Page 25 of Obsessive Love
“Something like that.”
She looked up from the phone, and I saw the wheels in her head start to turn. “What do you mean, something like that? Is she the owner of the bakery you just bought?”
“Mama, are you sure you want the answer to your question?” I asked with a smirk. “Because you might not like the answer.”
“Did you do something illegal, Pyrite?” she inquired, and I continued to stare at her. Growing up, we were taught to never lie to our parents, and we didn’t. As adults, we won't answer when we know they won’t like our answers. “Is it severe?” Again, she was met with silence. Mama looked at me and then shook her head. “Is she in danger?”
“She’s not the one in danger,” I answered.
“Then who is?” she questioned, returning my phone. “You better answer me, too.”
“Whoever thinks they can take her from me,” I said as I looked down at my phone to see Fable still sketching. “She’s mine, Mama.”
FABLE
“So he lockedyou in here, huh?” Xoey asked when I walked out of the bathroom. I hadn’t seen her for a few days and wondered if she’d ever show back up. Lowkey, I liked her; she was crazy as fuck, that much was obvious, but she was fun and genuine. “How long have you been up here?”
“A week,” I answered as I sat on the floor. The furniture hadn’t been replaced yet, and I was standing firm on the fact that I wouldn’t lay in a bed that another bitch had. “Almost two at this point.”
“Damn,” she sighed as she walked around the room looking at everything. “That means I owe Givens’ high yellow ass two bands.”
“Why?” I stretched my legs out in front of me and crossed my ankles.
“We have a bet going on how long he will actually hold you,” she answered with a shrug. “You’ve made it to the bedroom, baby; you’re almost free.”
“I’m almost free?” I asked. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but if Xoey was saying what I thought she was, I could hold off. “Like, I can go home?”
“Home?” she laughed, throwing her head back. “Girl, this is your home; this mansion is where you will reside for the rest of your life unless you say otherwise.”
“Well, I say otherwise,” I said, shaking my head. “I want to leave here.”
“And go where?” she asked. “Knowing Pyrite, he’s already put it in motion to sell your house, car, and any other possession you have. He’s not letting you go.”
“I’ll be homeless.” I dropped back onto the floor and threw my arm over my face. “All because of fucking Javien. I swear if he isn’t already dead, I’ll kill him.”
“Which Javien?”
“Both,” I answered. “At this point, it needs to be both of them. Senior started this shit, Jr. continued it, and I was dragged into it. I was an innocent bystander.”
“I was only after Javien Jr.,” Xoey said, and I lifted my arm to look at her. “Right now, he’s hanging upside down in my warehouse, begging for his damn life.”
“What?”
“You want to see?” She grabbed her purse from next to her and dug into it. “I keep a live feed going for when I’m bored at one of my jobs and need some entertainment.” She pulled her iPad from her purse, swiped the screen a few times, and slid it across the floor to me. “I saw him this morning, but he didn’t say a thing I wanted to hear, so I waterboarded him a few times, then left him and had him lifted.”
“You’re legit crazy?” I said more to myself than Xoey. I stared at the screen, watching Javien swing slightly from the ceiling by his feet. “Like, for real, off your damn rocker.”
“Girl, there is no need to flatter me,” she said, waving me off. “We’re already friends.”
I jumped to my feet and stared down at her. “Lady, I have been kidnapped by a crazy ass nigga, driven to a different state.”
“Flown,” Xoey said, correcting me. “There is no way Pyrite would drive from Texas to here when he owns a plane.”
“Flown,” I sighed and shook my head. “It doesn’t matter if he flew, drove, walked, ran, crawled; he took me from another state without my permission. Locked me in a cell in the basement.”
“Now you’re in here,” she said, pointing around. “This room is nice.”
“It’s not my room, Xoey,” I sighed. “It’s not my space. It’s his! I was brought here against my will.”
