Loose Ends (22 page)

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Authors: Electa Rome Parks

BOOK: Loose Ends

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“Mother, that man’s name is Brice.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Okay, Mother. I gotta go. Bye. I love you,” I said before we started to argue.

“Love you too.”

It was almost noon and I hadn’t even dressed yet. I had heard Mother leaving a message on our answering machine and had instinctively picked up without even thinking about her long lectures. Still not in a hurry to shower and dress, I sat down on the sofa, turned on the TV and flipped through a few channels. Nothing caught my eye, just a lot of talk and court shows. I didn’t need more drama in my life, even if it was somebody else’s. Yesterday, I’d experienced more than enough drama to last me for a lifetime. It all started out so innocently . . .

I was in the kitchen finishing up our dinner dishes while Brice sat at the kitchen table, reading the sports page in the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“Brice, what’s wrong, baby? You’ve been distracted lately,” I asked him with concern etched in my voice. I know my husband, and he had been too restless the last few days and nights. Something was up; something wasn’t right with him.

“Kree, for the fifth time this week, I’m fine!”

“Sweetie, I was only asking because—”

“Well, don’t ask. Damn it, can you understand the words coming out my mouth?” he asked, glaring over at me.

“I was only concerned, thinking—”

Brice jumped up from the table, his face an angry mask. “Don’t think! Goddammit, how many times do I have to tell you to stay out of my muthafuckin’ business? You got that, Kree? Is that simple enough for you? Leave me the fuck alone. You—you’re my damn problem! Always fifty questions.”

“Fine!” I screamed as I ran by him and threw the wet dish rag in his face.

“Kree, get your ass back in here. Now!” he screamed at the top of his voice.

“No, leave me alone,” I cried from our bedroom.

“I’m not telling you again, Kree!”

“No!”

When I glanced up again Brice was towering above me with his face scrunched up in a total fit of rage and his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. Before I could get over the surprise and react, Brice yanked me up from the bed by my hair and dragged me back into the dining area. I was crying, kicking and pleading the entire way. When he got to the spot where the dish rag lay, he stopped.

“Now, pick it up and place it neatly in the sink,” he said calmly, pushing my face near the floor.

I didn’t move. The only sound was my cries for him to stop. It was chilling because Brice was so calm and cold.

“This is my final request. Pick it up or you’re going to regret it in exactly five seconds. One, two, three . . .”

I reached down and quickly picked up the dish cloth before he reached five.

“Good girl.”

Brice, still holding me by the hair, led me over to the sink. I placed it neatly in the sink as he requested. He let go of my hair with a smirk on his face. Brice pushed me away like discarded garbage.

I ran back down the hallway. “
I . . . hate . . . you!
I hate your ass so much! You make me sick! I can’t stand your damn ass,” I screamed in between hysterical sobs and clenched teeth.

“What? What did you say to me?” he yelled. He caught me by the arm and readied his fist to strike me.

“Repeat that shit to my face. I’m waiting, Kree.”

By now, I was hugging the wall in fear and trying to get as far away from him as I could. Brice was out of control.

“You promised—you promised, Brice . . . that you’d never hit me. You promised,” I sobbed. My body gave out and I slunk down to the floor in a squatting, fetal position.

Something broke in him. He came to his senses. His entire demeanor changed in an instant. His seething anger changed to instant regret.

“Kree, I’m not going to hit you. See, you’re doing that same shit Mia used to do all the time. Provoking me. Come here.” He pulled me up into his strong arms.

“I’m sorry, baby. I love you, Kree.” He kissed me all over my face and neck, over and over again.

I couldn’t even look at him. I looked down at the floor. He cradled my chin in his hand and forced me to look up into his light brown eyes.

“I love you, Kree.”

“Okay.”

“Did you hear what I said?” he asked with just a hint of anger in his voice again.

I knew what he wanted to hear.

“I love you too,” I chanted with little to no emotion.

Shortly afterward, I took a quick shower and put on the ugliest nightgown I owned, the one with the big flowers that buttoned up to my neck, and went to bed. I got as far over on my side as I could without falling out of the bed. Brice was still watching TV or something in the living room. I hoped his ass fell asleep and stayed out there all night.

I couldn’t sleep even if I wanted to. I lay under our crisp sheets and thought crazy thoughts concerning our marriage. I heard Brice when he came in and got ready for bed. My body instantly tensed up. After he had stripped down to his boxers, Brice got under the covers. I was hoping—praying actually—that he didn’t try to force me to have sex with him. So I remained perfectly still and pretended to be asleep. I even threw in a few soft snores for good measure.

