Xiomara;

"Dave!" I groaned as I struggled to keep up with him while we ran together. "Wait baby, lets take a break. I can't do this no more." I said out of breath and slowed down to a stop. I hunched over with my hands on my knees, panting heavily.

"Baby we ain't even ran that far yet." He chuckled, continuing to jog on the spot. He was ahead of me too.

"Boy you do sport as a career so don't even talk to me about no 'not that far'. Not that far my ass! I'm done!" I whined, fanning my flushed cheeks due to the heat. Dave had more stamina than I did, of course. That was one of the reasons why I lowkey hated running with his ass but at the same time, I enjoyed it because it allowed us to spend time together while being productive. "I'ma cry." I told him, trying to walk it off but I just felt so dizzy. I hated it.

"Baby c'mon." He said as I took a seat on the ground, feeling to pass out if I stayed on my feet a second longer. "At least walk to me."

"No. David, I hate this shit. You stay going too fast on me!"

He chuckled and walked over. A cyclists rolled by us but he pressed on his brakes as soon as he saw my husband.

"Oh shit, David Brewster?" He said in disbelief.

I rolled my eyes, watching Dave stop to take a picture with the man and just like that, he cycled away again. Dave crouched down to my height and pushed my hair out of my face.

"Look I know you ain't been feeling so hot since you had our girl but I wouldn't want you any other way shorty. If you'on like working out with me then you ain't gotta."

"But you don't even mean that, Dave. Be real with me, okay?" I was trying so hard to get my body back to the way it was but my patience was wearing thin already. The extra weight was blatantly there. I couldn't ignore it and that only meant Dave noticed it too.

"Don't tell me what the fuck I mean. Now c'mon, let's go. You ain't 'bouta sit here on this ground like a little ass kid." He demanded. He switched from kind and considerate to 'bring yo grown ass on' real quick.

We walked the rest of the way back home since I wasn't trying to run. Like ever again. I narrowed my eyes, seeing somebody familiar jogging in our direction. He drew closer, the sight of his face becoming a more vivid image before I finally realized who it was.

"Ryan?" I said making Dave look at me like I lost my mind. Ryan slowed down to a stop in front of Dave and I, out of breath. "Oh wow, hi. What are you doing here in Malibu?"

"It's a great place to run. Lots of trails." He said but I could tell with the way he panted, he didn't really run often. "Really, I've been hoping I would bump into you one day." He confessed.

"Nigga what?" Dave cut in before I could say anything.

"No, babe this is my friend Ryan. He's a cop." I made sure to add so he didn't think about doing anything crazy but that only made him look more ready to lose his shit. "Ryan, this is my husband, David."

"Nice to meet you, man. I'm a big fan," He said, holding his hand out but Dave smacked it away.

"Zo what the fuck is this shit?" He asked me.

"Okay bye Ryan, it was nice seeing you." I said.

He looked between us and muttered 'bye' under his breath before jogging away.

"Seriously?" I asked Dave since he had no right smacking Ryan's hand away like that. Usually he was nice to all of his fans.

"You talking to me about some seriously? Yo, for real? You got me fucked up Zo! All the way fucked up! You fucking with a cop now? You lost yo' fucking mind?" He yelled at me.

"He's my friend!"

"Fuck that shit! I'ma fuck yo' ass up! A fucking white boy?"

"The fuck has race got to do with it? So if I was fully Mexican you wouldn't be fucking with me?"

"You know damn well that ain't what I mean!" He yelled and jabbed his finger at my forehead like how Ghost did Tasha in Power. I couldn't believe it. "That's a fucking cop, Zo! How fucking dare you?"

"That's my friend, Dave! He helped me that night after Deshawn's burial when you didn't try hard enough to find me so fuck knows where I would be if he hadn't given me a ride."

"Oh." Dave says. "Well I guess it's all good then."

I opened my mouth to say something but he just started yelling in my face.

"Fuck no! You should've fucking  answered the phone that night cuz I'm ya' fucking husband, not that foo' over there. But nah, that's what it's all about wit' yo hoe ass cuz' remember when I saved you too, then we fell in love? That nigga saved yo' stupid ass so now you gon' go ahead and fall for him, huh?"

"Excuse you?" That was the craziest shit I ever heard.

