What Breaks a Man?: Sensible Hearts Part 2

by H. Q. Frost

  Are we just not supposed to talk about the fact she's married but I'm gonna take care of her in any way she needs? Am I pissed she's married and I'm the other man? Fuck yes. But was I going to pass up having sex with her even though it's an affair? Fuck no. He's obviously not taking care of things like he needs to be, so I will. However she needs me, I will be there.

  ~~*~~

  I walk into church on time and find my mom, who of course was early. Sliding in next to her, I lean around her to hug Claire, then shake Leo's hand. Smiling down at the tiny baby, Nyla pops into my thoughts.

  I texted her three times but haven't gotten a reply. I almost didn't want to take a shower and wash her smell off me, but I had to finish what she started… then abruptly stopped before she mauled me.

  "What happened to your face?" my mom whispers loud enough that Claire looks over at me and gasps.

  "Woke up like this," I whisper with a shrug and keep my eyes on the priest at the front of the church.

  By the end of mass, I'm having a hard time staying awake. I think I got maybe three hours at Nyla's because I fucked her until the sun was starting to rise. Thinking back, I almost wish we had more conversation, but she needed last night. I'm not being a cocky bastard, it was just obvious by how she practically begged me for it the second time around. It was a new level of Nyla that I didn't know about when we were younger. And I hate that her new sexual prowess wasn't discovered with me. But I'll let her use what he taught her, because when she promises things as sweet as 'No-one fills me like you do' or 'I haven't come this hard since you', I believe her.

  As I stand in Leo's living room clutching an unwanted beer he forced on me, I'm staring at this ivory cake but thinking about Nyla.

  "You want a slice?" Claire asks appearing next to me.

  "Oh, no. Thanks. Looks good though. Uh, pretty." I nod and look down at her while she's grinning up at me like I'm an ass.

  "So… the face? What really happened? Another fight?" She's grinning but I know she doesn't find it humorous.

  Another reason I haven't actually hung out with Leo since my mom reconnected us is because Claire won't let him out with me. The only reason I'm at this baptism is because my mom.

  "Uh, no." I look at my nails. "I trimmed my nails this morning. Musta did it in my sleep last night." I shrug.

  "Mhmm," she mumbles with a shake of her head. "Are you staying out of trouble, Dom? Your mom says you've been keeping busy with work."

  "Yep. Gotta stay busy, and active to maintain these curves." I flex and wink at her before walking to the kitchen to dump this beer and get the fuck out of here. I need to head back to Nyla's to beg her to talk to me. "Aye, man, I gotta take off. Work," I tell Leo, and that's not entirely a lie, I have a drop off tonight because CJ refuses to do a solo job alone after what happened yesterday, but it's not for five hours.

  "Take me with you," he quietly groans. "I hate her fucking family, man. You can take the trash out of the ghetto, but not the ghetto out of the trash." He huffs and I laugh.

  "They seem like good people." I don't know or care about Claire's family but the look on his face tells me they're not. "It's almost over."

  "Thank God for that. Hit me up soon and we'll grab a beer or something, Sestak. Thanks for coming out today and the card. I appreciate it, and tell your mom I said thanks again and sorry she had to work right after church."

  "Take it easy. I'll come by to see the kid soon." Finding Claire, I kiss her cheek then rub my finger over the baby's.

  I'll probably never see this baby again. Claire's become a snob she has no business being after her upbringing.

  "Take care." She squeezes my arm and I discreetly flex then wink, making her burst into giggles.

  "What's funny?" Leo asks. "Claire? What's funny?" He follows me out the door. "Are you hitting on my wife?"

  "If I was hitting on your wife, she'd be leaving with me." I grin at him and he huffs shaking his head.

  "Hey, speaking of. So I work with this—" Abruptly stopping, he turns around and closes the front door as we stand on the porch. "Hot, dude, so hot. She's hot as sin, and I want to try and hook you two up. You seeing anyone?" He's grinning a toothy fucking grin and that alone tells me he's not lying about how hot she is.

  "Uh… yeah, man. I don't know about right now. I'm kinda seeing someone."

