SUGAR || Lori Harvey x Method Man

-Chapter Twenty-One-

"I got you. I'm so excited to be getting out of here." I sighed as I sat on the couch.

"Yeah me too. Everything feels so tense now. And with Reeks case looming over our heads I just need to get away from it all." I could see a glimpse of worry in her eyes and it reflected exactly how I felt. I never spoke to Tati about what Clifford did that night, and I don't think she or Tyreek were aware of what took place. As badly as I wanted to confide in her, I knew it wasn't my place to tell what happened. I didn't want to talk to Clifford about it because I didn't want to worry him or make him think that I looked at him differently. I just wanted some way to get it off my chest but unfortunately I had to swallow my emotions and live with it.

We spent the night half watching movies and going through Tati's closet to figure out what she should take to Jamaica. It was mostly sundresses and anything stretchy for her since she was growing out of her clothes every day.

"Damn Reek still isn't home... have you heard from Cliff?" She asked checking her phone.

"No actually," I looked at my messages. "I haven't."

"That's so unlike them," She bit her lip nervously. "I hope everything is okay. Shit has been so weird since that shooting at the club."

"Yeah it has," I whispered as I felt myself start to tear up.

"Hey hey what's wrong?" Tati came and sat infront of me.

"I don't know how you deal with this shit Tati. This life is so..."

"Scary." She finished my sentence. "Uncertain, unpredictable, intimidating. It's all of that."

"I love Clifford so much but I wish we could just be normal." I felt tears starting to roll down my cheeks. "And I'm so tired of fucking crying!" I rubbed the wetness off my face.

"It's a lot Chey I know, believe me I know. It's hard as fuck and I cry about it all the time too. And it's okay to cry, but we have to be their backbone as well."

"Girl, you are strong." I shook my head. I don't know how I was expected to be the backbone of a nigga like Clifford.

"You're strong too. I just been dealing with this longer than you, that's all." She rubbed my back. "Everything is going to be fine."

Although I didn't open up to Tati about everything I was feeling, her words really comforted me. I was sure she had been through a lot of things with Tyreek that I had no clue about and it made me hopeful that if she could deal
with it, I could too.

———

On the day of our trip to Jamaica we caught an early morning flight from D.C. to Miami where we had an eight hour layover.

Clifford put his arm around me as we exited the plane with Tati walking in front of us. Tyreek couldn't leave the country because of his pending court date. The judge considered him a flight risk because of his charges and made him surrender his passport so Tati had to come on this trip alone. I felt so sad for her because not only could her man not come out of the country with her on this romantic ass wedding trip, but she was also very pregnant.

"You okay boo? That landing was rough." I asked her.

"Girl yeah, I just need some food."

"I know the perfect place,"Clifford stated. "We have enough time to leave out of here, grab some food and be back before our next flight."