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“Today at work, I sat and tried to remember how you do your make-up. I channeled you, you know? I—”
“You watched some tutorials on YouTube?”
“Yep.”
We both fell out laughing, and then I said, “I’m keeping that part in the video.”
He shrugged. “Fine with me. I just didn’t wanna look like a chump.”
“Ryan Boyé, you could never look like a chump.”
We fell silent for a moment and I reached to turn the camera off. There was a heaviness between us that had been coming in waves over the past few days, because we both knew Ryan’s job here in town ended in less than a month. I was afraid to bring it up, and I knew he was avoiding the subject altogether, because I’d learned that was what he did. He avoided problems. And honestly, with my family losing its mind and how it felt to be in the middle of it, I couldn’t blame him.
But still…
“Angela.”
I was taking the memory card out of the camera, but his voice made me turn to face him. He sounded…scared.
“Yeah?” I replied.
“You know I love you, right? More than anything?”
I nodded. Shit, we’re breaking up. For real this time. “Yes, I feel the same about you. You know that, right?”
He nodded. “Ang, will you—”
The doorbell started ringing in rapid succession, tearing into our conversation, and making my rollicking heart nearly jump out of my chest. We looked at each other and both headed for the front door. When I opened it, Nicky was on the other side.
“Nick—” I began, only to be quickly cut off.
“Why haven’t you been answering your phone?! Or your texts?!” she screamed.
“We were filming, and my phone was in another room. What—”
“Robert has lost his mind. I went over there to check on Renee. I know it’s late, but I had to take care of some stuff after class. Girl, he wouldn’t let me in at first, and when he did, do you know that damn baby was still there? And he wouldn’t let me see Renee. I called for her and she didn’t answer. Her car was there so I tried to find her in the house and he threw me out. He literally picked me up and threw me outside! I think he might have done something to Nay!”
My mouth dropped open, and my poor heart thumped around in my chest as I looked up at Ryan who was standing beside me.
“Let’s go,” he said.
Robert’s car was gone when we got to Renee’s house. Renee’s was still there, so we knocked and rang the doorbell over and over again. Just when Nicky suggested that Ryan kick the door in, it opened to reveal Renee with swollen eyes and her hair all over her head.
“What did he do to you?!” I shrieked.
“N-nothing. We argued and then I locked myself up in my room. I heard you earlier, Nicky. I just didn’t feel like talking to anyone. But then I heard all the commotion, came out and he was slamming the door shut and you were screaming about him putting his hands on you, so I told him to get out and take his baby with him.”
“Oh, thank God,” I said.
“Hi, Ryan. Y’all come on in,” she offered.
We all sat down, and she apologized profusely for us having to come out at night for nothing. Just as all three of us were reassuring her that it was okay, Robert came through the front door, baby-less.
“You called your whole damn family, Nay? And who is this red-ass nigga?!” he asked, stepping in front of Ryan.
Ryan stood, held up both hands, and said, “Hold up, now. You don’t know me to be getting in my face like this. I’m here with Angela. She just wanted to check on her sister.”
“Yeah, well, what we got going on over here ain’t none of Angela’s business. I already threw Nicky’s ass out. I can throw your ass out, too, Angela!”
