Page 33 of Pretty

“I can’t, Tanika. There’s nothing I have to say to you. You made your decision. Now sink in that shit like quicksand.”

“You’re hurt, and I get that, but you don’t have to be mean and crude.”

“Me? Mean and crude?” I scoffed, widening my eyes and pressing a hand against my chest.

“I need to have a serious discussion with you.”

“You’re not Barbara, and my name damn sure ain’t Shirley. You can go ’head on with that serious discussion shit.”

“I tried to give you time to let it soak in and get over the shock. That’s the only reason I didn’t pop up right away, but I’m here because I have something to say.”

“Tanika, of all the trifling things you’ve done in the past, I never would’ve guessed that you would have slept with my husband. Now you show up on my doorstep, and you want to have a conversation about it. You honestly have lost your damned mind. I may not have come from the hood, and I may try to carry myself like a lady at all times, but I will whup that ass!”

“You’re gonna fight me with my child in my arms, Pretty?”

I went silent because she knew I wouldn’t. As angry as I was, I felt bad for cursing in front of the child.

“You know that Cassius wouldn’t have abandoned his child. He wouldn’t have wanted her to be without anything. He would have taken great care of her if he were here.”

“Your point being?”

“He’s not here. You mentioned insurance—a life insurance policy. I’m sure he would have wanted that money to go to his daughter. H-h-he just didn’t have a chance to change his beneficiary.”

I laughed. “Girl, please. For as long as it took you to make and bake that baby, he had time. It wasn’t his intention.”

“Please, Pretty. We’re struggling, and life hasn’t been easy for us.”

“Tell that to someone who cares. Sell that Rolex on your arm, those gold bangles you and your baby are wearing, and that Chanel bag. I’m sure you’ll get something off them.”

“Really, Pretty?”

“Tanika, you’re finally getting the karma that you deserve. Walk your trifling self down those stairs, hop in that Audi, and roll on home. Maybe on your way, you’ll find some fool who cares or a victim willing to fall for your tricks. I’m done.”

She shifted the baby to her other hip. “You’re serious right now? You’re not going to give his baby one red cent? What kind of wife are you?”

I laughed. “I always knew your ass was crazy, but I didn’t know you were dumb too. Take that baby and that DNA test to his parents and tell that sob story to them. They might actually give a damn.”

I slammed the door in her face, locked it, and headed back to the living room. I picked up the bottle of wine, stared at it, and then headed to the kitchen and poured it down the drain.

I dropped onto the couch and stared at the fireplace for a while. No tears came. There was only anger. That bitch had the audacity to roll up on me and ask for money.

I sat staring into space for several minutes before the doorbell rang again. I was ready to curse her out this time, because how dare she come back to my house. I stomped to the door, flung it open, and opened my mouth but the words froze.

“Hey, beautiful. You don’t look happy to see me.”

Tears rolled down my face, and my nostrils flared. Drew stepped inside and closed the door behind me.

“Talk to me, Pretty. You’re worrying me. I came back a day early to surprise you, but you look like you’ve got murder on your mind.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close. He wrapped his arms around me and rested his forehead against mine. “Tell me . . . what can I do to make the pain go away?”

I didn’t utter a word. My fingers tugged at his T-shirt, fumbled with his belt, and immediately unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans.

“You sure?” he asked.

My lips covered his because I had no words to speak. My tongue licked along the seam of his mouth until he parted his lips for me. Our kiss was seductive, heated, and demanding. I jumped up and wrapped my legs around him.

Drew asked no questions, and I gave no explanations. He carried me to the couch and sat down with me straddling him. He removed my tank top and latched his cool lips onto my hot nipple. His tongue worked my nipple into a stiff peak before he moved to the other one and did the same.