Chapter Ten #2
I cackled, before erupting into loud laughter. It was petty of me, but he deserved it. Furthermore, what the fuck was he telling me all of this shit for?
"Malcolm, who are you trying to convince—me or yourself? I know what I saw."
He sighed. "It ain't what you think though, Nyne."
"Malcolm, why the fuck should I care about you being a downlow faggot? That has nothing to do with me. You don't need to confess nothing, because I don't care either way. That's guilt you have to face on your conscience. I'm not part of that."
"I swear you don't listen to shit I tell you—"
"See, that's where you got me fucked up. You're not about to holler and cuss at me on the phone I pay the bill on. You got some fucking audacity, nigga," I snapped. "I don't give a fuck about you being gay, Malcolm. This isn't a heart to heart. I know what I saw and I left it where I saw it."
"I wasn't gay when we were married, Nyne. If that's what you're thinking, but I did have thoughts that wouldn't go away."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Just thought you should know."
"I don't care either way."
"How much do I owe you?" he mentioned, making me face screw up.
"What?" I spat.
"Do you have the same bank? I can wire you a few grand just so you won't out me to any blogs—"
"See, that's where you got it twisted, nigga!
You and I are two different people. It's crazy after being married to me and waking up in the same bed, you've never known me.
I'm not like you. I don't need to hold anything over your head for ransom.
Is that what you're used to doing? Is that what you've been doing?
I'm not like that. You couldn't wait to humiliate me and announce our divorce, treating it like a game of chess. "
"I apologize—"
"I don't want your sorry ass apology, Malcolm, and had you not saw me, you wouldn't be reaching out."
He sighed, releasing his frustrations. "I just thought I'd reach out."
"Well, you didn't have to, but since you mentioned it, yes I do have the same bank and routing number. You can go ahead and send the funds. Preferably, with five zeroes on the end."
He remained quiet and after a few milliseconds, he murmured, "You'll have it by tonight."
"Don't call my phone no more, Malcolm." I demanded, and before he could utter anything else, I hung up. Minutes after I ended the call, I got a notification from my bank mentioning the lump sum amount and it'd be deposited in my bank account in 3-5 business days.
Shaking my head, I placed my phone back on the island and sauntered over to the pots to prepare myself a plate.
Then I poured myself a large glass of red wine.
It was way more than I needed, but I needed something to help soothe rough edges.
With the shitty few days I had, I needed a stiff drink too, but I'd make one later on, after putting food on my stomach.
Childlike, I only prepared enough for me.
I grabbed my plate and went to the living room, where I curled up on the couch and turned on Netflix, scrolling until I found something decent to watch.
Partially, the dialogue was just background noise, something to fill the silence because I was casually scrolling on my phone laughing at TikToks and eating.
Also, I was aware of everything around me.
From the amount of time I'd been here, I became adjusted to every sound in the house and creak of the floorboards…
even when the wind shifted outside. By the time I finished my plate and cleaned up the kitchen, I smelled it.
The smell of thick cigar smoke, lingering over the cooking, wafting through my nose.
It was rich and earthy with notes of leather and spice, lingering through the kitchen like a ghost, making my stomach clench.
That meant Syx was in the cellar smoking a cigar, creating distance between us.
I didn't probe further though. I trotted upstairs to retrieve my yoga mat so I could release some steam.
Yoga always seemed to help my mind at ease.
My fear of going swimming in the ocean came from the unexpected storm the other day, so I held off on it.
Luckily, aside from the unnecessary shit Emma and Mina packed my suitcase with, I made sure to include my yoga mat.
"You're gonna be getting fucked. You ain't gon' be doin' no fucking yoga!" Mina's voice echoed in the back of my head, making me giggle just a tad bit.
Speaking of her crazy ass, I saw her contact flash across my phone screen. More than likely it was a conference call, because I'm certain Emma was on the other line, ready to be messy too.
"Hello," I greeted them.
"Hoe, what did we tell you about checking in?" Mina spoke rudely.
"Her mama ain't teach her shit," Emma chided in.
I giggled. "First of all, you bitches ain't my mama and I don't have to check in. If shit hit the fan, y'all know where to find me," I snapped back in a joking tone.
"You've been active in your close friends, so I guess that's the only place we can expect updates until you're ready to leave," said Emma.
"I thought your two weeks were over? He ain't made you nut yet?" Mina retorted, then sucked on her teeth.
