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“What was I supposed to say? I walked in on my fiancé with another man! Then I tried to get my friends to pick up my stuff, and he wouldn’t let them because he wanted to face me. So I went, and I got angry. I wanted to hurt him the way he hurt me, so yeah, I took the fuckin’ money because that’s the only thing he seems to care about!”
“Look around, Lo! You got pregnant off a one-night stand, and now we’re married. It isn’t shit you say that’s crazier than that! So yeah, you were supposed to fuckin’ tell me! You let that lame nigga damage you so bad that when I try to give you what you deserve, you have no fuckin’ idea how to respond!”
“Wow,” she nodded, running her tongue across her teeth. “Tell me more, Gianni. What do you really think of me?”
This is why I hated arguing. Emotions were high, and things could easily be taken the wrong way.
“That’s not what I meant Hailo. I’m your husband. It’s my job to protect you, and I can’t do that if you’re keeping shit from me. That’s the problem, not that your ex likes to fuck nigga’s or you took money to get back at him!”
“I said I’m sorry!” Hailo lowered her head. She folded her arms disappointed that she allowed Marcel to control her again. “I didn’t want you to look at me the way you’re looking at me right now.” She paused again, subtly shaking away the tears she refused to allow fall.
Despite being angry right now, how I looked at her wasn’t a reflection of how I felt inside. “The last thing you want is another bitch coming to you about me. Give me the same respect.”
Hailo was holding her breath, waiting for me to reassure her that we would get through this. I desperately wanted to, but pride was tricky, and mine wouldn’t allow me to give her what she needed. I was the victim, blindsided with bullshit she could’ve prevented but chose not to.
Maybe it wasn’t my pride or anger. After everything I’d done and shown her, Hailo still didn’t trust me. That circled back to Marcel, which ultimately was Trent’s fault. “Sorry doesn’t fix everything. We can’t build shit worth believing in keeping secrets from each other.”
Trying to love somebody that’s never been loved properly is crazy. The shit was exhausting some days, and this was one of them. Why didn’t she have this energy for the nigga who drug her through hell?
I didn’t have it in me tonight to reassure Hailo. I hated to be the reason she was crying, but I fought the urge to wipe her tears as I headed for the basement. It was killing me more than she knew, but Lo fucked up, and she had to stew in it.
Chapter Fourteen
“Are you still driving yourself crazy stressing about Gi?” Niyomi yawned in between preaching. She was a night owl like me, so I had called her instead of Denim. If you didn’t catch her before ten p.m. on a weeknight, try again when the sun comes up.
“I’m not stressed,” I lied, especially since Gianni had left home a few hours ago dressed in all black.
Regardless of how our relationship started, marriage was sacred. I was learning to solve my problems independently instead of running to my friends. It was a lot harder to do when Gianni was still angry. He claimed he wasn’t and repeatedly told me we were fine, but it didn’t feel like it.
Gianni was cold. Distant. He was preoccupied with everything except us. His kisses were empty, and he was back to staying up all night because his mind was full of things he wouldn’t express to me. It all made me hate Marcel even more. He was like a fungus. Whenever I thought I was free, he’d roar his ugly head, making my life a living hell.
“Have you tried actually talking to your husband?”
“I didn’t call you to talk about Gianni.”
“Don’t play with me, hoe. I can tell when something is wrong, and since my niece is sleeping peacefully, that only leaves Gianni.”
“Wow, maybe I called because I missed you.”
Niyomi sucked her teeth because she knew something was wrong even if I didn’t say it. “Whatever it is, it’ll work itself out. One thing I do know is that Gianni loves you.”
It didn’t feel like it. His angry words had been replaying on a loop in my head. There was still so much we didn’t know about each other, like what he did when he was upset and how he got over it. Gianni’s love was so powerful yet peaceful that it felt like we had been together forever. At moments like this, I realized we had barely scratched the surface.
“You’re right,” I agreed because I was so in my feelings that I hadn’t considered it. I was an emotional creature and felt everything deeply.
“Of course, I’m right, girl. When am I not?”
“You were wrong about Marcel. It was your ass who pointed him out. In hindsight, he might’ve been looking at Denise’s brother.” I rattled off, thinking about the fourth member of our quartet. Denise was our other suitemate, but after she fucked Niyomi’s boyfriend, we stopped fucking with her.
“Excuse me? Denise’s brother. Why would Marcel,” Niyomi paused, and my eyelids shut, realizing I had said too much. “Marcel is gay?”
A deep sigh escaped, letting Niyomi know I was still on the phone. I didn’t owe Marcel anything. Honestly, he owed me, but I still struggled to answer her question, even if it was the truth.
“That’s why you called off the wedding and refused to talk about it. Marcel was with a man!”
“I would’ve called it off either way,” I tolerated many things I shouldn’t have, but male or female, it would’ve resulted in the same.
“Lo, why didn’t you say anything?”
