Ronny's POV
To Ex-Best: you sure you don't need a ride? 1:07
From Ex-Best: positive. 1:08
"I'm nervous as hell man." I said to Quan and Jon Jon in the office.
"For what?" Quan said. "This ain't yo first time talking to the bitch."
"Watch your fucking mouth Quan!" Jon Jon yelled, beating me to it.
"Y'all love defending her." Quan mumbled.
Jon Jon jumped at Quan's throat. "Keep her name out ya mouth, nigga. I'm tired of you bashing these females, especially Candy. And if I gotta tell yo ass again, that's a bullet in yo ass."
"Ight, man. Damn." Quan choked.
Jon Jon finally let him go.
There was a knock on the office door.
"You good, man?" I asked Jon.
"Come in!" Quan yelled and in walked Jerry.
"Wassup?" I nodded to him.
He sighed. "This been hanging over my head for a while now... I should've been straight up with you, but I ain't know what would happen so I kept my mouth closed..."
"Spit it out Jerry." Jon Jon said.
"That day you asked me to take ya bitch home, she tried to suck me up. She said she'd suck me if I helped her out with something else."
"Something else like what?" Jon asked.
Jerry shrugged. "She ain't say, but I ain't let her do shit. No offense, but I don't know where the fuck her mouth been specially if she offering random niggas head."
My heart was down in my shoes. "T-thanks for letting me know." I finally spoke.
He nodded and walked out the door.
Quan shook his head. "You and these no good bitches."
Jon Jon didn't say anything this time.
I checked the time on my watch.
"Go handle that." He said to me.
I sped over to Destiny's and banged on the door until she opened it.
She snatched the door open. "Why are you banging on my door like your the fucking police!?"
"Cause I got some questions to ask you." I walked in her house. "Sit down."
Destiny rolled her eyes. "I'll stand."
"Sit down, Destiny. I'm not playing with yo stupid ass today."
She finally sat on the couch and I sat right in front of her on the coffee table.
"What is it?" She asked.
"Are you tryna turn my people against me?"
"What?"
"You heard me. You offering my niggas head for favors!? What kinda favors you looking for that your boyfriend can't do for you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about Ronny." She said, playing dumb.
"I need you to look me dead in the eye and tell me there are no other niggas."
She smacked her lips. "Get the fuck outta here with that Ronny. I'm not cheating on you."
"Look me dead in my eye and tell me there's no other nigga." I repeated.
"There's no other nigga." She said, looking me in the eye.
I searched her face and nodded. "Okay." I kissed her cheek before walking out.
I got in my car and headed to Chili's to meet Candy. When I got there, she was already in the place, waiting by the door.
"Hey." I said, pulling her into a hug. She hesitated at first, put her arms wrapped around me and the scent of her perfume comforted me.
"Hey." She said quietly.
"Table or booth?"
"Booth." Candy and I both said.
When we sat down, a waiter came by and took our drink order. Candace was staring at me. That mean mug she's been giving me the past few weeks, went away. "What's wrong?"
"Go ahead and say I told you so."
"What are you talking about?"
"Destiny's cheating on me. I don't mean to throw this in your face, but can I vent? Just for a minute and I promise I won't bring her name up again."
"Go ahead." She said and sipped on her water.
"Here I am, for the first time in my life being with one female and I'm being faithful! Then she gon pull this bullshit on me? That shit ain't right."
"Everybody doesn't have the same intentions as you do. They way you loved her, you expected the same. But that may not be what she intended to do with you."
"Now here I am looking like a fool. Should've stayed a player."
"Settling down with one person is one of the best things you could ever do. You just gotta find the right person." Candace shrugged.
The waiter came back and took our order.
I nodded. "So you wanna tell me about this new guy?"
"Nope." She looked through her menu.
"Why not?"
"Because all you're going to do is run him off and I kinda like him."
"Oh... What's his name?"
"Not telling you that either."
"For real? You not gon tell me nothing at all?"
"Yupp."
"And you say I don't listen. That's cause you don't tell me shit."
"This is different."
"How?"
"Cause you always try to fight everybody I talk to."
"That's a damn lie."
