Chapter 1
Chapter
One
Four years later
“Evie, if you keep frowning, your face is gonna get stuck like that,” Kamryn warned with a laugh as she cut up the pan of cooled marijuana brownies and placed them on a silver platter. “And you’re too fine to be permanently walking around with the stank face.”
Evie smiled at her bestie, who was just glowing, both from the start of her second pregnancy and from being genuinely happy.
Her brownie-tinted skin had a natural glow to it.
Everything about Kamryn's bright brown eyes, her shapely figure, the variation of the signature bob she kept her hair styled in whenever she wore her natural hair, and her big ass booty was just as beautiful as the person she was on the inside. Kamryn had the biggest heart of anyone she’d ever met, and Evie was so happy to call Kamryn her best friend.
Happiness and motherhood definitely agreed with her, and Evie was so happy for her friend.
“Uht uh bestie,” Evie shooed her friend’s foolishness away as she leaned over the counter across from where Kamryn stood, placing marijuana infused cookies and cupcakes she’d made over on another party platter.
“It’s either frown at your ignorant ass brother-in-law or cut his pinky fingers off; which one do you prefer I do?
” Evie pressed her lips together and raised her brows in question before she grabbed a pack of napkins and followed Kamryn through the sliding back doors and out into her huge backyard.
Per usual, Evie stepped into what could’ve been a private oasis in awe.
A beautiful black hardtop canopy pavilion gazebo with red curtains and netting that connected to the sunshade patio they were currently standing under was decked out to perfection.
Warm string lights, lanterns, and accent lights hung from both inside and outside the structures.
The long family-style table was covered in a seductive red tablecloth and set up for eight people as a work area for painting.
Easels, canvases, paints, brushes, and mason jars with water were at each chair.
Wine glasses and various flavors of XXL wine were placed down the center of the table for each guest. Kamryn wanted the night to be perfect and actually feel like an outing. She was big on spoiling the people she loved.
Kamryn had also hired a private chef who had the grill going with their lamb chop kabob and stuffed salmon appetizers.
Tiki torches were in every one of the six corners of the yard.
A projector movie screen was mounted farther back, in front of a long outdoor sectional with a fire pit beneath another gazebo, with string lights wrapped around it.
The entire area was nestled behind a beautiful cedar privacy fence and sat atop a patterned stone layout.
The movie Mo Money was playing on the screen.
A large popcorn maker was on the right side of the screen.
A portable, covered bar designed like a movie concession stand was filled with nachos, cheese, chicken bites, subs, buffalo chicken dip, and two fruit trays to the left, in front of the privacy fence.
A black-and-silver glass wine fridge underneath was stocked with several chilled wines.
The album from the movie The Photograph softly streamed from the wireless Bluetooth speakers inside the LED torch lanterns.
The scene gave a cozy, comfortable, chill atmosphere with friends, which was exactly what this night was supposed to give.
And Evie loved that her bestie never missed when it came to this event shit and setting the scene.
Before everything went south between Evie and Norie, she loved coming to whatever wild and crazy event her best friend Kamryn liked to throw for her family and friends.
They weren’t friends for five minutes when they first met, and Kamryn was planning what they would say to their parents so they could have their first slumber party.
Then she was planning their birthdays and their summer parties.
And from there, Kamryn had plans for everything from high school up through college.
College was a super wild ass time because everyone knew that if Kamryn was behind the event, it was going to always be a night to remember.
Evie was surprised that Kamryn hadn’t wanted to become an event planner, with the way her love for planning events only grew as they aged.
Now, though, the tension between her and Norie almost always ruined the energy and fucked up the atmosphere.
Tonight was Kamryn’s Booze and Brushes paint-and-sip gathering in her backyard.
Besides Kamryn and Evie, Norie and Marshon, Kamryn’s husband was in attendance.
As well as Marshon and Norie’s twin cousins, Layla and Layanna, who were in attendance with their dates, and their cousin Uzziah, who was affectionately known as “Preach,” was there.
Sadie, Kamryn’s friend from their early days of dental school, was in attendance with her husband.
