Page 8 of Session 25

“Marcel,” her tone changed also. “I-” shuffling on her end could be heard. “What? What is going on?” I heard Koi asking someone. “Marcel, I gotta go.” The call dropped.

I hit the steering wheel in frustration. The unknown was pissing me off. Before I drove off defeated, I spotted Koi’s mother and stepfather running out of the building in the direction of the park. I cut the ignition off, hopped out, and walked around the truck when Koi was coming out of the building, her bag slung over her shoulder.

“Take me to the hospital. It’s Rika!” I didn’t know how to react. There was no way I was going in that hospital with Koi. All I could see was the drama unfolding right in front of my eyes without proof.

“Koi, go home, I will update you!” Her mother shouted. She stomped her feet, puffed out her cheeks, and walked swiftly to the car.

“You’re lucky, take me home, asshole.” The breath I didn’t know I was holding was released. “And don’t say shit to me.” She pulled her door closed before I could close it.

“I gotta get this shit fixed,” I said to myself, jogging around to the driver’s side of the car.

Koi went straight to the master bathroom, slamming and locking the door behind her. Not sure how to proceed, I grabbed a bottle from the bar and a cup, then sat in the living room. Basketball showed on the television, but my mind was so far gone that I couldn’t even focus on the highlights from the game the night before.

My phone hadn’t rung since I had told off Stacey, but I knew it was only a matter of time before it would start buzzing with the bullshit. Curious, I wanted to see what the fuck was going on with Rika, but that shit was messy as hell. I turned the bottle up to my lips, dismissing the glass I had set on the table.

“You act like you the one who getting fucked over.” She sucked her teeth. “Just like a guilty ass nigga. I’m telling you now, Marcel, if you bring me any drama or baggage, I’m going to kill you and that bitch!” She cut her eyes at me. The black silk robe against her caramel complexion made my dick rise. Koi was more than enough in the bedroom, yet I always found myself fucking her over, and while I didn’t have a definite answer. I continued to follow my dick and not my head.

“Can I talk, or am I supposed to still stay quiet?”

“Sleep in the other bedroom. I can’t even look at your ashy black ass.”

“You dragged it, I ain’t ashy, shit, I used that coconut oil you swear by so…” my voice trailed off as she went back to the room, slamming the door harder than it needed to be. “What does she want?” I questioned. “A vacation? Maybe a vacation will fix this rift in our relationship.” I went back and forth with myself until I lay back on the sofa, bottle tucked by my side.

The next morning, I lay in bed racking my brain around how I allowed this nigga that much power over me that I couldn’t simply walk away. The women were there. The rumors were no longer just that; there was evidence, and yet, I was laid up in our bed, wrapped in a white sheet, blaming myself over again for his infidelities. Part of me called myself weak, while the other part said this was it. Walk away. Yet, my mind said maybe this time was the last time.

As stupid as that all sounded, I didn’t stand on business. Marcel knew any and every way to win me back, and I followed suit without giving it much thought. However, this time I needed to be sure and serious. The call still had my heart dancing in the pit of my stomach. A hospital and a damn woman. If he had given me something, I’m gonna scream, I thought.

“Hello,” I moved the pillow from over my head, sliding the answer prompt on my phone.

“Rika may die!” My heart sank to the pit of my stomach as I listened to my mother sob into the phone. Rika and I weren’t the closest, but I would never wish death on her messy ass. Yea, she was into some questionable shit, but that didn’t mean she deserved to be on her deathbed.

“Ma, how? What happened?” I finally found my voice. “Where are you?”

“I’m at the hospital with Belinda still.” She sniffed back the tears. “Just meet me at my house. I need to go shower and sit down for a minute.”

“Okay.”

Luckily, I had the day off. I didn’t know how I’d be able to focus on work with all the shit going on. I ended the call, sitting up in bed immediately feeling the headache from the amount of drinking I had done yesterday. Deathbed, I thought. “What the fuck?” I pulled the covers off me, rubbing my head. Stuck, I must have had Marcel worried.

He tapped me on my shoulder, calling out my name. I wasn’t aware when he came in the room since I had locked the door, but hearing him shout and nudge me on my shoulder pulled me from the trance I was in. The tears pooled in my eyes before I mouthed the words, she’s dying.

“What? Who?” By now Marcel was sitting on the bed with my hands in his. “What is going on?”

“Rika, Rika is on life support.” The look of horror on his face couldn’t be missed. “This is…” I stopped talking, my voice caught in my throat.

“Shit. Did they say how? What happened?” Marcel hopped up from the bed. “Nah.” Was all he said before he left the room. I heard him talking on his phone, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying. Mumbling, then a shout and back to mumbling. Whoever he was talking to clearly had him going off.

With the little bit of strength I mustered up, I dragged myself out of bed and into the bathroom. The onset headache and queasy stomach had me moving slower than usual. “Fucking hangover, I’m too old for this shit,” I mumbled to myself, pulling open the cabinet in search of a pill.

“You going to your mom’s or the hospital?” I jumped out of my skin at the sound of Marcel’s voice.

“Why would I go to the hospital if she’s on life support? Don’t piss me off further than you have, Marcel!” I turned around swiftly, giving him the death stare.

“Well, shit, my bad. I’m just trying to move on your time.” His soft expression would have moved me if he wasn’t on bullshit yesterday, but today I didn’t care.

“My time?” I squinted my eyes. “My time means, get the fuck from around me, Marcel. You’re lucky your dick is still attached to ya’ body.” I gave him my back, cut on the sink water, and grabbed my toothbrush.

Any other time I would have given in by now, but today the hurt was still heavy on my heart, and with the news I had just received, I didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with him and his shenanigans.