“Okay, Mr. I Got Her, that sounds all cool and shit, but I ain’t moving until she tells me.” Xoey waved me off like I was annoying her ass and not the other way around. “Finish y'all conversation.”
“Xoey, I’m fine,” Legacy sighed. “You can go.”
Xoey nodded, then pushed off the wall. She mugged me and patted me on the shoulder as she passed me. “Not the 9-5 kind of nigga at all.”
I watched her leave, and then I saw Legacy shaking her head. “You can't react like this whenever someone says something to me.”
“I can and will if it’s a fuck nigga,” I replied with a shrug. “Now, take my fucking hand so we can go.”
“No,” she denied and crossed her arms. “I’m going back in there for the rest of this stupid ass release party, and you’re going home.”
“Excuse me?” I laughed. “You’re telling me I have to leave?”
“No,” she sighed. “I’m asking you to leave and calm down. Aceyn, this is my fucking job!” she pointed to the double doors. “Yes, I know it's yours, too, but we have different roles. I’m a player, a woman, fuck, a damn black woman at that. They are looking at me for any sign of weakness so they can exploit it, and you are giving it to them! You can't act like this and think it's okay!”
“I’m a grown-ass man,” I replied and mugged her. “How the fuck are you standing there trying to tell me how to act.”
“Because you’re not acting like it!” She scolded. “You are acting like a fucking child! You don’t have to like Mike or deal with him often, but his attitude toward me affects my job and the rest of the team. His job gives him the upper hand, and you know it.”
“Fuck him,” I spat. “That nigga can die now, and someone will step into his place.”
“I can not have my boyfriend or whatever you are to me acting like this and thinking it's okay.”
“Or whatever I am to you?” I laughed humorlessly. “Do you not understand we are locked in? Ain’t nobody else but us. We are fucking end game.”
“Then stop making stupid decisions!” she yelled. “Stop letting your emotions control you. Act like you have a fucking degree, that you know how to act in public. Not like a damn thug!”
“He can’t,” Michael choked out as he tried to get up. “That’s who he is. A fucking thug!” I turned around and kicked him in the stomach so hard he started choking again and dropped to the ground. I hit him with the butt of my gun in the nose and cracked his shit open.
“Damn it, Aceyn!” Legacy yelled as she pulled me away. “Get out!”
“What?” I stepped back and laughed. “You picking that nigga over me? You legit right now?”
“I’m picking me, Aceyn!” she yelled and pushed. “I literally said this is my job! And you’re still acting out. You aren’t listening! So just go!”
“Aye, if I go, I ain’t coming back,” I humorlessly laughed.
“That’s fine, Aceyn,” she sighed. “Just go.”
“Bet,” I said, nodding. Legacy turned her attention to Michael, and I let out a laugh. “Touch that nigga if you want to.” I grabbed her wrist.
“Let me go!” she said, tugging back, but I wouldn’t let her go. “Let me go, Aceyn!”
The door opened behind us, and I looked over my shoulder to see Givens and Pyrite walking toward us. “We cool,” I said, shaking my head.
“Nah, bro,” Givens said, shaking his head. “Let’s go. Let Pyrite handle this.”
“Nah, man, I’m good,” I laughed as Legacy continued to pull against my hold. I turned to her and dragged her to me. “Chill the fuck out.”
“Then let me go,” she bucked back. “Now!”
“For what?” I questioned her. “So you can go check on his weak ass? Fuck him.” I looked down at her and gave her a smile I knew didn’t reach my eyes. “Do you realize how fucking much I love you? I’m not about to play with your ass about this shit. Let’s fucking go before that nigga brains is scattered around this room.”
“If you don’t get your psycho ass on,” Legacy said, shaking her head. “This shit was not worth all this.”
“What shit?” I said, getting pissed. If she was talking about us, we would have another set of problems.
“This, all of this!” she finally pulled her wrist from my grip and mugged me before turning to Pyrite and Givens. “Please make him leave.”