“Hello?”
There was a brief pause. “Who is this?”
“You called his phone.”
There was another pause, but shorter this time. “Navy?”
“Your baby daddy showed up at my house so drunk he can barely stand.”
Her breathing changed and I could tell. “Why is he at your house?”
“That is the question you need to ask him when he wakes up.”
“What did you do?”
I laughed, but there was no humor in it. “What did I do? Ashley, I was in my house minding my business when he started kicking my door.”
“He doesn’t even drink like that.”
“Which should tell you what kind of condition he’s in and not you telling me something you think I don’t know about my own husband.”
“Put him on the phone.” She demanded.
“He’s unconscious.”
“Then wake him up.”
“I will not.” I giggled somewhat enjoying messing with her head.
“Navy!”
“And while you’re over there worrying about what I did, you need to keep this dog on a leash.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. I hope you don’t think you won something besides a headache, because this is what your prize looks like. Drunk, laid across my couch, while you call his phone asking me questions.” I ended the call. The phone immediately started ringing again. I silenced it and tossed it onto the chair with his jacket. “Both of y’all can go to hell.” I said aloud.
I called Bill next, but he didn’t answer. I tried again and still nothing. I sent a message telling him Rome was drunk at my apartment and needed to be picked up immediately. I sent theaddress and then I placed my phone on the counter and stood there trying to decide what to do.
I didn’t trust Rome enough to leave him alone in my living room while I slept behind a closed bedroom door. Drunk or not, unconscious or not, too much had happened between us for me to relax with him inside my home. I grabbed the other throw blanket from the chair and settled onto the far end of the sectional, leaving as much space between us as possible.
Rome didn’t move but his phone continued lighting up across the room, Ashley’s name kept flashing again and again before the screen went dark. I pulled the blanket around myself and stared at him. Annoyance kept me awake at first and then exhaustion began tugging at my eyes. The shopping, the massage, the emotions from Tasha’s news, all of it took over me at once.
I must have dozed off because the next sound I heard was my own phone vibrating against the coffee table. My eyes opened slowly. The apartment remained dark except for the candles, but their flames were smaller now, with pools of melted wax gathered around the wicks. Rome was still asleep as I reached for my phone and saw Lev’s name causing my heart to drop.
I glanced at Rome before answering quietly. “Hello?”
“I need to see you,” was all he said.
His voice was low and direct, with none of the sleepiness I felt. “Right now?”
“Yes.”
I sat up, tightening the blanket around me. “It’s not really a good time.”
“Why?”
I looked toward Rome. “Well, Rome showed up drunk. I’m waiting for somebody to call me back and come get him.”
