Page 54 of Another Constant

“What changed?”

“Everything. You asked for a break and made a baby. You let me know that this wasn’t what I wanted or needed. Then I met him. I can’t allow myself to be roped into what I don’t want. I don’t want this,” I responded honestly.

“And if we wouldn’t have taken a break, would you feel this way?”

“Probably not but not only did you manipulate me, cheat on me, and make a baby on me, you expect me to just take you back because you feel like you wanna be with me. Go to hell with all of that.” I shook my head.

“I never chea?—”

“None of that matters anymore because I moved on. And I’m happy. I wish the same for you.”

“Who is he? Somebody you been had around? You played with my feelings. You never intended to forgive me, did you?” He glared at me in a way I had never seen. His face was bunched up, brows knitted together tighter than a yarn sweater. He was pissed.

“I did. Then you had a baby. A constant reminder that I wasn’t enough for you. I wouldn’t dare allow myself to resent a child who didn’t ask to be here behind a man who didn’t think enough of me to wrap it the fuck up.”

“Harlem. This could hav?—”

“Yo, I have heard enough of this shit. My sister is done with your square ass, now let it go and keep it moving. From what I hear, you got a baby to be preparing for.” OA’s voice made me dip my head around Zax. There he stood, at six feet three, against the snug doorway with irritation radiating off his being.

Zax turned around and his attention went to OA. He then extended that sweaty ass hand of his. “Oh, what’s up, OA? How you do?—”

“Get your ass up outta here before I beat your ass in here. I told you if you hurt my sister that was what would happen.”

Zax jumped, pulled his hand back, and looked from me to OA. “It’s a misund?—”

“Get ghost. Now don't come back here.”

Zax did as he was told immediately, peeping that nothing he could say would calm OA down, and not only that, but I wouldn’t be calling him off. When it was just OA and me in the room, I felt his eyes, letting me know something was on his mind.

“Are you talking or staring? Mama taught you that wasn’t polite, didn't she?” I asked, hating to be under his heavy eyes.

He chuckled. “How long have you been messing with Kinga?”

“For a minute. Why? How do you know him?” Since we were in the questioning mood, I figured I’d get mine out there as well.

“In the business I’m in, I know a few people. How did you meet him?” He moved around my office, taking in the photos he had seen a million times before. This was his way of avoiding my eyes.

“Getting my car fixed. Why does it feel like I’m under interrogation? You wanna tell me what’s up?”

He finally turned to face me then shook his head. “Nothing to tell. I’m just tryna figure out how you went from one side of the spectrum to the other. Square to… Never mind. Do you know what you getting yourself into?”

I shrugged. It wasn’t a matter of knowing what I was getting into. Shit, I had already gotten into him and I knew my ol’ infatuated ass wasn’t going nowhere unless he gave me a reason to. “No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”

He shook his head. “Ol’ smart mouth ass. Ain’t nothing I can say, just be safe and be aware of what you getting yourself into.”

His eyes held what his lips wouldn’t utter. OA wasn’t the type to tell me what to do or not but he wasn’t the type to say I told you so either. I saw many similarities in OA and Kinga, so many that I wondered what OA actually meant. Did he speak from experience, seeing as how he’d put Rose, his girlfriend before Toya, through so much between his street dealings and the other girls.

“Does he know you my sister?”

“Uh… I don’t know. I don’t go around throwing my brother’s name out. What is with you men and y’all’s names? Who y’all supposed to be?” I laughed my question off, knowing damn well names held weight.

OA laughed. “Yeah, aight. Anyway, Toya is throwing a party for your nephew. She wants us all to be there and claims my sister ain’t responding to her messages.”

“’Cause I ain’t. That’s your broad, OA. I’on much like her and she doesn't like me either, no hard feelings. For my nephew, I’ma show up, but she acts like I gotta chill with her or be friends with her to be in his life.”

OA laughed. “You know how she is. Shorty just be tripping.”

“Yeah, she does, and like I said, I love my nephew, but I’m not dealing with all that. You said it yourself, she does too much. Talk to her, OA. I wanna be at my nephew’s party but I’m not kissing no ass.” I really didn’t like Toya at all, seeing as how she started out as my brother’s side piece while he had a girlfriend. The situation was so messy but I steered clear, because as much as I liked Rose, I didn’t respect that she allowed him to have other women while they were together. She followed that dumb ass “he knows where home is” ideology, and in the end, it bit her in the ass. OA proved to have afewhomes.

---