Page 23 of Fraudulent Beauty

“Keep Tahli’s name out your mouth.”

“Got damn boy it’s like that?” Nook’s voice rose an octave. “How you turning on me for somebody you met through me?”

“Let’s get something clear. I’m not turning on you. I’m choosing to keep my distance ‘cus yo’ ass is miserable and on the verge of crashing out. You wanted to leave Sheniah, and you did that. Now every time I turn around, it’s a hating ass comment, shade, or you just doing flat out hoe shit. What you did at her birthday dinner was lame as fuck, and I’m telling you that as a friend. It doesn’t have a fuck ass thing to do with being pussy whipped. And if what I’m saying pisses you off then that’s what it is. I’ll be here when you get your mind right.” I fully expected Nook to either hang up on me or to go off before hanging up, and I didn’t care about either one.

“You’re right. There isn’t shit else I can say because you’re right. People tried to tell me not to leave Sheniah, but I wouldn’t listen and now, she doesn’t want shit to do with me. I see why Clint’s ass wanted a roommate. This nigga is always late with his half of the bills. I’m sick of this shit already.”

I sat and let Nook vent because that was all I could do. I didn’t have any advice to give him. I couldn’t read Sheniah’s mind, but if I was a gambling man, I’d bet she didn’t want him back. Nook damn sure couldn’t live with me. I didn’t do roommates, and I only had two bedrooms. One of those belonged to Sierra.

“What you gon’ do?” I asked.

“There isn’t really shit I can do except leave. I’m going to give him like three months to get his shit together but after that, I’m out. If Sheniah won’t take me back, I’ll just get my own crib.”

“You think Clint is gonna be cool with you moving out?”

“He doesn’t have a choice but to be. He was already moving in this apartment before I even considered being his roommate. His name is the only one on the lease. We agreed to split the bills, so I will give him a few months to prepare to do shit on his own, but I really don’t care if he’s cool with it or not.”

Nook mentioned us playing pool later, and I told him about the situation with Sierra. He knew how Gina was, so he wasn’t even shocked. When we got off the phone, I ate my food and prepared to run an errand before picking my daughter up. I wasn’t even mad that I got sent home from work early. I actually would have been fine with a few more days.

Four days after her arrest, Tahli moved into her new apartment. Sheniah swore that if Tahli killed her for giving me the address, I better arrest her for it. She felt guilty about pillow talking to Nook, and she wanted to ‘fix’ the situation with Tahli. After opening the door, Tahli peered at me through narrowed lids. She looked around as if she expected someone else to be with me.

“I’m going to kill, Sheniah,” she gritted.

“Her only request if you kill her is that I arrest you.”

“I bet you’d love that,” she smirked before pivoting and walking away.

“Tahli,” I called out to her, and she paused for a few seconds before turning around.

Walking over to her, I hoped she would be receptive to what I had to say. “I’m sorry. Maybe I overreacted, but seeing you in handcuffs isn’t something I wanted to see. Neither was jeopardizing your job. It’s possible that I overstepped, but I don’t care about you breaking the law. I care about what happens to you if you’re caught breaking the law. You get that?”

Tahli released a deep sigh. “I do, and I don’t want anything that I do to ever make you look bad or cause you to lose your job. Did you get in trouble for hitting that jerk?”

“Nah, I didn’t actually. I’ve had it out for him for a while. Please believe that he would have gotten hit sooner or later whether it had anything to do with you or not. He’s a piece of shit and a proud racist. I complained about him a while ago.”

“Yeah, and you aren’t the only one. I actually talked to a lawyer, and she did some digging. That man had ten formal complaints issued against him going as far back as two years ago, and he hasn’t so much as been suspended up until he got fired. I’m suing the department. Even if I don’t win, it is what it is.”

I didn’t give a verbal response. Gripping Tahli’s chin, I leaned in and placed a soft peck on her lips. “I miss you.”

After kissing her teeth and rolling her eyes, she mumbled a response. “I kind of miss you too.”

“Word?” I grinned before snaking my tongue into her mouth. Sierra’s maternal grandmother was picking her up from school and keeping her for two days. Still holding onto Tahli’s face, I kissed her like I had indeed missed her. The kiss became so deep and passionate that she moaned into my mouth.

“You ready to meet my daughter?” I pulled back and stared into her eyes.

“You want your daughter meeting a criminal?”

“Chill out,” I sucked my teeth.

“The day that I got arrested, I did”

“I don’t care, Tahli. I mean I care, but we can talk about that later.”

“Nooooo, we can talk about it now. I didn’t do anything. I literally got arrested because that dick found the fake ID. So, the guy I used to get checks from, he was in the mall that day. Apparently, they knew the card he used was stolen, but they still let him out of Sak’s with the merchandise with their dumb asses. This mother fucker saw me, shoved the bags in my hands, and asked me to hold them while he used the bathroom. By the time I realized what was going on, his ass was gone, and the mall cop was up on me thinking we were working together. I didn’t do shit, but all in all, it’s my fault for still having that damn ID.”

My jaw muscles ticked as I processed what she said. “What’s that nigga’s name?”

“All of that will be handled in court. I’m telling the truth in that courtroom and nothing but the truth. The fuck nigga didn’t even call to see if I bonded out of jail. It’s all good though. I was already going to stay away from him, but this just sealed the deal.”