Page 153 of Save Room for Us

“Before you go, I wanted to show you something,” he replied.

Turning around to face him, I asked, “What? Show me what?” I couldn’t have been any less enthused.

He reached inside of his coat and pulled out some medium-sized photographs before handing them out to me. I took a minute before grabbing them, seeing it was pictures of Asif and I when we were out in the parking lot after riding up and down Crenshaw that night.

“Who is that?” he questioned.

“What is it, Stazi?” my mother asked just before I handed the pictures to her.

“That’s my boyfriend, but you already knew that answer, Gabe, because I am sure Cedric told you he came to the hospital that day. A better question is, who took those fucking pictures?”

Chuckling, he said, “That’s neither here nor there. The point is you wanna pretend like you were being faithful, tried and true to my son, and he was this horrible person, when really, it was the opposite.”

“I started dealing with him after all of this.”

“Even still, you wasted no time.”

“Iwasted no time?” I pointed to my chest with a smile. “Your son couldn’t even wait to get out of our fake ass marriage to start something else up. This nigga just had a baby with another bitch whom he was fucking while still with me. So, excuse me if I am confused on why it matters who I am dealing with after the fact.”

“Because he didn’t shoot you.” Gabriel was seething, standing up abruptly as if he were about to strike me.

“Nah, he just beat my ass, drugged me, raped me, and tried to kill me on several occasions.”

“How long are you gonna tell that story? It’s not gonna get you out of serving prison time.” He scoffed.

“So, I never came to you well before I shot him, telling you he hit me?” I squinted, looking up into his eyes and reading him.

“Never.”

“Okay, look. Either you came here to see Sophie or you’re leaving. My house is not the place for you to get out your issues with my daughter.” My mom stood up, placing Sophie on her feet and then handing Gabriel back his stack of photos.

“Fine.” He put them away. “Let me, um, take Sophie for ice cream or something. I don’t wanna be around her anyway.”

“Only if I bring her and we meet you there,” my mother said.

He paused for a minute, scratching the stubble along his jaw before nodding to agree.

Ten minutes later and they were gone for ice cream, so I immediately called Asif. While those pictures weren’t incriminating because, like Bashar said, it wasn’t proof I had a relationship prior to the shooting, it was still weird to know someone was taking pictures and getting them into the hands of Cedric’s family. Someone was purposely trying to fuck me over, and I couldn’t think of who.

Jacinta was a thirsty, stalking loser, but I knew her, and she was way too scary and bougie to be chilling in the hood, snapping pictures. This had to be someone who was used to it, and Cedric was paralyzed, unable to move around much, so it couldn’t have been him either. Had Cedric been able to drive or do anything mobile, he would’ve been all over me by now. And Gabriel’s old ass being the culprit was laughable.

“What’s up, baby? I got a taste for some fucking chili fries.”

I smiled, loving the way he just talked to me about the most random shit. It meant a lot coming from a man who didn’t trust most people and was leery of everyone and everything.

“I can make some unless you want it from one of those spots like Tam’s.”

“Either one,” he answered, and I could hear that he was driving.

“Cedric’s father came over here to visit Sophie and showed me some photos of us… the night we were in that parking lot with all the nice cars and stuff. Who could’ve taken them?”

He chuckled but in an irritated manner before saying, “I know who.”

“Who?” I wanted to know.

“I’ll let you know another time, love. I’ll handle it. I’ll be done with shit by like nine. Food gon’ be ready by then?”

“Yes.” I rolled my eyes jokingly, though he couldn’t see, while still wondering who the fuck it could be, and why Asif knew off top?

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