Page 24 of Spending Forever With You

This time I spoke up.

“Naw we good.” My tone was firm and direct, letting both of them know where I stood.

“We need help with proving domestic living without the court knowing he added me to accounts and deeds in recent weeks.”

“Oh, that’s easy. That can be done by word of mouth from family and friends you trust enough…no, that love y’all enough to lie. Get written statements or sworn statements from everyone who's known y’all over the last ten years. Well, longer looks best.”

“Can you help with that?”

“Yes. I can notarize each statement. Just let me know when you have them. Anything else?”

I looked at Hollis who shook her head.

“No, Nas. That’s all. Thank you, girl, for both this and the restraining order.”

“Heffa, get off my line and stay out of trouble.”

“Are you sure we can trust her?”

Hollis kissed her teeth as she rolled her eyes.

“Yes. Don’t let her demeanor fool you. She’s a beast and loyal. Consider her family. I’m sure she’ll draft her own statement for us. I can’t believe you don’t remember her. She was always around like Johnni. Hm.”

We got quiet as Hollis continued to move around her room, throwing clothes into her suitcase.

“Oh yeah. I forgot after a while you were never around to meet anyone. It’s a miracle that you remember me enough to know we were once married.”

“We’re still married, Hershey, and I could never forget you.”

“And yet you did when you never called.” Without anything else to say, she headed out of the room, leaving me standing there, stuck on her and the fuck ups I made that cost me everything important.

She was right though. I never called. She called and left a message that she was filing for the divorce and I said nothing. I didn’t know what to say nor how to react beyond giving my love whatever she wanted, even if it meant she didn’t want me.

I was young then, not understanding I should’ve fought to keep her, to keep us.

Things were different now.

Two hours later we made it to my house in Chandler Heights. I brought her suitcases in while Hollis gave herself an unofficial tour, picking out her room between the three options up here, including the junior suite since I was in the master downstairs. That was one of the perks I loved about this house.

“What’s your Wi-Fi password?” she asked as soon as I made it upstairs. She was standing outside of the junior suite.

“Is this the room you’re taking?” I disregarded her question, not waiting for a response as I made the decision if she hadn’t. I had forty minutes before I had to get to practice. I rolled her suitcases behind me with Hollis following, still asking about the Wi-Fi password. After I put them by the closet I walked over and grabbed her phone.

Pure shock took over her beautiful face. Hollis gasped at my actions, unmoved for a second until she began fighting me to get it back. I held my arm out, keeping her at bay.

“Yo, calm down. I’m just putting in the password. Trust me, ain’t nobody trying to see no pictures. I’ve already seen everything anyway.” I watched her face burn with fury. Her dark brown eyes turned into slits and I swear the color red overtook them. I shouldn’t have found so much pleasure from the whole scene, but I couldn’t hide my grin while I typed the password in. I made a quick detour to see what she’d saved me under. A quick glance in the call log had my chest pulling as I glanced at Deke next to my number.

“I wouldn’t give a damn if you did see some shit. I’m single and grown. And you ain’t seen everything. This a new body.”

I was satisfied so I passed her phone back.

“Married and grown. Here, and don’t be watching no porn on my shit either. This is a holy household,” I spat as I handed over her phone then walked out of the room with her hot behind me.

“Holy, my ass. You could’ve just told me what it was. It must be a girl’s name or something.”

Yeah, yours.

The password was her name. When I set it up, the tech suggested making it something no one would guess. Of course back then she came to mind. We had been divorced for five years at that point, so I knew no one would think she was still on my mind.