Chapter 7
NONI
“They went to the diner. They weren’t aggressive, though, thankfully. It probably helped that Chad Berotte was sitting there with a bullet proof vest on and a big ass gun,” Bali said and laughed.
I was sitting in the back of Carter’s truck as he drove to Beaumont.
She was updating Carter on what happened a couple of hours ago.
Daddy Mayor had called and told us what went down so we would be on guard if they showed up at the clinic.
With the way I was feeling, I would have shot a muthafucka had they come in there demanding anything.
Red Squared was about to fuck around and find out.
I was doing my best to respect him and his opinions and feelings, but biting my tongue was getting old.
He was a selfish, entitled jackass, and I was reaching my breaking point.
No matter what was going on in my life, he thought he should be the center of my attention.
Fuck him. The government was after my uncle.
Surely, he couldn’t expect me to be totally focused on his ass, especially in the moment we were finding out what was going on.
“Noni, you good?” Carter asked.
I rolled my eyes as I felt a tremble go through my hands. “I’m good,” I said, then looked out the window.
He was not about to control Noni Henderson.
I let his ass talk me into being submissive, because he said he was going to make changes.
He was still being the same selfish asshole he’d been from the beginning.
How did I fall in love with somebody like that?
That nigga was not finna control me. I was beyond frustrated with this situation, and I hated being angry.
When I was angry, my mouth was uninhibited and so were my fists.
“You sure?” Bali asked as she glanced at me.
I was more than sure she knew it involved Red. She was trying to be disconnected from our relationship. While I knew that was the right thing for her to do, I supposed I was used to her taking charge.
I glanced at her but didn’t respond. That gave her the answer she was looking for.
I could see the smirk that formed on her lips.
Her ass got on my nerves. She was petty as hell.
I knew she wanted to say ‘I told yo’ ass’ in this moment.
Carter looked back at me then at Bali, clearly trying to figure out what was going on.
My phone rang and when I saw it was Red, I sent his ass to voicemail. I hadn’t spoken to him since last night. He could go fuck himself with a broomstick.
“What time is Maui’s appointment?” I asked Bali.
“It’s at two. You gon’ be in there with us?”
“Of course. It’s Maui. What about Shani?”
“She’s coming in at four thirty.”
“Okay, good. Mama is coming in at three for her well-woman checkup.”
“I guess it’s family day then,” Bali said as she grabbed Carter’s hand.
I stared at their joined hands for the longest, wishing Red could get himself together.
Carter was perfect for Bali. They got along so well, and I somewhat expected that with Red.
Birds of a feather usually flocked together.
Since he and Carter were friends, I thought their personalities would have been similar. I was so fucking wrong about that.
When we got to K-Asian, I wanted to cry.
I hated K-Asian, but I came here with Red all the time.
He loved their wings. I should have stayed and ate lunch at the diner, but I knew Red was going to show up there.
Bali liked the wings here, too. She glanced back at me, and said, “Carter is going to stop at the food truck up the road so you can get some street tacos.”
“Thanks,” I said as I did my best to relax.
They got out of his truck, and my phone rang again. Today was his fucking day. “Hello?”
“Hey. Why you didn’t answer the phone?”
I bit my bottom lip, remaining quiet for a moment, still trying to restrain the venom that was emerging through my clenched teeth.
“Noni, you not gon’ answer my question?”
“I didn’t answer the question, because you already know the answer to it.”
“So I’m asking too much of you? That’s always your excuse to not talk to me.”
Releasing my bottom lip, I said, “Nigga, you a selfish ass muthafucka. Until you can see that bullshit, gone ’bout yo’ fucking business.
I done had e-fucking-nough. I shouldn’t have to constantly bite my tongue around yo’ ignant ass!
The sun don’t rise and set on yo’ entitled ass.
Find you an unintelligent, submissive ass bitch to put up with you and your hormonal ass mood swings. I’m fucking sick of it, nigga.”
