Page 62 of You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty

Feyi’s mind was a blur of blind panic. Beg him, her fear told her. Maybe he’ll back off then. “Nasir, please stop. You’re scaring me.”

Nasir growled at her. “Feyi, I swear to God. If you don’t get the fuck out, I’m gonna throw you out myself.”

Feyi sagged against the wall, one hand digging into the planter as she held herself up, her fingers sinking into the moist soil. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t stop crying, even though she knew it was making him angrier. “I’m sorry, Nasir. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

He sucked at his teeth. “You know what. Fuck this shit.” He turned and walked away, heading up the staircase.

Feyi pulled herself together and ran after him as soon as she realized he was heading for her room, catching his sleeve on the staircase. “Nasir, wait!”

He shook her off and strode up the rest of the stairs, flinging her door open. Feyi tried to pull him back, and Nasir turned on her, his teeth bared. “Get your fucking hands off me,” he snarled. She flinched and backed off, and he raked his eyes around her room, then threw open her closet doors and pulled out her suitcase.

“Nasir, please don’t do this. Please, just listen.”

He ripped her clothes off the hangers and threw them into the suitcase. “Listen to what, Feyi?” Her shoes landed on top of the clothes and he swept everything off her bedside table, bottles of perfume and earrings scattering over the suitcase and floor. “I treated you well, you know? I knew you came with baggage, I knew you were all fucked-up, but I didn’t care. I thought you were special.” He paused and stepped into the bathroom, then gathered her things from the counter and threw them toward the suitcase. Feyi gasped and jumped back as a bottle broke, spewing oil and glass all over the floor.

Broken glass, a dark road, the sounds of shattering. Feyi snapped out of the spell and looked at Nasir, really looked at him. “What the fuck are you doing?” she yelled, her panic burning away into hot swirls of something else.

“Taking out the trash.” He gestured at the suitcase. “Zip up your shit and get it out of here.”

“Nah, fuck you, Nasir.” She was still crying, but enough was fucking enough. “I’m not doing this with you.”

“Fuck me? Fuck me?” He took a step toward her, and Feyi glared back at him.

“I don’t deserve this shit,” she hissed, her voice wound wire-tight.

Nasir put his face close to hers, his breath skimming her skin. “You deserve every fucking bit of this,” he whispered. “Don’t ever get it twisted.”

A door slammed, and Alim’s voice rang out from downstairs. “Feyi? Nasir? Is that your car outside?”

Nasir’s face contorted. “Oh, look,” he said. “Daddy’s home.”

He grabbed the handle of Feyi’s suitcase and started to drag it out of the room.

She grabbed the other handle and tried to pull it back from him, her clothes spilling out to the floor. “Stop this shit right now, Nasir!”

Nasir gave the suitcase a sharp yank, tearing it away from Feyi’s hands, spinning it out into the hallway, shoes and more clothes flying out. He stepped out of the room to kick it, and Feyi pulled at his arm.

“I said, stop it!”

Nasir whirled around and came at her so fast that Feyi tripped backing up into the room and stumbled as she scrambled away from his rage. “You don’t get to say anything!” he yelled. “You fucked my father, Feyi! Get your shit and get out!”

His face was close to hers, spit flying from his mouth, his eyes burning and his face wet, then Alim’s arm was across his chest, pulling him back. Nasir struggled as Alim forced him out of the room. “Don’t fucking touch me!”

“That’s enough, Nasir. Wait outside.”

“I’m not gonna—”

“I said, wait outside.” Alim’s voice was like a whip, the edge of it slicing through the air. Nasir fell silent, his eyes red and resentful. Alim came up to Feyi, his hands gentle as he touched her face, looking her over. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice soft. “Did he hurt you?”

Feyi shook her head, her throat raw. “I’m fine,” she said.

Alim was quickly examining her arms, her hands, her neck.

“I’m fine, Alim.”

He looked around the room.

“There’s glass.”