Page 35 of Love Me Now: Baltimore & Madelyn

“I said take it the fuck back,” I barked lowly. “Now, stop actin’ like you can’t hear me. You finna piss me off.”

“But…but…” He stuttered horribly. “I can’t. Sherma has changed—”

“When did she change?” I questioned.

“I don’t know, over the years. She’s become this woman that I don’t even remember marrying.”

“Hm. How long you been in ministry and traveling the way you do?”

“Well, I… I mean, it’s my job—”

“You ever thought that she switched up because you did?”

His mouth clamped shut as he glared at me.

“You can look at me crazy all you want to. I guarantee you ya crazy doesn’t match mine.”

The lines in his forehead dissipated.

“Now, I want you to do exactly what I said,” I told him. “How the hell you ‘round here telling other folks how to live when yo’ house is all fucked up? The resentment you show ya wife, she turns around and shows to ya daughters.”

“She’s not an angel—”

“Did I say she was?”

He shut up again.

“I can imagine she’s a lil’ hard to deal with, but you married her. You knew before you said I do that you loved her. Then,youdecided to switch up on her. She raised ya kids, kept ya fuckin’ house in tip top shape, and meanwhile you were off doin’ you.”

“It’s my job—”

“Please don’t say that shit no mo’.” Now I was getting frustrated. “I respect what you do, you just gotta find a different way to do it. What you not gon’ do is divorce ya wife. You gon’ find a way to win her back.”

He laughed and shook his head. “You’re out of your mind.”

“Not yet,” I replied, “but we can take it there if you want to.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he shook his head.

“Cool. Finish eating ‘cause I got a plane to catch. And while I’m tellin’ you what to do, ya daughters better not ever hear of this divorce shit. Pretend like you don’t even know what the word is.”

Hesitantly, he picked his fork up and started back eating. All the while he watched me as if I would reach across this table and jab him in the throat. A minute ago, I was close to doing so.

It was nearing eight in the evening when I crept back into Dr. Bell & Associates. I ran into Adir in the hallway as he was preparing to leave for the evening.

“You sure you cool with this?” he asked.

Without any hesitation, I replied, “Absolutely.”

We dapped each other.

“I won’t be mad if you make things official,” he said. “Neither will everyone else.”

“Good to know,” I mumbled.

“And I expect you to be at the next event the family holds as her nigga and not no damn security.” We chuckled and dapped on that too. “Later, bruh.”

“Later,” I responded. Minutes later, I found Maddie where I’d left her before sneaking off to tend to her mama and daddy.