18. Bernice
As my eyes fluttered open, the drama from yesterday played through my mind like a social media reel on two times playback speed. Flashes of Rodney lunging at me and wrapping his hands around my throat made me whimper. The feel of Keyshawn’s body against mine calmed me down, but the emotional damage had been done. I silently sobbed for a few minutes. My body shook from the intensity of the cry.
“Shh,” Krash whispered as his grip around my body tightened. His body pressure increased as he basically held me in a tight bear hug.
We lay in the embrace until the wave of emotions flowed through me. I wiped my tear-stained face and turned to look at him.
“Morning,” I whispered in a groggy voice.
“Mornin’, sunshine.” He pecked my lips several times.
“Sorry if I woke you up. Remembering what happened yesterday made me a little emotional.”
“Don’t ever apologize for how your body chooses to release your emotions. Crying isn’t a form of weakness. It’s a great way to navigate your feelings.”
“It was so scary,” I admitted.
“I know, baby. I can’t imagine how it must have felt.” He kissed my temple and rubbed my back.
“I… I thought I was going to die. I came to terms with death while he choked me. As my vision blurred, I thanked God for giving me a few weeks of bliss with you.”
“Bern… I…”
“I know, Krash. I didn’t share this to trauma dump or anything. I just wanted you to know I’m very grateful I was able to wake up in your arms this morning.”
Without another word, he kissed me softly. The firm press of his lips against mine was exactly what I needed to start my day. After the cry, we both got out of bed and went through our morning routine.
“I have breakfast food, but I’d be okay with a bowl of cereal and some cartoons this morning,” I stated as I pulled on an oversized t-shirt and a fresh pair of bikini-cut panties.
“I’m cool with that.” He agreed. Krash only had on a pair of basketball shorts. The thin material didn’t leave much to the imagination as I watched his dick swing with each move he made. Despite the trauma my throat and body underwent, my lower regions still found a way to jump with arousal at the sight of Keyshawn and his toned body.
We went to the kitchen and poured our bowls of cereal. Then we went over to the couch. I turned on The Simpsons and dug into my bowl. My phone had been left in the living room all night, so I plugged it into the charger. When it finally came back on, the incessantly dings made me frown. I put the bowl on the table and looked through the notifications. I clicked the first link and felt my stomach churn.
Krash’s new boo brings drama!
Sources told us Bernice James of BerJam, Security and Krash Williams were involved in an attack yesterday evening. One hospitalized after brutal brawl.
“Oh no… Oh no…” The waterworks started again. As the tears fell, I shook my head as embarrassment filled my soul.
“Bern? Baby, what’s wrong?” Krash asked.
“My personal life is being dissected all over the internet.” Frustration laced every word I muttered.
“ Shit . Media got ahold of the story?” he asked.
I rolled my eyes. “Yes.”
I scrolled through different notifications as people found my business account and left comments.
@user920440343: Stupid slut! You’re ruining the Champ’s legacy with your hoe-tivities.
@KrashWilliamsLeftNut: I hate when bitches can’t keep their legs closed. Now she’s got the champ in more drama. GO AWAY!
Social media was a cesspool for trolls. Everyone was able to hide behind their accounts and post whatever they wanted without the concern of anyone else’s mental health. I’d learned long ago not to let the words of strangers get to me, but when thousands of comments came attacking my character, it was hard not to feel some type of way.
There were a few positive comments in the sea of hate. I liked the few where people defended me.
@KrashDaily: Y’all don’t know this woman or what happened. They don’t owe y’all shit. Leave her alone because blaming the victim is actually fucking insane.
@Theknockoutqueen: Bernice, girl I hope you ignore these trolls. You are beautiful and deserve to feel loved in this horrible time. Keep your head up, mamas. This isn’t going to dim your light!
I felt like I was about to hit rock bottom. I’d been too enthralled in the comments, I hadn’t noticed Krash fuming beside me.
“Krash…”
“Nah, I’m pissed. I told them to keep it out the media, but that nigga went and gossiped like a bitch anyway.” His knees bounced as he shook with anger.
I poked out my bottom lip. “We both can’t be extremely emotional, Krash. We have to pick a damn struggle.”
The joke made us both chuckle, despite the severity of the situation.
“I’m sorry the world is in your business,” he stated in a gentle tone.
“It’s not okay, but it’s also not your fault. We’ll figure something out.”
“I think I’m going to go live. I’ll have to talk to my people and make sure it’s a good idea, but I don’t want anybody to think disrespecting you for a couple likes and comments is the way to get clout.”
I nodded. “Okay, baby.”
