Sensibilities | Deetranada AU

vigilant

A Week Later

(Dee POV)

Dee readjusts her headphone, trying to hear Nova over the sound of the restaurant. 'What?' she asks again. 'I said when y'all coming back?' 'We payin' now so shouldn't be too much longer,' she replies. 'Hold on.' She puts the phone down, taking out cash to pay the cashier. 'You can give the rest as tip,' she says, picking up the phone. 'Thank you.'

She starts out of the restaurant, Donovan and Anna following behind, their arms around each other. Bringing the camera back to her face, she smiles but he doesn't return it. Instead, his eyes watch something intently, anger growing. She looks behind her, seeing Donovan and Anna the same as before. Okay.

He sighs, looking away from the screen entirely. 'Aight, man. Just let me know when you close and I'll start comin' over.' 'Just come now,' she replies, leaning against the car. 'It's like five minutes from my house.' 'Aight,' he says, quickly ending the call. Hold up, I know this lor mothafu-- 'You good, Dee?' Anna asks, opening her door. She takes a deep breath, doing the same. 'Yeah, I'm good.' He not gon' be though.

****

Dee sits facing Nova, her eyes shooting fire. He faces the television, his arms crossed. Both angry at the other, they refuse to the be the first to explain or apologize. The door opens and distracts her momentarily. 'Hey Diamond,' Nuz says, dropping a bag on the floor. 'Ma back yet?' 'Nah,' she replies, still staring at the side of Nova's head. 'She stayin' late and said either order somethin' or eat leftovers.'

Nuz assesses the situation, the tension between them obvious. He shakes his head, picking his bag back up. 'I'm goin' to the court with Jason and them,' he says, turning without waiting for a response. 'Kay,' she says as the door closes.  She continues staring for a moment longer before she finally speaks.

'What's the problem, Juli?' she asks. He pretends to ignore her, his mouth twitching to answer but remaining closed. Okay, you wanna be like that. 'You actin' like a lor bitch and I'm--' 'Really, Diamond?' he interjects, finally facing her. 'You the one out with some nigga knowin' I been waitin' to see you.' Wait, hold up. 'You mad over Don?'

He sucks his teeth in response, grumbling to himself. 'Open ya mouth, Juli,' she demands. 'He the same guy that was tryna talk to you at the party?' he asks. 'Yeah, and?' He 'bout to make a whole damn deal outta this. 'So you goin' out with guys that was tryna get at you and you think I'm supposed to be cool?' What I say?

'Juli, shut the fuck up 'cause you sound real dumb right now,' she fires back, willingly unleashing the full extent of her frustration. 'What?' She ignores him, continuing her rant. 'You act like you got somethin' to be worried about. You just saw Nia and that was ya ex but you don't see me runnin' around accusing you of shit, do you?' He bites his cheek, avoiding her gaze. 'I asked you a question.'

He starts to speak and she continues, not hearing his response. 'Not that it matters but we never did anything, we never was anything. The only thing that's been happening is me and you. Even when we sat up there like some bums ignorin' each other all week, you know it was me and you.' She softens at the thought, taking a deep breath to calm herself.

'I'm not tryna be mad at you. Just talk to me, Juli.' She scoots closer, resting her head on his shoulder, linking their arms together. She feels his shoulders relax, but only slightly as he starts to speak. 'I see how he looks at you, like he wants you and shit. I'm not with it,' he explains. Lookin' at me, the fuck? 'He always be textin' you, tryna talk to you and shit like you he--'