Playing Cops and Robbers-Fin
The End <3
The door swung open and Tairey stood there, his hair dripping wet and the veins in his temple pulsing.
“The fuck you bangin on my door for,” he yelled, “you rent-a-cop ass nigga, you are not the police.”
Zyla pushed past him and into the hallway, the living room TV pulsed light onto the wall behind her.
“Look me in the eye and tell me you didn’t break into Nyah’s apartment again,” she yelled, “or one of the units I’m in charge of.”
“And if I did,” he said, taking a step towards her.
“Ya’ll have got to stop.”
The hallway light clicked on and Trell walked in through the living room, “What’s good Zyla,” he said.
“Ain’t shit good,” she said, “were you in on this shit too.”
Trell looked at Tairey, and Tairey just shrugged.
“Yea Zyla,” Tairey said, “I went too.”
She shook her head,“I thought that at least you’d have my back.”
He looked at her and didn’t say a thing.
“I want the bracelet you took from Nyah’s place,” she said, turning back to Tairey.
“This is why we never wanna bring yo ass nowhere,” Tairey yelled, “you fuckin with our money cuz.”
“Fuckin with yo money?” she said, stepping closer, “Nigga I work there. And ya’ll couldn’t even wait till I quit to rob the bitch? Give me the fucking bracelet.”
“You might wanna step back little sis,” Tairey barked at her, “I don’t give a fuck about you bein a bitch I’ll still stomp yo ass out.”
The moment he got close enough for her to feel the heat from his body, she knew what she had to do. And he must’ve known it too because his fist met her lip the moment her knee crushed into his groin. But when she saw his face twist with pain she became numb to her own, and sent her fist pummeling into his chin. He staggered back, and the back of her hand streaked across his cheek.
Before either one of them could make their next move. Trell stepped between them, and she saw the sparkle in his hands.
“Just take it Zyla.”
———
“So you was just fuckin with me,” Nyah said.
Zyla had told her the truth. And the light from the window made Nyah’s fly-away hairs glow a deep brown. It illuminated her stricken face like a halo.
The whir of the coffee blender and the scent from the beans were a gentle salve, one Zyla clung to, but knew wouldn’t be quite enough. It would’ve been so easy to lie. To have left the bracelet in Nyah’s mailbox. To keep reporting on petty crimes. To let Nyah’s new found affection for her grow. To do the things she wanted to do without ever letting her know. But that would’ve been fucking with her. And Zylah wanted to be here, doing this hard honest thing instead.
“I was never once fuckin with you,” she said, forcing herself to hold Nyah’s gaze,“l’m not saying it makes it right but, I didn’t know that that apartment was yours. If I had I woulda never gone inside.”
“How can you expect me to be anywhere near you,” Nyah 's voice was starting to shake.
Zyla didn’t, not after this. And honestly she didn’t mind who Nyah told or what she did after this. As long as she made things as right as she could.
“At least let me give you this,” Zyla said, and reached into her pocket.
When Nyah saw her grandma’s bracelet unfurl onto the table top, her eyes widened and she reached over to grab it. She started at it, the tension seemed to melt from her shoulders, then she leaned over and pressed a kiss to Zyla’s bruised lip
“You might want to request a new partner,” she said, rising from her chair, “I’ll see you at work.”
— fin –