Page 8 of Rocky

“Leave before I call the police.”

He looked at the hand that was covering his eye, and blood covered the inside.

“You bitch!”

When he reached over the counter to try to grab me again, the door swung open, and Rosemary entered.

“Nigga, get the fuck away from my sister before I bash your head in!” she yelled while swinging an aluminum bat she kept in her car.

Blood dripped from Deacon’s eye down the side of his face. He reached up to wipe it with the back of his hand, keeping the other eye on Rosemary.

“We were just talking,” he lied.

“Conversation is over. Get the fuck out,” she demanded.

“Goodbye, Deacon,” I said.

He looked at me angrily as he walked backward toward the door.

“Remember what the fuck I said. You got until Monday.”

We watched as he stormed out, hopped in his car, and sped off.

“Are you okay?” Rosemary asked, rushing behind the counter.

“I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? I can see his handprint on your neck.”

My hand went to my neck, and I gently rubbed it while replaying what had just happened.

“I’m good. I should’ve expected his ass to show up after our conversation yesterday. He’s pissed because I enrolled Briar in the new center.”

“Oh, he finally realized it?”

I nodded. “He finally decided to pick him up yesterday and called me talking shit when they told him he was no longer enrolled.”

“Fuck him. I wish his ass would just disappear.”

“Don’t say that, Rose.”

“Why not? Briar is damn near invisible to him anyway.”

“True, but that’s still his father.”

Rosemary shrugged and rolled her eyes. “Is that what you call him?”

“I keep hoping that one day Deacon will wake up and do right by his son. Having an active father is just as important as having an active mother.”

“I agree, but not when the father picks and chooses when to be one. Let’s not mention how he treats the woman who made him a father.”

Rosemary was right, but I still hoped Deacon would be the kind of father Briar needed one day.

“We have a few orders to put together for afternoon pickup. Let’s get to work.”

“You always change the subject when anyone brings Deacon up. Do you still have feelings for him?”

“Ugh! Absolutely not. Why would you ask me that?”

---