The show went well, but everyone here could see I’m not the same bubbly playful person I normally am during the show. My co producer Alexis, an Asian girl with long black hair asked if I wanted to join her and her boyfriend the sound engineer Dustin, the homie looking white guy with sandy brown hair for breakfast at Denny’s. I declined. I don’t eat at Denny’s for one and for two in case Eric is out in front waiting for me to get off I don’t need to bring anybody else into my problems.
LaShawn had me drive her car to make sure Eric wouldn’t easily notice me if he were to be out here waiting, but when we walked out, he was parked right next to her car standing there waiting patiently. Alexis and Dustin asked if I was okay getting to my car and I nodded my head, but secretly scared to death of what could happen, so they walked off toward her convertible BMW. Before I reached LaShawn’s car the BMW was started and already pulled off.
I didn’t even notice the SUV pulling into the parking lot while I walked over to the car. The smirk on Eric’s face disappeared as the SUV stopped at LaShawn’s car and someone called my name.
Eric turned to K and Mark as they hopped out of the SUV.
“Yo! I’m trying to have a conversation with my wife! Do you mind? Eric’s two cousins got out of his Charger when K addressed Eric.
“If that’s what she wants to do, but if she don’t we’re leaving.”
“What you mean, if that’s what she wanna do?”
“Just what I said! If she don’t want to talk we leaving.”
“My wife ain’t going nowhere. Y’all need to go mind y’all own business before it becomes a problem out here.”
I told Eric I said what I had to say on the phone. He tried to grab me by the arm, but I pulled away from him. Then Mark walked up and stood between us. As he turned to tell me to get in the truck Eric swung on him but missed. Mark pushed Eric with enough force for him to stumble a few feet away. Eric recovered and came back to swing a couple more times, but nothing connected. Mark spun around with a round house kick, connecting to Eric’s right temple and I wondered will he ever learn to look for that kick.
Eric’s cousins Trey and Tone who I’ve never met but heard of rushed over. K took a step back, pulled his pistol out and had words with them. I guess they came to some type of understanding because Trey and Tone just stood there and watched as Eric picked himself up from the ground. I climbed into K’s CHP vehicle while Mark opened up LaShawn’s car door.
“Is that how it is Val? This how you want it?”
“Go home Eric. Stop trying to start shit.”
“Start what? I’m just trying to get my family back.”
“You and Pascha are always going to be family, but we are done! That chick Alicia and her baby are your family now.”
Eric stood there with his mouth open as his two cousins looked at him shaking their heads. Mark started LaShawn’s car and pulled off and we pulled off behind him. Tears rolled down my face while K drove out of the parking lot thinking of what’s happened over the past few days, but I know everything happens for a reason. It was time to move on and get out of this toxic marriage, but will I ever be in the loving relationship I think I deserve? It’s scary to be alone, but I know it’s the right decision to leave Eric to the streets he loves so much and start a new chapter for myself.