7. Sianni Mcwashington-Maddox
I could hear everything from upstairs, every word, every shift in tone, and honestly, I wasn’t shocked.
Lex had been acting funny for a while now.
Ever since that rehearsal dinner, something about her energy had been off.
The little comments, the looks, the fake support…
that shit didn’t sit right with me then, and it damn sure didn’t sit right with me now.
I had been genuinely happy for her when she told me she was marrying Marvin, so yeah, it hit different seeing her act like this with me. Like I was the problem. Like I had done something to her.
I sat on my bed for a second, letting that thought sit heavy on my chest before I finally shook it off and got up. Walking over to my dresser, I grabbed something quick to wear, then headed into the bathroom.
The moment I stepped under the water, everything I’d been holding in started slipping out, the tears mixing right in as they ran down my face. I was trying to make sense of it all. Was it always like this? Had I just been ignoring the signs?
I stayed there for a second longer before finally turning the water off.
Once I got dressed, I went back into my room and grabbed my phone, calling Drayla. It rang twice before she picked up.
“Hey, boo, you good?” she asked, her voice already laced with concern.
“Yeah, I’m straight,” I said, forcing it.
“Mhm… what’s going on?”
“What are you doing right now?”
“Nothing. Just sitting here watching TV. My man done disappeared somewhere. I don’t know where he went,” she said, laughing.
“I feel you,” I replied, pausing for a second. “You mind meeting me somewhere?”
She didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, that’s fine. Where you trying to go?”
“I don’t care. I just need to get out for a minute. Clear my head.”
“Aight, I got a spot. It’s this little park I go to sometimes when I need to breathe. I’ll send you the address.”
“That’s perfect.”
We hung up, and not even five seconds later, my phone buzzed with the location. I grabbed my stuff and headed downstairs.
I ain’t gonna even lie… right then would’ve been the perfect time to roll something up and let the smoke clear my head. But I hadn’t touched a blunt since I’d been here with Kyrie. I hadn’t even thought about it until now.
When I got downstairs, Kyrie was in the living room, posted up on the couch with ESPN playing. I walked over and sat next to him, but he didn’t even look my way at first.
“Kyrie,” I called.
He finally turned his head slowly. “Wassup?”
“I’m finna go to the park with Drayla. Clear my head for a minute.”
“Aight.”
That was it. No questions, no nothing.
“You good?”
“Yeah,” he said, nodding once.
But it wasn’t right. His voice was flat, his eyes still halfway on the TV like he was trying not to think about something.
“No, you not,” I said. “What’s going on with you?”
He exhaled, rubbing his hand over his beard. “I said I’m good, ma. Go ahead and clear your head.”
I didn’t move. “Not until you talk to me.”
His jaw tightened.
“I’m good, shorty.”
The edge in his voice hit different this time.
“Don’t do that,” I said.
“Do what?”
“Try to push me off like I’m one of them.” My tone stayed calm, but it carried. “I’m sitting right here talking to you.”
Silence stretched between us before he finally spoke.
“You always do that.”
“Do what?”
“Act like you don’t see what you’re doing.”
My brows lifted. “And what exactly am I doing?”
A small smirk pulled at his mouth. “You be pushing me… then looking at me like you ain’t the reason I’m sitting here like this.”
“How am I the reason?” I shot back. “I’m not the reason you’re in that cast—you are.”
He let out a low laugh, shaking his head. “Aight.”
“What?”
“You really don’t get it.”
“Then explain it.”
He shifted, adjusting his arm. “You think I’m talking about this?” he asked, lifting the cast slightly.
“That’s what you brought up.”
He leaned forward just a little. “Nawl, I’m talking about you.”
My brows pulled together. “What about me?”
“The way you look at me,” he said. “The way you act when I’m next to you.”
I let out a small breath. “You’re giving yourself way too much credit.”
“Am I?”
Silence fell again, heavier this time.
“You not the reason I got shot,” he added. “But you definitely the reason I’m sitting here thinking about some shit I shouldn’t be thinking about.”
That hit, but I didn’t show it.
“So what?” I said. “You want me to stop talking to you?”
His eyes dropped to my lips for a second before coming back up.
“Did I say that?”
“Then what are you saying?”
He leaned in just enough to close some space. “I’m saying you be playing with me.”
“And what if I am?”
His jaw tightened.
“Then you better know when to stop.”
“Or what?”
