jumped out and slammed the door behind her. Inside the restroom, McKinley turned on the faucet and let the cool water run over her hands. Relishing the sensation, she splashed the soothing water onto her face.
After grabbing a paper towel and drying her face off, McKinley gazed at herself in the mirror. Ever since Jamil died she’d had trouble sleeping. Most nights she stayed awake as long as she could in fear of the nightmares she was sure to have. McKinley just wanted her life to get back to normal. But what about her life was normal? She was taking a road trip home with a complete stranger whom she’d had a one-night stand with the night before.
Thinking of Koran made McKinley feel horrible. He was only trying to figure out what was wrong with her and she’d completely gone off on him. Not liking what she saw staring back at her in the mirror, McKinley walked out of the restroom. Koran stood at the side of the car, pumping gas, when he noticed every time he looked at her the hairs on his arm stood up. She was petite compared to Whitney, but her face and dimples were the exact same. She seemed to have been dropped down from heaven. He knew McKinley probably thought he was weird for randomly staring at her all the time, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
The only way he could tell McKinley and Whitney apart was by their personalities. Whitney was far more gentle and soft-spoken. Not to say she didn’t know how to get rowdy when necessary. Koran missed his wife terribly. Thoughts of her caused his heart to ache. He’d give anything to have her back in his arms again and to be there to see their daughter grow.
But no matter how much he wished and prayed, his prayers weren’t going to come true. Tank filled, Koran got back into the car and started the engine. On the road again, he and McKinley sat quietly. Unable to bear the silence, McKinley began to talk.
“ I’m sorry for snapping on you like that.”
“ It’s cool.”
“ No, it’s not.” She looked down at her hands. Tears were starting to slowly form in her eyes. “My life is a mess.” McKinley began to cry.
Koran looked over at her.
“ You, a’ight?” he asked, concerned.
“ No.” She wiped her eyes. “A couple of weeks ago my fiancé was killed.”
“ Damn, for real? That’s fucked up,” Koran said sincerely.
“ Tell me about it,” McKinley agreed. “I didn’t even get to go to the funeral.”
“ Why?”
“’ Cause he was married.” McKinley cried even harder.
“ What?” Koran said, shocked.
“ After he died I found out that he’d been living a double life. The whole three years we were together he had a whole wife, kids and a whole nother chick on the side and my dumbass didn’t even know it. I mean, how gullible could I possibly be? I had no clue.”
“ That’s some deep shit,” Koran said, overwhelmed by her confession.
“ Since he passed my whole life has been turned upside down. All I knew was him. He was my everything. My whole life was centered around him.”
“ Well, see, that’s where you fucked up.”
“ What?” She blew her nose on a napkin.
“ I don’t give a fuck how much you love a man; never make him your whole world. That’s where y’all females fuck up.”
“ Thanks for making me feel even worse.” McKinley chuckled.
“ My bad. I wasn’t tryin’ to be mean or nothin’. I’m just statin’ facts.” Koran shrugged.
“ If you say so.”
“ Nah, for real. I’m sorry for your loss. It’s a fucked-up feeling losing someone you love. No matter what the circumstances are,” Koran said somberly.
“ I know that shit gotta hurt,” he continued.
“ Like hell,” she agreed.
“ So that’s why you were in tears yesterday?”
“ How did you know I’d been cryin’?” McKinley asked, surprised.
“’ Cause your eyes were red and you looked like
After grabbing a paper towel and drying her face off, McKinley gazed at herself in the mirror. Ever since Jamil died she’d had trouble sleeping. Most nights she stayed awake as long as she could in fear of the nightmares she was sure to have. McKinley just wanted her life to get back to normal. But what about her life was normal? She was taking a road trip home with a complete stranger whom she’d had a one-night stand with the night before.
Thinking of Koran made McKinley feel horrible. He was only trying to figure out what was wrong with her and she’d completely gone off on him. Not liking what she saw staring back at her in the mirror, McKinley walked out of the restroom. Koran stood at the side of the car, pumping gas, when he noticed every time he looked at her the hairs on his arm stood up. She was petite compared to Whitney, but her face and dimples were the exact same. She seemed to have been dropped down from heaven. He knew McKinley probably thought he was weird for randomly staring at her all the time, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
The only way he could tell McKinley and Whitney apart was by their personalities. Whitney was far more gentle and soft-spoken. Not to say she didn’t know how to get rowdy when necessary. Koran missed his wife terribly. Thoughts of her caused his heart to ache. He’d give anything to have her back in his arms again and to be there to see their daughter grow.
But no matter how much he wished and prayed, his prayers weren’t going to come true. Tank filled, Koran got back into the car and started the engine. On the road again, he and McKinley sat quietly. Unable to bear the silence, McKinley began to talk.
“ I’m sorry for snapping on you like that.”
“ It’s cool.”
“ No, it’s not.” She looked down at her hands. Tears were starting to slowly form in her eyes. “My life is a mess.” McKinley began to cry.
Koran looked over at her.
“ You, a’ight?” he asked, concerned.
“ No.” She wiped her eyes. “A couple of weeks ago my fiancé was killed.”
“ Damn, for real? That’s fucked up,” Koran said sincerely.
“ Tell me about it,” McKinley agreed. “I didn’t even get to go to the funeral.”
“ Why?”
“’ Cause he was married.” McKinley cried even harder.
“ What?” Koran said, shocked.
“ After he died I found out that he’d been living a double life. The whole three years we were together he had a whole wife, kids and a whole nother chick on the side and my dumbass didn’t even know it. I mean, how gullible could I possibly be? I had no clue.”
“ That’s some deep shit,” Koran said, overwhelmed by her confession.
“ Since he passed my whole life has been turned upside down. All I knew was him. He was my everything. My whole life was centered around him.”
“ Well, see, that’s where you fucked up.”
“ What?” She blew her nose on a napkin.
“ I don’t give a fuck how much you love a man; never make him your whole world. That’s where y’all females fuck up.”
“ Thanks for making me feel even worse.” McKinley chuckled.
“ My bad. I wasn’t tryin’ to be mean or nothin’. I’m just statin’ facts.” Koran shrugged.
“ If you say so.”
“ Nah, for real. I’m sorry for your loss. It’s a fucked-up feeling losing someone you love. No matter what the circumstances are,” Koran said somberly.
“ I know that shit gotta hurt,” he continued.
“ Like hell,” she agreed.
“ So that’s why you were in tears yesterday?”
“ How did you know I’d been cryin’?” McKinley asked, surprised.
“’ Cause your eyes were red and you looked like
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