Eighteen
Kema
Ace wasn’t playing. This man took my little-ass idea and ran with it. For the past few weeks, we’d been planning my business and everything else. His attorney helped me register the company, and his accountant was helping me figure out how much money I needed to get started.
I was sitting with Sisi and Serenity at lunch after quitting my job. My boss thought he was going to get free labor out of me, so I quit. Ace and Stephen packed up my office, and suddenly my boss found the money to pay me for training. Aht, aht. Motherfucker, too late.
I felt like Rochelle. I don't need this...
My man got two jobs. Technically, Ace owned several businesses, but the message was the same.
Serenity was scrolling on Flickstagram when a familiar voice came through her phone.
“And that bitch was fucking Kel, and now she with his best friend, Ace. Homie-hopping ass.”
I looked at Sisi and Ren to make sure I heard her correctly. Serenity quickly turned down the volume. “Kema—”
“Turn it back up.”
“Kema, don’t.”
“Turn that shit up.” She slowly raised the volume on her phone so we could hear Tiana. She was live, talking to somebody off-camera. I signaled for the check and asked for to-go boxes. Since the bitch wanted to keep poking the bear, I was going to show her ass today.
I had just forgiven Kel and decided I was done letting these people disturb my peace, but apparently that notice hadn't reached everybody. Now Tiana had to get her ass beat for playing with me. Sierra grabbed my wrist. “Where are you going?”
“To her house.”
“Absolutely not.”
“You don’t have to come.”
“I didn’t say I wasn’t coming. I said you shouldn’t go.”
“That makes no sense,” Serenity said.
“Stay out of grown folks’ business, Ren,” Sierra told her.
“I’m grown too.”
“Then make the grown decision and go home.”
Serenity shook her head. “Both of y’all are stupid.”
“Probably,” I said while putting money on the table.
Sierra grabbed her purse. “I’m married now. I have too much to lose.”
“Then take your ass home.”
“I can’t let you go over there alone.”
“You can. You just being messy.”
“That too.”
Serenity looked between us. “Do not call me from jail.”
“We won’t,” Sierra promised.
We stopped at Sierra’s house so she could change clothes. That bitch came back outside wearing leggings, a T-shirt, a bonnet and Vaseline on her face. I stared at her. “Why are you greased up?”
“Just in case we gotta jump that bitch.”
“I don’t need help fighting Tiana.”
“I know. I’m there for emotional support.”
“You got on fighting clothes.”
“Get in the car.”
She handed me a hair tie. “Put your hair up.”
“Good lookin’ out.” I put my hair into a ponytail while Sierra backed out of the driveway. “How do you even know where she lives?”
“She put her address on the guest information for the wedding.”
“And you still have that?”
“I spent too much money on that wedding to delete anything.”
The entire ride, Sierra kept saying we might only need to talk to her scary ass. I agreed because that sounded better than admitting we were on our way to beat somebody’s ass over a social media post.
When we pulled up outside Tiana’s apartment, Sierra parked across the street. “Remember, we’re not going to jail,” she said.
“I don’t plan on it.”
“And don’t hit her first.”
I looked at Sisi before getting out the car. We walked to Tiana’s apartment and knocked. She opened the door wearing a T-shirt and shorts. Her face dropped the second she saw us. “What the fuck are y’all doing here?”
I held up my phone. “You had a lot to say online.”
Tiana glanced at the screenshot and laughed. “I didn’t say your name.”
“You didn’t have to. I’m giving you the opportunity to say it now.”
She stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind her. “You really came to my house over a post?”
“No. I came because I spared your ass in Cancún for my friend’s wedding, and you took that as me being scared.”
“Spared me?” She looked me up and down. “Bitch, you brought Ace to that wedding because you were desperate to make Kel jealous.”
I bent over and laughed loudly. This bitch was crazy. “And it worked, didn’t it?”
Sierra covered her mouth to stifle her giggles. I looked at her. “What?”
“Nothing. Keep going.”
Tiana rolled her eyes. “You think Ace actually wants you? He only fucked with you because he wanted to get back at Kel.”
“That man wanted me before Markel cheated on me. Try again.”
“That’s not what Kel said.”
“Kel told you he was over me too, but that didn’t stop him from staring at me the whole trip.”
Her face tightened. I knew I struck a nerve. “That’s why he beat Ace’s ass.”
I blinked. “Did we attend the same wedding?”
“Right,” Sierra added. “Because Markel got his ass tossed all across my dance floor.”
“And that was your fault,” Tiana snapped. “You knew she was bringing Ace there to start trouble.”
Sierra stepped forward. “What happened at my wedding was your fault. Nobody told your ass to start screaming in the middle of my reception.”
“Because your friend was throwing herself at my man.”
“Your man?” I laughed. “The same man that left you for dead..."
“You’re a desperate bitch.”
“And you’re a dumb one. A bird. Big Bird. Lady Featherton herself. Markel cheated on me with you, then spent your entire relationship worried about me. What exactly did you win?”