I was speechless because Dave and I had never argued like this before. In fact, we just recently stopped with all the arguing we used to get into but I had a feeling that it was about to start right up again. "Man, fuck you Zo. That nigga can have you."

Dave walked away and I do a double take at him after hearing him just say that. "Are you fucking crazy?" I screeched, hurling a rock at his back.

"You just threw a rock at me?"

"David I fucking love you!" I cried out with tears already streaming down my face. I'm just so sensitive today but even if it was any other day, I'd probably still be crying because that shit was hurtful. "These past few years, all I've ever done is love the fuck outta you. I've been loyal and faithful, even when we weren't official and even when you were in that coma for a whole month! I haven't even batted an eyelash at another nigga or looked at one wrong or even thought about one because I'm all about you! I'm fucking in love with you David so how dare you belittle my feelings about you like I ain't been a down ass bitch from the get-go! You crazy as fuck if you can't see all that, yo."

"Zo—"

"No! What the fuck ever, David. Shit was finally starting to get good with us but I'm starting to see that shit just don't last with you. I'm done."

"Fuck you just say?"

"I said I'm done with you. I'm tired of this shit. You ever thought that we got married too soon?"

"You ain't done with shit, Zo."

"Yes. I am."

Approaching me, he took hold of my face and searched my eyes but I rolled them in irritation, pushing him away.

"You couldn't even tell that I was playing with you." I mumbled. "Like you don't think my love for you is real or something? Because if you really believed that I loved you, then you would know that I wouldn't even think about leaving you."

I pushed past him and walked home.

____

"So you mad at him cuz' you told him you was gon' leave and he believed you?" Said Toya, trying to get the story straight. "I mean, girl you did tell him you was finna leave. What else you wanted him to believe?"

"Toya I'm not mad, I'm hurt." I said, sitting on the couch in the guest house. I frowned, continuing, "Dave should know better. He knows how down I am for him, girl I even set Latrelle up to die for him and I'm still living with that guilt today. I love that man more than I love myself and I've never not showed that so how the fuck could he not know how much I love him? It's a slap in the face, Toya."

She looks at me. "Honestly I think you being a little dramatic, girl. Like you literally emphasized to him that you was dipping so was he just supposed to wave you off and not take you for real? Cuz' if you ask me, that woulda' been more offensive."

I sighed because she didn't get it. "Maybe he's cheating on me girl. You should've seen how defensive he got when he met my friend. Dave literally said that I would leave him for Ryan as if I was already cheating like what the fuck? You know cheaters always accuse you of doing the shit they doing."

Latoya frowns. "Okay now you definitely reaching. Dave would never cheat on you. That man loves your whole fucking soul."

I just hummed in thought. I liked to believe that Dave wouldn't even thinking about doing me wrong but now I just don't know. Things were starting to add up like that look he had on his face in the guest room at Von's place. It's the little things that say the most.

"Okay whatever." Latoya says as she sees me starting to get upset. "We not talking about this no more. It's your birthday in two days so we gotta get pre-turnt. Plus, you and Dave really need to make up before then because you really don't wanna spend your birthday at odds with him. Fighting means no birthday sex."

"Shit I might just go fuck around and get my birthday sex from Ryan since Dave already thinks I'm about to leave for him." It was still the craziest shit I had ever heard. Dave was not an insecure person which was only  more the reason to believe he was cheating.

"You naughty bitch." Latoya gasps, making me laugh. "No but for real, let's get pre-turnt. I need a little something in my system cuz' that tipsy sleep be hitting right."

I shake my head in amusement, standing up. "Actually, I think I'm good on that. I'm just gon' chill with Maya for the rest of the night then take a look in that nigga's phone."

She frowned. "Well don't hurt yourself."

I chuckled. "Kiss Junior good night for me, okay?"

"You got it."

I left and made my way back inside the house, walking into the living room to see Alonzo playing with Maya. He used to not wanna be around her but he's warmed up to being the best uncle.

"How's school going?" I asked him, picking up my daughter. She was so tiny I just loved it. I could already tell she was going to be a little shorty just like her mama.

"It's aight. I'm finna head to bed now though."

"Well okay. Goodnight." I said, taking his seat on the couch after he got up.

"Night, Zo."

