Pride and Consequence by Altonya Washington Page A

we talked about?” Malik asked.
    Tree rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. “Mal, why don’t you give up on this? Man—”
    â€œTree—”
    â€œAll right, all right,” Tree said, raising his hand in defeat. “Yeah, I’ve gotten started on everything you asked for.”
    â€œThank you. Look, I know you don’t agree.”
    â€œI care about what this is going to do to Zakira. Have you told her yet?”
    Malik was quiet for a long time. “I told her.”
    â€œHow is she?”
    â€œHow do you think?”
    â€œWhat’d you tell her?”
    Malik knew what his friend was asking. “I only told her about the cancer. Right now, that’s all I want her to know.”
    Tree ran his hand across his dark, wavy hair and frowned. “Mal, I hope you know what you’re doing.”
    â€œI do. Thanks, kid.”
    The connection broke and Tree shook his head. He could see this whole thing turning into an ugly mess that Malik would regret having started. Still, he knew his friend was scared and he wasn’t about to shut him out now.
    Setting the receiver back to its cradle, Tree’s thoughts turned to Eddie. He couldn’t see her face when he told her the news. But her voice painted enough of a picture. She sounded as though the wind had been knocked out of her, and he hated having upset her that way.
    After shutting off the desk lamp, he stood and headed to his office door. He strolled down the hallway toward his apartment, but stopped just short of the door and leaned against the wall.
    Maybe I should apologize to her in person, he thought. Of course, he knew that really wasn’t necessary. Though Eddie was upset, he could tell she was glad he had told her. In truth, he really just wanted to see her again. Hearing her low, breathless voice on the phone had only whetted his appetite to have her in his sights.
    Pushing himself away from the wall, Tree continued his trek toward his apartment. A grin touched his wide mouth as he considered asking Edwina out.

    Zakira stirred the rich, sour cream sauce into her hash browns before lifting a forkful to her mouth. Her large brown gaze rose to sneak a glance at her husband, before snapping back to the table.
    She was still in shock over the news he had dropped the night before. Now, however, she was on a mission to save her husband’s life.
    â€œSo have you and Doctor McNeil talked about treatment?” she asked, watching Malik refill his juice glass.
    â€œWhat?” he replied absently.
    Zakira’s hand covered his over the glass. “Have you and Doctor McNeil talked about how you can fight this?”
    Malik sighed heavily, before raising his gray stare to her face. “No.”
    A furrow formed between Zakira’s delicate brows. “Well, are you going to?” she asked, watching as Malik shrugged. She leaned back in the cushioned arm chair. “Malik, what the hell is wrong with you?”
    A sinister expression clouded his face. “You know what’s wrong with me.” He sarcastically replied, pushing the long dreads out of his face.
    â€œWhy won’t you talk about this?”
    â€œZakira—”
    â€œI mean, I’ve heard that a positive outlook has—”
    â€œWill you stop it!” Malik roared, throwing the beaded juice glass into the fireplace.
    Zakira quieted, watching him rise from the table and almost knock his chair to the floor in the process.
    â€œI’m not about to let this change my lifestyle!” he told her, his features taking on a menacing appearance.
    â€œBaby, I just don’t want you to give up,” Zakira quietly told him. “Malik?”
    He rubbed his hand across his wide chest as though he were in pain. She toyed with one of the tendrils that had fallen from her high pin-curled ponytail. “Malik, do you remember me telling you that I was out of here if you weren’t straight with me?”
    Knowing