  Someone married. And I'm not actually seeing her. She kicked me out of her apartment this morning in fact. But I'm in mad love with her and even the devil herself couldn't persuade me to fuck this over with Nyla. Whatever it is.

  Getting him back inside, I get in the truck and with a huff grab my phone and dial Nyla's number, immediately getting her voicemail. Her car's not in the parking lot of her apartment and she hasn't answered one text.

  With Nyla on the brain, I don't call Iesha before I head over to see the boys. It's been a few days and I miss them so I grab some ice cream, withdraw some money, and head over.

  When I knock, she pulls open the door only wide enough I can see her face and I hold up the bag.

  "The boys ain't here."

  I glance over her head and see she's got quite a few people in the dim living room. The house smells heavily of pot and there's a pile of beer cans, along with some other questionable shit in the middle of the floor.

  "They next door?" I look toward Brie's.

  "Naw, take off, okay?"

  Something doesn't feel right. "Where they at, Iesha?"

  "Get up out of my business." She steps on the porch and closes the door behind her. Her bloodshot eyes squint from the light and she looks like she's been awake a few days. "They're with Rupe's mom, okay? Take off."

  I push the ice cream toward her. "I guess call me when I can come see you guys."

  "Shoulda called first," she grumbles before going back inside and slamming the hollow door.

  That wasn't the woman I'm used to dealing with. She was fucked up out of her mind and I don't know where those boys are but I hope they're safe.

  "She still on a binge?" Brie's voice comes from nowhere until she appears around my truck.

  "The fuck's going on in there?"

  "She's been having a party since Thursday. Motherfuckers comin' and goin'. I haven't seen the boys since Thursday morning when someone came and got 'em. Her and Rupe used to do shit like this all the time."

  "What's she doing in there? Getting fucked up?"

  "And loose. She ain't the distraught widow or mother of the year like you think she is." Her eyes roll and I look back toward the house.

  Before she walks away, I get her attention. "Hey, I had some problems with your fucking friends last night," I say through gritted teeth while I glare down at her.

  "Who?" she snaps defensively. "You run into Elba again?"

  "No, Brie. I was fucked with at a club last night and your boys pulled guns on me."

  "Sounds like your own personal problem 'cause I don't know no-one that would do that." She steps up to me and cocks her head looking me up and down. "You better back off all the accusations before I actually do what you're accusing me of. Maybe you should check up on that bitch in there and her amigos." When she turns to walk away, I let her go because I'm not in the mood to go rounds with this girl.

  I'm worried about the boys, concerned about Iesha, and sick as hell over Nyla so I head to my moms.

  Tony pulls open the front door and smiles. "Nice face. How was the party?" he asks and I immediately think he knows about last night, but realize he means the baptismal.

  "Nice," I mumble and walk around him. "You busy? Wanna fuck around on the car?"

  "Sure. Let me change."

  Tony's gotta have some sort of advice.

  As I'm under the car and he's over the hood I clear my throat. "I went out last night."

  "I gathered that by your face," he responds. "Don't break your mom's heart by getting locked back up," he mutters.

  "Yeah, it's not what it looks like, but Nyla was there. She knows Durante. Apparently we used to servi
ce her lawn."

  "Yeah, when she first got married." He clears his throat. "So Nyla did that to your face?"

  "No." I laugh because the scratches did come from her.

  "Well whoever it was, did you contact the police? Battery is unlawful no matter who it comes from."

  "Yeah, they were arrested. So you know Nyla's husband?" I get back to the subject I'm more interested in.

  "I don't personally know him. I met him when you did, at her father's funeral."

  "He's a cop." I pause as I think about how badly this can fuck me over if he finds out.

  "Seattle?"

  "Yeah. I guess," I mumble and get back to work. "I hung with Nyla for a few. He wasn't around, and she doesn't really seem like she wants him around."

  "Just be careful, Dom. Don't get yourself in a situation that could ruin your life again."

  Not the advice I wanted, so this conversation is over.

  ~~*~~

  Walking into the shop, I fist bump CJ then look toward Rory's office where he's screaming at someone.

