Page 8 of Bern and Isley
“Why didn’t you tell me about it?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I was just excited to see you’re out. I didn’t want to talk about my financial struggles. It’s no big deal.”
“Fuck that, it’s a big deal to me. You need your own transportation so you don’t have depend on a soul to get you where the fuck you need to be. How much do you need?”
“I’m okay, Bern. I don’t need your money… I’ll have it by the end of the month.”
“Isley B. Tell me how much you need.”
“Eighteen hundred dollars,” she answered reluctantly.
“Aight bet. I’ll bring it by here in the morning.”
“Bern, you don’t have to do that. Seriously.”
“Isley, I’ll bring you the money in the morning. Call me when you get up.”
“Okay, fine,” she pouted.
My phone buzzed. Pulling it from my pocket, I read a text from my mom asking if I could pick up a prescription for her before the pharmacy closed. Looking at the time, I had less than twenty minutes to get there.
“Well thanks for hooking me up. I need to make a run.” I pulled her into a hug. Her floral perfume tickled my nose. “Don’t forget to hit me up in the morning.”
“I won’t.”
I hated that I had to rush off. I was hoping to be there when her little boyfriend showed up. That nigga had displayed a couple of red flags before I even laid eyes on him. I could feel the friction in her responses on the phone so he was already on my shit list. If he was pissing her off, then he was pissing me off. Then the fact that the nigga had let her go without a car didn’t sit right with me. If that nigga didn’t have eighteen hundred dollars on standby, he didn’t have business courting her. He couldn’t afford to date someone of her caliber.
When I got back home, I went into the safe built into my closet and counted out two thousand dollars to drop off to Isley the next day. If no other nigga had her back, she could count on me. I’d go without before I let her.
Chapter 3
Isley
“I told you to pull out!”I smacked Marshall hard on his bare back.
“My bad. It’s not my fault that pussy so good.” He snickered as he rolled off me.
“Next time you don’t have a rubber, you ain’t getting no ass.” I rose from the bed. I grabbed an oversized T-shirt and threw it on before going to the bathroom to relieve myself. I washed up then returned to the bedroom, rolling my eyes at Marshall.
“You can get rid of the attitude, Isley. I said my bad, damn!”
“I’m just saying. I can’t afford no baby. And you know that.”
“Hell, if it’s mine then I would take care of it.”
I glared at him. “What do you mean by if it’s yours? Who else would it be, Marshall?”
“Well, your boy home now.” He shrugged as he turned his back to me and swung his legs over the side of the bed.
“What does Bern being home have to do with it?” I stared at the back of his head.
“Don’t play dumb, Isley.”
“Are you accusing me of fucking my friend?”
He sneered. “The nigga just threw two thousand dollars at you for being a friend?”
“He knew I needed a ride, Marshall. So he wanted to help me out like most friends would if they could afford it. I didn’t fuck him for that money, contrary to what you believe.”
