Page 413 of Call Me Baby 2: Side B

“You’re lucky you’re still here.”

“And why am I still here?” Ben says with humor in his eyes. “Admit it. You need me more than I need you.” He lifts his chin. “I bruised you, Baby. You still ain’t cut me loose.”

My teeth clamp down, and I turn for the closet. “Over a month. That’s how long I haven’t used you. So keep goin’. Tell me how much I need you, Ben.” I grab the dildo from the closet, then turn and wave it in the air. “Got a trained guy livin’ in my house and still don’t grind on his mouth.”

He drops his head back and laughs. “You know damn well if I walk out right now? You’ll break so bad, Ray Ray will have you committed before sunrise. He’ll paint you unstable. Prove you can’t run shit. ‘Look—bitch is crazy,’” he chuckles again, then sighs. “I know you, Baby.

“You can go a week without comin’.

“You can take a few fuckin’ bruises.

“But you can’t take bein’ left.”

I nod. Shrug.

“You wanna test that theory?”

His shoulders fall, and he looks at me with that poor-Baby face. But it falls away fast, replaced with hesitation. He’s second guessing what he’s about to say.

Says it anyway,

“Raymond tried to buy me.”

And the confession locks up my bones.

He keeps going, “Said he could get me BrooklynBros. All I had to do was leave you when he gave me the green light.”

Despite what I know to be true,

my stomach still falls empty,

my breath still traps in my lungs.

“Now why you think that is, huh?” he asks. “Man ain’t stupid. He knows what happens when you ain’t got no one. So don’t think for one second he’s not makin’ moves, gettin’ ready for when you turn twenty-five.” His eyes slide back to me. “He’s gunnin’ for all your weak spots, Baby.”

His eyes cut down my body,

then back to my face.

“And you got a lot of those.”

I straighten my back. “You’re lyin’.”

He chuckles. “Okay. I’m lyin’.”

“Why wouldn’t you take that deal?”

Ben bites down on his lip,

eyes filled with a tiny bit of amusement.

Then lets he lets his lip go.

“Better the devil you know, right?”

For a moment our stares are a standoff.

Him on his knees,