𝙳𝚎𝚎𝚙𝚕𝚢 Matched

14 | Unfair Game

The Park

Less than five minutes later, "Thanks for coming, Ian," Fatima spoke, and he sighed deeply.

"There's no reason to thank me, you know I'll always be here for you."

"Oh please," she rolled her eyes.

"Fatima, it was one time, can you stop bringing it up?" Ian responded, knowing she was referring to something that happened years ago.

Fatima cocked her head to the side, taken aback by his ignorance. "It is funny how you think it was only once because that is when there was a consequence."

"What was I supposed to do? You were the one who wanted to be petty and go after another nigga."

"Don't do that. You made a choice already, you wanted to be with all those girls, what did you expect? That I'll be faithful to you? I didn't even do anything with David, he was just my friend!"

"I'm not stupid, I saw how he looked at you, but that's beside the point. I've apologized countlessly for that, but you don't want to let it go. Also, don't try to turn this around, I'm the one who's supposed to be upset right now."

"Let it go?" Fatima pushed his chest, "Let it go?" She pulled her bottom lip that was shaking into her mouth giving it a hard bite before releasing it, "Ian, that's the problem I have with you. You are selfish." She looked at the sky to keep the tears from falling, "Do you know what I went through? Do you know what Danni went through? Did you ever check to see how mentally I was affected by it? You don't even want to talk about it. Ian, I called you, I called you countless times. You weren't there as my boyfriend, neither were you there as my secret guard."

"I've apologized countlessly, but did you ever take accountability for your actions? Fatima, you and Danni decided to be rebellious and go drinking yourselves away, what did you expect? I mean, I admit I was part of the reasons you did that, but I'm not the reason you both got drugged and_" Ian stopped talking, not able to bring himself to say it.

"Go on," Fatima pushed, her eyes filled with tears.

Ian looked at her deeply, observing her facial expression.

"How did we get here? What's going on with you?" Ian asked her. They had a staring contest for a few seconds before Ian sat on the bench and pulled her to sit by him.

"I'm just so angry and hurt. I feel choked up, this whole Tails project is... is harder than I expected it to be. And today Zac made a statement about my family, saying that what happened to them will look like a walk in the park compared to what he is about to do to who I assume might be the bastard, Bryan, and it just was a trigger for me, and I could not even express how I felt at the time.

Ian placed his palm on her thigh, "Fatima, I love you and I don't like seeing you like this, I know this is hard and I wish there was a way out of this. However, at the moment, I can't see one. But remember, it will be over soon. I know your family and Bryan are a trigger for you but that's not something you can run away from, especially in this project.

"I know, but it's just really hard."

"I'm sorry about how I reacted the last time I was at your place. I knew what this was in the first place and the possibility of you sleeping with Zac. My ego was hurt, and of course, my feelings were too. I know you wouldn't do anything to intentionally hurt me, so I know it's something you had to do. But the words you said to me broke my heart — he is a better lover than me?"

"I'm sorry I said that."

"Babe, you barely let me touch you, even after everything I've tried, and for you to just be with this nigga for a short while and then you're already giving him this much. Do you think I'm happy that another man is having my girl? I'm beyond hurt, but I honestly thought you weren't going to. I mean if we can barely have it three times a year, I didn't think you'd be having sex with him."