B00BNB54RE EBOK (16 page)

             
I was a little nervous as I rang the doorbell. I don’t know why I didn’t just use my key or the garage door opener, but I didn’t. I still felt like that was my home, but for some reason I wasn’t feeling comfortable enough to just barge in. I waited for him to open the door with baited breath. I was nervous, but I was prepared for whatever happened between us.

I held my breath as the front door swung open
and then for the second time that week I thought I was dreaming.

I blinked my eyes rapidly as my pupils adjusted to the wet image of Dallas smiling at me with evil eyes! The woman I hated with a burning passion equal to the heat of the sun was standing in
my
house in a fucking thong bikini!

             
Once I knew that Angelique was at the door, I made my way to the front with my beer in hand and my shirt off. I didn’t expect her to just pop up. I figured she would call first to test the waters over the phone. I should have known that her bold ass would show up in person to talk. After days of no communication from her she chose the fine time to start a conversation.

“What the fuck is she doin’ here?!”

Angelique busted through the door storming pass her arch enemy. She had a look of pure disgust on her face.

Dallas closed the door. “The question is what are you doin’ here bitch. Don’t you have a new nigga?”

Angelique whirled around and lunged at Dallas, but I caught her by the waist before she could make contact with her closed fists.

“Let me go!
Let me go! Get off me Tyce, I’m gonna kill that bitch!”

She squirmed in my arms making me drop my beer bottle on the floor.

“Calm the fuck down!” I carried her into the front room and plopped her on the couch. “If anybody’s gonna get violent in this bitch it’s me! I need you to calm down.”

Dallas sneered at Angelique as she sauntered into the room with my bottle in her hand.

“Here you go baby, you dropped this.” She gave me the bottle and stood next to me.

Angelique ran her fingers through her long hair and sighed heavily.

“Somebody better tell me what the fuck is goin’ on before I pop my trunk and start shootin’!”

Angelique was dressed for a fight in jeans and a red sheer T-shirt. She had a black bra underneath
, but her red heels were kicked off and her bare foot was bouncing up and down rapidly.

“What is she doin’ here Tyce? What the hell is goin’ on? She’s supposed to be in jail!”

Dallas was enjoying the confusion that her sudden appearance was causing. She soaked it up a second before she cleared the air.

“I
was
in jail, but Tyce got me a high powered attorney and he was able to prove my innocence. So your little plan of settin’ me up for murder didn’t work. He found video surveillance of me at a night club. The time I was there and the time that the D.A. was murdered didn’t match…so they had to let me go. Of course they asked me how the body got in my trunk and of course I figured Tyce put his ass there, but I would never snitch on my man. I knew he was only tryna make you happy cuz it was all your idea.” Dallas smiled.

Angelique looked up at me. “When did you get this bitch a lawyer?”

At that point I felt like I didn’t owe her anything, so I laid it all out.

“I felt bad about settin’ her up. I never lied to you about my feelings for Dallas. You knew I was iffy about the whole thing. I thought back to when I was locked up and I couldn’t live with myself if I did that to an innocent person.” I took a sip of my beer.

“She did it to me! She locked me up! She set me up!” Angelique pointed at Dallas.

“And I got you out too. I ain
’t sayin’ she was right. She was dead wrong, but that don’t mean she should rot in jail. How can I put anybody behind bars after all the shit I’ve done? You two were innocent and you framed each other. I done killed tons of niggas and did plenty of dirt and I’m walkin’ around free as a bird. I can’t have it on my heart that a woman is locked up and I had somethin’ to do with it. I helped her get out of jail for me…not you.” I poked my chest muscle.

Dallas twirled her hair around her finger. “He loves me.”

“Shut the fuck up!” Angelique snapped.

“
He does and he knew you wouldn’t like what he was doin’. That’s why he had his partner Peck make the final payment to the lawyer, drop off beautiful flowers to my door step and he had him drop off the deed to my very own beauty shop. I came over today to tell him I forgive him for settin’ me up and then yo hoe ass showed up.”

