“I wasn’t telling you where to live.” His eyes stayed on mine. “I told you where you ain’t going.”
My eyes dimmed just as the words left his mouth. “Do you hear yourself?”
“Every word.”
“Vice, that is my apartment. I can’t leave out this hotel. It’s nice and everything, but I can’t stay here.”
“Was… That was your apartment.”
“No. It is. I pay rent there. My name is on the lease. My things are there.”
“And somebody who ain’t paying rent walked in without a key, shut the cameras off and left a bullet on your counter.”
“I know what happened.”
“Then act like it.”
My irritation rose immediately. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“Yeah, I heard you. I’m just giving you a chance to fix it.”
Vice leaned back against the couch and studied me for a second. “You think I’m trying to run your life.”
“That’s exactly what you’re trying to do.”
“No. I’m trying to keep you from doing something stupid just because you don’t like being told what to do… I’m tryna keep you alive and you taking this shit as a joke, and it’s starting to irritate the fuck out of me… Somebody threatened you, Shawty. They know where you live, where you work and what you looklike. They got into a building you thought was secure without anybody stopping them.” His voice never got louder, but the more he spoke, the harder it became to argue with what he was saying. “That’s enough for me to know going back there ain’t smart.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “So what am I supposed to do? Live in your hotel forever?”
“No… Find somewhere else.” I frowned. That wasn’t the answer I expected, but I didn’t say anything as he leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. “You don’t want me making decisions for you? A’ight. Make one.”
“What?”
“Find somewhere else to live.”
“Just like that?”
“Yeah.”
“You know people can’t just move every time something happens.”
“You can.”
“You don’t know my finances.” He didn’t say anything. Huffing out a heavy breath, I added, “I just moved into that apartment.”
“I get that… I really do, but you know like I know these mothafuckas ain’t playing with you. I can’t tell you what to do, and I’m not trying to.” He rubbed a hand over his jaw before letting out a quiet breath. “But like I said, going back there ain’t smart.”
I dropped my head because, deep down, I knew he was right.
His voice softened.
“If that’s what you wanna do, I ain’t gonna stop you.” I looked up at him. “But hear me when I say this.” His eyes locked on mine. “I’m not coming to save you from a decision you already know is a bad one. You know damn well you don’t need to be there.”
The words stung because they weren’t said out of anger.
They were said because he was worried.
