Jungle

Chapter 27

One month later.

With most of his belongings packed and boxed up, Rico was more than ready for Memphis. His lease is up and has not been signed for renewal so there's no turning back now. It's been heavy on his mind this entire time, but he still hadn't had a talk with Alexis. In two weeks he would be leaving town so it was now or never. Rico was nervous as he sat on his couch waiting for Alexis to come over.

Once she knocked on the front door, he took a deep breath and opened it. He didn't know how she would react to this, but he was hoping it would be good. He didn't want to wait till the last minute to tell her, but his nerves got the best of him.

"Hey." She walked in with a smile.

"What's up." He awkwardly hugged her.

Alexis hadn't been over his house in a week so she was surprised to see boxes everywhere. She squinted her eyes and looked left to right in confusion.

"What's all this for?" She pointed to the boxes.

"You want to sit down so we can talk?" He sat on the couch.

Alexis sat next to him and folded her arms. Rico nervously scratched his head and sighed.

"Is there something you need to tell me?" She faked a laugh.

"You know how I told you I was planning on moving to Memphis?"

"I guess I remember you bringing it up." She shrugged.

"I got approved for a house out there and it's really nice, in a good neighborhood and everything." He slowly broke the news to her.

Alexis rolled her eyes up and started tapping her foot.

"My lease is up, so..."

"So you're leaving?" Her heart started beating fast.

"Yeah, in two weeks though."

"Two weeks, nigga?!" She wanted to cry.

"Memphis would be a good place for me to start my own business. It'll be a fresh start and who knows what else can come out of it."

"Well, fuck. Have fun starting a new life." She was hurt by this.

"A new life? Alexis. You acting like we haven't talked about how I felt. I told you I didn't want to stay here, I didn't know it would come this soon."

"When you find out about this?"

"Last month. And I swear I was gone tell you then, but I didn't know how to bring it to you. It took up until now for me to work up the courage for us to have this conversation." He stood up because she did.

"Damn. Just when I thought I had something. I'm still celebrating my birthday and you tell me this. We even made plans for your birthday and everything and you knew your dumb ass wasn't gone be here." She held back her tears because she didn't want to come off as soft, even though Rico already knows she's a crybaby.

"We do have something."

"What about us, Rico? You just gone leave?"

"I don't know, but I can't stay here no more..." He sighed.

"You leaving me? I thought you loved me?" She pushed him with tears in her eyes.

"I do love you."

"You don't! You wait until you have two weeks left with all your shit packed to tell me you're leaving. You don't love me, probably never did. The type of niggas I attract." She pushed him again.