B.R.E.A.T.H.E

~Chapter 21~

~Noelle~

Hey baby girl he said kissing my cheek. Hey boy! Oh I am yo boy now! Yeah sit we need to have a discussion. What I do now? What you say to Brian? Ughh his ass again. Please tell me Noelle what is it with you and these white guys! What's that supposed to mean Tyriq? It means you black, yo mama is black, I am assuming yo daddy is black so why you chasing the snow. You real funny Tyriq cause I do remember you fucking around with that white girl in high school or and if I am correct yo baby mama ain't full black either is she now. He sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes at me. Yeah that's what I thought! Anyway, I am here because I heard about yall little argument at Li's last week. It wasn't no argument Noelle I straight up told him I am here to stay, and he shouldn't get to comfortable. How you know you here to stay I said with a raised eyebrow? Cause I am, Noelle. I told you in 7 months we will be together! 27 more weeks and you'll be screaming my name or walking down the aisle to take my name. The cockiness is getting old! It ain't cockiness its truth. Now whether you want to believe it is on you, but I told you this time its Tyriq and Noelle and I meant that shit.

Listening to him talk about how this time he wasn't letting me go was making me so hot. It's something that I'd always loved about our relationship. How he could take charge of me. He was never the hit his woman type. He was the kind to talk to you on your level. He knew pretty much everything was to know about me short of who my father is and that Liv and I had an extensive relationship. Everything else though he knew and he didn't throw stuff in my face. That was something that Brian didn't have. Yeah, he was there for me after Jamal, but he didn't push me to try to get back to my old self. He let me wallow in self-pity for 3 years. I think he liked that whole damsel in distress vibe I was giving off. But I don't need a Captain save a hoe I need a real man!

Did you call me here to talk about him though? No, I didn't I actually called you to talk to you about Malik. Malik! Yeah you still cool with him? Something like that he said. What's that supposed to mean? I ain't talk to him in a few years after I found out he bounced on Liv and Jacob. Oh so you haven't talked to him in what 8 years huh! 8! Yeah he left when he was about 3 or 4. He'll be 13 in a few weeks. That nigga, what he do now? Did you know he was into drugs? Drugs! Naw Malik don't do drugs he knows better than that. He is and apparently, he gonna try and use Jacob in it.

Wait Malik Houston! The same Malik we went to Middle School and High School with? Yes that one! Naw Noelle he don't do drugs his older sister was murdered because of drugs. Murdered! Yeah when he was little she overdosed while she was babysitting him, he saw it. He swore up and down he'd never get into because it took his sister. I didn't know Malik had anyone else but his brother. He does 2 sisters, Dre, and a little brother. His older sister died, the other sister wasn't really around her grandmother raised her and the little brother came into the picture when we were in high school. His mama had a baby when we were in high school? Not exactly! Her then boyfriend was laying his thang down everywhere. You telling me she raised someone else's baby? Bingo! How did we not know this? Cause we was being teenagers. He ain't talk about it to everyone either. Damn now I feel slightly bad for him. Slightly he said laughing. Yeah just a little because he ain't tell us he was going through shit. You need me to talk to him? Huh! You need me to talk to him see what's going on? Yeah Liv is worried that he's trying to pull some shit. I'll reach out to him but if I beat his ass before her tell her not to be mad. I'll do just that I said laughing.

Elizabeth hasn't stopped talking about you since she came home. Really! Yeah, every other word is "Oh and Ms. Noelle has this or Ms. Noelle has that". I am glad I made a good impression on her. You made more than an impression on her Noelle. Ty! I know you still with that Brian guy but look at what we'd have if we were together? If we were together! A family, 2 little girls, a son, a big ass house where we could host the holidays at. You just got it all laid out huh! It's fate Noelle and I remember the time we went on that house tour. Oh my god you remember that! Yeah I do you said you wanted a big house with enough rooms for everyone for the holidays. I still want that where I can cook and host dinner parties. What's wrong with me wanting to give that to you? Well for one we aren't together. That's a technicality cause you know all you gotta do is say the word and we back together. You don't think our situation is complicated. It is but when hasn't it been complicated. You right about that I said nodding my head. My phone started ringing right as the waiter came to our table. I gotta take this. Cool I'll order for you. You know what I want? Trust me I do go take your call he said shooing me away.