Exposure

EX:9

Chapter 9

Owen's Perspective

"If you avoid the conflict to keep the peace, you start a war inside yourself."-Unknown

•••••

     THE hot sun beamed on my back as I pumped air inside a tire. My brows were covered in sweat and the dry towel did nothing but resurface the fluids after wiping my face over and over again a dozen times. Eric pumped air into the other two tires of the car while I threw back on my white t-shirt.

It was almost time for me to head out for the day so I went ahead and started packing up my toolbox. I felt a light slap on my back causing me to turn around.

"What's up man where you been at the past week?" Andre asked toying with a screwdriver.

"Workin," I answered casually tending to my business.

     Once I got done packing up my toolbox I checked the time on my phone. It wasn't that I was trying to be rude, I just wasn't in the mood to talk today. I just wanted to get my damn work done and leave.

"Damn one word responses?" Andre asked leaning up against the car I was working on.

"My bad man I just got a lot on my mind today."

"Trouble in paradise?"

"Somethin' like that."

"It ain't no big deal man don't let that shit sit on your mind all day, you'll go crazy."

I wiped some of the oil off of my fingers shaking my head, "I don't know how to feel about it to be honest."

"Damn she cheated on you din she?"

I balled up my face growing upset, "what? Man no, why the hell would you even say that?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "shit I don't know, you been lookin like you lost yo best friend all mornin."

"Nah it ain't nothin like that, I just asked her to move in with me and she said no."

"Really nigga? That's what you over here poutin bout?" He gave me a straight face.

"Why am I even talkin about this with you?" I opened up the hood of the car as Eric got finished pumping air into the last two tires.

     It wasn't that I was mad about Tiana not wanting to move in with me, I was just disappointed which was worse. I could also understand where she was coming from but at the same time, it was like she was coming up with every reason in the book to not stay with me. It was a shot to my ego to say the least. I wasn't trying to be selfish and I knew she had a lot going on, but she never wanted to make time for us.

"Nigga you just saved yourself from a headache trust me, things change when couples move in together. That's when you really find out who the fuck you with." Andre opened a bag of chips talking shit.

"I gotta agree with Andre on that one. It's like there's no boundaries when they move in. Tiffany rearranged my whole place, now my damn bathroom looks like a beauty salon." Eric explained in horror.