Page 16 of Hooked on Loving Him

An undetermined time later…

What the fuck am I doing over here?

“Hey, fam bam. Next up is an oldy but goodie on this hour of the quiet storm. This is your boy, Ralph Tresvant,” theNew Editionband member says, echoing around the silent interior of my vehicle as my eyes stare straight ahead.

My eyes are burning, yet I can’t pull myself away from the sight before me. My jaw clenches, and my hands become ashen from clutching the steering wheel. My mystery wife is standing at her door as some tall nigga with a bald head grins in her face while trying to caress her cheek. On the other side of the complex, Honesty is rubbing her hands up and down some nigga’s chest while smiling like a fool.

*bzzz*

Unconsciously, I tap the button to connect the incoming call without the presence of my eyes. “What’s good?”

“Where are you at, bro? Sassy is lying by your front door with tears in her eyes and shit,” Jawaan asks.

“Trying to imagine how committed I need to be to making choke sandwiches for the next five to ten,” I say as my chest tightens upon seeing dude gently push my wife into her crib before smiling wide while following her inside.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I fight the urge to get out of this vehicle and make this busta ass nigga leave not only the complex but the area.

“Bro, where the hell are you at? Do I need to meet you somewhere? What the fuck is a choke sandwich?” Jawaan asks back-to-back questions, reminding me of his presence on my phone.

“Why are you asking so many questions, nigga? What the fuck do you want?” I ask aggressively as my body temperature increases while a haze of clouds dances in my eyes.

“Who’s rank pussy is resting in your beard, causing you to snap at me, bro?” Jawaan asks with humor heavy in his tone.

Feminine laughter pierces the vehicle, forcing me to shift my attention to Honesty, whose legs are now wrapped around the nigga struggling to hold her.

“Nigga needs to spend more time in the gym, and he wouldn’t be looking like he’s seconds away from risking his impending nut,” I grumble, shaking my head at the sight before me.

“All right, bro. You’ve got less than ten seconds to let me in on what’s going on before I track your location,” Jawaan says.

“I’m on my way to the crib,” I say as my mood darkens when my eyes return to the closed door of my woman, as my imagination causes my psyche to spiral into a trainwreck.

While you’re sitting here, I bet that nigga is fucking your woman while she rubs his bald head. When he’s done, he’sgonna kiss her perfect lips before they go to sleep in each other’s arms. Your bitch ass deserves it for letting the nigga go in the house. To top it off, your jump-off is about to end her night with the next nigga while you drive home to let Sassy sleep at the foot of your bed.

Mom. Mom. Please come back.

Jumping out of my sleep, I sit up as the weight of Sassy’s body causes my legs to tingle due to my inability to move. Grabbing the bottle of water from the nightstand, I quickly untwist the cap and take a generous drink of the room temperature liquid. My dry throat is grateful for the moisture as my hand trembles lightly. My heart is out of sync as my chest pinches, and my pulse thumps erratically. Sweat coats my body like a glove, causing my tank top and pajama bottoms to cling to me like Velcro. I’m struggling to return my heart rate to its normal rhythm as the vision of Mom’s bloody body hovers on the surface. Placing the now empty bottle on the table, I grab my phone and dial a number as ringing pierces the quiet bedroom.

“How can I ease the burden, Kayshon?” Letitia’s sleep-heavy voice sounds through the receiver when the call connects after four rings.

“Coming over here to fuck this shit outta me isn’t an option, so you tell me,” I say as emotion mixes with desperation, deepening and hardening my delivery.

“What the fuck did he say?” A deep, raspy baritone sound in the background lets me know that Letitia also has the call on speaker.

“Oh shit! My bad, bruh,” I say apologetically.

“Go back to bed, honey. I’m gonna take this to my office,” Letitia says sweetly before I hear rustling, alerting me of her leaving the warmth of her bed.

Rubbing the back of my neck, I grimace at the knowledge of pulling Letitia out of her sleep to deal with my issues. Looking at the clock on my table, I note the time.2:09 a.m.

“Am I about to regret providing you with my cell phone number?” Letitia’s voice hits the air an unknown time later, causing me to avert my gaze from the phone.

“I hope not. My bad, Letitia. I didn’t even consider the time when I hit you up. I just—” I pause to swallow the lump in my throat as a lone tear slips from the corner of my eye. “I feel like I’m losing my mind, man.”

“Can I make a suggestion that won’t cause you to cuss me out or dismiss me?”

Tingling at the base of my neck and the wrinkling of my nose pushes me to forge into the unknown of what Letitia will say next.

“Okay.”

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