Page 51 of Obsessive Love

“It doesn’t, but damn, doesn’t that make me off, too?” I asked, and she nodded. I fell back on the couch and pouted. “I didn’t ask for this.”

“Which is why I know it was meant for you,” she laughed. “Listen, Fable, I understand that this shit is unconventional, but I dare you to say it hasn’t been exciting! Friend, who the fuck can say they fell in love with the nigga that kidnapped them because their brother sold her for a debt?”

“Nobody,” I said, shaking my head and crossing my arms. “Just me.”

“Exactly!” She slapped my leg and then shook it. “You fell in love with a psycho! I know your life will never be boring. It started exciting, and it will stay that way.”

“Only you would find enjoyment in something like this,” I laughed. I shook my leg to get her hand off me. Yamari laughed and patted my leg. “Stop touching me, heffa.”

“Ohh, you only want Pyrite’s hands on you now, huh?” she joked and rubbed my knee. “That’s how you're acting.”

“Yamari Gray, get the hell on,” I laughed. “Because we both know that us bumping coochie was never going to be a thing.”

“I mean, I’m with you when you’re right,” she said, then shrugged. She sat up, grabbed her bowl from the floor, put it on her lap, and gave me her full attention. “So what are you going to do?”

“About?”

“Being in love with a psycho,” she replied.

“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “I haven’t figured out how to tell him.”

“When he says I love you, just say I love you back,” she suggested.

I smirked and shook my head. “He’s never said I love you,” I said, and her eyes damn near popped out of her head. I laughed and shrugged. “He says he’s obsessed with me.”

“Only his ass would think that’s okay.”

I grabbed a few pieces of her popcorn and ate them. “I can’t lie; I would rather hear that than I love you.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ve been in love before, being obsessed is so much better.”

“Are you sure he’s the only one that’s a psycho?”

“Let’s go!” Xoey yelled as she stood on the table with her hands in the air when we walked into her house.

I shook my head and tried not to laugh at the surprised look on Yamari’s face.

I tried to warn her about Xoey, but she didn’t believe me, so she was going to learn the hard way.

“You came!” She jumped down, wiped her hand over her shirt to ensure everything was in place, then approached with a smile.

“I told you I was,” I laughed as she hugged me.

“You did, but I didn’t know if Pyrite was going to let you out of the house,” Xoey said, stepping back. Her attention went from me to Yamari, and her eyebrows damn near touched her hairline. “You are beautiful!”

“Thank you,” Yamari said. Xoey pulled Yamari into a hug and then let her go. “I’m Yamari.”

“I know, my bestie talks about you nonstop,” Xoey said, nodding. She looped her arms through ours and led us into the house. “You’re an art curator, right?”

“I am,” Yamari answered. “And you?”

“Do a lot of things,” Xoey said. Yamari looked over at me and shrugged.

“But tonight, I’m just Xoey, nothing more, nothing less.

” I didn’t know what that meant, but I had a feeling that it had something to do with the voices.

She let our arms go and turned around to face us.

“Before we go inside, just know it’s a lot of people in there. ”

I looked at the closed door and then back at Xoey. “The whole tree?” I asked, and Xoey shook her head.

“Not this time,” Xoey laughed. “Just a couple of branches.”

“Umm, excuse me. Tree? Branches?” Yamari looked between us, confused. “What are y’all talking about?”

“It’s too much to explain right now,” I said, shaking my head. “Remind me to tell you about it later.”

“Right,” Xoey said, nodding. “But let's not worry about that right now. Right now, I want y’all to have fun. Enjoy your time. Meet some family because we aren’t just friends, and when you’re ready to leave, let me know so I can make sure you aren’t drunk because we don’t drink and drive around here. ”

“We won’t be drinking, period,” I said to Xoey. You never knew what you'd be dealing with when it came to Xoey, so we decided not to drink.

“Oh, you're pregnant already?” she asked as she looked me up and down. “Damn, I thought it was going to take longer than two months, but I guess my brothers’ soldiers were marching!” Xoey hugged me and then kissed my cheek.

“I’m happy for y’all!” She let me go and stepped back.

“Lavender is in here somewhere; she’s an event planner or party planner, whatever you want to call it.

She said it’s a difference. I don’t know if I believe it.

” She shrugged. “Anyway, she helped with Krude’s baby shower, and she’s helping with Hood and Legacy’s engagement party tomorrow. She’s good.”

