“I already know. Are you okay?” Merci barged in as soon as I opened the door.
“I’m fine. You know I’m going to shake back. I had a feeling the shit wasn’t going to last. Wish the nigga would’ve let me break up with him instead of the other way around.”
“Do I need to take Kani with me?”
“No, he’s fine. I don’t want to be alone and if you take him, it’s only going to make me feel worse.”
“I’m so sorry, sis.”
“Stop apologizing. I’m good. I fucked up and I gotta deal with it.”
“Can you please call a bitch in the morning. Maybe we can go house hunting or something.”
“With it just being me and Kani, I’ll stick to a condo or something. I’m done with houses for a while.”
“Deal.” She hugged me tight and walked out the door.
I had Kani resting on the bed with my phone as he watched educational videos on YouTube. He looked just like Lucky. Just looking at him made me think of how fucked up I really, I was but I had to pick myself up and get it together. I ran a warm bath so we could retire for the night.
By four the next evening, I was signing the lease to my new condo. I hadn’t told anyone, and I made Merci promise me she would mention shit to Perc. When Lucky wanted to see Kani, he could call me, and I’ll meet him wherever. I didn’t want anyone to know where I was which is why I moved in the location I did. I had security downstairs, and you couldn’t come up to my condo unless given permission.
“Lucky paid the hotel up for weeks. What you gon’ do when he comes looking for you and y’all not there?” Merci asked.
“That don’t have shit to do with me. It’s time for me to start doing me, right? I don’t have to answer to anyone. I’m back being independent and I’m about to get my ass on the ball trying to get me a barbershop. I’ve thought about going into someone else shop to work.”
“Girl please, you’ve been a threat to these niggas for years. You think they gon’ want you in their shit?”
“You got a point. I’ll figure some shit out to keep some money in my pocket.”
“You know if you need anything, I go to you.”
“I don’t need anything; I’m just being precautious before it depletes. You know I like to think ahead.”
“So, when can I help you decorate this condo? You need to add a lil’ spice. You know, just in case you wanna entertain a nigga.”
“Ain’t nobody coming in here. I’m done with the dating scene. Kani will be damn near grown before I let another nigga come into my life.”
“I hate you even thinking like that. It’s cool though. Let me head home before Perc starts asking questions and I don’t want it to slip that I’ve been with you looking for places to stay.”
“Please don’t say shit.”
“Bitch I won’t, damn.”
Before putting the key to the door, I slipped my papers inside of my purse. As mad as Lucky was with me yesterday, why was the nigga sitting his ass in my room like he was waiting for me to come home? This was the shit I wasn’t about to deal with it. He could’ve called and said he wanted to see his son. I would never keep them away from each other.
“You here to see Kani?”
“Yeah.”
“You could’ve called me and I would have brought him to you.” I walked him over to his dad. “Thank you for dropping the car off to me.”
“Yeah,” he said dryly.
While he played with our son, I went into the bedroom to shut myself off from him. He was making shit hard for me to move on. The popping up whenever he wanted to was going to end tonight. We both had means of communication and I needed him to use it. He was going to pop up here in a few days and we’re going to be gone. I didn’t feel like I owed him shit. He broke up with me.
“When we’re you going to tell me, you meant up with my pops?”
“It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done. Can you give me some privacy while I shower?”
