"How could he do this to me? I've been there for him since before anybody and he takes that stupidass trick's side. I swear I should have jumped his ass and gave him a Mall City beat down. I hate him so much, urgh!"

"You don't hate him, you're hurting but you have to calm down," Jarreau said. He was driving me to the airport.

"He's pissed because I won't give him any. That has to be it. I'm not a cheater. He chose the Queen of the Whores because he's jealous. He wants to say I can't have sex with my boyfriend but I bet he got that nappy- headed witch in his bed going to town in between her legs. I hope his tongue shrivels up and her coochie burns up and combust."

"Lizzy!?"

"Better yet, I hope his two inch nub gets stuck and can't come out of its cave. Instead of S-E-A-N it's going to be Shauna," I said in a high pitched voice.

"I wish I had a voodoo doll for the both of them. I can twirl hers under the fireplace like I would roast a pig. Then I would rip the eyeballs and stuffing out of Shauna."

"Lizzy do you hear yourself? You don't mean any of that you are just upset. Come on now."

"I do mean it. He has let this fakeasshussy come in and destroy us. How could he, can't he see how evil she is?" I broke down in tears. It felt like my heart was slowly separating from my chest and it's sting was like a torturous burn.

"He knows."

"Then why did he kick me out?"

Jarreau took a deep breath. "Shaunte gets around. She is what we call a playground. She uses her body for one purpose only, for money. I have to admit she uses that body in ways that are unimaginable by doing things most women won't and what men only think about doing."

"She should be a VD cesspool."

"She keeps it tight or she has a damn good guardian angel on her side."

"She's disgusting Jarreau. She told me that she would marry Sean and have his baby it had me wanting to puke."

"Why does it bother you unless you evidently do want him?"

"This is not about me. It's about him getting hurt."

"So you are denying your feelings for him? Don't you think it hurts him too when there is a connection and you leave him hanging? Can Sean not give you what Aries can and more?"

"You're pushing."

"Got damnit Lizzy! You're a hot head. You don't listen and you don't take advice well. You have to be the most stubborn woman I have ever met in my entire life."

"Am not... Maybe. I work with over fifty men in my profession back home. I am the only female and sometimes I have to be tough or they will run over me. I chose the most dominated male specialty in the world so at times I guess I can be a little hard around the edges." I wiped a tear away.

"You took the first step-admitting you have a problem, congratulations," he said laughing and clapping while I thumped him on his thick shoulder.

"Dang it!" I looked down and my knuckles were swollen. The skin was completely off but no major bleeding.

He looked down at my hands and shook his head. He pulled over and got a first aid kit out the back seat and I tended to my hand. He pulled off back into traffic.

He remained quiet for a moment. "I don't believe she's pregnant, if she is, it's not Sean's baby."

"Exactly, she wouldn't even let me examine her."

"What? You're not a lady doctor."

"I learned during rotation. It's easy. I wasn't even going to charge her a copay and she still wouldn't let me."

He laughed. "Lizzy you're a mess."

"If she would have let me, then we could put it to rest."

"Listen Lizzy I have to be honest. Looking back on what happened at the house, Sean had to diffuse the situation."

"He did a pissed poor job in doing it."

"You could have killed the girl."

"And your point?"

"That was not lady like at all. Could you imagine the horror on our faces when you had her pinned down and she was calling out for help? Who wants a woman that fights? It looked like an episode of Football Wives."

"She brought it out of me."

"Let me guess as soon as she walked through the door you pulled her in and went to town?"

"No, I gave her ten minutes of my precious time I can never get back. She talked all that noise, disrespecting him and our friendship and her smart mouth said something it couldn't cash so my fist cashed it in on her mouth and ass. I should have pimp slapped her and started singing Rihanna's, B* Betta Have My Money."

"I know you don't like Shaunte..."

"That's an understatement."

"Anyway she's different. She doesn't have to fight because she will sue you. You could have your license taken away."

"She wouldn't dare. If she did I would fly back out here and finish the job."

"Lizzy just listen. He didn't pick her side, he chose yours."

