Retaliated

Chapter 21

"You're funny, what brought you by?"

"Not a word from you, got a little worried and decided to drop by. What's new with you?" She stepped outside and we took a seat on the single step she had.

"Doing what you've always told me to do, focus on myself and keep out of trouble. What about you? I don't see you racing up and down these streets anymore like a bat out of hell." She laughed as she played with the few rings on her hand. Adjusting them so they sat nicely on her fingers.

"For someone who's really focused on themselves, you look really good. Been takin' care of yourself and it's paying off but I'm glad you're finally taking my words up on what their worth." I said before dropping my stare from her to look down the driveway. "I've just been busy you could say."

"Thank you and that doesn't sound too good, at least the way you said it suggests otherwise. Talk to me, maybe I can help?"

"Ehh, it's not really something I need help with. I know what I need to do but it's just getting myself to do it, you know? Maybe makin' some changes and whatnot." Relationships are like roses, they're beautiful, strong and perfect when you get 'em but if you don't take care of 'em, they slowly start to wilt, become weaker and eventually die. Right now I feel like my relationship is on the way to wilting.

"Well I'm always here if you need someone to talk to. I might as well confess to something that's been weighing heavy on the back of my mind." I looked over at her with a raised brow. "Not too long ago I had Breezy over here and we had both been drinking, him more so after I gave him a hard drink and I was at the point of sinking low enough to mess with him to get back at you for getting with Trina but it didn't get that far."

"Why though? Yeah I get spiteful towards some people but it doesn't do anything in the end."

"I know it doesn't, that's why I didn't go all the way through with it. I'm tired of being angry, upset and holding grudges. It's just not worth it anymore." She said as she picked up a leaf and started to fold it with her fingers.

"You've said that plenty of times before-"

"No Trey, this is different. For example, sleeping with Breezy may have made me happy for a minute because Breezy's your best friend but it would have upset more people than just you and in the end it would have only made you even more upset with me. I don't want that, I'd rather have you as my friend than my enemy and I hate how it took all that I did in the past to get to this point of realization." The genuinity in her voice was clearly present. As if she was really resenting her past decisions and this was a good sign, she's really thinking about her past actions and learning why they got her in all these messes.

"I know you probably feel like shit as you look back at all this but I'm really proud of you for realizing all this." Reaching over, I wrapped an arm around her for a side hug. "I know you're a good person at heart, I remember how you were and that's why I still choose to help you out when I can."

"Thanks, it means a lot to me that you're still willing to help me. Most turned their back to me and I understand why. So for you to still do things like drop by to check on me, it's a nice gesture."

Her and I chilled out on that step talking for about an hour maybe hour and a half. I openly talked to her about my depression when Breezy was in NYC and she opened up to me about her more sadder times. From there we sparked up the school days of when we first met, to what our first thoughts were of each other and then all the classes we had together. We avoided speaking about our relationship and then her relations with Breezy but to sit here laughing with her about all these memories, it felt good. The best part was hearing her future goals and then I shared some of mine, it ended us on a good note.