The Thug's Life

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"She knows him," I tell Ashten as soon as I open the door to the spot. He looks at me crazy. He has his keys in his hand and I'm guessing he was about to leave out to somewhere.

Ashten's eyes go a bit wide and his lips part. He looks to me then to Tati then to my hand hooked on Tati's wrist and back up to me. I let go of her wrist and move my hand to her back. Maybe I do look a bit crazy but under the circumstances I think it's understandable. I think.

"She knows who?" he asks me carefully.

"Him. Chris. The guy who took me. Makin' me do all this stuff. She knows him," I tell him acting a little frustrated because I feel like he should just know what I'm talking about.

"How?" he asks. I go blank. My mouth goes open.

"That's not as important," I say instead and walk into the house after Tati. "What is important is how we can use that."

"Okay..." he says hesitantly but follows after us into the living room.

"So how do you want to use it then?" he questions me.

"I don't know that's why I came here to ask you," I say sitting down on the white couch. Tati sits close to me and I wrap my arm around her waist instinctively.

"Well...I can't really say how to use it if I don't know what their relationship was like, at least," Ashten tells me and I don't know what to say. Ashten knows of Tati's unfaithfulness but only to a certain extent. Some things in our relationship, most things, I keep between Tati and me. Other times when I need help with a situation or just need to let my anger out is when Ashten knows of her cheating.

I open my mouth then close it not knowing what to say. It's kind of hard to tell him she's cheating on me when she is sitting right next to me.

I look to Tati and to see green eyes looking back at me before turning her head to Ashten. "We fucked a couple of times," she says bluntly. She doesn't blink once.

Bold.

That's one of the reasons why I liked her so much in high school well middle school too.

Ashten's mouth is wide open like he doesn't know what to say or how to respond to that. Hell, I'm speechless too. Tati takes control of the situation while we men sit here stunned.

"So what do you want me to do?" she questions Ashten.

Still speechless, he answers, "Well umm, I-we could-I mean you could, umm, you could go in with him?" his final answer comes out more like a question.

"Don't you think that'll just make him mad? I mean like seein' us together." Tati waves her hand between us asking the questions now. Helping to devise a plan.

"Well he doesn't have to know you to are together. For all he knows you two are just business partners. It's just he did say for you to come alone." Ashten says looking to me.

"Ugh, this is too much. Too complicated. I don't want you in this mess," I say looking to Tati, "It's just too risky."

She looks at me with apologetic eyes that are warm and soft. They look like she wishes she could do more to help me but knows her place and knows that the drug dealer's girl can't get herself stuck in the middle of this mess. That's just how it is. The drug dealer's girl always stays out of the picture.

"Okay" she mouths to me. I feel her lips on the corner of my mouth. Then I feel them say 'okay' one more time.

"Let's go. All this talk is workin' my nerves." I tell Tati getting up. I reach my hand out for hers to help her up and she takes it rising to her feet.