There was a pause… then he leaned back, breaking it.
“Go to your little park. Clear your head.”
I stared at him for a second, then shook my head. “You coming or not?”
A slow smirk spread across his face. “Nawl… I’ma let you go ahead and have your time. I’ll be right here.”
“Okay. I’ll see you in a few.”
He nodded, turning back to the TV. I didn’t say anything else—I just got up and left.
When I pulled up to the park, Drayla was already there, posted up on one of the benches.
When I pulled up to the park, Drayla was already there, posted up on one of the benches.
“Hey, girl,” I said, dropping down across from her.
“Hey, baby… you good?” she asked, studying me.
“No, not really.” I shook my head.
“What’s wrong?”
I really didn’t know where I wanted to start, but the whole point of me calling her here was to vent and get some things off my chest. I knew I needed to, and on top of that, I knew she was the one person I could do it with.
She had told me so many times that if I ever needed somebody to talk to, she was always here.
“Girl, I don’t even know where to start,” I sighed.
“Take your time, boo. There ain’t no rush,” she replied with a smile.
I took another deep breath and shook my head. Like I had said before, I really wished I could smoke a blunt right now. But those days were over. Being Kyrie’s wife meant I was in the spotlight a whole lot more.
“I don’t know… I’m trying to figure out where the hell I went wrong,” I finally admitted.
“Went wrong where?” Drayla frowned. “Everything good with you and Kyrie?”
“Yeah, we good.”
“Okay, then what?”
“I’m talking about my best friend. I don’t know where I went wrong with that.”
“Man, girl…” She sucked her teeth. “I’m sure it wasn’t nothing you did.”
“I don’t know.” I sighed.
No matter how hard I tried to convince myself she was right, a part of me still felt like I had done something.
“Look, Sianni.” She grabbed both of my hands. “I’m only gone tell you this one time, so pay attention.”
I laughed despite myself.
“Okay, I’m listening.”
“You ain’t do nothing to that girl. Whatever issue she got with you, that’s her issue. That’s her personal problem. It ain't got shit to do with you, so stop beating yourself up over something you can’t control. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yeah,” I nodded.
“Good.” She gave my hand a squeeze before letting it go. “Now tell me something else. What’s really going on with you?”
I frowned.
“What you mean?”
“You got more on your mind than Alexia.”
I let out a long sigh and rolled my eyes.
“Girl… I just had to check Kyrie.”
“Lord.” She laughed. “What he do now?”
“He got in his feelings and started catching an attitude. So, I had to remind him real quick.”
Drayla threw her head back laughing.
“Y’all are a whole damn mess.”
“Don’t say that.”
“But it’s true.” She pointed at me. “And don’t even try to act like it ain’t cute.”
I sucked my teeth.
“Whatever.”
“Don’t ‘whatever’ me, girl.” She laughed again. “That vibe y’all got? That shit real as hell.”
I smiled before looking down at my hands.
“No… you really don’t see that too often.”
“Bitch, that ain’t the only thing that changed.” She smirked.
“And what’s that?”
“That nigga’s whole damn definition of love. Kyrie used to be out here dogging females, not giving a damn about nobody but himself. That man was heartless as hell.”
She pointed at me.
“But now? Soon as you walk in a room, that nigga lights up. Hell, he probably don’t even realize he be doing it.”
A slow smile crept across my face.
I wanted to say something, but I couldn’t.
As we continued talking, my mind drifted back to everything we’d been through over the past few months.
“Uh… Sianni?”
I turned, and that’s when the first flash hit.
Then another.
Voices followed right behind it.
“Sianni, can we get a comment?”
“Do you know who shot Kyrie Maddox?”
“Is he going to be able to play this season?”
My stomach dropped.
Oh, hell no.
“Come on,” I said, grabbing my bag and pulling Drayla up with me.
They followed. Cameras up. Phones out.
“Was it gang-related?”
“Is Kyrie cooperating with police?”
My jaw tightened.
“Y’all need to back up,” I said, my voice low and steady.
They didn’t. If anything, they got closer.
“Yeah, we’re leaving.”
We made it to the parking lot and split once we reached our cars.
“I’ll call you!” Drayla said.
“Alright!”
Another flash hit my face as I slid into my car and slammed the door. I glanced in the mirror—they were still there. Watching. Waiting.
My grip tightened on the steering wheel as I pulled off, my heart still beating faster than it should’ve.