Every Kind of Way

39.

"Cause he'll be away from me." her eyes never parted from the pool until she asked, "Who even told you?"

"It matters?"

"Yes, because everyone who need to know or I wanted to know, knew. You're not one of those people."

It was harsh but held all honesty.

He had to fall back in his chair and let a moment of silence pass to keep his tone even and volume at a minimum. The need to get loud had hung from the tip of tongue. Asha watched his eyes count the stars before he placed them back on her.

"Why not?" he calmly asked. "Out of all people in this world...you think I wouldn't be ten toes? About you? You can't believe that."

She shrugged one shoulder and a slither of hurt flashed over his face. It came and went quickly but she didn't miss it.

He seemed to have a different perspective on how their time together reached its end. Yes, they briefly talked about it and he extended an apology but maybe forgiveness and forgetfulness were synonymous to him. She remembered his lack of respect and just because she refused to live in the past she didn't mention it. But there was no way she would just assume he'd fly down ready to tear someone apart once he knew.

You weren't ten toes when you were with me so why be ten toes and we're not together, was how she saw it. To her, him knowing was pointless and for the better since they were rebuilding a relationship.

He added, "Wow...and I risked it for Je but I'd just say fuck it with you, huh?"

"You witnessed hers. She needed to be defended in that moment but I don't need be def—"

"Like hell." his face contorted.

"I don't. It already happened. I have no intentions of playing the victim, being babied, pitied, none of that—"

"But you are a victim. Whether you want to claim it or not. You suffered the hands of somebody else. A grown ass man at that—"

"Yeah, okay, so what?" she shrugged. "I'm a woman! Men assault us all the time. Almost every one of us experience it in some way at one point in our life. It's fucked up but...that's the way it is. I'm not wearing that like a badge. It happened. I made my report. I'm moving on. I don't need my daddy, you, my cousins or anyone else puffing your chest for a lick back on somebody not worth it."

"So what? I go home and act like I don't know this happened?"

"Do you even know what happened? Like really? Yes, I have a couple bruises but I wasn't hit, Sanchez. He didn't hit me once."

His eyes moved back and forth between hers like he wasn't understanding.

"Here, let me fill you in. I got snatched from the car and slammed and pinned against it. That's why I have this and this." she pointed to her face and side. "Other than a tight ass grip on my hair and being an asshole, that was all he did. Both times. You wanna be all worked up about that then be my guest but that's for you and you only."

She got up from the chair to head back in the house but he was quick to grab hold of her hand. He tugged for her to sit back down. She reluctantly followed through with a huff.

He scooted his chair directly in front of her, not letting go of her hand. "I don't wanna rile you up. You didn't want me to know, cool, aight. You want the police to do their thing, that's aight too. But don't make it seem like just because that nigga didn't hit you it ain't shit—"

"I'm not. If I was I wouldn't have went to the police or came to my parents."

"Look how you just summed that story up and just flew over it being done to you twice. You don't wanna be mad about it, cool. That's you, but if he can do that to you twice he can do that shit again plus more. I don't give a fuck about no stooping down to his level—"