Chad. Every time, I’d apologize, staring at her
face, and quietly say sorry.
At first, Tiffany would pat my head hesitantly,
like I was a kid. “Okay, just don’t do it again.”
Then she’d smile at me, all knowing. “You’re
so cute when you apologize.” Later on, she
stopped giving me rules altogether, but I was
still programmed to apologize first. “I’m
sorry.”
Tiffany paused, her voice still angry. “Sorry
ain’t gonna cut it this time, Tao. I’m really
pissed. I should have left your girl in the war
zone. Why did I fly all the way there to give
her a free ticket to steal my man?”
I frowned.
She just kept on grilling me. “Did you sleep
く
with her? Tao, answer me, did you?!”
I cut her off, “Tiffany, you need to stop
talking about her like that. She means a lot to
me.”
Then she went silent. After a few seconds, I
heard something smash. Tiffany was laughing
through gritted teeth, “Tao, you never said I
was important to you.” She spat out, “You
better remember this, I didn’t let you go. You
are still mine.”
“I’m not yours,” I said, frowning. “We’ve been
over ever since you went to LA to chase after
Chad.”
Tiffany was quiet for a bit, and then she
whispered. “So, you’re doing this to get back
at me, right?” Her voice got stronger. “You
<
being with her is just to mess with me. If I just
give you one last chance….”
I frowned harder. “Tiffany, stop it. You and
Chad finally got together, so just be happy.”
Tiffany went silent. Her breathing was heavy,
rapid. A moment later, she hung up. I sighed,
listening to the dial tone. Tiffany hadn’t
changed. Whenever Chad was in the picture,
she got her head on straight.
She used to call me, drunk in the middle of
the night. I’d throw on a coat and run to the
bar, and pick her up. I’d be shivering, my
hands freezing, but she’d refuse to go home.
Her friends would apologize, then video–call
Chad, “Maybe he can talk some sense into
her.”
<
Tiffany would instantly stand up straight,
sober as could be, and get in the car herself.
Me and her friend would just stare at each
other. Her friend would say, “I’m sorry, man,
nothing else works with her. Only Chad can
keep her in check.
I’d shake my head, “It’s okay, I don’t mind.”
I would then make her a hangover cure, and
take care of her all night. And she would just
hold me and call out for Chad. The whole
time a voice in my head just kept on asking,
Tao, you don’t mind? Why are your hands so
cold? I shook my head, and pulled myself out
of the memory.
