A Love Like This

Chapter V | Adrian

Being that Vixen and I had met with all of our clients we decided to call it quits for the day. It was unusual for me to be home so early in the day but aye a nigga not complaining. With a blunt tucked between my lips, I took a drag of it before removing it from my mouth. As the relaxing herb made its way into my lungs I exhaled a cloud of smoking before passing it to my friend Lalo. It's been awhile since we kicked due to our work schedules so spending time with him was much needed.

Lalo and I have been friends since we were shorties. Our mothers are best friends so it was inevitable for us to become like brothers. Lalo would be what you would call a hood celebrity. Well known in the streets and around the music scene of Chicago. We both had our dealings with drugs, the money came in handy being that it paid my way through college as well as law school.

Lalo and I were at my house chilling, playing 2K. I still haven't told him about what happened between Vixen and I. To be honest I was still slightly shocked about the whole ordeal. But what really shocked me was her wanting to continue while she was in a relationship. Maybe it was far gone than what she has been telling me. Powering down the gaming system I placed the wireless control on the coffee table in front of me.

"Ace the fuck you doing yo ? Lalo questioned sitting up from his once slouched position. Ace was a nickname he gave me back when we were growing up. I only allowed him to call me that nickname minus our mothers.

"I need to talk to you about something" I said my tone was serious which caused him to eye me

Lalo shook his head as he relit the blunt that fizzed out while he had it rested between his lips. Sitting his controller down on the table, he shifted himself in his seat on the recliner so that he was looking at me.

"What you need to talk to me about bro?" Lalo inquired with an raised eyebrow

"You know the job I just got at K&L Gates" I asked. Lalo nodded his head attentively "Well, um I kind of fucked my boss" I stated rubbing my fingers along the stubble on my jawline.

Lalo looked at me with a blank expression on his face. Within a few seconds a grin was plastered on his lips. He instantly started to laugh and reached over to dap me. I rejected his hand and sat back further in to the leather sectional.

"You a wild muthafucka yo. Is she bad at least ? Was the ass and pussy right ?" He quizzed bombarding me with question after question

"Damn nigga chill with the questions" I said as a chuckle now escaped my lips. "Whole time she bad as fuck. Beautiful face, a nice little physique, her ass is just right. And the pussy. Two words, chef kiss" I replied mimicking the chef kiss

"Then what's the problem Ace because I don't see one. She bad, pussy good and got her own shit" Lalo said as he used his fingers to count off the things he just said

"She's my boss, that's the problem nigga. But check this out, she told me she still want me to keep fucking with her and she still got a nigga" I said mentioning Kaiden. Something I should had probably mentioned earlier.

"Obviously the nigga ain't clappin' her shit right or not at all if she tryin' to get you to do it. And nigga you have a girl yourself" he responded while blowing smoke out of his nose. As he ashed the blunt into the ashtray he continued to speak. "Look I'm gon' be real with you, you been talking about ending shit with Zoe for a minute and obviously she not trying to be with her dude any more. Yall keepin' it real with each other, I say go for it. Just make sure at the end of the day yo feelings not gettin' involved. Easier said than done but that's my advice" he said shrugging his shoulders

Lalo was right. Vixen and I are both consenting adults and know what we're getting ourself into with this situation. Since she wanted to see me tonight I figured it would be best to ask her if she had any expectations.

As Lalo and I continued to chop it up the home alarm alerted that my front door had opened. I knew it wasn't my mother, even with a key to my home she always called before popping up. So it only meant Zoe had showed up uninvited. She knew I appreciate my privacy, I get we're in a relationship but still want my privacy to be respected. As she walked into the living room the sight of an overnight bag came into view. My eyes went over to Lalo who was trying to contain his laughter.

"Hey sweetie, what's up Lo" Zoe greeted as she sat her bag down beside the couch. As she sat on my lap I frowned to myself.

"Wassup Zo" Lalo greeted her as he began to cut into the fronto that he had taken out of his pocket.

Zoe tossed her blonde colored tresses over her shoulder as she rested her head into my chest. For the past few months Zoe has been acting clingy, possessive, argumentative and a little too insecure for me. I never gave her a reason to assume the worst in me. That wasn't until yesterday.

"What are you doing here Zoe? You can't just pop up over here like that" I said easing her off my lap so that she was sitting beside me

"What do you mean ? I can't just come over my BOYFRIEND house" She asked as she raised her voice

Kissing my teeth I stood up from my seat on the couch. Grabbing her arm I lifted her up and escorted her up the steps that led to the bedrooms of my home. Entering my room I let go of her arm and closed the door behind me. When I turned to face her, her arms was folded over her chest. Her big brown eyes eyes were slanted. If looks could kill she would have been charged with murder. I barely recognized the woman standing before me. She wasn't the Zoe I met back in law school. Something in her changed and I didn't know the cause. I just knew I couldn't deal with it anymore, Vixen didn't have anything to do with this.

"Zoe what I tell you about starting shit up while I have company ?" I scolded her while rubbing the bridge of my nose "look, I can't do this anymore Zo to be honest with you. We hardly speak and if we do you're always finding something to argue about. The shit stressful. I just can't"

Zoe eyes began to water as she listened to my words. I watched as she chewed on the corner of her lower lip, something she did out of habit when she was upset. Without uttering a word to me Zoe began to storm around my bedroom, ransacking various drawers and my closet to gather her belongings.

"After five years this is what you're going to do to us Adrian ?" She questioned her voice cracking no matter her hard she tried to keep it neutral.

"We agreed to end things if we were unhappy in our relationship and I'm unhappy Zoe. It's been that way for months now. You're ignoring the shit. Real shit Zo are you happy in this shit ?" I asked leaning against the wall.

Zoe parted her lips to speak but the words never left. I guess she realized I was right, she became aware that she did in fact ignore all the flaws in our relationship. I couldn't place all the blame on her being that I had my own transgressions that played apart of our failing relationship. I could be distant, set in my ways but that was shit I was working on.

Zoe had finished collecting her things when she began making her way to the door. Her eyes met mine briefly before she disappeared out of the room only leaving behind the scent of her Chanel perfume. Releasing a sigh I ran my hands over my head. When the fuck did my life become like a soap opera.