Chapter 20 #2
I pulled my phone out and opened my camera roll, scrollin’ through the pictures and videos I posted on Instagram earlier.
They was beautiful. It was pictures of me and Kay’Lo smilin’, pink dust on his skin, the family behind us, Pluto holdin’ my face while I cried, Sha’Nelle holdin’ me from behind and me and my mother-in-law huggin’ and holdin’ each other.
I had a couple with Pressure and Renza too. Everything looked perfect.
Then I stared down at my hand and lifted it under the light.
The new ring Kay’Lo put on my finger sparkled like it was alive.
The diamond was massive and the band wrapped around my finger like it was made just for me.
My first ring was beautiful too, but this one felt like a promise he wanted the whole world to see.
It was expensive as hell, but I knew Kay’Lo ain’t think twice about it.
That man would give me anything if he felt it showed how deep he loved me.
I rubbed my belly without thinkin’. I was so happy today, but somewhere underneath all that joy was this small ache.
Kay’Lo’s trial was still comin’. His lawyer was fightin’ hard, and the family was doin’ everything in their power to protect him, but the thought of him bein’ taken away from me made my stomach twist. If I had it my way, every charge would be dropped and we’d be allowed to live our life without this shit hangin’ over us.
But life ain’t work like that, and every time I thought about Kay’Lo facin’ a trial, I got this coldness in my bones.
I tried to shake it off, but I couldn’t. I opened Instagram and clicked on my stories ‘cause for whatever reason I wanted to see who watched them. I knew damn well I ain’t need to be doin’ this. Curiosity was gon’ kill me one of these days.
I tapped through each story and saw exactly what I expected—Family, friends and followers.
It was people who loved us and people who was nosy as hell.
Then I saw Echo’s name. And right under her name was a fake profile I’d been seein’ for a while, the same one that watched every single thing I posted.
I knew it was her. Kay’Lo knew it was her. Everybody knew it was her.
My heart started beatin’ a lil’ different. I clicked out of my stories and went straight to her page. She had a pinned post that wasn’t there the last time I checked her page.
When it opened, I froze.
It was a video of Kay’Lo, and not no regular video either. It wasn’t some shit he knew was bein’ recorded.
He was outside of a hotel room, walkin’ in circles in that way he did when his mind slipped into that place he hated talkin’ about.
He was mumblin’ to himself, sayin’ things only he understood and lookin’ around like he was searchin’ for somethin’ that wasn’t really there.
Anybody who ain’t know him would think he was actin’ crazy, but I recognized it instantly.
This was Kay’Lo in one of his schizophrenic episodes, vulnerable as hell, caught between reality and whatever his mind was pullin’ him toward.
Then this bitch’s caption made my whole body go hot.
Y’all boy out here acting like this and he got a baby on the way. Only a dummy would get pregnant by a nigga who move like this. And I heard he having a daughter too so Karma gon’ tap at his door for him being a killer and a rapist.
My hand started shakin’ so hard I had to put the phone on the table.
A rapist? This bitch was really out here callin’ ‘Lo of all people… a rapist.
Kay’Lo might have done a lot of wild shit in his life, but rape wasn’t one of them.
He ain’t play like that. He ain’t even joke about shit like that, which was why my uncle’s head ended up in a box.
And for this bitch to record him durin’ one of his most private moments, a moment he trusted nobody to see, then blast it online like it was entertainment, like she wasn’t the same bitch beggin’ him to stay with her when he stopped fuckin’ with her and like her own actions didn’t lead to her brothers gettin’ killed ‘cause she tried to set him up.
I felt sick.
My chest tightened and my stomach turned so fast I grabbed the edge of the table to steady myself. I ain’t wanna look at the comments. I knew there would be people draggin’ him, people laughin’ and sayin’ he looked crazy or dangerous or unstable.
She was really speakin’ on my daughter too.
My’Love…
Our baby who wasn’t even born yet.
I covered my mouth with my hand ‘cause somethin’ heavy was crawlin’ up my spine.
It was anger but not just regular anger.
It was somethin’ dark and cold and patient.
It was somethin’ that said if Echo didn’t stop pokin’ at us, if she didn’t stop playin’ with Kay’Lo’s name and my family, she was gon’ find out exactly who the fuck she was messin’ with.
Kay’Lo might have been the one who slept with her, but she was the one who couldn’t let go. She was the one still stalkin’, still obsessin’ and tryna tear him down ‘cause he chose me.
I closed my eyes and took a breath, but it ain’t help. My hands was shakin’, my chest felt hot, and all I could think about was how far I was willin’ to go to protect mine.
If Echo kept this shit up, she was gon’ see just how ugly shit could get.
And I meant that with my whole soul.