Upside of Love

by Dominique Thomas

  Normani pulled away from him and continued to pack her bags.

  “Now that you get caught, you’re sorry? I’m not buying it. I need to go before I seriously fucking hurt you in here. You had me marry you, and you wasn’t being faithful to me Tru. You knew it! You are wrong as fuck for that,” she said stuffing clothes into the luggage.

  Tru cleared his throat.

  “I didn’t wanna lose you Normani. You and River is my family, and I’ll do whatever I have to do, to keep us together.”

  Normani snorted.

  “It's a little too late for that. We shouldn’t have gotten married in the first place. This isn’t working. I’m going to let you go so you can be a hoe in peace,” she retorted.

  Tru stared up at the ceiling as Normani wiped the sweat from her brow. He peered back down at her with red-rimmed eyes.

  “So, you ready to call it quits like that? After all the good times we had, one slip up and you done?”

  Normani closed her eyes as her heart shattered at his words. He sounded sad, but she didn’t feel for him. This was pain he’d inflicted on himself.

  “Just fucking stop. You had the affair. You fucked up, and you don’t get to make me feel bad for not accepting it.”

  “Normani can you look at me for a minute?” he asked quietly.

  Normani stopped packing to peer up at Tru. He walked over to their safe and unlocked it. All the while keeping his eyes on her. As he pulled his pistol from the safe, he gave her a warm smile. He then grabbed Normani’s hand and pulled her into his arms. He hugged her tightly as his warm body pressed against her’s.

  “I can be prideful, but even that can’t stop me from apologizing. You don’t deserve that because you have been so good to me.” Tru kissed Normani’s neck before placing a soft kiss to her wet cheek. “I love you, and I promise to never cheat on you again. I’m done with that. That’s the old Tru. I’m a better man now baby. Your love did that to me. It might have taken a minute, but I swear on my life I’m not on that bullshit anymore. I can’t live without you, ma. I mean...” he stopped speaking and slowly raised the hand with his gun in it. He pressed it gently to Normani’s head as she closed her eyes.

  Fear coursed through her body slowly as she silently prayed to God.

  “I mean I love you so much that if you was to try and leave me, I would do something crazy. Maybe even take us both out,” he said sadly in a shaky voice.

  Normani’s heart thundered in her chest. She was so afraid she couldn’t think straight. This was a side of Tru that she’d never seen before.

  “And leave River parentless? But you’re a better man now yet you’re talking about killing me? This is low for even you Trevon.”

  Normani’s eyes watered and tears fell from her eyes. He’d not only cheated but was also threatening to take her life. The fucking nerve of him. Normani was hit with anger and fear as he held her tightly.

  “How could you do me like this? All I’ve ever done was love you. Why Tru, why?” she asked breaking down in his arms.

  Tru quickly put his gun away and pulled her back into his arms. They fell to the floor, and he pulled Normani onto his lap. As she cried her heart out, he began to kiss her neck tenderly. She could feel his heart racing same as her’s as he kissed on her.

  “I don’t know what came over me, ma. I lost it for a second but you know I would never shoot you. Let me make this right. Please don’t leave me,” he begged kissing her neck softly.

  The kisses felt good until Normani thought of his lies and his threat. She pushed him back and stood up. Normani wiped her face as she walked out of the closet. She grabbed her sleeping baby and held her tightly. Grateful to be alive she kissed River’s face while silently thanking God.

  As Tru stepped out of the closet, her worried eyes shot his way.

  “Normani you can’t leave. We married, and all that running shit is dead. We together for life. Only death will we part baby. I’m not living without you,” he declared with worried eyes.

  Tru’s demeanor was so off. Normani watched his eyes race around the room before looking back to her. He was acting like a stranger, and after witnessing him pull his weapon on her, she was sure that he was one. The Tru she’d fell in love with would have never done such a thing.

  Normani’s sad eyes ventured down to her nightstand that was by her leg. Her sleeping baby rested peacefully in her arms as she looked back at Tru.

  “Tru, please. I need a few days to gather my thoughts. If I can’t go then maybe you could leave for a while?” she suggested.