“Thanks for the information,” I said. I didn’t need it, but if she wanted me to have it, then fine.

“Welcome,” she said, touching the door handle. “Now go have fun, meet, greet, and make some new friends. Also, all the glasses with a pink ribbon are nonalcoholic.” She turned the handle, then pushed the door open.

“Well damn,” Yamari and I said in unison.

When Xoey called me this morning to invite us to lunch, I thought it would be a low-key affair, but I should have known better.

The site before us was anything but low-key.

Pink, white, and black balloons littered the floor and ceiling.

There were about seven round tables that seated five people, and a buffet table had so much food on it that a small army could eat and still have leftovers.

“What kind of friends did you make?” Yamari said, looking around. A server approached us, and I was mindful of which one I chose to pick up. “And are they looking to add another?”

“I only know a few of the people here,” I laughed as we walked around.

“Well, you might as well start getting to know everyone,” Yamari said as we sat at one of the empty tables. “Especially since you decided to stay.”

Last night, we sat up talking, and I concluded that leaving was not an option. I loved Pyrite, despite our initial meeting and the craziness of our relationship. There was no one else I would rather spend my time fighting with. He was my better half.

“You know, I really think you should move here, too,” I suggested, then took a sip of my drink. “It's only right that you come since I’m your best friend, and the longest we’ve ever been separated since we met was these two months.”

“I have a job back home,” Yamari said, shaking her head.

“Quit,” I shrugged. “You don’t like it, and I know you’d rather help me with ‘Story Time.’” She started to say something, and I held up my finger to stop her. “You always say that you love helping me, and I see how you are when you don’t think I’m watching. You love it.”

“I do, but that’s your dream, not mine,” she said, shaking her head. “I help because you are my best friend.”

“Okay, then paint full-time,” I suggested.

“Fable,” she sighed, and I knew she was trying to figure out how to tell me no without hurting my feelings. Yamari’s life was in Texas, not here, but I was here and didn’t want her to leave.

“I need you here,” I said, trying not to cry. “Okay, there, I said it. I need you to be here with me because you are my best friend and sister. I’ll be lonely if you aren’t here.”

“You won't be lonely,” she said, twirling her index finger. “You have people now. I will be your best friend no matter where you are.”

“So you’re telling me no?”

“I’m saying not right now,” she said, shaking her head. “Enjoy your life here with Pyrite, and I will come if and when you need me.”

Instead of going back and forth with her, I nodded and looked around the room.

She thought she was leaving, but that wasn’t happening.

When we got back home, I was going to talk to Pyrite.

He also had to convince Yamari to stay if he wanted me to stay.

And if he had to lock her in the glass cell in the basement until she agreed to stay, then so be it. It wasn’t too bad down there.

“Alright, ladies,” Xoey said, standing in the middle of the room. “I know I said this was just a little get-together, but I lied.” She smiled brightly as she looked around the room. “This is more than just friends getting together to drink and be merry.”

“Oh hell,” I sighed and shook my head. “What is she up to?”

“To celebrate us, I thought we could have a little stripper run through here,” Xoey laughed.

“But then I remembered who y’all were married to or dating, and I thought better of it.

I like my house, and the second one of y’all niggas showed up and fucked my shit up, I was going to have to kick his ass. ”

“I’m so glad you know,” a woman at another table said. She was beautiful, with her red hair and round belly. “I am not in the mood to deal with Tobias and his attitude.”

“Or have Exodus in here praying,” the woman beside her said.

“Right, so instead of all that dramatic shit, I hired a special performer instead.”

The light dimmed, and a spotlight shone in a corner. At first, I thought it was a mistake, but then a tall man with locs stepped into the light. He smiled brightly as he looked around.

“Oh hell,” a woman at a table over from us sighed and shook her head. “Genesis!”

“Shhhhhh,” the man said, putting his index finger to his mouth. “I’m here to work, baby. Let me work.”

I turned my attention back to him, and it took me a second to realize who he was. He was the same man from Ms. Arlene’s funeral who kept talking.

“Who is that?” Yamari whispered.

“Ladies, for your viewing pleasure, I’d like to introduce our special guest for the night. Genesis ‘Krude’ DeCorte!” Xoey laughed.

I turned my attention back to Krude and watched as he made his way to the middle of the room where Xoey was. Then, he took the microphone from her.