When Red came into the room an hour later she handed me some flowers.

I just looked at her. Fake bitch.

She reached out to stroke my face and I walked past her like a bum in the street. I focused on the floor to keep from seeing her deceitful face and she instantly knew something was wrong.

“Baby,” she started and I turned my back on her, my heart split in two.  “Baby!”

I snapped. “What?”

“Talk to me.”

“About what?”  I was seething with rage.

“Something happened. What is it?”

I smiled bitterly.  “Guilty conscious, ‘ey?”

She waltzed around me and gripped my shoulders. “We can talk about anything.”

I wanted to spit in her face. I hated a lying ass bitch.  If I could keep it real then damn it so could she. She was my love, my life.  I opened up to this girl, told her about my abusive past.

Did I tell her as a means to keep her?  No.  But at the same time she never really touched on topics from her past.

“Sure. Let’s talk.  Then I’m taking my son home.”

“You are home.”

“HOME!”  I didn’t mean to yell.  She blinked several times, backing away from me.  “Home, down in southwest Dade.  My apartment.  I should have known I couldn’t trust you.”

“You can.”

“What high school you went to?”

“Miami Southridge. I told you that. You know that?”

“Really? And I guess you’re going to tell me your name is Lolitha Harvey right?  Or is it Lianna?”

She stared at me, her mouth open.

“Can’t talk, ho?  You lied to me!  Do you even remember me?  Do you?”

“No, I don’t. What are you talking about?”

I smiled graciously, taking apart the flowers and ripping them to shreds.  It rained rose petals in the room, a room I didn’t want to share with her anymore. This was how it always ended.

Bitterly. A motherfucker couldn’t be honest to save their lives.

What was it with black people and honesty?

“You don’t remember me, Lianna?  We went to the same high school.”

She stared at me, taking a few more steps back. 
“I don’t…”

I approached her.  “Your son’s father, what was his name?”

“Jack Stephens.”

“More lies.  Your son’s father I dated in high school.  Rumors were flying that he fucked you.  I never believed it.”

She was in tears.  “No, no…Are you telling me…you are…”

“Yup.  Yup.  It’s me.  You were fucking my man behind my back in high school. We were really close. And you mean to tell me you didn’t recognize who I was at the club when we met?”

She got really quiet.  She lowered her eyes and sat on the bed, folding her hands.  Part of me wanted to hold her. But I couldn’t hug a liar.  “Yes, I knew who you were.”

I was stunned.  “So you played games with me.”

She looked up.  “No..I mean it looks that way.”

“Why?”

“I have my reasons.”

“Why?  Tell me. Or I’m gone forever.”

She pleaded, “Please don’t leave.  You have a piece of my son’s father with you. Your son.  I know he’s the father.”

I was hurt. My blood turned cold. “So everyone knew but me?”

Her eyes lowered to the floor. “Yes.”