He pulled out his phone and called his guys. I tuned out of the conversation while I continued to read the comments. These people didn’t know me at all but thought they’d had me all figured out after they read a couple articles and looked at a couple pictures. Some of these people must have had severe mental illness from the takes they had on the internet. The whole situation had given me a strong migraine. The pulsing against my skull made me close my eyes and release a frustrated sigh from my nose.
“We have a plan,” Krash announced.
I locked my phone and gave him my undivided attention. “I’m listening.”
“We’re going to make a formal video about the situation. We’re going to include a clip from your security cameras to show I was justified in defending you. If you are okay with the world seeing you in this moment.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. I could turn my traumatic experience into a public service announcement for victims of domestic abuse. There will be the incels who didn’t care for the facts, but controlling the narrative on my story would be the best choice for me.
“Let’s do it.”
It took about twenty minutes for us to set up the camera, get a script together, and press record. Krash sat beside me with our fingers interlocked.
“What’s good, y’all! It’s Krash Williams here with the lovely Bernice James,” Krash introduced us to the world.
I lifted my hand and gave a respectful nod and wave. “Hey.”
“I shouldn’t have to make this video, but these blogs love to run with a narrative that simply isn’t true. We’re going to play the clip first. Watch the scene unfold before we continue.”
I paused the camera feed and swapped the camera to show the security footage from yesterday. My breathing quickened as the scene unfolded. Hindsight was 20/20 because there was so much I could have done in the moment, but I didn’t.
The clip ended when Krash came to pull Rodney off of me. There was a moment of silence before our camera feed resumed.
“As you can see, there was an intruder in the home who needed to be dealt with. One thing I don’t play about is a nigga who abuses women. In all honesty, I wanted him dead. I wanted him to feel the pain he put my lady through. Shit like that boils the blood in my veins.”
“It was a terrifying experience for me…” I explained my history with Rodney and how I had thought I’d finally gotten my freedom after enduring his abuse for so long. I wiped away the tears.
Krash shook his head. “Instead of spreading rumors, y’all need to advocate for women, men, and children who are victims of domestic violence. Donate to charities, educate yourselves on how to see the signs. For all you trolls, mind your mothafuckin’ business and go touch grass, lame ass niggas.”
“Krash, please.”
“I don’t play about Bernice James who will soon be Bernice Williams, so y’all better find something safe to do.”
The video ended, and we emailed the file to Deionte to post on Krash’s social media accounts. Once the email was sent, we went back into the living room and cuddled on my couch.
“Are you good?” he asked as he rubbed his hand on my thigh.
“I’m okay. This was a learning experience. I hate the whole world knows my business now, but it is what it is. Hopefully, our story can bring some comfort to other women who are currently dealing with a similar situation.”
“Fa sho. I cleared my schedule, so what do you want to do today?”
“I’d like to relax and be lazy. I have a feeling I’m going to be greeted with a lot of bullshit when I have to go back to work, so low energy activities would be great.”
“We can binge a show, build a bucket list together, or some shit like that.”
“I’d love to watch a show with you and stuff my face with junk food.”
“If we eat a bunch of junk, you better be in the gym with me tomorrow.”
“I’ll fit an hour into my schedule.”
“Promise?” he asked with a smirk.
I nodded. “Promise.”
“You pick the show while I order some things to be delivered. Any special requests?” he asked.
“Can you get the kettle cooked popcorn? I like the sweet and salty blend. I also want some Nerds clusters, and M&Ms.”
“I got you.”
I scrolled through the collection and decided to test the waters with an anime. It looked like a lot of action. I chose the dubbed version because reading subtitles while also watching the action was hard to do. It took about twenty-eight minutes for the snacks to arrive. The first episode started with a huge fight, and Krash was hooked.
“That nigga is different , Bern! Did you see how he didn’t hesitate to punch that nigga through the fuckin’ floor? Anime been hitting like this the whole time?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yes! I’ve been telling you for years ! They get active. Some of these shows will teach you lessons, make you cry, and even root for the villain.”
“I might need to tap in for real.”
“Luckily, we can binge anime every couple of days. You’ll want to watch ahead when you have free time, and that’s fine too. I do the same.”
“Nah. If we’re watching a show together, we gon’ watch it together all the time.” He shook his head.
“I hear you, baby.”
“Let me go use the bathroom and grab some more drinks. We might make it through half the show before the sun sets.”
“I’m telling you, it’s a journey! I’ll readjust and get the next episode prepped. I’ll skip the recap and pause at the episode title.”
“Thanks. I’ll be quick.”
He stood up and pecked my lips. I smiled at his retreating form. I had to have been the luckiest girl in the world to have Krash so in love with me. Sometimes intimate days in the house did so much more for the overall chemistry and connection between partners. Yes, we could have fun out in the streets, but the quality time indoors with just each other was unmatched. I loved Keyshawn and everything he did for me. I prayed these moments only brought us closer together.