  Tru shook his head with furrowed brows.

  “Nah we’ll handle this as a family,” he told her adamantly.

  “Tru—Trevon, please. I’m begging you to leave or let me go. I’m upset, and right now I don’t want to be around you. Why is that hard for you to understand?”

  Normani scooted closer to the nightstand, and Tru’s brows rose. He chuckled as amusement danced in his lids.

  “Wow, you gone pull on me? Wit my shit? I’ll be right back.”

  Tru turned, and Normani’s heart plummeted. She dropped her daughter onto the soft bed and rushed for the semi-automatic pistol. Her finger quickly hit the safety, and with her eyes aimed at Tru, she pulled the trigger. The bullet entered his left leg and as he fell, he hit his head against the marble footrest that was usually at the foot of their bed. Tru hit the thick black carpet hard, and Normani’s eyes widened. She set the gun back inside of the nightstand and rushed to his side.

  “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” she whispered frantically.

  Normani tried to roll him over but was unable to. As she searched for his pulse, River began to cry. Tears of Normani’s began to slide down her face as she felt a weak pulse then—nothing.

  “Oh my God. Please don’t die, please I didn’t mean it. He was going to shoot me, hell shoot us. Please don’t die Tru,” she begged so upset with the situation that her hands were beginning to shake.

  Normani rushed to her phone and instead of calling her mom and sister once more she called the only other person, she knew she could depend on.

  She called Billie.

  1

  #memyselfandi

  Quietly Billie sat beside a distraught Normani. They were inside of the ER waiting on word concerning Tru’s condition. Tru’s family was arriving, and Billie was finding it hard to ignore the angry stares. Everyone knew how he’d been assaulted, and his relatives were making their feelings on the matter known.

  There were no hugs or polite greetings for Normani when they rushed into the waiting room. Instead, people gave Normani the side-eyed and even spoke on how they felt about the matter. The most outspoken member of Tru’s family was his mom, and she’d been talking shit to Normani since she’d walked into the hospital.

  “You better pray he’s okay. I never liked your SZA wanna be ass no way,” Ms. Morris griped.

  Billie held Normani tighter as she glared at Tru’s mother. It was indeed a Saturday night, but Billie felt no woman that had grandkids should be clad in leggings that were see-through with a top on that barely covered her silicon injected breast. Billie knew from Normani that Tru’s mom was a teenage mother, but damn she was trying to hold onto something that Billie felt she should have let go years ago.

  “He’ll be fine. He was only shot in his leg, and for the record, he was trying to kill her,” Billie snapped frowning at Ms. Morris.

  A few women from Tru’s family looked their way skeptically as Tru’s mother shook her head.

  “No, you won’t dare make this his fault! He wouldn’t do such a thing! Don’t sit here and lie on my son. Just because this media mess is out, she’s trying to leave him. What happened to women riding for their men? Huh?”

  Billie shook her head. She had no clue what the hell Tru’s mother was speaking about. But what she did know was that if Normani said he was going to kill her, then he’d done something to make Normani feel that way. Normani wasn’t a shooter, and for her to go through such a
drastic measure, it had to be for a reason.

  “Normani wouldn’t lie. Tru frightened her.”

  Ms. Morris rolled her eyes as she rested her hands on her wide hips.

  “So, she shoots him? How does that make sense? My son has done nothing but loved that weird ass girl. Hell, even when we all told him he could do better, he stuck it out with her. She did give him our baby River, but that’s the only thing her crazy looking ass has ever done good for us. She can’t even be there for him when he needs her,” Ms. Morris quipped.

  Billie’s mouth tightened at her words. Billie peered down at Normani and saw that she was now crying. Normani was different. With Tru being in the music industry Billie surmised people probably did feel that he should have been with someone who looked like Novah, but he’d chosen Normani and Billie saw nothing wrong with that. Normani was perfect the way she was, and Billie hated how people judged her for being different. Different was good. Blending in with everyone was the quickest way to become irrelevant. Nonmemorable. And what was the fun in being a person who was forgettable?

