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“I don’t know. I embarrassed myself and Kerem. The look in his eyes when I got in that cab scared me a little. I’ve never seen him look at me like that. He was mad and hurt. I wanted him to feel a drop of what I’ve felt, but it doesn’t feel good being the one inflicting the pain,” I confessed.
“Imagine how he feels. I know that this situation is tearing him up too. He’s trying to make it right, but y’all are experiencing a series of unfortunate events. You know in your heart that he didn’t know that girl was going to be there. The day was going well other than her popping up, though?” Robin asked.
“Yes, he made me smile the whole day. He’d planned out everything perfectly from my favorite foods to chairs and a blanket. I was happy that I’d agreed to it until I saw her.”
We sat and talked a while longer then Cam drove me home. I didn’t know what I was going to do next. Kerem hadn’t called, or text and I didn’t call or text him. I guess he was so upset with me that he didn’t care if I made it home safely.
I entered the code on the door and stepped into the house. I put my purse on the table near the door and kicked my shoes off.
Rounding the corner, I saw the silhouette of a man. I almost panicked until I realized who it was.
Kerem
“Kerem!” Keeva shrilled when she found me sitting in the living room. “You scared me!”
“Come have a seat,” I motioned to the couch in front of me.
When Keeva got into the cab, it felt like all hope was lost. I was pissed at her for jumping to conclusions, but I was also pissed at myself for causing all of this ruckus in the first place. I’d seen her pull some stunts since we’d been together, but throwing that lemonade and then getting in the cab was out of character for her. She was the one that could slice a person open with her words. She’d say something so hurtful and vile that you’d be questioning your very existence for years to come. I didn’t like that something that I’d done had caused her to step out of her character.
I’d planned on going back to the rental to lick my wounds and start to contemplate life without Keeva in it. Then I decided that I wasn’t going to let one setback mess up years of hard work. I was going to fight for my marriage until Keeva told me to stop. I parked my car at the rental and walked to our house. I knew that she didn’t go home, but I didn’t care if I had to wait all night, I was going to talk to her.
She accepted my offer and sat on the couch.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I’m here because this afternoon was really messed up,” I began.
“That’s because…” Key started.
I held up my hand, “Let me finish. This afternoon was really messed up because of things out of both of our control. I had no idea that she was going to be there. You have to know that it is true. You know that I have never lied to you. If I would’ve come home that night after the situation between me and her happened and you would’ve asked me, I would have told you the truth.”
“You came home to me that night?”
“No, you were out of town taking your certification tests for the centers,” I admitted.
She sat back on the couch. I could see her brain working, but she didn’t say anything.
“I’ve replayed this afternoon over and over in my mind while I sat here waiting for you to come home. I thought I’d never seen you act out of character like that before, but then I remembered Niquetta Sterling that I went to high school with. I remembered that you attacked her at the bowling alley because you thought that I liked her. You didn’t call her one of your made up names that you call people to hurt them like a dick smack or a pussy pimple, you actually tried to put your hands on her. You admitted to me later that you were intimidated by her because you thought that she had my attention, which she didn’t, but you thought that she did.”
“She said you asked her to prom,” Key explained.
“I found out later that she told you that. What did I tell you that day? Do you remember?”
“You promised me that no female would ever take your attention from me,” she answered then wiped the single tear that fell from her eye.
“Yep and I meant it. Then I reneged on that promise, didn’t I? I let a female come in and redirect some of my attention. Can I be real honest with you, Key?”
She nodded.
“Tara never had my attention. There isn’t enough substance to her for her to compete with you for my attention. You know what she had for a brief second? My time. I had some free time and gave it to her. Was that right? Hell no. I admit that and I apologize…I repent. Let me tell you something. She ain’t got shit on you. Shit…look at me when I say this, Key. Look into my eyes because you can tell if I’m bullshitting…”
She looked at me.
“She. Ain’t. Got. Shit. On. You. So stop worrying about what she has that you don’t. The answer is nothing. Don’t be intimidated by her. She is intimidated by you. I’m sorry.”
I sat silently, waiting for her to respond. She wiped her tears with no regard for her makeup. I got up and retrieved her makeup towel from the bathroom. I handed it to her when I returned to the front room.
“Thank you,” she said as she worked on removing her makeup and wiping her tears.
