Page 68 of Surrogate For My Best Friend’s Man 2

“It means you keep making fucked up decisions because of how you feel in the moment, then crying when that shit comes back on you.”

Damn, even Grandma made a little noise behind me. “Mmm.”

I turned around. “Whose side are you on?”

Grandma raised both hands. “I ain’t in this, I came for towels.”

Malik smiled but I wasn’t amused. “So that’s it?”

He looked at me. “That’s been it.”

My throat tightened. “Malik…” I pleaded.

“I loved you, Shante.”

That past tense damn near took my legs out.

“I can’t trust you.” He shook his head. “And after what you just did? You showed me I made the right decision.”

I looked down and he stepped around me. Then he stopped beside Grandma Lorraine. “How are you doing, Grandma?”

Grandma looked at him. “I was doing better before y’all turned aisle twelve into a damn episode of Maury.”

I covered my face and Malik laughed. Then Grandma looked at him. “But taking all the girl’s forks was some petty shit.”

Malik shrugged. “I bought ’em.”

Grandma’s mouth fell open. “You see what I’m talking about?”

Malik started walking away and Grandma yelled behind him. “You could’ve left her two!”

He raised his hand without turning around. Grandma looked at me and I was standing there fighting tears. She pushed the cart toward me. “Come on.”

I sniffled. “Where?”

“To get your ass some forks and after that, we’re getting ice cream because you just got your feelings hurt in Target.” She started pushing the cart. “At least he didn’t take your appetite.” I followed behind her, wiping my face. “And next time you see that man with another woman, mind your business.”

I sucked my teeth. “Whatever.”

“I’m trying to help you.”

“I don’t need help.”

Grandma looked into the cart. “Baby, you came in here with one towel and no forks.” She kept walking. “You need all the help you can get.” I couldn’t even argue with that.

MALIK

Iain’t even make it out the Target parking lot before my phone buzzed with a message from the chick Brandy telling me not to call her no more and that I had too much drama. Shit, I wasn’t, I ain’t known her long enough to give a fuck!

She was cool, but we had only been talking for a little minute. Today was actually the first time we had hung out outside of a few conversations here and there. And then Shante came through and blew that shit up in less than five minutes. I pulled out of the parking lot, still pissed. Not because ol’ girl walked off. I was mad because Shante had embarrassed me on purpose.

She saw me with another woman and immediately went into territorial mode like she hadn’t been the reason we weren’t together. Talking about we got twins on the way. Bitch knew damn well them wasn’t my fucking kids! But I wasn’t about to sit around replaying the same shit she’d done. I had spent enough time being mad about it. What had me fucked up was seeing her. I hadn’t been around Shante since I packed my shit and left.

Pictures didn’t count, phone calls I ignored didn’t count. Seeing her standing right there in front of me was different. Her stomach had gotten bigger. For a second, I damn near forgot everything. My first instinct was to ask if she’d been feeling okay, if she’d been eating. Then I remembered that wasn’t my job anymore. That was the fucked up part about cutting somebody off after being used to taking care of them, your feelings didn’t shut off just because the relationship did.

My phone rang through the truck. I glanced at the screen before answering and it was my other homeboy Troy.

“What up?” I answered.