Shut Up & Listen

LUV: Understand

[part two]

Cecil's presence was not acknowledged when he entered Cole's bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the photo of Colin and Cecil Sr. hanging on the wall. "Yo homeboy 'bout to burn this place down tryna cook out there." He chuckled at his own joke.

He still didn't acknowledge his big brother's presence. "Can you just tell me what's the matter." Cecil demanded, trying out a newly acclaimed brotherly tone.

"Why you in my business? Matter fact, why you in my room?" Cole squinted his eyes at the older man who was unbothered by the dismissive tone Cole was using. "Well... I heard that that's what big brothers do." He watched Cole's face noticing it's change from defensive to something a little softer yet heavier in a matter of seconds.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"When you do, can you let me know?"

"I'm prolly never gonna wanna talk about it. With anybody." Cole dejected, but Cecil knew that nobody only meant him.

"Sounds serious." Cecil scooted off the bed, brushing off his pants. "Is it a STD?" He joked, attempting to lighten the mood.

He and Cole have always had this heaviness between them. Cole never understood it, but he felt it and he always acted accordingly. Cecil always retreats when things get too heavy, which was often. He smiled, preparing himself to walk out of the room.

"Fuck you." Cole retorted, almost cracking a smirk.

"Let me know when that shit heals up, bro. 'Til then, imma leave yo ass alone to burn in peace." Cecil snickered, walking towards the door. Cole threw a pillow at him, catching him in the back of his head. Cecil laughed picking the pillow up from the floor tossing it back onto the bed. When he opened the door, Cobe was standing there.

Cole watched Cobe as he approached the bed. He sat on the edge, laying back looking at Cole. "You know you can talk to me, nigga." He mumbled.

"Yeah, the same way you know you can talk to me." He retorted. "Don't ask me shit until you decide you can trust me enough to open up."

"I did. That's all I been doing since Lonnie got shot."

"That was out of necessity. You don't actually trust me."

Cole grabbed his car keys from the kitchen and announced that he would be back soon.

Cobe continued to lay on the bed thinking for a second before texting Cole to wait. He caught up with the darker skinned man in the hallway of the apartment building. Cole stopped, leaning up against the wall waiting for Cobe to speak. "You first." Cobe suggested standing beside Cole up against the wall. Cobe hesitated but proceeded anyway.

"Okay." He huffed out. "Jill told me that she was pregnant with my kid and got an abortion." He said simply, noticing that the sentence had come out easier than he's anticipated. Maybe it wasn't that big of a deal then, he thought to himself.

"When?"

Cole shrugged his shoulders. "You didn't ask any questions?" Cobe asked, looking at Cole sideways with confusion.

"Only thing I asked was for her to leave."

"You didn't wanna know?"

"What's the point? She already did the shit. It's not like I can make her go back and change her mind." Cole snapped, feeling as though Cobe wasn't understanding why this would have an effect on him.

"And you're mad? You don't wanna be a dad, look at Cecil. You really want what he got?" Cobe added, dismissing any reasons for Cole to even be considering having a child at this point in life. Cole was offended, not only does Jill think he wouldn't be able to handle being a father, but now Cobe believe's he'd be just as bad as Cecil. He turned to face Cobe head on before defending himself. "That's cuz he don't know shit about family. He don't know what it's like to not have one. And I can bet his little boy knows he don't want his ass and that shit is fucked up. I'd never do no shit like that."