ICU TOO

Chapter Eleven

MEMPHIS, TN

𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄

"I hate you so much..." Crystal said rolling out of the bed and grabbing her robe.

She looked back at me one last time before shaking her head. I sat and I picked up my phone from the nightstand. A couple of missed calls but nothing important.

"Devale do you really love me?" Crystal asked laying back down and putting her head on my chest.

"You know I love you." I said playing with her curls.

"Why do you treat me like this then? The gaslighting, the manipulation, the lack of respect... why?" She asked closing her eyes.

"I don't know. I didn't know I did all of those things to you." I said shaking my head. "Zena and I had feelings for each other but we never talked about being in a relationship, we never defined our situation." I tell Crystal.

She chuckled and turned her head away from me.

"Did you ever sleep with anyone else when you were with her?" Crystal asked me.

"I wasn't with her."

"But did you guys see other people?" Crystal asked me.

"Baby I was too busy with DJ to date anybody at the time. Zena and I just lived together, she helped me with— can we just drop it?" I ask her.

Crystal sat up and looked around. "I have to get ready for work." She said heading to the bathroom. "My mom should be here in like 15 minutes." She told me.

"I can stay here and watch DJ-"

"It's fine Devale." She said before closing the door.

Crystal and I are a prime example of sex can't solve anything. I don't think anything can really fix us. No matter how much I try, I just can't seem to get it right. It's like I'm self sabotaging something that can be so great. Now I'm wasting time trying to fix mistakes that I shouldn't have made in the first place.

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Crystal made me leave before her mom got back. I guess she didn't want to have to explain why I was back. I don't know what Crystal told her about marriage, hopefully the truth. That we both lied but my lie was a little more hurtful than hers in some way. I'm not trying to convince anyone how I feel about Crystal getting her tubes tied. Nobody has asked me how I feel. Everyone's just judging me for something that I did in the past. But sometimes when you're a man, that's what comes with the territory. People pushing your feelings to the side for the betterment of your wife.

"You know I gotta check out in like an hour right?" Zena said letting me in her hotel room.

"Chill I'm not even here for that." I said shaking my head.

I'm on pussy overload. I'm putting myself on time out.

"I came to talk to you." I tell her.

"Talk about what? How you're not gonna be with me cause you love Crystal. I already know that." She said shrugging her shoulders.

I sigh and nod my head. "Okay cool. So if you know that why are you always like— I can't explain it." I said giving up.

"Doing what? Use your words." She said with an attitude.

"You be tryna manipulate our situation like it's more than what it was." I tell her.

"I'm not finna keep bringing this shit up again and again. Devale it's done. Leave it alone." She said putting her hands up.