“I know… I have to be transparent; I don’t know how to get out of this. I want to but I don’t know how.”
“Just leave.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“How it’s not?”
“Because.” She sighed deeply. “Listen, my father used to be in this organization that he was like… a very important figure until he left. They didn’t accept outsiders. Therefore, me and my sisters had to marry someone within the organization. It was a way to protect not only The Legacy Mafia but our own family as well. The mafia doesn’t really support divorces unless a person feels their life is in danger. That’s why I say it’s not that simple.”
“Okay, well, tell them that nigga is beating on you or some shit,” Braye fussed, annoyance evident in his tone.
“I can’t lie.”
“Yes, the fuck you can!” he snapped, pushing her out of his arms and sitting up. “Yo’ ass been lying all this time so what’s so different now? How long we’ve been doing this shit, Calia? Far too long for you to keep giving me the same damn excuses. I can’t keep putting my life on hold for you.”
Cali quickly sat up, facing him with so much worry on her features that she looked to be in distress. She understood Braye’s frustration. He wanted her all to himself, and she yearned for the same. But she was in a marriage with a man she wasn’t deeply in love with. There were no divorces in the mafia unless she had a valid reason. Not being in love wasn’t a rational choice to end her matrimony. She needed something else.
“What are you saying?”
He rubbed his hand down his face, pushing out a breath of frustration. “I met somebody else.”
She gasped, covering her mouth to stifle the cry that was on the verge of spilling from her lips.
“And you’re ready to end it all for her? Really, Braye? Just like that? You met some other bitch and now we’re history?”
He chuckled condescendingly. “You got some nerves when you were just riding my dick, wearing another man’s last name.”
That shot almost caused her heart to stop but Cali remained poised. “It ain’t been a problem all this time, so don’t bring that shit up now that you got another bitch!”
“Listen, I gave you enough time to get your shit together. I love you. Me and you been locked in for over three years butas a man, I need more, and you can’t provide that for me. The woman I’ve been seeing is…” He paused and licked his lips. “She’s good to me. I like her. She’s got her shit together and we been vibin’ lately. I guess, I’m ready to see what she’s about since ain’t shit moving with us.”
It felt like someone had a gun at Cali’s head, threatening to blow her brains out. Life had always been an obstacle course for her. Nothing came easy. She had to either deal with what she had or settle for what someone else gave her. She never had a choice. Being a middle child was already such a hard task, especially when she was in between an overachiever and a successful dancer who was highly sought after. Being a software engineer was a career Cali settled for. Marrying Rio was her settling and being pushed to have his baby was another choice she didn’t have a say so in.
Braye was a man she had chosen for herself. No one had consent in the love between her and him. They were the only factors involved. She couldn’t let this go. It was her escape from her actuality. He brightened every gloomy day she had. When it was a sunny day, Braye added more sunshine into her life. Cali didn’t think she could go without her true love.
“Do you think you’re really in love with me, Calia? Or is this a thrill when you need to get away from your real life?”
Cali’s lips parted, praying her mouth could translate for her heart.
“You’re more than a thrill, Braye. When I met you, I felt something that I had never experienced with another man. Yes, you were attractive but there was something else about you that I was drawn to. You were very kind and not just to me but other people as well. Whenever I’m in the hood, people speak so highly of you. They praise your character and to me, that speaks volumes. You took time to really get to know me and that hasn’talways been the case.” A simple gesture as getting to know things about her had stood out because it wasn’t often that people attempted to peel back her layers. “Initially, I thought this was a dopamine rush, ya know. Like a feeling that would disappear just as quickly as it came. But the love is here, and I don’t ever want it to leave.”
He stared at her, prompting her chest to tighten because she didn’t know what he would say.
“I feel the same way, baby. That’s why I need you to make a choice before I’m forced to leave you behind. I don’t wanna look up and ten years done passed by and I’m still sneaking to meet you at a hotel. You feel me?”
“Okay.” She exhaled, trying to keep the logic in the conversation. “I understand your frustration, Braye. I get it. What do you want me to do?”
“Make a choice.”
“Between you and my husband?” she asked, knowing the answer.
“Yeah.” He got up from the bed, wearing only his boxer briefs. He walked out the room and five minutes later, he pushed a cart inside. Their food had arrived, and Cali’s appetite had somehow vanished.
Braye resumed sitting on the side of the bed while propping his tray on his lap. How could he eat when Cali was rotting on the inside? Her heart didn’t even thump to a normal rhythm now that he had given her a direct order to make a choice.
“I’ve been patient, Calia. Initially, I didn’t give a fuck about you being married because I didn’t expect us to really vibe with each other like that. But my feelings are involved. Shit,they’ve been involved, and now I’m ready to either take that next step or move on. It’s quite simple.”
Their eyes were in a standoff as Cali’s chest deflated. Living without Braye wasn’t an option. The tie that was knotted in their souls couldn’t be untangled. Cali’s existence would be low valued if he wasn’t a part of her world. His request wasn’t easy, but she had to do it.