"Did you not see what just happened?"

"I did. He chose her to protect you because he knows what she is capable of doing. She could ruin your career and not think twice about it. Do you really want that to happen?"

"Of course not."

"Then chunk it up as a loss and move on. You have to play smart if you want to play the golddiggers game."

"I'm not one."

"But you are in the company of one that has supported a few."

I had to laugh.

"When you come for Fan Day, the boys and I are going to school you. There is an art to the madness because when Fan Day comes, they will all come out of the woodworks. You will be the new chic on the scene so you have to be ready for those vultures."

"I'm not going."

Jarreau pulled over into an empty parking lot. What the hell?

"What do you mean you're not coming?"

"I'm pissed off to the highest point of pisstivity. He did me wrong."

"Girl didn't you just hear what I said? He did it to protect you."

He paused looking me up and down.

"I got it now. It took me a while but now it's so clear," he said laughing to himself.

"What!?" I asked crossing my arms.

"You have been the main woman in his life since the beginning. You've supported him in everything he does. He listens to you and runs everything by you first before he makes any important decision. He never talks about his mama it's always you. Lizzy you have taken on the role as his confidant, protector and almost like his wife for so long and now that Shaunte threatens that role, you retaliated. It's okay Lizzy for him to protect you now. That happens when you're in love. I see it so clearly, I wish you could too."

"Stop it. You don't understand."

"I do and it's okay, I promise."

"You don't. Sean was always picked on because he was basically the only white boy in the neighborhood and school. It was even worst because he had a little tough black girl as his best friend. We did everything together. They called us names and picked fights with us and then one day I just had enough. It became my job to protect him and the day Willie Thompson beat him up in second grade over our friendship was the day I swore nothing bad would ever happen to my best friend again. I beat Willie up after school in the alley. They called him Buck-Teeth Willie T after I knocked his two front teeth out and they grew back crooked." I chuckled.

"Willie was shocked a girl whipped him but he never messed with Sean again. Sean was tall and skinny nothing compared to what he looks like now... You're right I love Sean and if anything was to break up this friendship I guess I go into defense mode. It's my way of easily solving the problem."

More tears ran down my face.

"I think it's more than that Lizzy. You can tell me and I swear it won't leave the inside of this truck."

I just stared out the window. Instead of football maybe he should have been a counselor.

"Do you always pry in other people's business?"

"Sue me. I have a degree in social work but football pays way more money. To tell you the truth, I only ask because I care about you both. You maybe his female best friend, but I do consider him one of my closest and dearest friends and I like you too." He winked giving me that thousand watt smile.

"Sean and I were each other's first. Prom night we decided would be the night we would both take the plunge. He gave me this bracelet that I never take off." I twisted the charm bracelet around my wrist.

"He saved his money to buy it for me. It was his symbol of love for me. We have basically been friends since we were able to walk. Born on the same day, in the same hospital, living basically next door to one another and doing everything together it was a perfect fit until we went to separate universities and pursued two totally different career paths."

"But you two still managed to remain friends."

"Yeah we have but I drew the line in the sand and I promised myself I would never cross it."

"I don't understand."

I looked at Jarreau. I saw warmth and compassion in his eyes. I was debating back and forth should I continue or not.

"I told Sean I wouldn't be able to make his first home game as a pro. I was starting rotations and he was so bombed that he began doubting himself. I felt so bad because this was a major milestone in his life so I lied to my residency coordinator and told her a family emergency came up and that I needed to leave town. I was able to scrape up enough money for a plane ticket, took an early morning flight, and got to the stadium an hour before the game started. I was so pumped that I spent my last forty bucks on a t-shirt, pompoms and on one of those stupid you're number one foam hands. Security was tight but I managed to sneak into the locker room before the game. One of the players told me where he was and when I got there he was having sex with some blonde. I watched in horror and shock and although we were not committed to each other I never slept with anyone but him. That day I realized we only had a friendship and nothing more than that."

"Lizzy that was so long ago, he was young."

