Page 21 of Tension

“You good?”

“Yeah… yeah. We were just⁠—”

“Why you explaining yourself?” Brian cut in, his voice loud enough to pull attention. “We were handling business.”

I raised an eyebrow, my hands clasped in front of me. “Was I talking to you?”

Chris sighed. “He’s opening a new account to try to get his own place. I’m just helping him get on his feet so he can move out of my place.”

“You his caseworker now?” I kept my tone even, but I did not sugarcoat a damn thing.

“Nah, but she is my woman,” Brian said, stepping closer.

Chris immediately moved between us, closer to me than to him. “Nigga, I ain’t shit to you. I don’t want you, and I damn sure don’t belong to you.”

“Then why you still running errands like we together? Baby, you know you not going nowhere.”

He tried to step closer to her, but she moved back toward me.

“I feel bad for you. That’s it. That’s all.”

She moved her hands like she was trying to wipe him out of her life.

I looked between them. Chris was shaking, anger rolling off her in waves. Brian’s jaw was tight, like he wanted to fight me but knew better.

“You fucking this nigga?” Brian snapped, his eyes dropping to my hand.

That was when I realized my hand was on her waist. I had done it without thinking, just trying to steady her. They started arguing again, voices overlapping.

“He’s a friend,” she said through the noise.

That sat wrong with me. And in that moment, I knew I did not need to make this my problem.

“This ain’t my business,” I said, stepping back. “But you deserve better than this, Honeydew. From this nigga. And from yourself.”

“Honeydew?” Brian questioned. “Y’all got pet names and shit.”

I looked at Brian.

He walked away like he was trying to gather himself.

I did not need to say another word. He got the message.

I looked at Chris one last time, then walked away.

I could feel her watching me as the arguing continued behind me.

I wanted to drag her out of there, but she had to want it for herself.

I knew she’d go back to that nigga, and I knew better than to try and help someone who couldn’t help themselves.

CHRIS

We barely made it inside before Brian started yelling. My apartment still smelled like smoke. No matter how much I had cleaned it.

“So that’s it? You really done with me? All because of that nigga?”

I didn’t answer. I had been done with him for a long time.