Building Trust Through Our Issues

Chapter Twenty Eight

"Damn. That's really fucked up." Marcus said shaking his head as he stared at Jerome. He chuckled before roughly running his hand across his face. "I could see Man doing some shit like this cause I've heard the stories about him. But you? You really had me fooled. All this time I really thought you gave a fuck about me. Guess I was wrong. Shit is sad."

"Contrary to my actions and despite what you may think, I do care about you. I regret the role that I played in your father's death and I really do apologize for the affect it had on you. I'm sorry." Jerome said looking Marcus directly in his eyes.

"Man I don't wanna hear that bullshit!" Marcus snapped as he abruptly stood up from his seat causing Chris to tighten his hold on me. "You been sitting in my face for months! Smiling and grinning, hee-heeing and haw-hawing like you didn't take the only blood away from me that I had left."

"Marcus you're rig-"

"Shut the fuck up bruh, I really don't wanna hear nothing you got to say!" Marcus said raising his voice and blowing out his breath. Any other time I would've defended the hell out of Jerome against one of the kids for talking to him like that. But Marcus had a gun and I was not about to get shot for Jerome's dusty ass.

"Had you actually came to me like a fucking man and just talked to me about the situation instead of hiding it like a little bitch, I would've taken it better. I would've respected you a hell of a lot more and I probably wouldn't be so damn angry." Marcus yelled.

This is exactly why I wanted Jerome to talk to him and explain everything before it came out. I knew that he would much rather hear it from Jerome before he heard it from somebody else. This is proof that what's done in the dark always comes to the light. I honestly would've and probably should've told Marcus my damn self but I felt that it wasn't my place to do so. I just wish Jerome would've listened to me.

"And judging by the looks on all y'all's faces, I'm assuming y'all knew too?" Marcus said waving his gun as he gestured to us.

Nobody else spoke up so I did. "Yes we knew, but we all found out what happened to your father after the fact." I informed Marcus.

"So you knew and you didn't say anything to me? Had this man all up in my face telling me everything was gonna be okay when he was the whole damn reason I was hurting in the first place?" He asked me with a look of hurt on his face. I could feel Chris was about to say something but Jerome beat him to it.

"Leave her out of it, Marcus. She figured out what happened on her own, she didn't have no parts in what happened. She wanted me to tell you but I just couldn't. I was scared that if I told you, things would be worse, but now I see that she was right and I should've listened."

"It's funny because I knew all about the beef between you, Manny, and my Pops. He had already told me about everything from start to finish; him getting into it with Man, you robbing him, him shooting at y'all, him fucking with Brandy and making her turn on y'all. He told me everything. Everything." Marcus explained.

"Wow." I mumbled to myself.

"To be honest, he was trying to come harder after y'all but I begged him not to. I knew how much it would affect Li and our relationship if my Pops killed her Daddy and her Uncle. So I begged him to leave it all in the past and move on and he did. He clearly expected you to do the same for the sake of Aaliyah and I, but it's clear you just don't give a fuck." He shrugged before continuing.