CHAPTER 15 #2
The din of the bar fades when the bathroom door closes behind us. We share a look and take a deep breath. I’m not used to being around so many people and so much noise.
I’ve gotten used to my scheduling being structured around having a kid and my bakery. That doesn’t leave a lot of time and certainly not time involving bars and late nights.
“Playboy’s been different lately,” Riti muses while glancing at herself in the mirror. She pushes a few of her pink braids back over her shoulder with a flick of her wrist. “Lighter.” She looks at me with warmth in her eyes. “It’s been really nice and it’s all because of you.”
I open my mouth to protest, but she simply raises an eyebrow and slips into the stall. The other one is occupied, so I lean against the wall and wait.
The moment the door swings open again, I know who it is without even looking up. My body knows.
I used to call it my early warning system before I realized just how fucked up it is that I taught my body to be aware of her proximity for my own safety. Fucked up or not, it still came in handy.
And, apparently, it’s still in fine working order.
“Oh,” Lola’s voice is too sweet to be anything other than a performance, “sister. I’m so glad I caught you. I think we need to talk.” She struts the rest of the way into the small space like she fucking owns it.
It takes all of my effort to keep my face neutral. I imagine throat punching her about fifty times in the span of a few seconds. Talk about satisfying.
Illegal, but satisfying.
“I don’t have anything to talk with you about,” I manage to keep my voice level, but it’s a struggle.
“Are you sure?” Her tone is condescending as hell. She steps closer to me and reaches toward me. When her long nails brush against my skin, I know it’s a warning.
It might work. If I were still afraid of her. I’m not anymore because I don’t have to live under the same roof as her.
That was a battlefield. Now, I’m no longer obligated to give her any of my time or attention.
“You should know,” her voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper as if we’re sharing secrets between sisters, “Playboy was just in my bed.”
Lola watches my face closely, but I don’t give anything away. I’m curious just how far she’s going to take this lie.
And I do know it’s a lie.
Playboy did not look like a man who had just rolled out of this woman’s bed considering the way he dodged her touch like it was his new mission in life. I also remember what Opal told me about him threatening her and her place in the club.
My lip curls and I scoff, “Really?”
Lola thinks she’s getting somewhere, that she’s getting under my skin. She squares her shoulders as confidence rushes through her veins. Poor lady.
Her lips curl into a predatory smile and I almost laugh. “He was very vigorous.” When she brushes her blonde hair over her shoulder to reveal the marks on her neck, her gaze is filled with provocation. “Just take a look.”
Before I have a chance to answer, Riti walks out of the bathroom stall. She goes right to the sink and starts washing her hands without looking at Lola.
Still, when Riti speaks it’s clear who she’s talking to. “You really shouldn’t bark like that Lola,” her tone is conversational.
“Bark?” Lola practically screeches the word as if it’s the height of offense.
I almost scoff; there are so many other ways to offend her. I wouldn’t even need to break a sweat.
“Yes,” Riti says calmly and then turns as she grabs paper towels and starts to dry her hands, “a dog. Obedient. Who goes where they’re told to go when they’re told to go there. I would say loyal, but we both know that is one thing dogs are that you are not.”
Lola’s face goes red with anger and her fists clench at her sides. I have to cover my mouth to stop myself from laughing. Riti only smiles like Lola doesn’t get the joke.
“You’re just jealous because I’ve felt Playboy’s dick deep inside me and you’ve spent years chasing him,” Lola’s tone is vicious and victorious.
“Lola,” Riti’s voice is condescending as fuck, “you really should remember your place—on your back for the brothers who haven’t figured out what it means to have standards yet. Don’t worry, they’ll figure out that your used up snatch isn’t worth the effort of ripping open a condom wrapper.”
Rage flashes in Lola’s eyes. “You’re just pathetic,” she’s practically shouting at Riti, “everyone knows you want him.”
Riti just shakes her head as amusement sparkles in her eyes while she laughs. Nothing else needs to be said.
Lola stomps her foot which has me biting my lip. She has no idea how ridiculous she looks. Then she makes a huge mistake and steps closer to me. Air is sawing in and out of her lungs and she looks like she’s on the verge of losing it completely.
“You should know that we didn’t even have time to wash up. Right now, my pussy juice is still coating his cock.” Every word she spits at me has her warm breath hitting my face.
“Your breath tastes like cum.” I take a step back from her. “You shouldn’t get that close to people before you gargle mouth wash.”
“At least I’ve been touched by a man,” Lola sneers.
“If I hadn’t been kind enough to get pregnant and have Vanessa, you’d just be a lonely, bitter cunt destined to wither all alone.
You should thank me.” Her features twist with condescension.
“Hopefully, you can raise her not to be as pathetic as you turned out to be.”
The second my daughter’s name comes out of her mouth, red descends. Before I even realize, my hand is flying through the air and the sound of the slap I give her echoes through the bathroom like a bell tolling.
After the force of my slap snaps her head to the side, she turns back slowly. Her eyes are filled with something I’ve never seen there before—genuine surprise. I’ve never hit her.
Never.
But she went too fucking far by having my daughter’s name in her mouth like that. I should thank her? She’s spiraling.
Her tears start almost immediately. Hot. Fast.
And fake as hell.
When she runs out of the bathroom, I know exactly where she’s going. The handprint on her face is already blooming, and she wants to try and use it to make her little act relevant again.
“Here we go,” I mutter, “the real show is about to begin.” I sigh and look at Riti with trepidation. “Let’s see which way this goes.”