𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬: 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐊𝐇𝐈

26. | E P I P H A N Y

C H A P T E R | TWENTY-SIX
● EPIPHANY ●

𝙲 𝙰 𝚁 𝚃 𝙴 𝚁 𝙼 𝙴 𝙺 𝙷 𝙸

"WHAT'S wrong with you?" Carter said to Judas as he and Stoni sat side by side in the back of the Maybach that picked them up from the airport after their Brazilian vaction. Stoni clutched Carter's hand as they drove through the streets, courtesy of Carter's driver. Judas wore a look of impatience and annoyance that Carter couldn't quite place and in a strange way it was beginning to bother him, "What's goin' on witchu, son?"

"Nothing." Judas said dryly and looked out the window as they passed through Manhattan, "I'm fine."

"You look tired Judas," Stoni said in a concerned tone of voice, "And stressed. You know they say stress is - -,"

"I'm not tired," he snapped at her coldly, looking at her with contempt, "I'm not stressed and I'd appreciate it if you let me mind my business and you mind yours. Don't try and diagnose me."

Stoni was instantly hurt when Judas spoke those words and didn't really know where his anger toward her came from. He never really seemed to like her - - she'd told Allison this - - but everyone thought she was being crazy. Carter was halfway listening as he was busy on his phone at that point but he wasn't listening close enough to mediate the situation.

"I was just trying to help," Stoni sunk in her seat and looked out the window, "You don't have to be so mean."

"And you don't have to talk to me," Judas said, "So let's practice that now, ma."

"You have such a fucked up personality, you know that?" Stoni said, "Why do you have to have such a chip on your shoulder toward the world?"

"Oh so now you're a therapist? Did you go to medical school in the last five minutes?"

"Hey," Carter was still typing away at his phone and hadn't looked up, but he mildly warned the both of them, "Both of ya'll cool it, aight," and went back to his text conversation.

"It's true, Papi," Stoni said pouting, "Anyone who tries to be nice to him gets the cold shoulder. I've tried being nice to him several times - - his personality is fucked up."

"Watch your mouth, baby doll - - told you about cursin' like that."

She shook her head and folded her arms, "Lo siento, mi amor. I'm sorry he just gets under my skin."

"And Judas don't taunt my baby, aight - - ease the fuck up," Carter said.

"I'm just saying," Judas said venomously, "I thought she was a stripper. I didn't know she was a therapist, too," both Carter and Stoni looked up at that one and Judas's facial expression didn't morph into remorse, either.

"Judas," Carter gave him his full attention then, "What the fuck has gotten into you? I said ease the fuck up, son - - now ease the fuck up. All that shit is unnecessary," by the time he finished his spiel, the tears were already welling in Stoni's eyes. Carter heard her sniffling and turned to her just in time to see the tear fall from her eyes, "Hey - - hey shorty don't cry," Carter wiped her tears, pacifying her, "He didn't mean that, aight? He's sorry - - he didn't mean to say that shit to you."

"Yes he did!" She cried, "He said it and he meant it!" Stoni grabbed the lapels of Carter's jacket and cried into his chest, her pregnancy hormones beginning to show themselves regardless of Carter's ignorance to them, "All I do is try to be nice to him," she wailed as she cried and Carter rubbed her back trying to console her, "And he's just so - - so - - meannn."