  "He's on the phone. Has been for the past twenty minutes. Some shit about a missing truck."

  "That shit happened a few weeks ago. Must be bad," I mumble sitting down and stare toward Rory's office until the door slams closed and the screaming stops.

  Which is worse, because that means whatever is quietly being discussed has gotten a hell of a lot more serious and I bet it's got to do with me and CJ almost getting killed.

  "What happened last night? Fight I see." He nods toward my face.

  "No. Actually this was Brie's crazy fucking friends. Were you there when the club closed 'cause some assholes pulled guns?"

  "What?" He laughs. "No. I musta left already. Dammit! What happened?" When I look at him he cocks his eyebrow. "Wait, you were involved?"

  "After I lost you, I found my ex." I recap the night a little and he's dying in laughter.

  "Fuck. That Brie bitch is psycho and you're gonna end back up in jail, brother."

  "Maybe it wasn't even her posse." I softly touch my split lip that's not as bad today as I thought it would be after everything I did with my mouth last night.

  "Well for the sake of your face, I hope she leaves you the fuck alone."

  I spin in the chair and look at my reflection on the camera monitor screen.

  "Fucking pretty boy. This is really fucking up your look."

  "My look?" I snicker.

  "Your pretty boy, rugged prison look."

  "Man, shut the fuck up." I shake my head.

  "I know you're pissed about that fucked up face. You're really into your looks and those scratches are fucking it all up." He's grinning a fool's grin and when I move closer to the lens to look at my lip, he laughs.

  "I'm not fucking into my looks." I snicker and get to my feet. "There are guys that have to try." I gesture to him. "Then guys who just have to wake up and go." I touch my chest and before he can riposte, Rory's door pops open.

  "Sestak here?" he growls before exiting.

  "I'm here, boss." I stand up taller.

  "Change of plans. You two get the fuck out of here tonight."

  I eye CJ a minute and he nods before heading for the door.

  "Rory." I walk toward his office. "You cool? Need anything?"

  "You out of trouble. Lay low tonight." His attention is back on his desk.

  "You got it, boss," I mutter and walk out.

  "You wanna grab a few beers?" CJ asks when I step outside.

  "Man, you still owe me from last night. You're definitely buying this time."

  ~~*~~

  "Another double and a Miller chaser."

  "That's your third shot," CJ says sitting next to me and wiping his wet hand across my arm. "Piss."

  "Sick fuck," I mutter swiping the water on my pant leg. "It's my sixth, that means you need to catch up." I wave my hand at the waitress wandering around the scarce bar and stare while she shakes her hips back our way.

  I'm not drunk enough to be staring at this 'butter-face' as CJ keeps calling her. She's not terrible, but she looks three times my age. In all actuality she's only four years older than me. She's been around every block in metro Seattle, and as the town bicycle, she's got two flat tires and her chain popped years ago.

  "Jean, get my friend here two doubles and a chaser." I lift my beer and salute her before taking a gulp.

  "You've got a few drunk personas, Sestak, and I'm not sure I've ever met this one. This is like a depressed, drunk Sestak. I don't like this asshole. That bitch brought this out in you." His eyes are burning holes into the side of my head and I almost regret telling him what happened when I went to Iesha's today.

  "Reflective, not depressed. And it wasn't Iesha."

  "Yeah?" He laughs at me. "And what're you reflecting on?"

  "Stop trying to get in my head, man."

  "Your mom see your face?" He glances at me and I nod.

  "We couldn't talk about it 'cause we were at church then she had to get to work so I'm off the hook for now. Hopefully it clears up before I see her again."

  "Yeah right." He laughs. "That shit's gonna last you awhile. You gonna tell me what you're reflecting on?" He waves to the waitress and does some gesture, but I'm not sure what he just ordered.

  I'm getting drunker by the minute and don't plan on stopping any time soon.

  "No." I glance at him while I try to form a logical thought, but my brain is dancing with whiskey tonight.

  "Then drink this," he says when the waitress comes back.

  I take the shot without question then lean on my hand as the Harlem Shake my brain was just doing with whiskey turns into a fifth grade slow dance where you keep your distance but sway like you know what you're doing.