I ended the call in his face and dropped my face to my hands.
Red didn’t seem to be getting better in our relationship.
He was getting worse and lying to himself about his progression.
He felt like he was progressing because I wasn’t pushing back as much.
We weren’t arguing as much because of me trying to keep the peace. Fuck the peace.
My phone started ringing again, and I knew he was calling back to go awf. I was ready. “What, nigga?”
“Man, you serious? You gon’ just throw this away because you can’t control your temper?”
“Be at the clinic when I get back. I’m gon’ show you a fucking temper.
I refuse to let you control me any longer.
I thought I was helping you by trying to be softer, but muthafucka, you don’t deserve my soft side.
You need me to go upside your big ass head.
I’ll deflate that shit for you in a couple of hours. ”
“Hold the fuck on, Noni.”
“Naw! Fuck you! Fuck you for making me think I was the problem. Until you can see yourself, you gon’ be by your-fucking-self.
You wasted years of my life when I could have been with the nigga that was gonna cherish me and treat me like a queen.
I should have listened to my sister, because she was right. ”
My voice quivered, and I hated that shit. I loved him. That was the only reason I had put up with his bullshit and let him convince me that I was the problem. I ended the call as Bali and Carter came out of K-Asian, then quickly wiped the tears that had fallen down my cheeks.
I watched Carter help her inside, and she immediately looked at me with a slight frown on her face. I knew she could sense that I wasn’t good while she was still in K-Asian. When he closed the door, she said, “Fuck that nigga. I got yo’ back, even when you think you don’t need me to.”
I nodded and swallowed hard. This shit hurt. I knew it would hurt even more once the anger wore off. When Carter got in, he said, “A’ight! Now for the tacos!”
When neither of us responded to him, he looked back at me. He gave me a tight smile and reached for my hand. I extended my hand to his, and he squeezed it. “I’ma talk to him, sis.”
I shook my head. “Fuck him.”
His eyes widened slightly as he released my hand. Without another word, he headed to the food truck. I hopped out of his truck and went and ordered my tacos. My phone buzzed so I pulled it from my scrubs. It was a text from Red.
Noni, you really breaking up with me? I’m sorry, baby. I love you. Damn. Don’t leave me.
My lip quivered, causing me to bite it. This shit was toxic.
I knew I had to follow through this time though.
I’d threatened to leave him before but allowed him to sweet talk me into staying.
That shit wasn’t going to work this time.
Before I ordered, I quickly texted back.
Forget my number. I’m about to block you.
You don’t listen, and I’m tired of talking for the hell of it.
I blocked his number, then walked to the counter to place my order.
All this was because I “ignored” him after we found out what was going on with Uncle Marcus.
That shit was a family emergency. If he couldn’t understand that, then he was dumber than I thought.
He didn’t deserve me, because he lacked emotional intelligence.
Bali and I were damn near geniuses. Our IQs were over 145.
I didn’t have time to keep explaining what I considered common sense shit. He didn’t want to change.
Once I got my food and got back in the truck, we headed back to Nome in silence. I was grateful because I didn’t feel like talking to nobody . . . not even Bali.
I sat on my couch, feeling depressed. Bali was at her house, getting ready for the rodeo in Mississippi.
Since Red and I were no longer a couple, I didn’t think I would be going.
I’d made up in my mind that I would chill out at home and watch movies, unless there was an emergency of some sort.
When we’d gotten back to the clinic that day, I barely talked to anyone, unless it was unavoidable.
My mama did her best to get me to talk . . . about anything. I barely even spoke to her. She finally just let me be. Maui and Shani just rubbed my back. That only had my emotions in my throat, about to choke the shit out of me. The minute Shani left, I hauled ass here and had been here ever since.
I didn’t feel like being bothered with anybody, but I was more than sure, someone would interrupt my pity party.
I was embarrassed. Everyone saw what I couldn’t see.
