Page 127 of In the Safety's Zone
“What is she talking about, Ashe?” My mother had the nerve to sound hurt but that wasn’t my issue.
“Yeah, Ashe, what am I talking about?”
“Some girl lying, probably trying to throw her off her game. Or that boyfriend of hers put them up to lying about me to make me look bad.”
This was the point of no return and I happily jumped across that line without a fuck to give. “I saw the photos of you at the doctor’s appointments with her. And ma, don’t play the victim now because you told me a long time ago not to bring trouble into your marriage. So, y’all handle that amongst yourselves. I’m done with this.”
I hung up the phone and for once I didn’t feel bad for being honest with my mother. For so long, I’d protected her feelings when she’d never protected me or mine. I needed to give Billy a heads up about my parents and let her know my father mighthave a bunch of people trying to get her to legitimize side deals he’d made. I also needed to tell Bobby about the newest sibling that I supposedly had. As it stood now, I had never been in contact with the first kid my father had with one of his mistresses but I was sure if the newest one got to talking all the secrets would come falling out of the closet.
Before I could get too caught up in being upset the doorbell rang and I was going to spend time with my friends and stop worrying about all the turmoil surrounding us.
“AP, you good?”
“What time is it?”
Given how groggy I was when he was speaking to me I knew it had to be late as hell. Since so many of the women had businesses to get back to we didn’t hang out for as long as we normally did. I’d let Anthony know I was probably going to be asleep when he got home and let him know about my parents calling. I cut the phone off and went to bed before I read his response.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No. There’s no changing them so I won’t waste my time. Enough about me, how are you doing?”
Instead of answering me he reached for my shirt hem and started to pull it over my head.
“That’s exactly what we’re not going to do. I might have shit going on but that don’t mean I’m not going to look after you too. You been carrying the load for both of us while I try to work out my feelings but that stops today. I ran you a bath because I figured you needed to really relax if you’re cutting off your phone and taking naps and shit.”
He pulled me up from the bed and lowered my shorts to the ground. “A bath?”
“Soak away your troubles. I ran and got all the stuff I thought you might like. I even double-checked with Sterling to make sure I didn’t fuck something up.”
And this is the man people thought I was going to give up. Must be smoking crack.
“That was really sweet.”
“I couldn’t go with you cause you wanted to do it on your own, but I for damn sure was going to take care of you every way I could.”
“I really love you, you know that?”
“‘Course I do. But I know that love is an action and I can’t just say it; I gotta show it. And I love showing you how I feel about you. So let’s get you in this tub I’ve never used so that you can take your mind off what just happened. And if that ain’t what you want we can talk about it. Just strip and let me fix what’s ailing you.”
“That normally involves your dick having some type of conversation with my anatomy.”
He smirked but didn’t stop undressing me. “I’m down for that too, but you can always get that. You need the space to feel how you’re feeling and know that you’re not going to get any kinda bullshit for it. I know what living with your emotions bottled up is like. It ain’t gone be like that with us. We talk shit out even when you’re pissed with me because I would prefer to know where I stand than to tiptoe. I know this shit with your people got you fucked up, but we not gone let it settle on you. We’ll feel it and then we gone shake it off, right?”
“Right.”
“Look at that tear escaping. Come on, I got you, Phro.”
He took my hand and led me back through the bedroom and through the double doors to the bathroom. The room was white,with subway tiles decorating around the sink and a large multi-head rain shower. The tub was full and the fragrance wafting up from the water was lavender and something else but it smelled like relaxation. When he said he never used the tub because he was always in one at the practice facility I laughed but realized that he had a good point. It was large enough to hold the two of us and looked different now than it normally did. The lights were dimmed and candles were set all around the edge. The tub was filled with bubbles and had a pillow on one end.
“You really are trying to win best boyfriend of the year award aren’t you?”
“I ain’t your boyfriend, I’m your man. This is real man shit, feel me?”
“I do and I see and I love it.”
He kissed my lips before he reached over for the hem of my shirt. “Good, cause my ass will be everywhere you are if you try to leave me.”
“Boy, people get shot talking like that.”
