Page 60 of Loving a Libra
“I don’t think pursuing you was ever about revenge for Tariq. The nigga named a whole restaurant after you and you belonged to another whole nigga at the time. If you can change your mind, why can’t he?”
“Ugh! Why are you making so much sense?” I asked after processing her words.
“Because that’s what I’m here for. Call that man back before?—”
We were sitting on the sectional in my living room and heard keys unlocking the front door. Seconds later, the door opened, the alarm sounded, and Tariq walked in.
“What are you doing here?” I asked with an attitude.
“Welp! That’s my cue to leave. Think about what I said, bestie. Love you.”
She gave me a quick hug and disappeared before I could beg her not to leave me alone with this man. He locked the door behind her, then sat in her spot on the sectional next to me.
“What are you doing here?” I repeated.
“Because my wife and child are here.”
“We’re not married yet.”
“We need to talk. I gave you the forty-eight hours I promised, and you didn’t pick up your phone.”
“Technically, it’s only been forty?—”
“Devyn, stop fucking playing with me. I gave you two days, and now I’m here to talk this shit through.”
“Fine. I’m listening.”
I was in defense mode, so I folded my arms across my chest and waited to hear what Tariq had to say.
“I love you, Devyn. I would never use you for payback or revenge. It was never about that for me.”
“I asked you why you didn’t consider him a brother anymore. That was your chance to tell me everything. Why didn’t you?”
“Why would I? So you can assume exactly what you assumed?”
“If you’d said something then, I wouldn’t have been blindsided when Maurice said it. His words stung more because I didn’t hear them from you first.”
“You know my character, and you know his. If you allowed anything that nigga said to hurt you, then we have bigger problems. I didn’t tell you because it didn’t have shit to do with us. Who you gon’ believe?”
Ginae and Tariq were both right, and I was wrong. I hated being wrong, and I’d been proven wrong twice today. I sat with my thoughts for a few minutes, too stubborn to admit aloud that he was right.
“Your stubborn ass knows I’m right. I should be the one in my feelings because getting revenge is what landed you in my bed. We’ve talked about this, so I don’t know why you’re acting brand new.”
“Because the thought of what he said being true hurt my fucking feelings.”
“I’m telling you it ain’t true, so get out your feelings and hear me when I say this. I love you, Devyn, and know your stubborn, pretty ass still loves me. Next week, you will be my wife, and in a few months, you will give birth to my first child. We will live happily ever after, until the Lord sees fit for one of us to leave this earth. Is that the ultimate revenge? Hell the fuck yeah, but remember what I told you, baby. Two things can be true at the same time.”
Unbeknownst to me, tears rolled down my cheeks. I didn’t know it until Tariq reached up with both hands, cupped my face, and used his thumbs to wipe my tears away.
“I don’t know why I’m crying.”
“Because you’re a Libra, and admitting you’re wrong makes you cry.”
I knocked his hands away from my face.
“Shut up! That’s not true.” I disagreed, knowing nothing could be truer.
“It’s facts, but I’ll let you believe what you want. Listen, baby. I’m sorry I wasn’t upfront with you, but I genuinely believe I did the right thing. Can we get back to loving each other and stop this bullshit? I ain’t slept in two days because I missed you.”
