Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart

JACEON

After hounding Asia all morning, she finally gave in and gave me Elle’s address which I was now typing into the GPS of my G Wagon before speeding off. Elle lived approximately half an hour away from me and yet last night was our first time running into each other. Once I pulled up in front of the converted mattress warehouse, I hopped out of the truck and handed my keys to the valet who’s eyes widened once he recognized me. 

As I approached the front desk, I overhead a delivery man telling the security guard that he was delivering food to Chanelle Jones. If was the perfect opportunity for me to not attract any more attention so I walked over to the elevator and waited for the delivery guy. “Hey, my man...” I said as I pulled the little Asian man to the side. “I’ll take care of that delivery for you...”

His eyes lit up once he saw the hundred-dollar bill that I'd peeled off and waved in front of him. “Tank you, tank you yes, ten floor number D...” He informed me as he handed me the bag.

Thanking him, I entered the elevator that had just opened and pressed 10. The entire ride up I prayed silently that Elle would hear me out; I had stayed up all night tryna figure out the right words. As the elevator doors opened, the first thing I noticed was that there were only four apartments per floor so I obviously didn’t take me long to find apartment D.

Elle called out the second my finger came off the bell and I waited anxiously until I heard her footsteps approaching. Once she finally opened the door, I had to stick my foot in it to keep her from shutting it back in my face. Good thing I wore my Timbs today, I thought to myself as I pushed my way through the door.  “Don’t you want your food?” I asked as I held up the bag. 

Elle stomped over and snatched the bag from my hand before setting it down on the counter. “What do you want?” She scowled at me.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“What?” She snapped. “I LIVE HERE!”

“I mean... how long have you been in Baltimore?”

“Why?” She asked.

“I just wanna know...”

“What do you think, I’m following you or some s**t?”

“That’s not what I said...”

“So, what is it then?”

“I just- I wanna know how long you been so close by...”

“Wouldn’t have made any difference...”

I let out a big sigh, “Elle... can we just sit and talk... please?”

She turned her back to me and sat down on one of the stools around the counter, “make it quick.”

I had so much to say but couldn’t help but to stare; she was just as if not more beautiful as the last time I saw her. Her skin was blemish free, lips pink and pouty, and I could tell that she had nothing on under her robe. As I sat down on the stool beside her, I tried to move her wet hair out of her face but she quickly smacked my hand away. 

“Do you still have that ring I gave you?” I asked, noticing her bare hands. 

“Yeah,” she replied with a raised brow. “Why, do you want it back?”

“No, I just-”

“Why are you here Jaceon?”

“I wanted to see you...”

She kissed her teeth and rolled her eyes. “After TEN years. NOW you wanna see me? NOW you remember I exist? After years of me having to watch you flaunt your little girlfriends on national TV, you wanna see little ole me for what?”

Her words cut like a sword. “I never forgot about you Elle, I swear. I did go back for you and your neighbor told me that you’d went off to some art school in Paris... I thought about you all the time...”

“So, you were thinking bout me while you were fuckin with Naomi? And Shawna? And Justine? And that Asian hoe that got you locked up? Boy please...” She snapped.

I don’t know why but shorty guilt trippin me had me catchin an attitude. “So, you tellin me that you aint been with another nigga since I left? Cause that’s bullshit and you know it. I bet money you spread your legs to just as many men as I had women so don’t sit here and try to act all innocent!”

“Are you f*****g kidding me right now? You f*****g left me. You left me in the f*****g hood while you went to go be Hollywood. My mother died you aint even come see me or nothin but a week later you’re posted up at a party in Miami with some hoe just months after you promised you would come back for me!” She shouted with tears in her eyes. “I waited for you Jaceon like a f*****g fool! How do you think I felt when moving trucks came for your mom and left me in the dust? I needed you and you weren’t there for me! You were supposed to be my best friend and for two years I was alone! I had no one! So, you know what, yeah I did start fuckin somebody else cause I finally realized that you didn’t give a f**k about me!” Elle punched me in my chest and I swear I felt that s**t in my heart.

I stood up and grabbed her by her wrists, pulling her into me; she tried to fight her way out but eventually gave in and began sobbing into my chest. I hated that I was the cause of her pain; I was so young and dumb back then I guess I thought she’d eventually move on, it was something I'd regretted to this day. Elle was such a loyal girl, it was foolish of me to even think that. “I’m sorry Elle, from the bottom of my heart... I’m sorry for everything... I’m sorry about your mom, I should’ve been there for you...” After placing a kiss on her forehead, I stared into her eyes one last time before walking out the door.