jumped on the bus, turned off the locater on my phone.
And left him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
<>Camila<>
“Oh gurl, no you did not leave that handsome man in bed by himself this mornin’?” Danté chastised with the snap of his fingers.
“Shhh… my parents are going to hear you.”
They were inside cooking lunch while Danté and I sat outside talking on the patio.
“This was the plan anyway. We were all supposed to spend today together for my birthday.”
“Yeah, but not wit’ you doin’ the walk of shame. Look at your ankle.” He gestured to it. “That bitch be swellin’ up like a balloon.”
“I’m fine. The ice will make it go down.”
“Gurl, the ice ain’t doin’ shit but freezin’ your foot off.”
My phone rang again. I didn’t have to look at it to know who it was. I hit silent and ignored him.
“How many times you gonna ghost him? That’s like the twenty-ish time he’s fuckin’ called you. All you earnin’ is him spankin’ dat ass. Unless that’s whatcha lookin’ for?”
I rolled my eyes. “Danté, he said he loved his wife in his sleep. What the hell was I supposed to do?”
“I don’t know, fuckin’ wake him up by slappin’ him upside the head like most women would do. Not run from him.”
“I didn’t run.”
“Oh, Miss Thang, you ran so fuckin’ fast you broke your ankle, and left skid marks all the way from there to here. I can still see the smoke comin’ outta your ass.”
“Ah!” I whimpered, moving the ice pack to the other side of my ankle. “I didn’t break it, it’s just sprained.”
“Yeah, cuz you a doctor. How ‘bout you answer the doctor we do know before he—”
Ping.
Another text message. I ignored that too. “Whose side are you on anyway?”
“The man you left in bed,” he paused, cocking his hip out. “Was he naked?”
“I can’t even talk to you.”
“Psshhh, honey please. That man gave you multiples and you’re still fuckin’ bitchy.”
“He. Said. He. Loved. His. Wife.”
“I. Don’t. Give. A. Fuck.”
“You’re impossible.”
“Camila, look in a mirror, okay? Don’t try me. I’ll always love my old dog, but that don’t mean I don’t love my new dog.”
“You got a dog?”
“Oh God, Gurl. I did two days ago. He’s so cute too. Such a little shit, so I named him Jackson.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. Danté was my best friend for a reason.
“Speaking of little shits, did you hear Sean got arrested this mornin’?”
“Sean?” I jerked back, shaken up. “Are you sure?”
“Mmm hmm, and word around the street is he gonna be behind dem bars for a long motherfuckin’ time.”
“For what?”
“Possession of an illegal firearm used in a murder.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I don’t know, gurl. I ain’t the C.I.A. I guess it had his dirty, grubby prints on it.”
“Sean would never leave his gun behind anywhere.”
“Honey, you act like Sean is the brightest crayon in the box or somethin’. That man stupid as fuck. Who the hell knows, all I do know is the tea is motherfuckin’ hot this mornin’. Everyone in the neighborhood talkin’ ‘bout him finally gettin’ what he was due for. A cock in his fuckin’ ass!”
“Danté! My parents!”
“They can’t hear me, they cookin’. You know how they be when they be cookin’. So anyways, happy late birthday to you, baby girl. Your pain in the ass be gone, for sho.”
“How did they even prove it was his prints? He doesn’t have a record.”
“Gurl, you don’t remember that one time he went to Juvie for threatenin’ the principal in high school?”
“Oh yeah. I completely forgot about that.”
“That’s cuz you were too busy suckin’ his cock, like a chicken head.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.”
He wiggled his eyebrows. “Did you suck Dr. Daddy’s dick?”
“Danté…”
“Oh, come on, give me somethin’! Was he huge? I bet he is by the way you walkin’ today.”
I smirked, batting my lashes. “A lady never tells. Plus, I’m walking funny because of my ankle”
“Well since you ain’t no lady, spill.”
“He was…ummm…yeah…”
“Dayum son,” he sang. “Not only is that man gorgeous, he is packin’ some motherfuckin’ heat.”
“Shhh… my parents are going to hear you.”
“Honey, they’d be happy you finally got that stick outta your ass. And he’s a surgeon, like a surgeon at his hospital. Bitch, you marryin’ a Chief of fuckin’ Surgery, your man saves lives.”
“Now we’re getting married?”
“Did you make your ass clap on that dick? Cuz if you did, you sure as hell are.” He put his finger in my face. “I don’t look good in anything pink, coral, or teal. Okay? Remember that for my maid of honor suit.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
“Camila,