Page 54 of Bruised Hearts

“I’m not doing this with you today.”

“You don’t have to do anything but answer my questions.” He sighed before turning the TV off and looking toward me.

“I don’t owe you shit, but go ahead. I’ll bite.”

“How did Tan know where I was?” Stone started laughing before shaking his head.

“Is that all you care about? How I knew the bitch your lil nigga was fucking?” I wasn’t about to let him deter me.

“How did Tan know where I was? Did you have her come to the restaurant that day as well?” He raised his eyebrow. He was shocked I knew that. “Cut the shit Stone, I know everything. Well, almost. I don’t understand how Tan fit into everything.”

“You want the truth, fine! I didn’t know her before that day. She came in there yelling at him how he couldn’t do this to her. I’m guessing she was mad about you. He threw her out, and I excused myself to go to the bathroom. Slipped out back and told her we had a lot in common.”

“So, the night I went out with Charly. You sent her?”

“I just provided an opportunity for the both of you to meet. All I had to do was pretend to care about you, and you lined it up without me having to do any work.” I thought about that night, and he was right. He told me to be safe, and I told him I’d share my location. I wasn’t used to him being concerned, so I fell for it. Same shit once I thought Landon played me. I was the one that told him to find me a new gym. It was exactly the response he was hoping for.

“Wow!” No response. “Do you know what I felt like in that moment? Hearing her say all that shit about him. I’ve never felt so low and played in my life.” He shrugged. “What did you say to her to get her to play along?”

“The truth. She wanted you away from him, so that meant we wanted the same thing. I got her number and told her I’d call her as soon as I had something set up. When you went out, I told her it was now or never. After what he did for you, that was the time to do it.”

“Because that’s when it would hurt me the most,” I whispered.

“To hurt Breaker.”

“BY USING ME!” I couldn’t control myself anymore. He was sitting here unphased after ripping my life apart.

“All she was supposed to do was create doubt. I needed you away from Breaker, and Danger needed him off his game. Everybody got what they wanted in the end.”

“Everybody but me.”

“I was protecting your career.”

“By destroying my relationship? Make that make sense.”

“Please. You didn’t have a relationship. That shit wasn’t real.”

“I DID! We had something. No matter how small you thought that was, it was still everything to me, and it wasn’t yours to take.”

“You were losing focus.”

“No, you were losing control.” When he didn’t respond, I knew I had it right. “He came around and started doing shit for me that you should’ve done. Couldn’t do. He hurt your fucking feelings, and you in turn, hurt mine.”

“I gave you everything, Ariyah. I was there whenever you were in trouble, bailing you out. Backing a fucking career that was going nowhere. Where the hell was he? Breaker came in at the ass end like he was the man, when I had already done the work.”

“Yup, you did all of that, and right after you gave me an invoice for it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I paid in one way or another whenever you were helping me. I had to bow down and do whatever you said even if I knew it was wrong.”

“I don’t have to listen to this. You have completely lost your mind.”

“You’re absolutely right.” Walking toward the door, I turned back. “I also don’t have to let you represent me anymore.” Storming out, I walked past my mama and Briana with Stone on my heels.

“Ariyah, wait a fucking minute! You can be mad about whatever you want, but you can’t fire me.”

“I just did.”