"Well tell that to my heart. Although it won't 100% believe you. After that he had girlfriend after girlfriend so I moved on too so forgive me if I'm not willing to give up what I could potentially have with Aries."

"Things are so much more different now. This is your way of rejecting him as you felt rejected by him. This is a game to you isn't it? You were hurt and now you want him to feel your pain. You are no better than Shaunte and the rest of them. You know he wants you but you're still hurt over what you saw. You have always loved him and I think you like the chase. Shaunte has come back in the picture and now you think he is going to turn his focus on her leaving you with nothing."

"I do not."

"You really want Sean but you're scared that he will possibly hurt you. So instead of giving him a chance you use Aries as a distraction because you are not vested in him as you are with Sean."

I swallowed hard. Was he truly reading me? Maybe everything he was saying was true? I keep blaming it on not wanting to lose our friendship but what it really boiled down to was that I didn't want to be hurt by him. If we were together would he cheat on me? Would the love I've carried for him so long die if I did take the leap?

"Not true."

"Stop overthinking things. You are looking for every negative possibility there is. You know him better than anyone. Would he intentionally hurt you?"

"No."

"Then why would you think that now? Like I said the way he approached the situation could have been handled better, but he did what he thought he needed to do. Don't throw away what you two may have over as you call her a nappy-headed witch."

"But if she is pregnant then what?"

"Will that change the love you have for him?"

"No, but it would put us on a different playing field. The whole dream for me and him was to have a family, there is nothing written about an ugly woman in the mix."

"Regardless of the matter, Shaunte will not have a choice. When he picks you over her, she won't have a choice but to either conform or hit the road. You two are the ones that belong together."

"How did you get so smart Jarreau?"

"It's in the blood. I need to charge you a co-pay for my services and another twenty for my gas."

We both laughed.

I turned my head looking out the window. Maybe he was trying to protect me but that still didn't change the fact I was hurt and pissed off. Urgh I hated that flatass weavealot hair care club member. They needed to reject her membership.

Jarreau started to drive again and we got back on the interstate.

"I know you have to get back, but tomorrow will be a tough day. Lucius gets buried tomorrow. Sean is really going to need your support. Why don't you stay one more night? You can stay with me or I can take you to a hotel. Get a massage and you can leave after the funeral, I'll take you to the airport myself."

"It still hurts even after thinking of what you said is true."

"If he was to apologize and tell you why he did it, would you accept Lizzy?"

"I don't know." I leaned against the door jam.

"Deep down you know you would. Love makes you do and say crazy things. I'm sure he knows he messed up but at least give him a chance. If you truly care and love him then you would."

"Don't you dare force him to apologize? If he wants to he has to do it on his own Jarreau."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he has called you already."

"I think my phone is in my bag in the trunk." I went digging in my purse but it wasn't there.

"You need to apologize too for your behavior, you ain't a saint either. You talk about Shaunte being evil but what you did was wrong too."

"True but I would think I'm one step closer to heaven then she is. Anyway I will apologize to the both of them tomorrow. If you don't mind can I crash with you, at least it will save you time from picking me up in the morning."

"Sounds like a plan. Just keep your busted up nasty looking hands to yourself," he said laughing and snickering.

"Boy please, I have way better taste then the likes of you."

"Ah the old Lizzy is coming back. Hallefreakinglujah."

"You got jokes I see."

"I'll make you a deal."

"What will that be?"

"If you make one or two of your delicious desserts, I won't let you sleep in the basement."

"Eww maybe I should just get a hotel room."

"I'm just playing. Although I have been told, I am a great mixologist. I can make you the best tequila sunrise you have ever had."

"I'mma a sucker for tequila sunrises."

"Good and one last thing."

"Really? What now!"

"You will behavior like a young professional and not a television reality star tomorrow?"

"Fine."

"Good girl."

"There's a problem. I didn't bring a dress."

He looked at his watch. "Maybe we will be able to catch a few boutiques, sorry I don't do malls."

"That's fine."

"We can always charge it to Sean, that's the least he can do," he said grinning making a u-turn and we headed downtown.