Tiana shoved me. And that was exactly what I wanted. I punched her dead in the mouth. I grabbed the front of Tiana’s shirt and pushed her against the wall before hitting her again. She swung back and caught me on the side of my face.
“Kema!” Sierra yelled.
Tiana grabbed my arm and tried to pull me down. We stumbled into the wall before falling onto the floor. I climbed on top of her and started beating her ass before Sierra grabbed me around the waist. “Okay, that’s enough Kema."
Tiana reached around me and slapped Sierra. Sierra released me. “Did this bitch just hit me?” she asked.
“Sisi, wait—” She stepped around me and decked Tiana right in the mouth, causing her head to fly back and hit the wall.
“I was trying to save you!”
After that, all bets were off. Tiana tried to get up, but Sierra kicked her in the chest. I grabbed her arm when she tried to swing again, and for the next ten minutes, we beat that woman’s ass together in her apartment complex hallway.
By the time it was over, my nail was broken, Sierra’s bonnet was hanging off the side of her head and Tiana was sitting against her door breathing hard. I pointed at her. “Next time you think to post about me... Don't. I'm gon' fuck you up every time I see you.”
Tiana glared at us. “Both of y’all get the fuck away from my house.”
We giggled and started walking away. “That was already the plan Lady Featherton."
When we made it back to the car we both looked in the mirror. “That bitch gone slap me. I oughta go beat her ass again.”
“Sisi, drive before somebody calls the police.” She started the car and pulled away from the curb. “Stephen cannot find out about this,” she said.
“Ace damn sure can’t.”
“What are you going to tell him about your face?”
“I’ll think of something.”
“What am I going to tell Stephen?”
“That you fell.”
“On what?”
“I don’t know. Another bitch’s fist.”
Sierra looked at me before we both burst into laughter. When we reached my house, Ace’s car was outside. I had forgotten he and Stephen were bringing the boxes from my office. “Shit,” Sierra whispered.
“Maybe they won’t notice.”
She looked at my swollen lip. “Ace notices everything about you.”
That nigga really did. I unlocked the door and walked inside. Ace and Stephen were sitting in the living room surrounded by my office boxes. Stephen looked up first. His eyes widened when he saw Sierra. “What the fuck happened to you?”
“Nothing.”
Ace stood and looked at my face. “Kema.”
“I’m fine.”
"I know like hell aint nobody put they hands on you."
Sierra pointed at me. “This was her idea.”
I looked at her. “Bitch!”
“I’m married. I can’t have Stephen mad at me.”
“You hit her too!”
“Because she slapped me!”
Stephen slowly stood. “Who slapped you?”
“Nobody,” Sierra said.
“Tiana,” I said at the same time.
Ace rubbed his hand down his face. “Y’all went to Tiana’s house?”
“She was online talking shit,” I explained shrugging my shoulders.
“So you went to fight her?”
“I went to talk.” Sierra snorted. I cut my eyes at her. “You can leave.”
“Gladly.”
Stephen grabbed her hand and led her toward the door. “We talking when we get home.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.” The door closed behind them before I could laugh. Ace stood in front of me with his arms folded. “What?” I asked.
“Sit down.”
“I don’t like your tone.”
“Kema.” I sat on the couch. Ace disappeared into the bathroom and returned with a wet towel and the first-aid kit.
“You mad?” I asked.
“I’m trying not to be.”
“She hit me first baby." I said pouting and reaching for him. "I sorry."
He grabbed my hand and looked at my broken nail. “Yo ass too fucking pretty to be fighting. I could've got somebody to handle that bitch for you.”
I giggled, "I can handle myself."
He shook his head chuckling, "I see with yo Adrien Broner ass."
We both burst out laughing. "I'm really mad I aint get to see my baby in action. Y'all jumped that girl didn't ya?"
I looked away trying to hide the smirk on my lips. He shook his head at me before he placed two fingers beneath my chin and turned my face toward him. “Don't handle no shit like this by yourself again. You understand me?"
I nodded my head as he gently cleaned the corner of my mouth before pressing an ice pack against my face.
“Did anybody save the Live?” he asked.
“Serenity did.”
“Send it to me. If Tiana tries to press charges, my attorney needs everything that happened before y'all went over there.”
“You really think she’ll call the police?”
"I don't know. Her live aint gon' justify y'all showing up to her house, but I want my attorney prepared before she decides to play victim."
I sent him the video and rested my head against his shoulder. “You still love me?” I asked.
“Nah.”
I lifted my head. “What?”
Ace chuckled. “I’m playing.”
“Don’t play like that.”
He wrapped his arm around me and kissed my forehead. “I love your crazy ass.”
“I’m not crazy.”
“You went to somebody’s house in the middle of the day to fight.”
“She had it coming.”
“I know she did. I'm just surprised you waited this long to tag her ass." Ace held the ice against my face while I relaxed into him. He didn’t make me feel weak or stupid. He just made sure I was good. I had spent most of my life handling shit alone. Maybe having somebody in my corner wasn’t so bad.