Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Jruelle.
“I don’t know how you keep resisting him,” Camara said as we finished up in the restroom. “He is too damn fine for his own good.”
“Yes, he is,” Geri agreed. “And he loves him some, Jruelle.” My sister grinned at me through the mirror. “You do know that he was talking to you when he was talking to Brock earlier, right?”
“What are you talking about, Gerica?”
“Oh, bitch hoe please,” she laughed. “When he was saying you’re going to come to him when you’re ready and all that shit. You know damn well he was talking to you.”
“Adonis just likes to get Derrick riled up.” I chuckled, shaking my head. “He doesn’t want me like that.”
“Girl, fucking bye.” Camara laughed. “Doesn’t Derrick go through your phone? How do you hide your texts from him?”
“Adonis has only texted me a few times, so it’s easy. Plus, I have his number saved under your name.” I confessed and joined them when they started to laugh.
It was wrong, I knew that, but I didn’t care.
I missed what Adonis and I once had, and I didn’t realize that until we were at his place.
Besides, Derrick was on his last leg with me.
I was just trying to figure out how I could find out the paternity of Bonita’s baby.
I didn’t totally believe her in the beginning, but she was not letting up off the pregnancy ordeal.
Her friends also kept pushing the issue.
I figured I was going to get his phone one night and go through it.
He was dumb, so I knew he didn’t have sense enough to delete his messages.
That was how he’d gotten caught so many times before.
“Lance is here.” Gerica grinned. “Let’s go speak.”
“Geri, no.” I shook my head. “We are not dressed to fight his big ass.”
Lance and Geri had been on and off since they met in college, and they were the epitome of toxic. They both acted like they didn’t want to be in an exclusive relationship but would literally sabotage each other’s relationships if they got into one with someone else.
“He has Cliff with him.” She grinned, and that was all Camara needed to hear.
“I’m in.”
Geri grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the area where the food trucks were parked. Lance and his family owned a local barbecue restaurant, Bussin’ BBQ. It was very popular and delicious.
They both started their shit with Lance and Cliff as soon as we got to them, despite the massive line that they had.
“Jru, why’d you let them come over here?” Lance shook his head. “Move Geri.”
“Give me a kiss,” she said, trying her hardest to kiss him, but he was dodging her. “Lance…”
Finally, he gave in and pecked her. “There. Now, if you’re going to be over here, help us get this line down.”
“Um, no.” Geri laughed. “I look too cute to work today.”
“Then go on so we can focus.”
“Okay, but don’t flirt with any of these bitches,” she warned him, looking some of the women in line up and down. “I’ll be watching.”
Chuckling, I grabbed my sister’s arm, pulling her and Camara’s asses away so that Lance and Cliff could get back to work. As we walked away my phone rang. I glanced down at the screen and saw that it was Derrick calling. Rolling my eyes, I swiped my thumb across the screen to answer.
“Yes, Derrick?”
“Where you at?”
“Leaving the barbecue truck.”
“With who?”
“My sister and Camara.” I snapped, annoyed with his millions of questions.
“Aight, I gotta make a move right quick, so meet me at the car.”
“What? No,” I frowned. “I’m with my sister and we’re enjoying ourselves.”
“I don’t give a fuck, Jru,” he barked. “I got a play to make…”
“Then go make it, Derrick. I’ll be here when you get back.”
“Naw. I ain’t feeling that. Especially after what Don was sayin’ earlier. I gotta keep my eyes on you.”
“Derrick,” I sighed heavily. “What do you always say to me? He said all of that because he knows its gets under your skin.”
He was quiet for a few seconds then he asked, “so, you don’t want him?”
Hell yeah!
That was what I wanted to say out loud, but instead I just simply said, “no.”
Again, there was silence before he surprised me and gave in.
“Aight, I’ll let you chill with your people, but Jru, I got eyes on you always. You know that. Please don’t make me beat yo’ ass out here today.”
I rolled my eyes and disconnected the call. I wasn’t about to even entertain that because we both knew he wasn’t crazy enough to put his hands on me.
Just as I locked my phone and got ready to put it away, I noticed Bonita speed walking across the field.
I watched her the entire time to see exactly where her ass was going.
She walked to the end of the street and stood there for a few seconds before she walked to a house a little further down.
I was just about to look away until I noticed Derrick’s car turn into the driveway of that same house.