Love was fucking blind and deaf for the time I subjected myself to Red Squared’s control.
It didn’t help that he had demon dick. Toxic niggas usually did.
That was what made it so difficult to leave their asses alone.
I didn’t have personal experience, but I’d heard enough stories to know.
As I scrolled through movie choices, my doorbell rang. I rolled my eyes, knowing this would happen. I hated people showing up unannounced. When I got to the door and saw my daddy, I took a deep breath. Opening the door, I said, “Hey, Daddy Mayor. What’chu doing here?”
He walked inside. “Checking on you, Doctor Henderson. I haven’t talked to you in two days. What’s up?”
I took another deep breath and walked to the couch. He followed me with a deep ass frown on his face. He was in protective mode. That was never a good thing.
“I broke up with Red.”
He nodded repeatedly. “You need me to get at that nigga?”
“No, sir. I already lit his ass up, then blocked him.”
“That nigga a chip off the old block. Red was hotheaded, too. Nigga stayed fighting. Shana got that ass together, especially when she pulled her gun on his ass.”
I frowned, then turned to him. “Damn. What the fuck he do to make her point a gun at him?”
“His only offense was withholding information. Because he did that, it made it look like he was cheating. That was when he found out about Asad. That nigga was impatient with her though. They dated for a while before she would even say he was her boyfriend. Sound familiar?”
I looked away and lowered my head.
“So, once she let her guard down and confessed to loving him, that shit with Lacey came up. She was just as hurt as you are.”
“Yeah, but they worked it out. I don’t know if we will. I’m sick of his shit.”
He grabbed my hand and held it between his. “You know I got your back. Whatever you decide. I’m gon’ keep my eyes on that nigga, though.”
“Daddy, your eyes been on him.”
“You damn right, but they laser focused now.”
I chuckled as he kissed the side of my head.
I leaned into him, feeling thankful that I had a daddy that understood me.
My mama was a sweetheart, but it was hard for her to relate to the things that made me tick.
It was hard for her to comfort Bali and me, because she couldn’t understand why we were so withdrawn and “mean.” We were just like Seven Storm Henderson.
However, I was seeing Bali morph into her soft-girl era.
If I had a nigga like Carter, I would be able to afford to do that shit, too.
“So what we watching?” he asked as he put his arm around me.
I handed the remote to him because I didn’t care what we watched. Most likely I wouldn’t be paying attention anyway. He smiled slightly and scrolled through Netflix to see what we would watch. Before he could settle on anything, I asked, “How’s Uncle Marcus?”
He side-eyed me. “That nigga a thug at heart. He a’ight. He took a leave of absence from his shop, trusting his manager to run it, but I told him I would drop in to check shit out. He think I’m gon’ fire everybody or make them quit. I asked him what kind of nigga he think I am?”
I chuckled as he gave me a one-sided smile. “Where did he go?”
“He and Syn went to Florida for a lil bit. They took Seneda and Hendrix with them.”
I nodded. At least we didn’t have to worry about people snatching them for now. “Who brought them to the airport?”
“Watchful Eyes. Literally walked them all the way to TSA. They will pick them up as well.”
“Good.”
“I have one question before we watch this movie.”
I glanced up at him, knowing what he was about to ask me. I answered the question before he could even ask it.
“I would have to see significant changes in order for me to take him back. I love him, and that’s why I’m so fucking pissed. He took advantage of my heart. That’s some shit I thought I would never be able to say. I’m Mayor Storm Henderson’s daughter. What heart, nigga?”
He bit his bottom lip, trying to restrain his smile, then shoulder bumped me. “That’s my girl. Make sure that nigga doing more than talking a bunch of shit. Make him show and prove.”
I nodded. Red was gon’ have to get God to have a one-on-one conversation with me. It wasn’t impossible, but that nigga had better get his daddy to quote scriptures and pray for him to get his mind right and his pockets deep before he tried to step back to me.