  “It's sad that after everything Normani has put up with you talk to her this way. You trying to give advice when you still lost your damn self. Old as fuck dressing like a bitch younger than me but you a grandmother, right? It's nothing wrong with Normani, the way she looks or what she did and if your son wakes up and wanna bring harm her way he’ll have his ass right back up here,” Billie spoke as she looked Ms. Morris in the eyes.

  “And what’s that supposed to mean?” Tru’s cousin Lexie asked frowning at Billie.

  Billie shrugged as she stared at the attractive older woman.

  “Exactly what I said,” Billie replied not afraid of the women in Tru’s family.

  As far as she was concerned, they bled red blood the same as her.

  “Lexie it's fine. These two bitches can sit and act like shit is all good if they want but you and I both know this, not a game. And for the record, I can dress however the hell I want to. I raised my kids, and now I’m living my life. That doesn’t make me a bad grandma lil girl. You better watch your tone before that pretty face gets fucked up,” Ms. Morris snapped and went to her seat.

  “But you see she sat her ass down,” Billie mumbled, and Normani held in her laugh.

  “Leave them ignorant people alone. They can’t help their boorish ways and thank you,” Normani whispered.

  Billie shook her head.

  “I meant everything I said lil sis,” Billie told her. “When you called me, I was in the middle of a crisis. Heck, I still am,” Billie revealed in a hushed tone.

  Normani stopped hugging Billie to look at her.

  “What happened?”

  Billie sighed as she thought back to the events that had hours ago taken place. She was still in shock at what she’d learned. She hated to complain, but it really was like she couldn’t catch a fucking break.

  “Okay at Dreux’s party, we found out that him and his older brother Donny are actually brothers with Malachi and not his cousin. I’m not sure how or why but his mother slept with Malachi’s dad and had those kids. It all came out, and Dreux stormed out of the party. I’ve been calling him all night, and he won’t pick up,” Billie said with sad eyes.

  Normani shook her head while rubbing Billie’s arm.

  “Wow. I’m so sorry all that transpired. We’ve had one tumultuous day. But Dreux loves you like loves you in a way that I’ve never seen before. That kind of love doesn’t just go away. He’ll be back. Give him some time to process everything because that’s serious. Okay?”

  Billie nodded with sadness glooming over her tall frame. Normani went to speak again, and the doctor walked through the emergency doors and over to Tru’s mother. Normani jumped up and joined them, and Billie tried to call Dreux one more time as he rested on her mind.

  “I’ma leave town for a minute. Nothing long but I need to get my mind right. I’ll hit you up when I get back, ma,” Dreux said and ended the call.

  Billie closed her eyes as her heart raced. He sounded so lost to the world, and she wanted to be there for him like he’d been there for her so many times before. However, she couldn’t do that with him in another place. And although she knew it wasn’t her fault, she felt guilty. She had a kid with Malachi, and while she would never regret her son, it did make things crazy as hell. Dreux was actually his uncle, and while it wasn’t on purpose, it still wasn’t a good look.

  “Hey, let's go before I have to assault this old hoe,” Normani snapped walking over.

  “Don’t talk shit under your breath. Just because he’s okay and dumb enough to not press charges doesn’t mean you're getting away with this. Now, where is my grandbaby?” Ms. Morris asked looking at Normani.

  Billie stood and frowned at Tru’s mother. The way she felt anyone in Tru’s family could get it at the moment.

  “With her other grandmother. Ms. Morris, I have always been respectful to you but this type of decorum your exhibiting now isn’t becoming of you, and I won’t allow you to treat me any kind of way. Once you apologize, then you can see my daughter. Until then I have nothing for you. Not even well wishes,” Normani replied and walked away with Billie following after her.

  Billie smirked as she watched Tru’s mother slowly sit down. On her face was a look of confusion mixed with anger.

  “She’s probably trying to figure out what decorum means,” Normani whispered, and Billie laughed as they exited the hospital.

  Silently they walked through the lot and quickly slid into Billie's car. As Billie drove away, she peered over at Normani.

