Page 27 of Differences
Weston:Funny. I’m doing good. I didn’t realize I needed this alone time with my mama. The doctors say she can hear me, so I’m just talking her ear off.
Me:That’s good. I’m proud of you.
Weston:And I’m thankful for you...
I read the text twenty times, and each time, my heart skipped a beat. Never would I have thought that Weston Jones would be thankful for me. In my mind, when we kissed, it was filled with a different type of passion. It felt as if he was pouring into me. The kiss played like my favorite record over and over. My body craved more of him. However, I knew it wouldn’t be right. Weston was having a moment, and his emotions were all over the place. It was innocent. Plus, no matter how good it seemed, I had Jay, and I made a promise to myself to be there for him.
So, instead of responding to Weston, I called Jay. The phone rang once and went to voicemail. I tried again, and the same thing happened. By the time Rae returned to the car, I had called Jay seven times and sent ten text messages. Rae must have noticed my panicked expression because she had placed her hand on my shoulder.
“Hey, is everything okay?”
“Um...my boyfriend...he’s not answering the phone. He’s DoorDashing, and I know his phone should be fully charged, but it keeps sending me to voicemail,” I rushed out.
“Oh no! I hope he is okay. Do you have anyone you can reach to see if maybe they have heard from him? Maybe he is home sleeping. We can go by. I’m in no rush to get back. I don’t want to interrupt Wes and Mama’s time.”
I looked over at her. “Are you sure?”
Rae nodded. “Go check on your man.”
We sped off toward my apartment. I was filled with guilt. While I was out making sure Weston was okay and being his support system, Jay could’ve been somewhere hurt. I made up in my mind that if Jay was home, I was going to give the keys to Rae and have her drive herself back to the hospital. Jay was my priority, and I didn’t have the time to be flocking around with another man.
* * *
After fifteen minutes,I arrived at my apartment complex. I searched for my car and noticed it in the parking spot. A sigh of relief rushed over me. He must’ve been in the house sleeping, and his phone had died. I parked the car and unbuckled the seatbelt.
“Rae, I hope you don’t mind driving yourself back. My boyfriend is here. There is my car.”
“Oh yeah, no problem, girl. I know how it is to be in love with a man. Go ahead, I don’t mind pushing the Benz.”
I reached over the console and gave Rae a tight hug before jumping out of the car and running up to my apartment. I could hear the loud music coming through the door. A bigger sigh of relief rushed through me because that confirmed that Jay was there. We had received so many complaints about how loud he played his music, but he didn’t care. Once I entered, I could instantly smell his cologne. I looked around the messy living room, knowing that I had just cleaned it before I left, but Jay was there and had destroyed it. Any other time I would’ve been pissed, but it only confirmed he was home and safe.
I trailed to the bedroom, checking in the spares to make sure he wasn’t in there. I made it to our bedroom and opened the door, freezing at the sight of Jay lying on his back with a woman riding him as if her life depended on it. Jay’s eyes were rolled to the back of his head as a blunt sat in between his fingers. The girl threw her head back with passion as she rode him to ecstasy.
My body locked, and I couldn’t move. I stood there watching Jay have sex with another woman in my bed in my apartment. I heard my name being called, which snapped me out of my trance and also caused the woman to stop riding Jay.
“Taja—”
“Aye, why you stop riding?”
The woman climbed off Jay, looking at me as if she saw a ghost.
“Taja, it’s Rae. You left your purse in the car—”
Before I knew it, Rae stood beside me, and Jay was jumping up from the bed, trying to cover himself.
“Taja, baby! This is not what it looks like. See, I...um...the weed...”
Tears soaked my face and shirt. Everything was blurry, and I had forgotten how to speak.
Rae wrapped her arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. “Hey, come on, let’s get you out of here,” she urged, removing her arm and grabbing my hand.
“Aye, Taja, who is this? Are you gonna listen to her and not even let me explain?” Jay grilled me.
Rae and I kept walking, neither one of us turning around to entertain Jay. He continued to call my name even after Rae closed the door shut in his face. She helped me inside the car on the passenger side. She looked at me before starting the car.
“I’m so sorry you had to endure that. No one, and I mean no one, deserves to be cheated on. From what I have seen so far, you are a beautiful person. Don’t let anain’t shit manlike him dim your light.”
I nodded my head. “Thank you,” I replied in a whisper.