The door bell sounded again breaki
ng up the confessional session.

“There’s my Chinese food. I
t’s about time.” Dallas strutted off toward the door switching her ass east and west.

Angelique fought back tears as she watched Dallas leave the room. I could tell
that she was more distraught more than angry. She was hurt that Dallas was in the house with me and back in my life.

“Tyce
, I can’t believe you. How could you do me like this? We have a daughter. We have a family,” she pleaded from the couch.

I threw my Heineken against the wall and it shattered into a million green pieces.

“Did we have a family when you was fuckin’ Thad?! Did we have Khari when you were suckin’ his dick?! Yes we did! When I found out you were creepin’ around with that nigga, I almost threw up! I was at home
takin’
care of
our
daughter when I found out! Where were you?!”

Angelique buried her face in her lap and finally let the tears fall. Her shoulders shook as the emotions leaked out on her thighs.

“I’m so sorry baby. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. Please don’t do this to us. I’ll do anything to make it up to you. I’m so sorry. I love you Tyce.”

My emotions were all over the place. In the past I was careless when it came to relationships. Which means I could
care
less
if I was in one or not. That time I felt her pulling on my heart strings and I didn’t like it.

“Why’d you do it?” I asked
softly. “Why you cheat on me?”

Angelique looked up with red eyes. “I don’t know! I don’t know! I thought you weren’t listening to me. I thought you didn’t wanna marry me
, or you didn’t care how I felt about things. I was jus’ frustrated and he came at the right or
wrong
time I guess and I jus’…fucked up. I fucked up.” She rubbed her tears away.

Dallas walked back into the room munching on a spring roll just in time to see Angelique crying.

“Thad came back into your life when I sent him. I paid that broke ass nigga to date you. You remember when we liked each other once upon a time and you told me you used to date him? Well guess what I planned in jail? I planned to show Tyce what kind of woman you really are. I gave you some rope and you killed yourself bitch.” Dallas adjusted her top. “I may have been a well-paid hoe in the past, but I guess you were the real hoe all along.”

Angelique’s mouth dropped with shock and so did mine. I never knew she was behind the whole relationshit with Thad. Inside I was silently giving Dallas props for a job
well done. She did some shit I would do myself. Instead of coming at her enemy directly, she chose to lay a trap and let her snare herself. The way Dallas went about it showed she’d matured and at the same time it opened my eyes to what Angelique was capable of when she got a little dissatisfied.

“You dirty cunt.” Angelique’s jaws clenched.

Dallas waved her spring roll in the air. “Why you mad at me honey boo boo. I didn’t make you fuck him. I didn’t force you to put his ashy dick in your mouth. All I did was put him in the game and you played yourself. It was your stupid ass decision to choose him over Tyce. I would never do no shit like that. I told you from the gate I was the best woman for him. I’m who he needs to be with, not you. Tyce is my man…and don’t you forget it.” Dallas slapped her leg. “I almost forgot! I got a lil’ present for you in my bag. I figured you might show up, so I packed it before I came over here.”

She jogged out to the patio and returned with a small blue box in her hand. She popped the rest of the spring roll in her mouth and winked at me.

“What’s that?” I tried to read the words on the front.

“Well, when you mentioned that your baby mama had a lil
’ powder problem I went to Walmart and bought a home drug test.”

Angelique shot up from the couch.

“If it’s the last thing I do I’m gonna watch you die. I swear on my daughter I will choke the life outta you.” Angelique was shaking with fury.

“Stop with all the threats.” Dallas tossed the box on the couch cushion. “Jus’ pee in the cup. If you’re not a coke head…prove it.” She folded her arms across her breasts.

It was déjà vu to me. I couldn’t believe what was taking place in my living room. It was just like the scene in the kitchen when Angelique fronted on Dallas with the pregnancy test. I had to give Dallas props again. She was definitely bringing her A game to the table.

