Page 89 of Duke

My cell rings and I miss the nail hitting my thumb instead.

“Fuck!” I bark answering the phone.

“Duke… man…”

“What up Smith?”

“You bailing on me again for that podunk town?”

“Jesus, I know. What else can I do?”

“Put an end to this shit.”

“I can’t. It’s not that simple. I can’t make choices for her. It’s been done to her too many times.”

He grunts. “You need to decide where your life is at brother.”

I hold my head in my hands. He’s right. I left this town twenty years back. I got a good thing going. I can’t play housewife much longer. The road is calling me. My life is backing home. But hers… is still here.

“I’ll call you tomorrow with my ETA.”

“Sure thing brotha.”

I don’t want to think what this means for my relationship. She’s gonna have to choose soon. I swallow hard, hoping I’ve proved to her I’m a man worth leaving everything for.

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