After he left, I sat and watched TV with Maya. "What's that?" I asked her, pointing at the TV. "It's a butterfly!" I gasped, tickling her which made her erupt into a fit of giggles. "And in Spanish we call that la mariposa."

"Mama."

"Noo, mariposa."

"Mama." She giggled.

I kissed all over her face but then she grabbed my nose to stop me. "No."

"What?" I gasped, looking at her in disbelief. "Dios mío, mija! A new word!"

"No." She repeated.

"Well done! You're doing amazing, sweetie." I grinned. Maya had only just turned 7 months and already knew a few words.

After I put her down for the night, I sauntered into Dave and I's bedroom and figured he was in the shower since I could hear the water running.

I noticed his phone sitting on the nightstand, glancing at the bathroom door once more only to still hear the water running so I grabbed it. Dave and I both had each other's passcodes since we trusted each other so I typed it in, only for it to come up incorrect.

"Try again?" I whispered in confusion, reading the words at the top of the screen. His bitch ass changed his passcode.

I continued trying until the cellphone was disabled for 10 minutes. I roll my eyes and put the phone down where I found it.

"You ain't sleeping in here," I announced as soon as Dave emerged from the steamy bathroom, a towel around his hips. After seeing that he had changed his passcode on me, my suspicions had reached a new high and so had my anger.

"Shit, I wish somebody would stop me from sleeping in my own bed tonight." He muttered.

Dave dropped his towel, moisturized a little before putting on some drawls. He went to sit on the bed so I put my leg across his side. "I said you ain't sleeping in here."

"And I said I wish somebody would stop me. Move yo' fucking leg before I sit on it and break yo' shit Zo I ain't playing."

"Yeah cuz' that's the only way you'll ever get me to struggle walking since yo' dick don't do shit."

He only chuckled. As he waited expectantly, it was only a matter of time before I moved my leg so I did reluctantly. I rolled my eyes, allowing him to sit but he surely wouldn't be staying.

Dave picked up his phone. I smiled as a loud silence filled the room. "Yo you tried to go in my shit." He accused first thing. Never mind questioning because he already knew.

"I did." 

"Fo' what?" He looked over his shoulder at me. "You think I'm cheating? You did some crazy shit but this where I draw the line. Fuck you tryna invade my privacy fo'?"

"You changed your passcode on me, Dave. What kinda impression was I suppose to get from that?"

"You trippin'."

"Well I guess we gon' find out. Let me see yo' phone." I said calmly meanwhile he tried not to lose his shit. "Let me take a look in your phone, baby."

"Nah nigga."

"You ain't gon' let me see your phone?"

"Nah. You should trust me and the fact that you don't saying a lot right now."

"Okay." I snatched his phone from him and walked into the bathroom, dumping his shit in the toilet.

I crawled back under the sheets and sighed. "Go stand on the other side of the room, please. I don't need you getting ahead of yourself putting your hands on me, okay?"

"I'ma fuck yo' ass up, Zo." He shook his head, pacing back and forth trying to compose himself.

"Fuck me up? You ain't even got the" I was cut off so fast when his hands found themselves around my throat. Dave slammed my head into the headboard before slapping the shit out of me. It happened so quick. I could hardly register what had just happened but the sting on my cheek told me that it did indeed happen because I was dizzy as fuck by the end of it.

It was the first time Dave had ever put his hands on me.

Dave brought my face closer to his by gripping my throat. "And if you think I won't do that shit again, think again, Zo."

"Fuck you." I slapped him right back.

We both breathed heavily now, the erratic sounds filling the entire room. Dave shook his head and sat down, yanking my petite body into his lap. He pulled down his drawls and thrusted me down on his dick all in one swift movement. I moaned loudly as he filled me up and immediately began pounding up into me with his arms wrapped tightly around me.

"Bring yo' ass." He grabbed my hair by the roots, bringing my face closer and shoving his tongue down my throat violently. "All you needed was some act right, shorty." His hands were full of my ass, bouncing me on his dick, fucking the fury out of the both of us. I couldn't stop moaning.

It was so wrong. We were both so wrong. But he was the only disgusting one. The manipulative one, fucking me this way so that I would become speechless, then later forgetful of the shit that he did. I hated myself for enjoying the way he made me feel. Falling for it. It made me disgusting too.

My baby was no longer the same, so why the fuck were his arms the only place I felt I belonged?