Chapter 20 #8
“You go ’head and go in. We gone stay out here.” Shus ushered P and Bella to the waiting area.
P didn’t object. I knew we were beyond the bet now and that he had questions that I would answer to the best of my abilities without incriminating my people, Grind, and myself.
I waved to the guards at the door, and both of them eyed my face before opening the heavy door that kept Grind safe.
There was a chair and a game system at the foot of the bed, and I already knew it had belonged to Neltz.
I’d called him once and had heard the machines in the background.
I didn’t mind my nephew visiting Grind, I just wasn’t going to.
It had been six months. Six months since I’d been the happiest I’d ever been.
Six months since my sister got her fairytale ending.
Six months since my tires had prompted Grind to pull over to the service station.
Six months since he told me to climb over into the driver’s side and to drive off if something went down.
Six months since I heard the deafening pop of the first shot.
Six months since I didn’t pull off like I was told.
Six months since I caught my first body.
Six months since I held Grind as he struggled to stay amongst the land of the living.
The tears rushed from my face as I stood over his bed.
Tubes and cords ran out of him in all different directions.
There was a joystick resting underneath his hand.
I watched as the machine pumped oxygen into his chest. His nails were cleaned, his skin still had his brown color, and instead of the hospital gown, he was in a Ralph Lauren pajama set with the chest exposed.
He didn’t have bandages on his chest but the bullets left scars.
“Niggas like me make money so Pretty girls like you can do all the things pretty girls do.
“Pretty girls, pretty girls, pretty girls! Fuck you, Grayson! Fuck you!” My chest heaved.
“Fuck you!” I punched his chest, not caring if I was fucking something up.
“You don’t deserve my mercy!” I punched him again.
“You don’t deserve my fuckin’ protection! You don’t deserve my body, and you damn sure didn’t deserve my heart!” I punched him again.
“I… You hurt me! You fucking hurt meeeeeee! You hurt me so bad! Why? Why meeee?”
I hiccupped.
“I… I didn’t want to live anymore. I wanted to die! I wanted to fucking die! Do you hear me, Grind! I wanted to die! I have people who love me. I have people that care about me, and I wanted to fucking die!”
I punched him again before collapsing onto his chest. With my face against his bare skin and the smell of Dial soap creeping into my nostrils, I cried.
I cried hard. I cried for the hurt. I cried for the pain.
I cried for the time lost. I cried for Rein.
I cried for the unfortunate situation Grind had put Kaylee and me in.
“You’re so wrong, Grind. You’re so wrong.
Your… your wife,” I spoke into his chest. “Your wife says you’re gone.
I saw the look on your mom’s face. I think she believes it too.
Still, no matter how much you hurt me, I…
I c-caaan’t. I can’t let them pull the plug.
You have so much potential. You have so much left to do. I can’t let you die.”
Rolling my head on his chest, I bawled.
“I’m so stupid. I know I’m stupid. I should hate you. I should hate you, Grind, but I can’t. I’m hurt, but I still love you… I love you so, so, so, so, so fucking much.”
I wiped my face, hoping the tears were done.
“I love you, but I’m not no nigga’s second option.
You choose Kaylee, and now you gotta live with your choice.
I’m intelligent. If this was for paperwork to protect Reaper, you should have said that.
But you didn’t. You kept it from me because…
I’m just the pretty girl who needs to focus on school so niggas like you can chase the money and fuck the girls like Kaylee. No!”
Sitting up, I placed my hand on his chest. His heartbeat was steady.
“I’m Pearla Rinaldi. I can and will have any nigga I choose. But I need you to wake up so you can witness this shit. When it’s all said and done, you will feel this shit in yo’ chest!”
Leaning down to his face, I planted a kiss on his chin since his lips were taped.
Now that I was closer to him, I could see a tattoo on his chest right where my palm had been.
Unlike the other spots on his chest, this one didn’t have a wound.
It was a clam—a clam with pearls dangling from it.
“Prettiest Pearl in the Clam” was underneath it. That broke something in me.
Using the back of my sleeve, I wiped my face. “You gone regret the day you hurt me. But when you wake up, you better divorce that hoe faster than you can blink. Find another bitch to be happy with. She ain’t the one.”
Turning my back, I walked out of the room. P was leaning against the wall, looking up at me with his brow raised. P and Bella both paused their conversation. I walked over to P, pulled him into my chest, and kissed his lips. He was caught off guard, but he didn’t pull away.
“You aite?” he asked when I let him up for air.
“Yeap. Where is your girlfriend?”
He licked his lips, my lip gloss now on his tongue. “She packed up and left me a while ago.”
I wasn’t expecting him to keep it real. I was so used to niggas selling me a dream that it was refreshing to hear the truth.
“You still love her?”
“I do. You still love him?” He jutted his chin in the direction of Grind’s room.
“No.”
He smirked, knowing I was lying like hell. I’d probably never stop loving Grind.
“I completed the dare. Can I at least know the boy’s name that I just ended my relationship for? I know it’s not just P.”
He licked his lips, and the sight of him licking my saliva off caused a thudding in my panties that only Grind had produced.
“It’s Price, baby.”
“Price…”
He pulled me by my jacket until my front was pressed to his, the gun still on his waist and poking me in the stomach.
“Two muthafuckas that’s still in love with their exes. Sounds toxic, baby.” His voice was so sexy, and the adrenaline was still coursing through me, along with the emotions I was feeling from what had just happened in Grind’s room. I was ready to jump his bones at this point.
“I’m not in love—”
He cut me off, his grin broadening. “You ain’t gotta lie to kick it, Claressa.”
Biting down on my bottom lip, I grabbed him by the arm so that we could leave. I wouldn’t be back.
Price.
Pearla and Price had a nice ring to it.
Fuck Grind.