  "This girl I used to know." I clear my throat and sit up a little. "She was my girlfriend and she just wanted to help everyone in any way she could. She was an awesome listener and her advice was always genuine and you just knew she was really listening. Whatever, dude, but that girl was incredible."

  He laughs at me and pats my shoulder. "This is the reflective bullshit, isn't it?"

  "Kind of. I'm just fucking drunk." I glance at him.

  "So what happened to her? She ditched you when you got locked up?"

  "Not really. Kind of. But I don't blame her. She's married now." I look at him then back at my beer bottle. "I don't know if she's happily married, but she is married." My brain and whiskey start to do the bump and grind as I recount last night in my head. "And I'm a fucking douche-bag." A guilty chuckle comes from me. "I pissed her off somehow, not to mention I fucked her when she's married. I mean, fuck her husband. He's obviously a tool and can't take care of her, but I fucking pissed her off, dude." I glance at him and he's staring at me like I'm morphing.

  "Hold up." He puts his hand out. "You fucked her? When?"

  "Last night," I mumble and lock my eyes on the two shots the waitress set in front of me while my drunk mouth opened to CJ.

  "Dog." Nudging me as he laughs he says, "Fuck yeah, dude," and raises his hand for a high five I try to fight, but I slap his hand with a grin.

  "She's amazing as fuck. But I pissed her off when we woke up. Bad too."

  "The fuck you do?"

  "I mentioned her husband and she fucking attacked. I mean, what the fuck am I supposed to do? Act like she's not fucking married? She is married and I fucked her all fucking night while her husband was out of town. Like I said, fuck the guy, I don't feel bad for him, but come on, how about some sympathy for me! I'm in love with her and she's fucking with my heart while fucking my dick and she's married!" I draw the attention of two girls sitting at the bar so I wink and wave then look at CJ again. "You know what I mean?"

  "Naw, man." He laughs at me. "You're an asshole for fucking a married chick."

  I huff and drop my heavy head onto my hand. "I fucking know."

  Brain, meet the guilt of whiskey.

  Four more beers and we're drunk enough we think it's a good idea to walk
six miles home. We're not stupid enough to drive at least, right? We are too stupid to head the right direction, and I'm not sure during what part of our hike we thought the sidewalk wasn't worthy of our steps. So we're wandering down the middle of the road, shushing the other as if they're the loud one.

  "Whitlock Mansion is just around that curve. We went way out of our way." I point and CJ pushes me.

  "I know, fucker, I know where we are. I called that chick for a ride like an hour ago." He looks at his upside down phone and I groan.

  "You're so drunk you probably dialed wrong." I yank his phone away to turn it right side up but end up flinging it behind us.

  "Oh! Fucker!" he howls and darts for the tumbling phone.

  "Shit, man." I stumble the few steps back. "I'll pay for that if it ain't expensive."

  "You're gonna pay for it if it's broke!" he snaps and retrieves the phone that lights up when he pushes a button. "You're lucky!"

  I glance down at the screen that's cracked to shit. Even drunk I can see that and I know it wasn't like that before, but he doesn't seem to notice so I don't mention it.

  "How long we been walking?" he grumbles.

  "Only like nine miles. In the wrong fucking direction thanks to you. Keep up. It'll bring us in a circle." I turn back to pull him forward but blinding headlights quickly rounding the corner make me block my face and my leg raises to shield my body from impact. As if my titanium leg will stop a moving car.

  The car slams to a stop but I don't drop my leg just yet because it's damn close.

  "Fuck. I think I just pissed," CJ says in a wavering voice and I lose my composure to a laughing fit, slapping a heavy hand onto the hood of the car while I die envisioning CJ pissing himself.

  "Dom?"

  My laughing stops abruptly and I look up at Nyla.

  "What the hell are you doing?" she barks at me.

  "You're here." In a leaning run I head for her but she takes a few steps back before I plow her over. "You won't call me or talk to me."

  "You're drunk?" she asks as if I can't legally be drunk right now.

  "I'm not drunk, La. I had a couple drinks but what you smell on me is this dipshit spilled his shot on me."