Page 91 of Obsessive Love

“Okay,” I nodded. “Love you, Xoey.” I don’t know why I told her, but I did. Maybe because no matter how much she got on my nerves or drove me crazy, she was my only constant since being brought here. Xoey was unpredictable but loyal. I wasn’t even mad at her for letting me believe that Pyrite had a girlfriend because it was something that only she would do. “You get on my nerves, but I love you anyway.” Xoey’s eyes got big in surprise, then filled with tears before she blinked them away and nodded.

“Love you, bestie,” Xoey said, then turned and walked away.

I walked out of the kitchen to search for Pyrite. The party was still in motion, but everyone associated with Pyrite’s teams was missing. I went to the back door and pushed it open. Pyrite sat on the curb; his arms rested on his knees, and his head bowed.I sighed, already hating that he was hurting. I approached him and sat on the curb next to him.

“Hey,” I said softly.

“Hey,” he lifted his head and responded. His eyes were filled with tears. “I just need a minute.”

“I know,” I nodded. “Xoey told me what was going on.”

“I figured she would say something,” he gave me a lopsided grin and chuckled. “That girl can't keep her mouth shut.”

“She doesn’t mean any harm,” I said and shrugged. “She’s trying to help.”

“I know,” he nodded. “Which is why we don’t get mad at her.” He turned his attention to the parking lot and sighed. “Since we met, she has been trying to help. Sometimes, the shit works; other times, it doesn’t.”

“In her mind, it always works.”

Pyrite cut his eyes to me and lifted his brow. “You know how her mind works?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I barely know how my own mind works; stepping into Xoey’s is not where I want to be.”

“Same,” he said, nodding. “Same.”

Silence enveloped us, and we allowed it. We were both lost in our thoughts. Pyrite was mourning his friend’s mother, who he had a relationship with. I was stuck in the realization that I wanted to be with Pyrite, despite his craziness.

“Pyrite?” I softly bumped him with my shoulder to get his attention.

“Yeah, Itty Bitty,” he replied without looking at me.

I put my hand out, palm up. “Let’s go home,” I said.

Pyrite looked at my hand and then up at me. He gave me a soft smile, took my hand, and nodded. We got up, and he put his arm over my shoulder. Then, we walked to the car. Everything was packed up already, and the clean-up team knew to takeeverything to the storage for the bakery, and I’d check it all tomorrow.

An hour later, I was walking out of the bathroom, freshly showered and ready to go to sleep. Pyrite sat on the edge of the bed in a pair of ball shorts and a durag on his head to protect his hair. He had a blunt in his hand, and even though I knew he smoked, this was the first time I’d ever seen him do it. I climbed into bed, crawled to him, and wrapped my arms around his body. My face rested on his back, and I listened to him breathe.

“I don’t know what to say to Hood,” he said, then took a pull of his blunt. “I never lost a parent.”

“Tell him the truth,” I said. “Tell him that you’re there for him and will always be.”

“Shit sounds easy,” he chuckled lowly.

“Because it is,” I shrugged. “Your friend just needs you to be his friend right now. He will forever be grateful, even if he never says it.”

“How do you know?”

“Yamari’s mama died five years ago,” I replied. “I didn’t know what to say to her, so I just sat with her. No words, no judgment. She screamed, cried, and mourned, and I sat there with her. Anything she needed, I got. I slept on her couch, waiting for her to leave her room. And she did; it took her a month, but she did.”

“Alright,” he said, nodding. “I can do that.”

“I know you can,” I said, then kissed his back. “You’re a good man, even if you do crazy shit.”

“I ain’t that bad,” he said, chuckling. I lifted my foot to show him the ankle monitor, and he kissed his teeth. “You ain't ever going to let me live that down, are you?”

“No,” I laughed. “Never in a million years. Not even when you take it off; I’m pretty sure I will have a permanent scar or something to remember it.”

“You ain’t gon’ have no scar.” He ran his finger across the strap and shook his head. “It ain't even tight.”

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