  “Is he okay?”

  Normani nodded. Her sad eyes looked at Billie, and she gave her a weak smile.

  “He has a concussion, but he’ll be fine. The bullet also went straight through his leg so they were able to take care of the gunshot wound. He wanted me to stay but I couldn’t. I can’t get the sight of him pulling his gun, out of my head. I don’t know if he was scared or what but he threatened to kill me, Billie. His wife, the mother of his child,” Normani replied emotionally.

  Billie licked her lips. She felt several emotions as she drove her car.

  “I never said it, but I like Tru. I do feel that in his heart he loves you, but with that being said he has to do better. From trying to change how you look to his controlling ways with the money he needs some get right in his life. For him to pull a gun out on you frightens the hell out of me. There are so many ways that could have gone wrong, and I want you to really think hard before you talk with him again. That’s not something makeup sex or a shopping trip can fix. Domestic violence is real, and I would hate to have to catch a case because that nigga wants to hit on you. None of us is having that,” Billie told her.

  Normani nodded with pursed lips.

  “I’m not either, and that’s why I refused to stay at the hospital. I didn’t wanna hear anymore sorry’s. Nobody has time for that bullshit. Nigga stop saying sorry and do better. I’d just found out earlier that he’s been cheating on me for two years with some girl, and together they were prostituting women out of the chick’s house. She’s in jail, but he hasn’t been picked up yet. That was the reason why I snapped on him,” Normani revealed.

  “Wow,” Billie uttered lost in her thoughts. “That’s insane. Clearly, he isn’t who you thought he was.”

  Normani nodded as she wiped her eyes.

  “But he’s still my husband that I could have possibly killed. I don’t even know where I go from here. I’ve made a fool out of myself by marrying him. I knew it was wrong Billie, but I was scared. I had to know that I at least tried all that I could before walking away. I wanted to be able to tell my daughter that I gave it a fight, you know?”

  Billie nodded although she couldn’t relate. She would never be with someone because of the child. If that had been the case, she would have been with Malachi a long time ago.

  “You love him, and that doesn’t go away overnight, so I understand you being confused on what to do. All I can
say is for you to follow your heart. Do what's best for you and your daughter but put Normani first. You're the one that has to live with it. Especially since he’s threatening you with guns and shit.”

  “I know, I know. I have to let him go. Its what's best,” Normani replied, and in her light voice, Billie could hear the uncertainty in her words.

  Billie rubbed her leg as she pulled up to Normani’s mothers’ home.

  “I have to go see if I can find Dreux. Will you be okay?”

  Normani pushed the door open and grabbed her bag from the backseat. She put on her glasses and smiled at Billie.

  “Yes and thank you so much. To know that I can depend on you no matter what means the world to me. If you need me for anything call,” Normani replied.

  She flashed Billie a big smile before closing the car door.

  Billie watched Normani go into her mothers’ home before backing out of the driveway. She raced to her home and was met with sadness when she didn’t see Dreux’s car that he’d been driving that night. Instead, his coupe sat in the driveway along with his truck. Billie threw her car into park and pulled out her cellphone. She called him again despite his insistence to leave him be, and his voicemail picked up.

  Billie’s eyes watered as she left him a voicemail.

  “Hey, it's me…” she stopped talking to clear her throat. Fresh tears fell from her eyes as she stared out at their home. “I’m sorry that all of those things transpired today. I’m sorry that I hid that stuff from you and I’m sorry that your mom was hiding secrets of her own. You don’t deserve that when you’ve been so good to us baby. I love you so much Dreux, and the last thing I want to do is be without you—"

  To save your message press one. To erase and re-record press the pound sign.

  Billie saved the message before exiting her car. Slowly her feet trudged up the walkway then finally into the home. Billie went upstairs and looked around at the cluttered bedroom. Dreux’s things were thrown everywhere liked he left in haste and to know that he may possibly return not wanting to be with her left her sick to her stomach. She sat on the edge of the bed, and her eyes skated over to the bottle of Roi Merde Rose, and she swallowed hard.