And also, Marshon’s homie Sincere, since college, and Junie, Kamryn’s assistant, rounded out the guests currently, but Evie’s god sister, Aria, who was more like a sister to both Evie and Kamryn, was set to arrive shortly.
Since everyone knew each other, the vibe was comfortable, laid back, and cozy.
“I don’t prefer either, ma’am,” Kamryn cut her eyes at her bestie in warning.
“But what I would prefer is for your petty ass to just go on and make nice with the man, for Christ’s sake.
All the bickering y’all be doing is really unnecessary and childish as fuck.
Both of y’all are in our lives to stay, so please, you and him go talk right quick so y’all don’t ruin my night, and I end up pissed off at both of y’all. ”
“I wish the fuck I would.” Evie rolled her eyes, then popped a mini pecan, chocolate chip, and coconut square into her mouth as she straightened from where she was leaning on the countertop, drained the last of her wine, and picked up her phone.
“I love you, bestie, but hell no.” Besides, I already tried that shit, remember?
For a year and a half, that nigga refused to even speak to me.
And I still tried being cordial several times, and not once did he acknowledge my kindness.
Hell, he barely acknowledged me. Who stays pissed at somebody that long?
Norie is pissed at me for covering for you four fucking years ago.
Yo’ nigga ain’t even mad at me, so why is Norie?
Hell, if anyone needs to be told to make nice and stop being petty, it’s him.
Just because he decided to start back talking to me a few months ago.
I’m supposed to just up and jump for joy because he decided that he’s ready to be cool again. Nope, fuck that and fuck him.”
“But sis, how soon we forget, you got a lot of nerve for calling me petty when you threw a vacuum into your husband’s patio door when y’all first met.”
“Aht, no you didn’t, hoe,” Kamryn whispered with a false frown. “Those were entirely different circumstances. I am not that woman anymore.”
“Right,” Chuckling, Evie smirked as she shook her head at her friend.
“Yeah, whatever you say, you overgrown chucky doll. You been the queen of petty since forever. And you also got a lot of nerve for wanting me to play nice with that asshole when you’re the one who guilt-tripped me into coming over in the first place for some bullshit I know you ‘bout to spring on me. I was just fine with curling up with my Kindle, some wine coolers, and a vibrator.”
“Fine, I might’ve guilt-tripped you, but we both know who that queen of petty crown truly belongs to, Evie; it’s all yours, boo, and you wear that muthafucka proudly.
And don’t you try and deny it. Your petty ass has provoked that man at every turn.
You want that crazy fool to lock yo’ ass up in an attic somewhere and fuck you ‘til you can’t stand. ”
“I mean,” Evie said, smiling as a few steamy memories between them decided to stop by for a quick visit. “I might not mind that, but did I really provoke that man, or are you being your usual dramatic self? Yeah, I did some wild shit, but it wasn’t anything out of the normal realm of crazy.”
“Evie,” Kamryn looked her bestie upside her head.
“You waited until that man was drunk off his ass, jacked him off to get him hard, then used a Clone-a-Willie kit to clone the man’s dick.
Then you stole the man’s car key, locked yourself in his ride, and recorded yourself fucking yourself with said Willie.
Only to turn around and send him the damn video while the man was at work in a damn meeting.
Distracting him and shit. And let’s not forget the time you sent that nigga several videos of you getting ate off the bone by niggas just to fuck with him.
You had that nigga horny and pissed the fuck off.
At this point, I’m excited and worried about what you might do next.
You stay going tit for tat with that man, and he don’t even be really trying to get back at you for real.
I’m sorry, friend, but you have no room to say shit. And hell yeah, you provoked that man.”
“Oh yeah,” Evie cackled. “That was hilarious, but in my defense, I only did all that shit because he hurt me and completely disregarded me like I murdered somebody or something.
I just wanted to stay on his mind and maybe get him to stop being so angry with me.
Now, in hindsight, she shrugged while chuckling.
“Should I have been that crazy? Maybe not. I just wanted us to talk, and that was the only way I could get his attention.”
“Bitch, you did all that shit within the first month of him talking back to you. The fuck is you talking about? You gon’ have to go back to smoking a few joints a month because all that extra weed got you trippin’.”