F*ck You (Leighade/Leeade)

24: Out With The Bad

Lee

Once Jade left the apartment, I grab my phone to call Andre back. I FaceTime him and after three rings, he answers.

"'Sup, m- yikes, what happened? Another bar fight?"

"Dre, he's back," I say seriously, staring at my phone. The older man's expression goes from entertained to confusion. "Who's back?"

"Lenny. He was just here ten minutes ago." I pull my phone back to show him exactly what that guy did.

I then struggle to stand to show him the dent in the wall. "He did all of this in front of Jade. He even pushed her on me after he put a steel footprint on my lungs."

"Shit. What made him come back?" I go back to the couch and set the ice pack back on my abdomen. "I have no fucking clue."

"I called to tell you about the game we have in a few weeks then remembered today's your anniversary." He pauses, "That's fucked up."

"Yeah, but I hit him first. Seeing his face made my anger go from zero to a thousand in a second. Jade had to hold me back before I got stupid and threw the first punch."

"You stood up to him though, right?" I nod, "Yeah."

"That's good. Lenny's bullied both me and Jes, but we knew how you had to live with that. I'm gonna be honest, when you told me he did it, it brought back memories," he shakes his head slightly.

"Yeah, but if he comes around Jade, I'm not afraid to take another beating for her."

"I like that you protect her the way you do, man. I remember those days when we'd pick with her everyday. I'm happy for you," he smiles and I do as well.

"Thanks. I actually proposed to her last night," I rub the back of my neck as he cheers. "'Bout damn time!"

I laugh lightly at his reaction, "Yeah, I already know."

"I'm really happy for you. You deserve this."

"Thanks, Dre."

"No problem. Anyway, I gotta go. You try to enjoy your day with your fiancée and get your mind off of anything bad that happened, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. Love you, mate."

"Love you, too, mate."

I hang up then set my phone on my thigh. I put my head back and my shut my eyes.

I replay the last twenty minutes in my head, cursing myself for doing that in front of Jade. The actual beating was something I was used to, even a decade later.

My flaw was doing this in front of my wife.

What really upsets me is that today was supposed to be her and I's day. It started with me proposing, to a night of nude cuddles, then I wake up to her making breakfast for everyone.

It's like after that bachelorette party, everything went to shit.

What seemed like seconds later, my soon to be wifey comes through the door with a makeup bag in one hand and a brown grocery bag in the other.

"I should've gotten you in bed before I left," she says, shutting the door with her elbow then put the bags on top of the counter. She then approaches me and re-examines my face and torso. 

"I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean for you to see that," she shushes me softly, "No need, my love. Here, let's lay you back." She assists me in laying comfortably on the couch before putting the ice pack back on me.