Page 9 of Nothing Like Your Ex

“Yeah, earlier. What’s up?” Kwinn asked harsher than she meant to.

Caught off guard by her tone, Jabari was quiet for a few seconds. “Damn. We still beefing?”

“Are we?” Kwinn questioned, leaving it up to him to decide.

“Nah, we’re not. That’s what I wanted to talk about.”

“Okay… I’m listening,” Kwinn said.

Jabari exhaled, and Kwinn braced herself for whatever he was about to say.

“I wanted to apologize.”

She almost sucked her teeth. “For what?”

“For how I’ve been acting.” Jabari sighed again, sorting through the right words to say. “I know I haven’t been showing up in our relationship lately, and you don’t deserve that. I’ve just been frustrated with everything going on, and I been taking it out on you.”

Kwinn nodded, understanding. “I know you’re stressed, Jabari.”

“I know you do. That’s why I feel even worse about it. You haven’t done anything to me but be there like you’ve always been.”

“Mhm. I know I haven’t,” Kwinn let him know.

“I know. And I shouldn’t have dismissed what you were talking about the other morning.” The sincerity in his voice softened her more than she wanted it to, as he continued. “You were just trying to tell me about work, and I was being an asshole.”

“You were.”

He chuckled, quietly. “Yeah. I was.”

Kwinn didn’t laugh with him. Jabari cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry, though. For real.”

She took a breath. “I appreciate you for apologizing.”

“I don’t want you thinking I don’t care about what you have going on.”

“You haven’t been acting like you care.”

“I know, but I promise to do better. You looked like you wanted to beat my ass.” Jabari chuckled, lightening the mood.

Kwinn smiled this time because he was correct. She’d never put her hands on a man, at least not first, but even then, she had a gang full of men in her life who’d quickly and gladly do the honors for her. Jabari just didn’t know how close he was to getting hands, feet, and possibly some steel put to his ass.

“I did want to slap you, but you know that’s not me. I just need you to hear me, okay? And listen. I shouldn’t feel like this is a one-sided relationship. I deserve more than that. More than what you’ve been giving me.”

Despite all the frustration she’d felt throughout the week, she still didn’t want to throw away three years of loving someone because they’d hit a rough patch. She wanted Jabari to get himself together. She wanted him to be the man she’d fallen in love with again, and some part of her still believed he could be.

“I hear you loud and clear, baby. I promise. This trade shit should be over soon, and you won’t have to hear my mouth about it anymore,” Jabari said.

Kwinn chuckled. “Yeah, right. But, okay. I’ma hold you to that.”

“So we good?” Jabari asked, smiling. “I missed you like crazy, girl. Put a nigga out the crib and everything.”

Kwinn laughed. “Who’s fault is that?”

“Mine, but it’s all good. When we get married, ain’t gon’ be none of that.”

Kwinn’s brows dipped. He hadn’t brought up the word marriage or even hinted at it in so long; the word sounded foreign coming from his mouth. Not wanting to start an argument, Kwinn didn’t feed into the topic.