Page 40 of Certified to Handle You 3

I stood up then ‘cause I couldn’t sit here no more while ‘Lo talked around me like I was some situation and not a whole person standin’ right in front of him. “Lo… I’m right here. You can talk to me about me and not to my cousin. You really mad at me, so let’s talk about it.”

Kay’Lo finally looked at me, and the look he gave me ain’t have none of that usual warmth in it. He let them wild ass hazel eyes stay on mine for a second before turnin’ right back toward Toni like I had only interrupted his music.

That hit me wrong. Toni saw it too, and her whole attitude jumped higher. “Don’t ignore her like that.”

“I’m talkin’ to my wife,” Kay’Lo said. “She the one who brought this shit to my house.”

“I came to talk to Renza,” I said, my voice risin’ even though I told myself I was gon’ stay calm. “I ain’t come here to start no shit with you.”

Kay’Lo’s eyes slid back to me. “But shit follow you, don’t it?”

My mouth parted ‘cause that cut landed somewhere I ain’t expect. “What the fuck that mean?”

“It mean everywhere this situation go, somebody else gotta clean up the blood, tears or mess behind it,” he answered. “Renza hurt, Toni lyin’, you engaged to one nigga while chasin’ another one across the ocean, and now everybody supposed to act like this shit normal ‘cause yo’ heart confused. Get the fuck outta here.”

“Kay’Lo,” Toni warned, steppin’ closer to him. “Watch how you talkin’ to my cousin.”

“Nah, don’t tell him to watch shit,” I said before Kay’Lo could answer. “He got so much to say, let him say it.”

Kay’Lo looked at me for a long second, then tilted his head a lil’. “You sure?”

“Fuck yeah, I’m sure,” I snapped. “You got me fucked up if you think I’m finna sit here while you talk like I just woke up and decided to ruin everybody life for fun. I know what I did wrong. I know I hurt Renza. I know I should’ve handled my other situation different, but don’t stand here actin’ like yo’ cousin ain’t do his part too. He put that man in a trunk, Kay’Lo. A trunk. And y’all all act like that was some normal Mensah shit I was supposed to just get over.”

Kay’Lo’s face got colder, but he still ain’t raise his voice. “Oh well. Somebody should’ve taught that weak ass nigga how to squabble. He let Renza put him in a trunk.

And I’m not finna stand here and perform outrage for you.”

The room got quiet for a second, and Toni looked at me with tears already buildin’ in her eyes ‘caste she knew this shit was gettin’ ugly.

“Damn… you really actin’ like I ain’t shit, and ain’t live here to help when you and my cousin was going through hell.”

Kay’Lo stared at me. “It was a place you stayed ‘cause my wife loved you and ‘cause I ain’t never had a problem with you bein’ here. Don’t confuse my open door for you havin’ a right to bring chaos through it whenever you feel like it.”

Toni stepped between us a lil’. “Kay’Lo, you doin’ too much.”

“I’m doin’ exactly enough,” he told her. “You keep playin’ with my word when it come to her, and I’m tired of it. I told you I ain’t like what was goin’ on, and you still went behind my back.”

“I ain’t go behind yo’ back!” Toni snapped. “I helped my cousin ‘cause she needed me.”

“Now she need to respect that Renza said no.”

I flinched when he said that shit ‘cause the truth of it burned, but my mouth moved before my hurt could swallow the words. “Renza don’t get to say no after chasin’ me for a whole damn year and then expect me to just accept that shit the first time he get tired.”

Kay’Lo’s eyes cut to mine again. “Yes, the fuck he do. Is you crazy? You fuckin’ engaged.”

“No, he don’t!” I shouted. “Not after all the shit we done been through, and after he came to my city, begged me to come home, told me he loved me and had me feelin’ like I was the crazy one for needin’ time. Now I’m here, and everybody tellin’ me he got peace I need to respect. Where the fuck was my peace when he had me losin’ my mind?”

Kay’Lo stepped closer, and his voice dropped. “Shut the fuck up.”

Somethin’ in me snapped so fast I ain’t even feel myself move until I was right in front of him. “I ain’t gotta do a bitch ass thing, hoe ass nigga! Who the fuck you talkin’ to? I’m not yo’ wife!”

Toni gasped my name, but I ain’t look away from Kay’Lo. I was hurt, embarrassed, scared and mad as hell, and all of it was pourin’ out at the wrong person.

Kay’Lo stared down at me with not one ounce of fear or shock in his face, and that made it worse ‘cause he looked like he had been waitin’ on me to show him exactly how far I was gon’ go.

“You right,” he said, his voice still low. “You ain’t my wife, ‘cause if you was mine, you wouldn’t be flyin’ across oceans chasin’ behind a nigga while another nigga ring was still warm on yo’ finger. If you was mine, we would’ve been handled this shit at the root before you had time to turn everybody life into a damn battlefield. And if you was mine, you would know better than to stand in my house and talk to me like you lost yo’ muthafuckin’ mind.”

My chest rose and fell while I stared at him. I wanted to say somethin’ back, but every word got tangled up in how much that hurt. Kay’Lo ain’t call me out my name. He ain’t even yell the way he could’ve. He just told me the truth in that cold Mensah way, and somehow that made it feel worse.