Page 14 of The Plus One

Kema rolled her eyes. “She thinks I’m doing it because of Kel.”

“Aren’t you?”

Her head turned toward me. “No.”

I gave her a look. “Okay, maybe a little.”

I laughed. “Fuck you.”

“Nah, keep going.”

“I’m serious, Ace.”

“So am I.”

She sat up straighter. “I don’t want him back.”

“I know.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“How?”

"Because every time you talk about that nigga, you sound irritated. Not heartbroken.” She stared at me. I shrugged. “There’s a difference.”

Her shoulders relaxed. “Exactly.”

“But you still care what he thinks.”

She immediately frowned. “I don’t.”

“Kema.”

“I don’t.”

“Then why did you spend half the night looking for a nigga to take to Mexico?”

She crossed her arms. I had her there.

“I don’t care what he thinks. I care what everybody else thinks.”

“That ain’t much better.”

“I know.”

That answer surprised me. She looked out the window. “I just don’t want everybody looking at me like I’m some sad bitch while he’s walking around with her.”

“Nobody who knows you thinks you’re some sad bitch.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I know what I think.”

She looked at me again. “And what do you think?”

That you deserved better than that nigga. That he was a fucking idiot. That if you’d been mine, cheating wouldn’t have even crossed my mind. That I’d been wanting you longer than I had any business wanting you. Instead, I said, “I think you care too much about people who ain’t paying none of your bills.”