"Remember Jared in 2nd grade?"
"Nah, that's cause he was playing you."
"And so is the dude I'm talking to now, right?"
"I don't know, he could be." I shrugged. "It's just something about him I don't like."
Candy laughed to herself. "You don't even know him. I'm just not good enough for anybody, huh Ronny?"
"That's not what I'm saying. What I'm trying to say is nobody's good enough for you."
She rolled her eyes.
"I'm serious, Candy. There ain't nobody else out there like you. You're a rare find and that's what I love about you." I looked her in her eyes.
"Don't do that shit, Ronny."
"Do what?" I figured that would be what she wanted to here and the fact that I meant it.
"Playing with my emotions. You don't love me, so quit saying it."
"I do love you Candace."
"Not the same way I love you, so you really don't."
I sighed in defeat. "Okay."
The waiter brought our food and I started to eat.
"Now let's get to the real reason we're here. Tell me all your issues with me, so I can fix it."
Candace was staring at the chicken tenders on her kids platter.
"Candy." I called to get her out of her daze. "You good?"
She nodded.
"When's the last time you ate?"
She didn't say anything.
"When was the last time you ate, Candace." I repeated with all seriousness in my voice.
"A few days ago." She whispered.
"I thought we were over this." I sighed.
"There is no we, Ronny. I'm going through this by myself." She yelled.
"Candace you wouldn't have to if you'd talk to me. Cause I bet ol' boy don't even know what's going on with you, does he?"
"That's not his business. It's not yours either."
"I'm not doing this with you today. We not leaving here until you clear that plate."
"I'm not a child, you don't tell me what to do."
"Then stop being so damn stubborn. We can stay here all day, we got plenty to talk about."
She rolled her eyes.
I don't give a fuck. "Issue #1..." I said smacking on my food.
"You got us into this big mess and it all could've been prevented if you had just listened to what I said."
"It ain't that damn easy to get out the game, Candace."
"It's not about how easy it is to get out. The real question is do you wanna get out?"
I shrugged.
"There's so much more out there. Do something you've always been passionate about. Why don't you go back to playing basketball? You've always been great at that."
I loved basketball when I was little. Used to go to the courts with my dad. Candy knows, she's been with us a few times. He even told me I could better than Lebron and Kobe. His death put a end to all that. "That won't keep my bills paid."
"And when you end up in jail or in the grave, the streets won't either. Do something legit and you won't have any consequences to worry about."
"Ight, damn. Move on." To be honest, just about everything she saying is going on one ear and out the other.
"That's about it."
"Really?"
"You got a family that loves and cares for you. You're risking it all for what? Some fast money? You find pride in that?"
"Don't knock my job cause these days I'm running shit."
"Yeah, running yourself right into that grave. Are you forgetting there's a death wish out for you right now?"
"I'm handling it, you don't have to remind me."
"Yeah whatever." She said and finally started to eat.
After about 15 minutes, she finished.
"Don't even think about throwing it up when you get home." I got the check and paid. "Let me take you home."
She checked her phone before saying okay.
It was a silent ride, other than the radio. When we were almost there, I decided to break the silence.
"So are we good?" I asked.
She shook her head no. "This little get together solved nothing. You're still going to continue to be your selfish and stubborn self and I'm tired."
I take that as a no.
"So where do we stand?"
"Same place we were yesterday. Until you decide what you want to do with your life, you're on your own. I'm not gonna sit there and watch you wreck it anymore and I'll be damned if I let you wreck mine."
Soon as I pulled in the driveway, she opened the door before I put the car in park and jumped out.
She didn't dare look back.
I sighed. That went well.
************
Update long overdue, sorry y'all! This chapter isn't pointless, but it wasn't all that necessary but I hope you liked it anyway.
Destiny out here thotscotching, but we already knew that.
Ronny's finally seen her true colors! Or is there more to be revealed?
First time Candy and Ronny actually sat down and talked in a while!
Y'all agree with Candy's perspective of Ronny and his 'thug life'?
Did I miss anything?
Next chapter might end up being intense, we gotta see. (I don't even know what I want to happen next lol.)