Pulling on his beard, Lo confessed, “We haven’t.”
Meco peered at him like he had sprouted two heads. “What the fuck? Y’all been married for what? Almost two months and you ain't took her out?”
“I’ve been busy.” Lo shrugged.
“Bro, you on bullshit. No wonder her ass is creepin’ on you.”
Lo cut his eyes at Meco. “So, she gets a pass for fucking on the next nigga?”
“No, but you ain't giving her no reason to be faithful. I’m not saying what she’s doing is right but you ain't easy to deal with. Do you ask her about her day? Call her just so she can hear your voice? Do you send flowers? Ain't she a dancer? Do you rub her feet after a long day? Do you draw a bath for her? Make her feel like the only girl in the world? What the fuck do you do?”
Lo was ashamed to say that he didn’t pour anything into Bria.
“You don't do shit, huh?”
Although he was right, Lo couldn’t confess it. His pride wouldn’t allow him to reveal how he had been treating Bria like an extra in a movie.
“Listen, Lo, women need attention, and they need love. They need to know that you're interested in them. You can’t be treating your wife like she don't mean shit to you. I understand that this was an arranged situation, but you can at least make the best of it. Open up and stop dogging her out.”
That was easy for Meco to say. Opening himself up would require Lo to expose his past and he couldn’t stomach that reality. No one knew about the prison he lived in. He couldn’t make a move without his past dictating his current existence. Opening up was more terrifying than one could imagine.
“So, what you gon’ do if she’s cheating on you?” Meco quizzed.
“Crash out.”
Meco snickered. “Don't go too far.”
“I don't wanna hear that shit. She gon’ pay for her crimes against me,” he joked.
The two shared a laugh before he spotted two figures walking. Narrowing his eyes, he spotted Bria. What angered him was her hand placement. Holding hands with another man almost made Lo explode. Again, he hoped she would have proven him wrong, but the actuality of her betrayal was right before him.
“Damn,” Meco drawled, shaking his head. “I was hoping you was on some paranoid shit.”
Yeah, me too…
Witnessing another man hug Bria around her waist and she wrap her arms around his neck almost had him seeing red. Despite his temper, Lo maintained self-control. He needed to see how far her deceit would go. Seconds later, he was crushed when she kissed him with so much passion, it literally made him nauseous.
“You gon’ get out the car?”
Lo smacked his lips. “The fuck? Do I look like a bitch to you?”
Meco tipped his head back, chortling. “I thought you would get out on some Cheater’s type shit.”
He shook his head, watching Bria get in the car and the man close her door. Tapping the roof of her car, he walked away as she drove off.
“Nah, I’ma do this shit my way.”
Meco smirked at him. “I don't even wanna ask.”
“Then don't. It’s ‘bout to get ugly for her ass.”
One day later…
Bria stood in the kitchen, sipping on a cup of coffee while gazing out the bay window. The last twenty-four hours had been so terribly hard on her mental. She’d committed a sinthat would require heavy repenting. Although, she was upset by Dough having to leave abruptly, she knew it was a save on her behalf. She had no business allowing him between her legs when she was carrying the last name of another man. In her moment of rage, she had chosen to be unfaithful, and it brought her great remorse.
Bria hadn’t seen nor heard from Lo. Normally, it would upset her with him not coming home but she was thankful for the distance. That way he wouldn’t be able to see the stain of Dough that was left on her. When she got home, Bria scrubbed her body of any remnants of him. She vowed never to put herself in the position to fall into temptation.
The sound of the garage door prompted Bria’s body to steel. Her chest heaved as she placed the coffee on the table. How was she to act? Normal, right? Or should she avoid him and busy herself around the house? Yeah, that was it. Bria opened the pantry and began pulling items out. The kitchen door opened, and she walked farther inside, acting as if she was rearranging items. Lo’s heavy footsteps drew closer, provoking her hands to tremble while pulling boxes of food out. His presence was strong as he stood in the doorway. Bria had no choice but to look at him and when she did, she exhaled. Black seemed to be his color. Donning a black hoodie with black jeans and black Timbs, he stared at her with eyes she couldn’t read.
