Page 38 of Krash & Bern

“Who are you texting?” Mama asked as she sat down beside me and glanced at my phone screen.

I locked the phone and laughed. “Dang, nosy!”

“I am. Now answer the question. Who has you laughing and smiling at the phone screen?” she asked with a smirk.

“Bernice is texting a man?” Aunt Clarice asked.

“Nosy One and Nosy Two, can y’all get out my business, please?” I rebutted.

“We haven’t seen you with a man since Krash,” Mama reminded.

“It’s about time you let your family into your love life. We want you to find your person and live happily ever after,” Aunt Clarice added.

“Funny you mention Keyshawn…” I bit down on my bottom lip.

Mama’s grin spread across her face to show all her teeth. “Aww! Y’all are back together!”

“No!” I shouted immediately. I shook my head vehemently. “No. We’re just talking right now. It’s a funny story, actually. I did an install at his house, and the next day, he pulled up to the headquarters with my favorite chocolate and flowers.”

Mama placed her hands on her heart and tilted her head. “Aww!”

“So, he’s the one who has you smiling more.” Aunt Clarice giggled.

“He’s been very consistent with his approach. He asked me out on a date, but I’m not sure if I should accept or not.”

“Bernie, both of you are wiser and older now. You’re not a teenager anymore. You’ve lived life and have your career mapped out to the T. Now, where in your plan do you have time set aside to fall in love and create me some grandbabies?” Mama’s question floored me.

“Well… Um… I don’t have any time set aside to fall in love. I’ve only ever had my eye on being successful in my career.”

As the words left my mouth, a queasy feeling settled in my stomach. Putting my career in the forefront was how I was supposed to protect my heart. Even at my lowest, I never let my bad personal life interfere with my goals in the tech world.

Even when that man beat my ass until I was barely unconscious, I still pushed through. I couldn’t let the outside world know how damaged my mental was, or they might have used that as an excuse not to support my business. A battered and abused woman couldn’t possibly be the face of the number one security company in the country.

“Speaking from a woman who has had failed marriages,” Aunt Clarice began, “you should want to be with someone who can take every season of you. The sunny days, the stormy days, the gloomy days, and every day in between. A man who can’t see you through every day is not the man you should be with.”

Aunt Clarice didn’t understand just how true her words were. Visions of my ex played through my mind as I tried desperately to push them away.

It was a year after I’d graduated. I was a few weeks away from the soft launch. I’d been stress eating like crazy because the end was near, and I didn’t want to fail.

Rodney had been working extra shifts to pay my parts of the rent, and he’d become more irritable. I tried to give him his space, but lately, it felt as if he’d been searching for an argument.

Sprawled out on the couch, I ate a bag of Flamin’ Hot Popcorn while I watched the next episode of the anime I chose to binge. The main characters were in a battle in the woods and were throwing their best combinations at each other.

The front door swung open, and Rodney emerged. His tall, thick frame had been the first thing to attract me a year ago. He was light skinned with tattoos on his arms, chest, and calves. He had his hair in cornrows with a thick beard to connect the look.

“The fuck are you doing, Niecy?” he asked with an attitude in his tone.

I frowned. “What does it look like?”

He didn’t respond, so I popped a few pieces of the spicy kernels into my mouth and turned back to the show.

Smack!

The sting to my cheek made me drop the bag of popcorn and stand up with fear coursing through my veins. “What the fuck?”

“I come home from a long day of work to a dark house with my bitch watching cartoons. Where the fuck is dinner at? You sit around this fuckin’ apartment with your depressed ass mood swings, stuffing your fat ass face. I work hard to pay these bills while you play on computers all day.”

His words stung. “Dinner is in the microwave… I cooked when I finishedplaying on the computer.”

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