Bad as in Good by J. Lovelace

Author:J. Lovelace
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Strebor Books

CHAPTER 23

Tariq

Two years ago…

I grew soft. When I caught Deja wit’ another dude, I was strong. I was able to kick her out and change the locks without a glance back. She’d fill up my missed call log, and I’d clear my history with no remorse. With Simoné, I felt pity. I accepted her apologies and looked past her discretions. In the back of my mind, I realized there was more she hadn’t told me, but somehow, I was drawn to her like moths to a flame. She burned me, and I couldn’t help but get burned again. Things did get better, though. I stopped questioning her whereabouts and her shady behavior dissipated. My confidence in our relationship was unrelenting, and lucky for her, it blinded me.

I worked late a lot. Today, I needed to come home early. Thursday was my late day but I was tired. Employees were fuckin’ up, and the last guy who had my job ain’t know what he was doin’. I needed peace of mind, and I could find it at home wit’ Simoné. Since I was never home early on a Thursday, I wasn’t used to the afternoon air. It was thick and sat on my skin like a hand-knit sweater.

“Hey, Riq.” My neighbor walked out his front door wit’ his toolbox. He popped the hood of his car and sat the toolbox down on the ground. “It’s so hot out, ain’t it?” He wiped his forehead and turned to his car without my response.

I nodded and stood at my front door, sure that I would be walking into a home I was used to coming home to. My day was fucked, and I needed my woman to rejuvenate me. As sure as I was, I couldn’t shake the muggy feeling left on my skin. The humidity sat on me as if it were tryna keep me away, warn me about what lay ahead. I ignored it. I unlocked the door and walked into an empty living room. Then, I heard the shower running.

I sat on my couch and slid off my shoes. As I loosened my tie, I pictured my neighbor working on his car. I could hear him bang out the dents in his car and grunt as the weight of the heat and hard labor bore down on his shoulders. At the same time, I winced when I heard the sound of the pipes rattling as the shower ran. I had to call a plumber, but Simoné didn’t want to spend the money. With the sound of my neighbor’s labor and the rattling pipes banging, my senses felt numb. Still, I was used to hearing it, so I paid it no mind. I stood up and walked to the bedroom. Bang. Bang. Bang. As hectic a day I had, my neighbor’s car troubles and my rattling pipes were the least of my worries.

When I walked into the bedroom, I fixed the tussled covers on my bed and unbuttoned my shirt. Bang. Bang.

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