“What?” He scrunched his face like he was offended. I didn’t know the mechanics of their relationship, so I had to ask. “No, it’s never happened before now.”
“Are you planning on leaving your family for her?”
“Man, what? No, I love my wife. It was an accident.”
“You slipped on a banana peel, and as you tumbled forward your dick accidentally penetrated her?”
“I know it sounds stupid, but I didn’t intend for it to go this far. I put myself in a situation I thought I could handle and I couldn’t. After it happened, I told her it could never happen again, but she keeps texting me. I’ve been ignoring them and deleting them, but I hadn’t deleted them before Key saw them. I just want to tell Key I’m sorry but she keeps trying to take my life.”
“I have zero sympathy for a man in a committed relationship that can’t control his dick. Zero. You have created a situation that she may not be able to recover from. I guess none of that entered your mind when you were “sleeping with” that other woman?”
“I didn’t think past the moment. It was impulsive and dumb.”
“Try life-altering. Impulsive is eating two pieces of cake when you should’ve only eaten one. Stepping out on your Queen is life-altering.”
“El, man I don’t need a lecture.”
“Nigga obviously you do! You shoulda found someone to talk to before you took steps to destroy your family, my G. Averie and I haven’t been together in two weeks, and we had to stop our plans to come here to rescue you. You’re going to hear about it whether you like it or not. That’s what’s wrong with us as men. We don’t tell each other the truth. We ignore the dumb crap that the man next to us does. That’s not going to fly with me. You messed up. You had her threatening your life with a weapon in her hand. Do you know how quickly that could have gone left? Now she is back there broken and confused because of you.”
“That wasn’t my intention.”
“You didn’t have any intentions when you fucked that broad and that’s the problem. As a man, everything you do should be intentional; deliberate, calculated. You know that but you thought you could shit in a paper bag and the smell wouldn’t seep through.”
Kerem pressed his back to the wall and covered his face with his hands.
“Do you think she will forgive me?”
“For her sake, I hope she does, but that doesn’t mean she will let you back in. Forgiveness is a gift. Access is earned. You probably should give her some time to calm down. Do you have anywhere you can go until she does?”
“I mean, I could go to my parents’ house, but I don’t feel like answering all the questions they are going to have. I can get a room for a couple days.”
“I have a client who owns one of the hotels downtown. He can hook you up with a good rate for a few days. I will text you the address and his contact information. I will let him know you are coming.”
“Thanks, Samuel. I am going to go ahead and leave. I will text Key and let her know where I am staying.”
“Kerem, on my life, if I find out that you had some broad up in that hotel room, it’s going to be you and me. If you don’t want to be with Key, then tell her and move on. Don’t take this as no free pass to do whatever.”
“I want my wife. I fucked up. Imma fix it no matter what it takes.”
“Good to hear.”
Averie
“So, what do you want to do? Do you want me to stay here with you?” I asked Keeva while we sat on the foot of her bed.
I kept my arm around her shoulder and wiped her tears as they fell. I should have let her get one good lick in on Kerem before he scurried out of their bedroom. Maybe that would’ve made her feel a little better.
“No, Vee, you haven’t been with El in a couple weeks. Do you really think I want you here with me, dry-humping me in the middle of the night?”
“Shut-up, Key. I will stay if you need me to. El will understand.”
“No, he won’t understand, and he shouldn’t have to. I will be fine as long as Kerem stays away. I don’t want to see his face right now. If I just can’t make it, I will call Mommy.”
I pulled away to look her in the eyes.
“Are you sure?”
“Girl, if you don’t go and sit on that man’s face, I am going to kick your ass. Go, Vee. I love you. I will be okay. I don’t know the combination to the gun safe. I’m not suicidal or anything. I’m just so disappointed and hurt.”