Page 93 of Intentional Foul
“Son, wait, you bullied her into being in a relationship with you? You did the exact opposite of what I told you,” Pops said.
“Who’s my baby?” I asked Khaira, and she giggled as she reached for my nose.
“If you want to phrase it that way. Jhae was always mine, but she needed help to get over the friendship with Mom. Dr. June warned me against it, but nobody was getting in my way. She is my Music Note,” I announced.
Mom opened and closed her mouth again before she cleared her throat.
“Malcolm, what you did was not okay. Where did you pick up on this behavior?” Mom questioned.
I waved my finger between them and mom gasped. Pops turned his head toward the bifold doors.
“I didn’t do anything different from what dad did to you. You guys are happy. Pops almost fought someone in the front yard and inserted himself in your life. He defended your honor in the backyard. Remember the brawl? Both of you thought you were sneaking and freakin’. I knew what was going on. I lent you a hand and kept Marquise busy.”
Mom rubbed the front of her neck and peered over at Khalil.
“Malcolm, your father and I were bad examples, but we need to schedule a family session. What you did was not okay. We need to find the root of your behavior.”
“Jhae and I are happy. Mom, how can we get you and Jhae on better terms? She’s been crying for two days. Canceling her brand deals is low down. C’mon mom, was that necessary? You cannot condemn her and not punish me.,” I said, and she stared at me as if I cursed.
“I was upset. Can you blame me? My best friend slept with my youngest son,” she said.
I lifted a brow at Mom. “At this point, what can we do about it? Let’s be honest, I came to you several times and told you I loved Jhae. You reduced my feelings down to a crush when I asked for your blessing,” I said.
Khaira babbled a few words as she pulled on my music note chain.
“Son, you were nineteen the first time you told me about your feelings for Jhae. She was my friend. What was I supposed to do?”
Although Mom gave me innocent eyes, I still needed to speak my peace on the subject. Dr. June and I rehearsed this exact scenario a few times in her office. Pops secured Mom’s hand and kissed it for comfort.
“I would’ve preferred you to have taken me more seriously than you did. I took things into my own hands. Now you know the truth. You can’t be mad at her and not me,” I said.
Mom turned to Pops, “Kal, our son, he...”
“Told you the truth. Mom, you owe Jhae an apology. You accused her of grooming me, and none of that happened. Do you not remember taking off your earrings the other night? I’m twenty-three and she is thirty. It’s a seven-year age difference, nothing crazy. We shared our first kiss when I was a consenting adult. How can we move forward? We need a plan,” I interrupted.
Pops kissed Mom’s hand again but remained quiet.
“Malcolm, you can’t force me to be Jhae’s friend. The dynamics of your marriage changed our relationship,” Mom announced.
I sighed hard but Khaira gave me a happy smile.
“The woman I know as my mother would want me to be happy. She would accept my choices and not punish me for being in love. She is reasonable, understanding, and practices what she teaches. You hating Jhae will not stop us from being married. Why do it? Are you going to throw me away since I’ve disappointed you?” I asked as my insides shook with fear of being abandoned again.
Mom stood and cupped my face in between her hands. “No, you are my baby. I would never throw you away,” she said, and relief fell over my body.
Khaira tried to peel Mom’s hands away from my face, objecting to her touching me. The gesture lightened the mood as we laughed.
“Mom, don’t give up on Jhae. It took her a long time to pick me over you. I’m going to keep showing up until I get you two back on good terms. Can you please fix the brand deals? Which for the record, she would give them back to have your friendship again,” I said, and my mother’s eyes glossed over.
Jhae
I can’t believe Anissa tried to fight me. Every time I closed my eyes; the image replays as if it’s a movie. Regardless of what Malcolm said, I deserved that ass beating.
“Baby, please get up, it’s okay,” Malcolm said as he pulled me into his body.
“You haven’t eaten in days and your entire face is swollen,” he said but I didn’t respond with words.
Somehow, I was able to find a new set of tears. My heart ached for several reasons but one was the hurt I caused my former best friend. The hurt and betrayal in her eyes continued to sit with me. I sniffed as I cried into his chest.
