Page 185 of Invisible Bars
Well, damn.I didn’t expect that.
It wasn’t judgment; it was more of a surprise reaction. The revelation made me replay every moment, every smile, and realize none of it meant what I thought it did—but it made sense now. And somehow, I respected her more for saying it out loud.
“Yes. And as crazy as this may sound, I don’t want apolishedone; I want her messy. That’s what I meant when I said I never wanted a man like you. I want somebody who doesn’t knowwhich fork to use, who spills her drink and laughs instead of apologizing.I wantreal.I’ve been fake so long, I’m suffocating in it.”
I nodded slowly. “Damn. I definitely feel you on that. But shid…you like what you like. No judgment over here. So all this time, you were just… pretending?”
“Just like you,” she shot back playfully.
“Touché, as you females say.”
Then her tone softened. “But not pretending… surviving. I was keeping their hopes alive so they wouldn’t question why I never brought home a man at all. But now I’m ready to do me… the Paris way. And this? Helping Naji? That felt like me. That’s why I did it.”
“You good people, Paris.”
“So are you… and Naji,” she said, locking eyes with me. “Please don’t ever let her forget that.”
“I won’t. And Paris… I hope you findher.”
“I will,” she replied with a confident smile. “See you later.”
I nodded, turned, and walked back into the lounge.
When I stepped in, Naji was curled up in the corner of the couch, arms wrapped tight around her knees like she was trying to hold herself together.
“I tried to tell them,” she cried, her voice cracking. “I s-s-said your name, but they didn’t believe me! I was ticcing and I couldn’t get the words out right and—” Her voice snapped into a tic. “Kool-Aid cashier killers! I hate them, I hate them, I hate?—”
“Shhh, baby.” I crossed the room fast and dropped to my knees in front of her, cupping her face gently in my hands. “Look at me.”
She did… barely.
Naji’s hands trembled, her lips quivered, and her eyes were glassy and wild.
“They don’t matter; none of those muthafuckas do. Naji, you’remy wife.You don’t gotta prove that to strangers in some overpriced ass soap-and-steam café.”
“But I…” she choked. “I looked crazy… like some girl making stuff up for a free drink. The cashier, the manager, even some little boy… they all stared at me like I was a joke.”
My jaw clenched.
I wasdefinitelypaying that cashier and manager a visit later that night. The little boy? He’d get a pass; he probably didn’t know any better and was just being a kid—laughing at any and everything that appeared to be funny.
“I’ll handle them. I promise you.” My voice dropped again, dark and sharp. “You won’t ever be embarrassed like that again… not on my watch.”
I leaned in and kissed her forehead, holding it there a second longer than usual.
“You’re okay now. I got you. You hear me?”
She nodded slowly, her breath stuttering.
“Tic-tic. Boom. Safe again.”
That made me chuckle—just a little. I wrapped Naji tighter in my arms, letting her breathe me in.
I ain’t letting nobody disrespect what’s mine… not again. Tonight will be an example.
The streets were empty—quiet like the city was holding its breath.
I sat in the passenger’s seat, wearing all-black everything. My eyes were locked on the dimly lit windows of the café across the street—the same café where my wife had been humiliated like she didn’t belong beside me.