“I’m not about to pee in no fuckin’ cup! I don’t have to prove anything to you!”

I stepped to her. “What about me? Do you have to prove anything to me? I think you do drugs, soprove me wrong.” I pointed at the blue box.

I could see the wheels turning in Angelique’s head. She was backed into a corner and trying to figure a way out.

“Bitch be real. If you like coke jus’ say it. I tried it a gang of times myself and I liked it. Do I do it now? No, but if I did I wouldn’t hide it, especially not from my man. It took a measly five thousand dollars a week to get you out the picture. Thad was my employee and I know from hangin’ around him that he’s a fuckin’ tweaker…and so are you.” Dallas pointed an accusing finger at Angelique.

A look of defeat spread over her face. Angel
ique was angry and embarrassed.

“Yes, okay, I do coke.” Another tear streamed down her cheek.

My heart sank. In the back of my mind I knew it, but to hear her admit it was a blow to my soul. I could deal with the occasional high times, but she was way pass the casual user stage. She was a heavy habitual user and she needed help.

“I need help. I thought I had it under control
, but I was wrong.” She stepped toward me. “I’m sorry I disappointed you. I’m sorry I lied to you. I’m sorry for everything Tyce.”

“Sorry is a boa
rd game bitch.” Dallas taunted.

“You can get that at Walmart too.”

Angelique snapped her head in her direction. “Tyce isn’t always gonna be here to protect you, so I would watch what I say,” she warned.

Dallas flipped h
er hand in a non-caring manner.

“You ain’t never got to look hard to find me. Wherever he is…that’s where I’ll be.” She pointed her finger at my bare chest.

Angelique huffed and darted her misty eyes toward me.

“So she’s movin’ in now is that it? You’re jus’ gonna kick me out. Ya’ll supposed to be together now or somethin’?”

I shook my head. “I’m doin’ me now. Me and Dallas aren’t a couple. Unlike you, I don’t move on that fast. I got a lot to think about, but I’m not the type to leave loose ends.As far as me and you are concerned…I’m done. I don’t wanna string you along, or anything. I’m at the point where I don’t even trust you to wash my socks, let alone be with you. You’re the mother of my child and I respect and love you the same. But after all the shit you pulled…I don’t wanna be with you. I don’t even know if you’re still seein’ that nigga or what. I know you probably went over there after I fucked him up. I still care about you and I still love you. That’s why I want you to go to rehab and get your mind right. You need to focus on you right now.”

Angelique sniffed. “I don’t want him. I never did Tyce. I don’t even know why I fucked with him in the first place. I want you. I wanna be with you, here, in our house.”

I cleared my throat. “I can’t even go there with you right now. I don’t know why, but Gloria was right. She told me that a woman deals with being cheated on better than a man does. At first that shit didn’t make sense to me, since cheating is cheating right? But now that I have to deal with it and feel the sting, she was right. I got a nasty ass taste in my mouth. My heart is broken, and I keep seeing you fuckin’ his bald head ass every time I close my eyes. This shit is fuckin’ me up. If the nigga wasn’t barely famous I would’ve murdered that fool. And now I’m supposed to jus’ take you back. Shit, sperm can survive in the pussy for like a week; it’s only been three days. You still probably got that nigga’s weak ass sperm floatin’ around in you. Shit miss me with that bullshit.”

Angelique grabbed my hand and squeezed it tight. She tried to ignore Dallas grinning like the Joker less than six feet away.

“I know I hurt you and I regret it with all my heart. I’ll do whatever it takes to regain your trust. Jus’ promise me you’ll give me that chance.” She gazed up at me searching for some sign of hope in my eyes.

I pulled my hand away. “I can’t make promises like that.” I turned away and headed for the kitchen, but I stopped at the entrance. “You need you to get what you want and I’ll store what you don’t get. Tomorrow morning I’m gonna set you up in the best drug treatment center in California. I’ll text you the details and if you’re really sorry like you say you are, you’ll take your ass down there bright and early.”