Page 11 of Terrez and Shalene
“Ex-wife, muthafucka. And the next time you use an elevated tone with me, I’m gon’ put my foot so far up yo’ ass this size thirteen gon’ crush your voice box. I don’t make threats, nigga, so this is your last warning. I should beat yo’ ass just for having a lame ass name. Who the fuck names their son Brevin? You were truly destined to be a bitch.”
Walking past my lil niggas, I made sure they were straight before telling Mike to drive Shalene’s car to the apartment complex. Surprisingly, she didn’t give me any push back when I asked her for her keys. When we reached my truck, I helped her inside as I kept an eye on Brevin. His expression had gone from mad to disappointed. I could already tell he thought Shalene was supposed to be sick and not move on from his ass, but she was proving him wrong. If she was willing to give me a real chance, I’d make her forget she even spent time with that nigga.
Chapter 5
Shalene
When my headhit the headrest in Terrez’s truck, I burst out in laughter. I was filled with so many emotions but all I could do was laugh. The way he just handled Brevin wasn’t what I was expecting.
“What the hell you laughin’ about?” Terrez asked as he pulled into traffic.
“Why did you tell that man he was destined to be a bitch? You do realize he had no control over his name, right?”
“I don’t give a damn. All I know is ain’t no nigga named Brevin about to be goin’ around Diamond Falls sayin’ I’m beefin’ with him. But I won’t lie, I thought you were about to take off on ol’ girl when she came outside.”
“The thought crossed my mind, but what’s the point? Brevin is the one I’m angry with. He’s the one pulling all the strings. Even if she does have a role in all of this, it’s still because of him that we’re here,” I explained.
When I saw the woman standing in the doorway of the house I once called my home, I thought I’d lose it. Some level of anger did consume me, but I didn’t feel half as bad as I expected. The woman I was when Brevin and I had first gotten married would’ve been inconsolable at the sight I’d just seen. Right now,I just wanted to go to my apartment and start the process of settling in. A nice bubble bath with a glass of wine sounded like heaven right now.
“You mind me asking what happened? What ended the marriage?” Terrez asked.
At this point, we were too far in for me to tell him to mind his business. This man showed up and helped me in more ways than one when he didn’t have to. There was also the curious part of me that wanted to explore whatever this was between us. Jumping into a new relationship while being freshly divorced didn’t seem right, but then again, who the hell cared.
“My mom passed away,” I said softly. “Our marriage was good up until that point. To make a long story short, I was beyond depressed and Brevin wasn’t happy. He was understanding at the beginning, but over time, things felt different. Sometimes I feel like if I’d tried harder to get my mental together, we’d still be married.”
“Don’t dwell in that shit too long. I ain’t never been nobody’s husband, but I know the title comes with challenges. You can take up for his lame ass and say he was there in the beginning, but the fact is, he never should’ve stopped. You lost your damn mother. Until a person goes through that pain, they can’t tell you how to grieve or when to stop. If anything, he should’ve been loving you harder.”
“I felt the same way at first. He really had me thinking I was doing the most for no reason. Pat had always been the one to tell me I wasn’t overdoing it, but she also never cared for Brevin either,” I admitted.
“It’s clear as day why she doesn’t. All men can be assholes, but he’s the type of nigga that be needing his ass whooped. He thinks shit’s sweet. I’m glad I followed my first mind and came to get you. I know you gotta co-parent with that nigga but keep his ass at a safe distance. I already know I’m gon’ have to beathis ass, but him fuckin’ with you won’t do shit but bring that day closer.”
Chuckling at Terrez’s statement, I turned to the window and watched as we drove through the city. Life was truly full of surprises. Had someone told me six months ago I’d be allowing another man to be so involved in my life, I would’ve laughed. For years, Brevin had me fooled. Terrez seemed like a different type of man, but I’d still be careful. I’d never give another man the chance to put me and my child in a situation like this. As we got closer to the apartment, the clouds came back out and it started to rain again. Terrez and I were now letting the radio fill the space of his truck while we dwelled in our thoughts. There were a few times I wanted to ask him what he was thinking about, but I had no energy to speak right now.
“Go ahead and go in but wait for me at the elevator. You can stay in my crib until my lil niggas done moving your stuff in,” Terrez said as he pulled to the front of the building.
I was about to speak when my phone rang with a call from Pat.
“Hey, Pat. Everything okay with Amayah?” I asked in a panic as I briskly walked into the building.
“Hey, sis, and she’s fine. She’s eating her eggs and sausage as we speak. I was calling to check on you. Did you get everything moved in?”
“Girl, it’s been one hell of a morning, but I’m waiting on the moving truck to pull up right now. Shit didn’t go as planned, so Terrez is helping me out.”
“Who is Terrez?”
“You remember…from the club last night. I told you he lived in my building.”
“Oh yes! That fine ass man. How did he end up helping you out? Didn’t y’all just exchange numbers last night?” Pat questioned.
Approaching the elevator, I stood to the side and watched the entrance door as I brought her up to speed on what happened. I hated that it seemed like my life always had some shit going on, but Pat lived for it. Instead of judging me, she’d find a way to make light of the situation and that was what I needed. I never wanted a lap dog or a yes man as a friend, but every little thing didn’t need to be turned into a teaching moment.
“I really hope someone beats the shit out of Brevin. I know that’s Amayah’s dad, but Shalene, that man has taken this to a whole new level. I’m sure that new bitch is why he put you out last night and I don’t like that,” Pat expressed.
“I know. But it’s funny because he had the nerve to try and explain the shit to me, like there could be a valid reason for any of this. It’s cool though. I’m out of the house for good and I’m never looking back.”
“There’s nothing for you to look back to. He’s a trash ass nigga and he deserves the trash ass hoe he’s with.”
Before I could respond, I saw Terrez walking inside with the other men following him, boxes in hand.