This mothafucka!
I unlocked my phone to call him, and just like I knew, he didn’t answer. I called twice more, getting the same result. I was furious.
A play my mothafuckin’ ass!
“Jru, we’re going to the frozen lemonade stand,” my sister said. “Come on.”
“No,” I shook my head. “I-I saw a friend from high school over here, so I’m going to go speak. Y’all go. I’ll meet up with you in a minute.”
She looked past me to see if she could spot who I was talking about then back at me with furrowed brows. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, go.” I encouraged. “I’ll meet you over there.”
Nodding, her and Camara walked off and I went in the opposite direction. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure they were gone before picking up my pace in the direction of the house I saw Derrick and Bonita walk in.
I didn’t care that I didn’t know whose house it was, I turned the knob once I made it to the door and let my damn self inside.
There was no one in the front room, so I quietly made my way to the back, listening for voices or moans.
I found the former when I reached the room the furthest in the back.
“You got the appointment reminder?” I heard Bonita ask then Derrick’s voice after.
“Yeah. Why you not taking your pants off? We don’t have that much time.”
“I’m taking them off, babe.” She giggled. “I just have to make sure you’re on it because you’re the one that wanted this baby.”
“I know, and I got y’all,” he replied then I heard them start to kiss.
I was sick to my stomach. Not only did his tired ass not have the decency to cheat when I wasn’t around, he’d really gotten her pregnant.
He promised me that he was fine with the fact that I may never be able to give him a child, but I guess that was because he’d just make them with the next bitch.
They must have begun to fuck because I heard her start to moan. Infuriated, I forcefully opened the door to make my presence known. They both looked my way like deer caught in headlights until Bonita realized it was me then she smirked.
I charged at them, clocking both of them in their faces, then focusing my attacks on her despite hearing her confirm that she was actually pregnant.
She knew quickly she didn’t stand a chance and folded up, I guess to protect her baby.
That was fine with me because I wasn’t trying to harm the baby, but I was definitely going to rearrange her face.
Derrick tried pulling us apart, but that did nothing but cause me to turn my assault to him.
I was reigning blows on him, hitting him anywhere that I could.
I didn’t realize that we weren’t alone or that Derrick was prepared to fight back until Adonis appeared out of nowhere, rocking his shit.
It took a minute, but Derrick eventually gathered himself after the blow to his face, readying himself to charge at one of us.
I couldn’t quite tell who from his current stance.
“Move and I’ll drop you where you stand, pussy nigga.” Adonis had his gun trained on Derrick.
While I’d usually be terrified to see him with his weapon drawn, I was completely unfazed in that moment. I wanted him to shoot him. He needed to hurt like I did. Maybe that would have made me feel a little better.
“Jru…”
“Don’t touch me!” I seethed when Derrick reached for my arm.
“Baby, I can explain,” he stupidly said.
“You don’t have to explain anything to her ass.” Bonita snapped.
She’d gotten her punk ass up, so I popped her in the mouth again causing her to fall back into Derrick’s arms.
“Jru, what the fuck?!” he barked.
“Fuck you! Fuck this bitch!” I pointed. “And fuck y’all’s bastard ass baby. I hope all of you die!” I spat, turning on the balls of my feet. I needed to get the fuck out of that house and away from them before I caught a murder charge.
I also didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry because I felt the tears coming on.
I begged that nigga to tell me if I wasn’t enough, and he assured me that I was.
Even though he’d cheated before, he promised that he’d gotten that shit out of his system and was all about me now, but that was obviously another lie, and I was tired of putting up with it anyway.
I was stupid and not only mad at them, but myself too. I should have never allowed him to cheat and get away with it, but part of me felt like if I couldn’t give him what he needed, then I shouldn’t trip as much, but I was fed up and over it now.
“Ay, Jru.” I heard Adonis calling after me, but I ignored him and continued my stride out of the house. I especially didn’t want to cry in front of him. I was embarrassed enough. “Jruelle, wait,” I felt his arm wrap around my waist from behind.
He pulled me back and turned me to face him.
I could no longer hold it together, so I began to sob into his chest. I was so angry with myself for even letting it get to this point.
I wasn’t the woman that I’d allowed myself to become throughout the years I’d been with Derrick.
He got in my head after I was diagnosed, and it had been a downward spiral since.