Chapter 13
The door clicked shut behind Juelz, and the silence he left was fucking satisfying.
Shyann sat in the middle of the bed, her feet tucked underneath her.
He’d left there looking defeated, she laughed to herself.
Men were so damn simple. They always thought they were the ones in control of shit.
She reached for her phone on the nightstand and glanced down at the screen.
A missed call from Tasha stared back at her.
A slow, wicked smile spread across her face as she picked up her phone.
It was time to poke the bear now that Juelz had left.
She found Tasha’s name and hit dial. The phone rang three times before Tasha picked up, her voice warm and unsuspecting.
“Shy, what the hell you want? I called you hours ago. Where you been?”
Shyann let a beat of silence hang in the air, letting her breath hitch just right. She poured every ounce of fakeness she could muster into her voice. “Girl… you know I be up to no good. What’’s up?”
Tasha exhaled, rolling her eyes. “I had wanted you and Niyah to come over earlier. Well, Niyah came. Your ass always MIA when I need you.”
Shyann tilted her head, staring up at the ceiling.
Tasha wasn’t wrong. Shyann had been moving shady lately, dodging calls and making excuses.
It was part of the game. “I’m sorry, girl,” Shyann said, injecting just enough guilt into her tone to sound believable.
“I just be tired. I be having so much shit going on.”
Then she slipped the question in smoothly. “So how did the appointment go?”
The words sounded concerned. In reality, she couldn’t care less about whatever doctor’s visit Tasha had. It was just a lever to pull.
On the other end, Tasha let out a long, slow breath. “Honesty? I don’t know,” she admitted quietly. “They think they saw… something. I gotta go back for more tests.”
Shyann’s ears perked up. This was better than she thought. Not only did she have Juelz by the fucking balls, but Tasha was vulnerable. Scared. A small spark of excitement flickered through Shyann’s chest before she smoothed her voice again.
“Oh, shit. Tash, for real?” Shyann sat up, her interest genuinely piqued. “Why didn’t you tell me? I woulda came through.”
“Bitch!” Tasha snapped immediately. “You didn’t answer your phone.”
Shyann smirked. That little edge of irritation meant Tasha still trusted her enough to be honest.
“Well, look,” Shyann said, softly, letting her voice turn. “I’m here for you. Whatever you need. You hear me? Don’t be holding shit in. That’s not how we move.”
She leaned back against the bed, twirling a strand of hair around her finger as she spoke. “I’ma start answerin’ my phone more too, okay?”
There was a pause before Tasha responded.
“Okay, girl. I hear you,” Tasha said, her voice sounding a little stronger. “I just needed to vent to my best friend about the day I had.”
Shyann smiled into the phone. “I got you, always.” She paused just long enough to sound busy before adding, “Look, I’m ‘bout to get in the shower. I’ll hit you up tomorrow, for real. We can do lunch or go get drinks, maybe.”
“Okay,” Tasha agreed, and the phone went dead.
Shyann tossed the phone onto the bed and stretched out like a cat.
A genuine smile spread across her face. This was perfect.
Tasha was leaning on her for support. And Juelz was trapped, doing whatever she said and whenever she said.
She had them both exactly where she wanted them.
Her phone buzzed again, this time with a text from her cousin.
Kenya:
So???
Shyann smirked, typing back a reply.
Shyann:
I gave that nigga the best head he probably ever had. Bitch!
A moment later, her phone rang. Shyann answered, putting it on speaker as she walked into the bathroom.
“Hey, girl.”
“So, you’re really going through with this, I see,” Kenya said, her voice a mix of awe and disapproval.
Shyann turned on the shower, the sound of spraying water filling the small room. “You know, when I want somethin’, I go to extremes to get it. And that nigga Juelz, got a big ass dick, too. The nerve of Tasha keepin’ all that to herself.”
“Oh my goodness! Shy, you are a mess,” Kenya laughed. “I would hate to be your friend. I’ll have to tap your ass.”
Shyann sat on the edge of the tub, watching the steam fog the mirror. “Hoe! Don’t act all innocent. You the one who gave me the fuckin’ video to put this shit into play.”
“Umm… I didn’t forget,” Kenya’s tone sobered. “But don’t ask me to do nothing like that again, Shy. I can’t be putting my job on the line for you—”
“Look, I don’t wanna hear all that right now, Kenya,” Shyann said, cutting her off. “I just had a good night, and you really blowin’ the fuck outta me. So I’ma hang up now before I say some shit that ends our cousinship.”
She ended the call before Kenya could reply, dropping the phone onto a dry towel. She pulled her hair into a messy bun and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash over her. She didn’t feel guilty. She felt powerful. And she was just getting started.