“Please my ass.” He turned to Bria. “Who was it?”
She stared at her father, refusing to answer the question he was dying to know. She couldn’t get over his ploy to pin domestic violence on Lo when he had never physically harmed her.
“Got damn it, if you don't answer me, I’m going to slap the shit out of you, Bria.”
She gawked in disbelief. In her thirty-two years of living, Douglas had never threatened to lay a finger on her. He was the fun parent. The dad who shared inappropriate jokes and let the kids stay up past their bedtime. Before her marriage, Douglas had been her safe haven for when she needed comfort from the world. At this moment, she didn’t recognize her father.
“Douglas, now wait a minute,” Cecilia interrupted. “I know you're upset but you're crossing the line.”
“Bria is the one who crossed the line,” Enya defended their father. “Now she wants to get all quiet.”
“I don't give a damn about what you're talking about. Bria, you got some fucking explaining to do and if you don't tell me what I want to hear, I’m going to slap it out of you.”
Bria scoffed as she rose from her seat. This meeting had gone to shit all in a matter of ten minutes. What was supposed to be a pregnancy announcement had turned into a verbal brawling.
“If you touch me, you're going to regret it.”
Douglas’ head reared back as amusement settled on his features. “Oh, yeah? What you gon’ do, huh? Tell me what the fuck you think you can do to me?”
She shook her head. “You know what? I’m leaving. I didn’t come here to get judged and threatened.”
“Yeah, you get your ass out of here and come back when you know how to act!” he yelled.
“Daddy, you trippin’,” Cali chastised him as Bria headed out the room.
“No, Bria done lost her mind coming here challenging me in my own home.”
Bria strolled toward the hallway but stopped abruptly and turned around.
“I came here to let you all know that I was pregnant. Oh, and I’m never leaving Lo so you can stop plotting. Have a good day.”
“Bria, wait!” she heard her mother say but she had no more words for anyone. She hurried out the house and got inside her car. The front door opened, and she spotted Cecilia walking down the stairs. Bria quickly drove off the property. A collage of the moments at her parents’ house played inside her head like a binge marathon. She was in disbelief of every single moment.
Bria needed someone to talk her through her shock, so she dialed Lo, hoping he wasn’t busy.
“What’s up, Bri-Bri?”
“I just came from my parents’ house because I was going to tell them I was pregnant, but everybody got into it.”
“Why?”
“Well, my dad is trying to pin domestic violence on you so I can get a divorce. My sister told him about the incident that happened between me, you, and Dough. Then, I told one of her secrets because she had me fucked up. My Dad got mad thenwanted further details. When I didn’t answer him, he threatened to slap me.”
“Slap who?” Lo asked.
“Me.”
“Yeah.” He chuckled. “Niggas ain't that stupid.”
“No, he was really going to try and slap me. I saw it in his eyes.”
The phone went quiet for a moment until he said, “I’ll put your pops on his ass, permanently, Bria. I don't fucking play about you. I already don't like his pussy-ass, so I advise you not to tell me shit because I have no choice but to act on it.”
“…I know.”
“Where you at?”
“On my way home.”
