Page 57 of One Good Reason

“I promise. I need to pick ya’ brain ‘bout a few things.”

“Okay bet.” I breathed a sigh of relief. I had too much on my plate dealing with Talitha so right now I wasn’t capable of adding much more.

“Yeah ain’t shit. I’m just trying to see when a good time gon’ be for me to come down.”

“You know my door always open, Preme. You ain’t gotta have a reason to come kick it with ya’ big brother.”

“I hear ya’. I did wanna tell you that everything with me and Drix a go.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

“Everything go good for y’all? You accomplished what you needed to?

“It went aight. I got a few people that’s willing to help if that’s what you’re asking.”

“How’s your companion? She having a good time?”

“Shit!” I laughed. “If you call giving my ass the silent treatment a good time, then yeah, her ass having a blast.”

“What you do, Dutch?”

“Fuck everybody keeps asking me that shit for?”

“Who else asked you that?”

“Poppa ass. And to answer your question, I didn’t do shit. She stubborn as fuck.”

“You one to talk. Yo’ ass stubborn too. Whatever you did Dutch, fix it. You can’t go into business and the two of y’all not getting along.”

“Unless you getting ready to tell me the reason you called, we ain’t got nothing else to discuss.”

“You did something. That’s the only reason yo’ ass tryna get off the phone.”

“Goodbye Sincere,” I rasped and ended the call.

Whatever he had to say must not have been important enough cause he would’ve said it when we were on the phone, or he would’ve called back when I hung up. As long as nobody had gotten killed or the police wasn’t after them, I would sit back and wait for him to come to me with whatever it was. If it was something concerning our mom, I didn’t wanna hear shit unless she was about to pass away.

Tossing my phone back down on the bed, I stood and walked out of the room. I needed a shot of something. When I walked into the living room, Talitha was sitting on the couch with her feet tucked under her, staring at the blank television screen. Mymind was saying press on and let her be, but my heart was saying give it another shot.

My heart won the battle. “Are you okay?” I quizzed and took a seat on the arm of the couch. If she gave me the silent treatment, I wouldn’t hesitate to let her know that I was here to talk whenever she was ready to get things off her chest. Other than that, I was going to politely go on about my business and let her stew in her feelings.

CHAPTER 14

Talitha

All day today, I had been a bitch toward Law. If Gema knew how I’d acted, she would make me apologize. I knew that was the right thing to do but me doing that would result in me opening up about my issues. We didn’t know each other well enough for me to air my dirty laundry out in that manner.

However, I knew I owed him some type of answer which is why I answered his question. “I have a thing with control.”

“Meaning what?”

“With sex,” I uttered. “I have to be in control. It’s the only way I’ll feel like it’s by choice and not force.”

“Me testing you made you freeze up?”

“Not freeze up. It made me feel like I was handing over something.”

“Can I ask you something? If it’s too personal, you don’t have to answer. If you do answer, know that I will not judge you. I won’t pity you or anything.”

---