"He did, but I had to extend my stay to handle a few more things," I responded.
"A few more things like what?" asked Mina, probing further in my business like an ignorant bitch, instead of accepting shit for what it is.
Biting the bullet, I told them the one thing I was trying to take to my grave unless time permitted otherwise. "I drowned in the ocean." I uttered way too casually, getting dramatic gasps from the both of them.
"Nyne, what the fuck! Why are you just now telling us this?" Emma shrieked.
"How the fuck did you drown anyway? I thought you knew how to swim?" Mina asked inquisitively.
"I do. I wasn't expecting it to storm though. I tried to swim back to the shore, but the further I swam, the water kept pushing me back. I'm definitely still traumatized, but they gave me top-of-the-line care so I'm okay for the most part."
"Well, it's good to know that you're okay," Emma spoke.
"Just don't tell my mama," I mentioned. "Regardless if I'm okay, she'll turn it into something that's not."
Mina asked, "Have you spoken to her?"
"I have," I answered, "but she doesn't know anything about this, so promise me y'all won't say shit and don't mention it to my mama or my sister."
"I won't," they uttered in unison.
"I'm just recovering, but I'll be leaving in two days."
"I'm sure you've been having fun, considering we haven't heard from you in a while."
"Yeah, it's been a journey. Malcolm's gay," I retorted, running my mouth way quicker than my thoughts could handle.
"Wait, hol' up!" Mina screamed.
"I fucking knew it!" Emma chided along.
"How the fuck you figure that?" Mina spoke again once more.
"Syx took me to this club that reminded me of Pandora's Box. Emma, did you go—"
"Oh yeah, that's where they be fucking in public like animals and shit. It's not my cup of tea."
"Well, I peeked behind a curtain and saw him getting his dick sucked by a guy. When he saw me, I'd already wandered off somewhere in the club with Syx," I told them.
"Girl, that's some wild ass shit," Mina cackled.
"Tell me about it. Then the crazy motherfucker had the nerve to call me and tell me he ain't gay, as if I didn't see him getting his dick sucked and enjoying it. If it ain't gay, then what the fuck is it called?" I spat angrily.
"He's one of those downlow niggas who thinks because he only participates in party acts that it doesn't make him gay. That's a crazy mindset to have because he hasn't accepted his sexuality yet," Emma mentioned.
"You should," Mina spat. "He had no problem being grimy and lowdown when it came to outing your business."
"How'd you feel being a pro football player, one of the best in the league, and your sexuality gets outed by your spouse? You are going to out him, right Nyne?" Mina questioned.
"I'm not going to do that, because I don't care. He's burning in hell, so what more do I have to do? That reminds me, he sent me $250,000 just to keep my mouth shut. That was very generous of him."
"You should," Mina spat. "He had no problem being grimy and lowdown when it came to outing your business, and bitch, tell him you got messy ass friends who need a piece of that cut too. Y'all know my cousin works for one of those messy ass blogs. All it takes is one phone call."
"Don't do that, because it'll come back on Nyne."
"Auntie has to get paid too," Mina retorted.
"It's crazy because I can't see him being gay."
Mina sucked on her teeth. "Bitch please, those be the nasty ass niggas doing the most dirt. It be those niggas who you'd least expect, going to kickbacks with their homeboys, but the whole time they're sucking dick and watching gay porn."
"He said he wasn't gay during our marriage, but I don't know what to believe. It's all shit and giggles when it comes to him."
"Yeah, I bet he wasn't. Did you recognize the guy?"
"Nope, but I knew for sure it was a guy though."
"That's crazy," Mina uttered in disbelief. "Dick in the booty ass nigga!"
I giggled at her antics, making Emma do the same.
"I'm more than certain he was downlow when y'all were married. Niggas just don't up and be gay out the blue. Then niggas' favorite color been pink!" She continued to snap.
"That nigga is dust to me now. Even if he didn't make it about money, I wouldn't give a fuck either way. He'll keep being a puppet master for the devil."
"I know that's right," Emma giggled again.
"Low down dirty ass nigga!" Mina continued to rant.
"I'm about to find something to do before it gets dark though. I love y'all," I said. The best thing for me to do was end the call here, or we'd be on the phone gossiping all night and I'd be forced to tell them about me catching feelings for Syx and I wasn't ready to hear them shame me about it.
"Love you too," they uttered together, then I ended the call.