Business Not Pleasure

Chapter: 9 Never Show Weakness

Paula (Cashes)

I woke up with a pain in my chest. I groaned pulling down my shirt and staring at the pinkish bruise on my chest.

I sigh standing up, feeling my plush carpet rub against my feet.

I rubbed my eyes hearing Dora from the next room of mine.

I stood up feeling the soreness in my chest. Rolland walked in noticing me.

"Morning." He say walking to my bed. I just stared at him.

"Goodmorning I guess..." I mumble walking out the door. I walk to Bria room and see her sitting cross legged on the floor mumbling to the tv.

I stood in the door laughing silently. It was cute.

She heard me and turned her head. Her brown curls bounced in her face as her pretty eyes looked into mines.

"Mommie!" She jumped to her feet running to me. She jumped in my arms and I caught her. The pain hurted me, but I showed my Bria some love.

I gave her kisses all over her face as she giggled.

"Hey beautiful." I say hissing a little. Rolland came and grabbed her from my arms.

"You don't need to much pressure on that Paula." He say looking down at me. "What happened anyway?"

"Long story short I got slammed on the table, slapped in the face, molested kinda... and shot in the chest." His facial expression changed to a look of worry.

"Is the bullet in there!" He panicked.

"No the metal piece I placed there blocked the bullet, but the impact was painful."

He sighed, and I already know where this conversation leads to. So I turned and walked away from him.

"Man, I told you to quit that shit!" He say holding Bria in his arms.

I gave him a warning look "Bria right here!" I say getting annoyed.

He put her down before pushing her gently in her room. She pouted but listened.

"This is my job!" I say irritated with where this was heading.

"This is not a job for a lady! You should be cooking or doing some shit around the house! You need to sit ya ass down somewhere!" He say following behind me.

"This is what I love. This is what I do." I say walking to the kitchen. "But shut the fuck up cause your being a big ass hypocrite!"

"I make the calls, not do the runs Paula."

"I'm not quittin' we been through this!"

"That's why we not together now." He say walking out.

"WE!? THE FUCK! WE NOT TOGETHER CAUSE YOU CHEATED!" I yelled.

"I didn't feel it no more." He said annoyed "you don't act like a lady! You always try to be controllin' and shit, your not the man in the relationship Paula damn!"

"You know what fuck you Rolland." I rubbed my temples. "Just go." I felt the dull ache in my chest.

It wasn't from the bruise, but it was from the memory of him being with some one else.

I sighed thinking about old times. He was my first love. We was even together before the drug business.

He showered me with the love I wanted, but it drifted away.

I tried but it just didn't work.

Later we ended living together happily at first.

Until he started coming home late, smelling like perfume and even lipstick smeared on his collar.