Page 45 of Obsessive Love

“She knows that,” I replied. “According to her, she’s been sprinkling it on my food every time she cooks, but today, she literally went in for the kill. She had to use my Epi-Pen.”

“Aww, she saved you!” Xoey gushed. “That’s so sweet.”

“She wouldn’t have had to if she wasn’t trying to kill me,” I chuckled.

“It's just a love tap,” Xoey sighed. “Nothing too major. She used the pen, so I know it’s the real deal because I would’ve let a nigga die.”

“Damn.”

“Exactly, anyway, listen — I don’t feel bad for making her jealous because I needed to know if she was feeling you, and it looks like she is.”

“So, because she tried to kill me, I know it's real?”

“Something like that,” she laughed. “Now, how you handle it is up to you. You can fuck her until she admits it, or you can drive her crazy until she does. The choice is yours.”

“What would you do?” I asked, even though I knew she would say something crazy.

“Drive her crazy until she admitted it. She wants to be mad? Cool, be mad with her. Match her attitude with your own. She’ll eventually break or kill you for real.”

“I gotta stop taking your advice,” I mumbled and shook my head.

“You won't,” she announced. “But I have to go; I got shit to do and a nigga to stalk.”

“What nigga, Xoe?”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “I’ll see you later this week.” Xoey hung up before I could respond.

I sat there, staring at the food, and started laughing. Fable spazzed out and tried to kill my ass because she was jealous. She loved a nigga.

“She’s not what I expected,” Hood said as he followed me back into my office.

All morning, Fable had been showing out, and I was loving it.

She woke at her normal time to prepare for the W’s press luncheon.

She wouldn’t admit it, but I could tell from her body language that she was nervous and excited.

She wanted to do good and make an impression.

I knew that she would, so I wasn’t worried about it.

“What did you expect?” I sat at my desk and swiped my computer screen to bring the cameras up.

So far this morning, Fable had broken five plates, and I don’t know how many cups.

Every time she got frustrated or to piss me off, she threw something.

I didn’t care, though, because that could be replaced. She couldn’t.

“Some scary ass woman,” he laughed, and I shook my head. “Definitely not her little ass.

“Man, that’s her behaving,” I said, and he reared back. I explained what happened last night, and he fell back in his seat laughing.

“Now I see why you didn’t want to go to the ER,” he said as he tried to get his laughter under control. “It would be some shit to have to explain to them that the woman you kidnapped tried to kill you by using your food allergy against you.”

“Man, she didn’t try to kill me,” I denied, and Hood stopped laughing.

“What the fuck do you call it?”

“She just wanted to get her point across,” I said and shrugged. “If she wanted me dead, she wouldn’t have had my Epi-pen nor used it.”

“The way you are trying to justify attempted murder is wild,” Hood sighed. “My nigga, you legit could’ve died.”

“Man.” I wiped my hand over my beard and shook my head. “You don’t understand our shit; that’s why you think that.”

“Now you sound like Fire when it comes to him and Lynx,” he replied, and I shrugged.

“That’s because I get what Fire and Lynx go through. They are in love; how they express themselves is their business, not mine. As long as they are happy, then I’m good.”

“Alright,” Hood nodded. “I’m going to have the same mind frame when it comes to y’all crazy ass situation because if I don’t, I’ll be stressed the fuck out, and you’ll be over here chilling.”

“Exactly,” I nodded. “You worry about loving on the Point Guard, so she’s happy and will lead my team to a damn championship.”

“I got my woman; don’t worry about her,” he laughed.

His phone rang, and he pulled it from his pocket.

From the stupid ass smile on his face, I knew it was Legacy.

I gave Hood shit about his relationship, but I was happy for him.

I knew how he felt about Legacy for over a year, and seeing him step up gave a nigga like me hope.

They were complete opposites; Hood was, well, a hood nigga, and Legacy wasn’t.

But they were made for each other. “Speaking of my woman, I need to go.”

“She told you to bring your ass home, huh?” I laughed as I stood.

“Nah, she’s about to go hang out with Mama for a little, so I’m going to go meet up with Pop and check in with him.”

“Give her a kiss for me and tell Mr. Bowlin I said what’s up,” I said, then hugged Hood. “Y’all are in my prayers every night and morning.” I patted his back two times.

“We appreciate it,” Hood said, then let me go. “I’ll see you at the arena later this week?”

“For sure,” Hood agreed. “I don’t want to go to that shit, but I’ll be there to support you and my woman.”

“Bet.” I rounded the desk and walked Hood out.

Once Hood was gone, I returned to my office to review a few reports and watched Fable in the kitchen through the cameras.

The W’s press luncheon was coming up, and seeing her preparing was dope.

I knew she didn’t want me in the kitchen, so I gave her space.

I wouldn’t stress her unnecessarily, at least not right now.

My phone rang, and I glanced at the screen, groaning.

Morning only called me on my work phone when something was wrong.

“Which one of my players are you about to bail out?” I said, getting straight to the point.

“None of them,” he chuckled.

“Coach?” I sighed. Everybody thought players were the hardest to deal with when owning teams, but that wasn’t true. Coaches usually came with a bigger ego and a million and one fucking demands. I leaned back in my seat and wiped my hand over my mouth. “What’s this about to cost me?”

“Nothing,” he answered.

“Then, what’s the problem?” I leaned forward, ready for whatever bomb he was about to drop on me that was going to piss me off.

“Diara’s husband is getting out of jail,” he announced, and I dropped my head. This was not what I wanted to hear right now.

“Fuck,” I groaned. “Does she know?”

“Nah, not yet,” he replied. “I put out some feelers to get more information before I said anything to her. I was giving you a heads up.”

“Why?”

“Why, what?” he questioned with a humorless chuckle.

“Why are you telling me, and why doesn’t Diara know yet?”

“Because you're about to see a lot more of me,” he answered.

“Morning, my nigga,” I laughed because if he was giving me a heads up, then it was more to the story. “What do you mean? I’m about to see a lot more of you. What are you coming around for?”

“Diara,” he said with a finality that left no argument.

“Alright, bro,” I said, nodding. “Alright.”

“I’ll be in contact,” he said, and the call ended.

I dropped back in my seat and wiped my hands over my face. Diara had a complicated past. Her ex-husband was supposed to be doing a twenty-year bid; he’d only been locked up for two years. Something wasn’t right. I reached for my phone to call Morning, but stopped when I heard glass break.

“This fucking girl,” I sighed and stood up. “Itty Bitty!”

“Stop fucking calling my name, Pyrite,” Fable yelled back, and I chuckled.

Watermelon flew into the room and sat on my desk. “Home,” she screeched. “Home!”