allow it to happen again.