Thirteen #2
Kel shoved away from the bar. “You always wanted what I had.”
“Nah. I wanted her. There’s a difference.”
His expression changed. Stephen reached us before Kel could respond. “Both of y’all need to calm down. This is my wedding.”
“I’m good,” I said.
Kel finished the liquor in the glass he had already been holding and walked away. Stephen watched him go. “This shit is about to turn bad.”
“I spared him cause this yo shit… Y’all need to thank me for being so gracious.”
Stephen shook his head, “nigga don’t make it worse.”
“I’m not planning to.” And I meant that. I wasn’t trying to ruin my friends’ reception over a drunk nigga who couldn’t accept the consequences of his own choices.
I scanned the crowd searching for Kema. I saw Kel was headed in her direction and started walking towards her. She stood near one of the tables talking to Sierra when he approached and said something in her ear. Kema shook her head. She attempted to walk away, but Kel grabbed her arm.
Everything inside me went still. I crossed the room faster than I had time to think. “Ace,” Stephen called behind me. I didn’t stop. Kema saw me approaching. “I got it.”
Maybe she did. But Kel still had his hand around her arm. I grabbed his wrist squeezing forcing him to release her. “She said let her go.”
Kel shoved me. “Stay the fuck out of it.”
I stumbled back a step before catching myself. The reception was quiet. I felt Kema touch my arm but at that moment all I saw was red. “Ace,” Kema said.
I looked at her arm and it was starting to bruise from where Kel had held her. That was all I needed to see.
Before any one of us could react, I punched Kel in the face and started beating the shit out of him.
Kel stammered back and got a lick in, but I was all over him sending two quick jabs and causing him to fall back onto a table and break it.
I lunged on him still hitting his ass. “Fuck nigga… that’s my fucking girl…
didn’t I tell you I was sparing you,” I said while throwing punches left and right.
Kel tried to get up but staggered for a bit, and then he tossed a hit. I slammed his ass on his ass, and then held him in a headlock. “Let me the fuck go.”
“Nigga you wilding. Apologize to her… Who the fuck raised yo stupid ass? Putting yo hands on women.”
I continued to squeeze his neck while waiting for him to apologize. “Nigga, fuck you!”
I chortled, “fuck me… bet.” Just when I was about to send two haymakers to this nigga head Stephen and two other men grabbed me from behind, pulling me away. Kel tried to come after me, but more members of the wedding party restrained him.
“Get the fuck off me!” I yelled.
“Ace, enough!” Stephen tightened his hold. “This is my wedding!”
I stopped fighting against him and looked around. Someone was standing back trying to console crying Sierra while the wedding party looked on. Fuck.
Kel continued yelling from across the room until security arrived and dragged him toward the exit. Kema stood a few feet away holding her arm. The anger inside me returned instantly. I pulled free from Stephen and walked toward her.
“Let me see.”
“I’m fine.”
“Kema.”
She held out her arm. The marks weren’t as bad as I feared, but seeing them still pissed me off. I ran my thumb carefully beneath them. “Did he hurt you?”
“No.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
She looked at the blood on my lip. “Did he hurt you?”
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “I’m good.”
“Ace, you fought him in the middle of Sisi’s reception.”
“He grabbed you.”
“I know, but I could’ve handled it.”
“I know you could.”
“Then why did you do that?”
“Because he put his fucking hands on you.”
Kema just stared at me. I didn’t regret hitting him. I regretted where it happened and who got caught in the middle, but I would make the same decision every time.
Nobody was putting their hands on Kema in front of me. Sierra walked over with Stephen beside her. She looked from me to the damaged table. “What the fuck is wrong with y’all?”
“I’m sorry,” Kema said immediately.
“This isn’t your fault,” Sierra said. “But these niggas have officially lost their minds.”
Stephen rubbed his hand over his face. “Security removed Kel. The resort is sending somebody to clean this up.”
I looked at both of them. “This is on me. Whatever this shit costs, I’ll cover it.”
“I don’t care about the money,” Sierra said. “I care that my reception turned into a boxing match.”
“I’m sorry.”
She looked toward the door where security had taken Kel. “He grabbed her?”
“Yes,” Kema answered.
Sierra’s expression softened slightly, but she was still pissed. “I’m going to deal with him tomorrow.”
“You don’t need to,” I said.
Her eyes snapped toward me. “You’ve done enough dealing with people for one night.”
I nodded because she wasn’t wrong. Stephen placed his hand against her back. “Come on. Let’s give everybody a few minutes and restart the music.”
Sierra looked at Kema. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“I’ll check on you later.”
They walked away to speak with the coordinator. Kema and I stood alone in the middle of the mess. “You mad at me?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Understandable.”
“But I’m also not.”
“That makes sense.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“It does to me.”
Kema tried to hide her smile and failed. I reached for her hand. “Come outside with me.”
She let me lead her onto the terrace. The music eventually started again behind us, but the mood had changed. I could hear people talking about the fight, and I knew Sierra’s reception would never be remembered without somebody mentioning it.
I felt like an asshole for that. Kema leaned against the railing. “You and Markel are really done.”
“We been done.”
“Because of me.”
“Because of him.”
She looked at me. “You were friends for years.”
“And he knew better.”
“Ace.”
I stepped in front of her. “I’m not saying I handled tonight right. I should’ve walked away at the bar. But when he grabbed you, I didn’t see anything except his hand on your arm.” Her expression softened.
“I’m sorry it happened here,” I continued. “I’m sorry Sierra and Stephen got dragged into it. But I’m not sorry I protected you.”
“I don’t need you fighting every man who touches me.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“Yeah.” I lifted her arm and kissed the place Kel had grabbed. “But I’m probably still gone do it.”
Kema shook her head. “You’re impossible.”
“And you like me anyway.”
“Unfortunately.” I smiled before pulling her into my arms. She rested her head against my chest.
Inside, the DJ encouraged everybody to return to the dance floor. A few people cheered, attempting to bring the energy back. I looked through the glass doors at Sierra and Stephen dancing together despite everything. Tomorrow, I would find a way to make this right.
But right now, all I could do was hold Kema and accept that choosing her had officially cost me one of my oldest friendships. I’d already told Stephen she was worth it. Even after the blood, broken glasses, and ruined reception, my answer hadn’t changed.