I could feel him glaring at me even though my face was turned away from him. I held my breath and prayed silently. If he wanted some and I didn’t give him any, then there would be hell for me to pay.

At one point, Brice pulled the sheet off of me. My ugly granny gown was hitched up around my thighs. He was sitting with his back against the bedpost. I could feel his eyes boring into me, taking in my body inch by inch. I felt so vulnerable that I wanted to yank the sheet back over me.

“Kree, I know you aren’t asleep.”

I didn’t say anything. I didn’t move an inch. I didn’t breathe.

“Okay, you can play possum if you want to.”

I closed my eyes tighter when he bent down, reached around me, pulled my gown up further, pulled my silk panties to the side and stuck his fingers in—two, then three—and moved them around slowly. In and out. Playing with me. He used his free hand to open my legs wider.

“Don’t worry, baby. I don’t want any tonight.” He withdrew his fingers, caressed my right breast through my gown, and squeezed a little too hard.

I flinched as Brice placed his hand under my gown, pulled it up far enough to expose my chest, and began to play with my nipples for a few moments in between stroking and squeezing my breasts.

“I love you so much, Kree, and I hate when you make me treat you like this. Good night,” he whispered in my right ear. He withdrew his tongue from my ear and palmed my buttocks. “Sleep tight.”

Mia

“Sharon, I don’t know. I can’t explain it; I’m not sure what happened myself. Maybe it was the talk Vivica had with me and Kree or just being in her house again. But I faced my demons, and Brice isn’t the monster from my past anymore.” I balanced the phone on my ear as I painted my nails.

“Um-huh.”

“Um-huh. What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I paused in midstroke of applying Passionate Red nail polish.

“Girl, you still have feelings for him?”

“Hell, no. Sharon, you must be out of your damn mind. How could you even . . . Hell, no. Girl, have you forgotten all that drama I told you about him?”

“Girlfriend, you were married to the man for almost three years, but I can see how being around him is bringing back memories.”

“Yeah, you’re right, bad ones.”

“True, but you admitted that there were a lot of good ones as well. And that the man was so good in bed that you still have flashbacks,” Sharon added with humor.

“Well, whenever I remember that, two seconds later I also remember his fist meeting my face.”

“Well, personally, I don’t think it’s such a good . . .”

“Go on. Don’t hold back now. Tell me.”

“Nothing, just be careful, Mia. I don’t want to see you hurt again, nor big-head Christian.” She laughed.

“I’m a big girl, Mama Sharon.”

“Speaking of big heads—where
is
Christian?”

“Where do you think? Working as usual. I rarely see him anymore. Only coming and going.”

“Girl, don’t complain. At least he has a J-O-B and is gainfully employed. You ought to be glad you have a dependable, hardworking man who provides for his family. You know he’d do anything for you and Lyric.”

“I know. I just get lonely around here. Lyric is usually fast asleep by eight o’clock every night, and then I’m here by my lonesome.” I sighed into the phone and blew on my nails to dry them faster.

“Well, it’s all part of his job. He is the head of security. Get yourself a puppy or a cat. Take up a hobby. Learn to entertain yourself. It’s all about self-love, girlfriend.”

“Ha ha ha. Why don’t you come over for a while and keep me company?”

“Sorry, can’t do. It’s my oil-lube night. You know I just got back from visiting my parents, and I’m craving some now. Craving it.”

“Oh, you’d take a man over your best girlfriend?” I asked, joking.

“Hell, yes! Tonight, anyway. You got a warm body with a dick attached to lie down with every night. Christian gives you yours whenever you want it. All you have to do is roll over.”

We both laughed.

“I’m about as needy as you are. Sex has been virtually nonexistent in this household lately.”

“Well, you and Christian got to work that out. I can’t help you there.”

“I hope not!”

“Me, I’ve got an hour to get ready before the maintenance man pays me a visit. Tall, dark and bald-headed. Just like I like ’em.”

“You are stupid, girl. Stupid.”

“Whatever. Talk to you later, dear.”

“Okay, if you have to go.”

“Yeah, I have to go. Mia, talk to your hubby and tell him how you feel.”

“Maybe.”

“Girl, you need to quit holding everything inside. It’s not good for you. You told me how you feel—tell him. The last I heard, he doesn’t bite.”

“Yeah, you’re right, Oprah Junior. I will. Have fun tonight.”