~~~Chapter 28~~~
“Who y’all feeling like?” Jhyrah cheesed, as soon as we stepped into Sin J’s massive dressing room. “Cocaine white and gold. O-kay.” She snapped her fingers.
She was the first to notice us, as the room was swarming with people, while Sin J was a few moments away from walking out into the arena for his title match.
Nevertheless, me and Malice did come through coordinating in white and gold.
I was clad in a pair of distressed skinny jeans, with a Chanel chain belt, a backless long-sleeved shirt, a white and gold Chanel bag, with tall Chanel sandals.
The Chanel wide, wireless frame glasses were just for sport.
My hair had been done up in frilly spiral curls that took hours to pull together.
Meanwhile, Malice was decked out in Amiri everything.
His dreads were freshly twisted. That line-up was crisp, and his jewelry was nearly blinding.
“Yeah, we tried, we tried,” I responded bashfully, before my sister grabbed my hand and pulled me in.
“Bitch,” she whispered in my ear. “You might gain weight in those thighs, legs, and ass, but you aint never been known to have a gut. So, what the fuck is up?”
I arched a brow. “You calling me fat?”
“Nah, hoe. Are you fucking pregnant?”
I stepped back, like she’d insulted me. “Why would you ask such a thing?”
“Cause.” She bucked her eyes. “You’re still fine. But something aint right in the water.”
Malice hooded his eyes. “What is she talking about?”
“Brother-in-law, you been pulling out or nah?” Jhyrah pried.
“Girl.” I lightly shoved her shoulder.
Malice merely chuckled in response, which was pretty on brand for him.
“Well, I know that you aint bleeding with all that white on. So, when’s the last time you had a period, Jaylah?”
I rolled my eyes and waved her off. “Girl, bye.”
Her jaw dropped. “If there was nothing to it, then you would’ve just told me. So, girl, is there really a bun in the oven?” She reached out and rubbed my stomach.
I shoved her hand away, and gritted. “If you don’t stop fucking embarrassing me.”
“Jhyrah, are you over here harassing people?” Jeremy Junior aka Jhyrah’s husband quizzed, as he strolled over to us. “’Sup, lil’ sis?” He gave me a half hug, before shaking Malice’s hand.
“Yeah, your woman is clearly over here losing her rabid ass mind,” I snitched. “Right, bae?” I lightly elbowed Malice.
Looking at him, I realized that he hadn’t cracked a smile. “What is she talking about, though?”
I hunched my shoulders.
He studied my face. “You lying like a muthafucka.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Jhyrah sputtered, before grabbing my hand again. “Come on, Jaylah. Let’s go find Riah nem.”
Knowing that I had no choice, I allowed my big sister to drag me off to wherever she was trying to go.
“Where y’all been at?” Riah questioned as we approached her, while she sat on a bench with Tootie, Keyasia, Taraj, Josairah, and a few other people that I didn’t recognize. I knew that my parents, as well as Sin J’s were around somewhere, but there was too much going on to spot them, right then.
I frowned in confusion. “I just got here.”
“Oh.” Riah absently scratched her head, while seeming a bit off.
“What’s wrong with you?” Jhyrah immediately probed, picking up on the vibe too.
Riah rolled her eyes to the ceiling.
“She’s pissed off,” Keyasia spoke up for her.
“About what?” I wanted to know.
“It’s Ronny’s daughter,” Key revealed without hesitation.
Jhyrah scowled. “You talking about the trainer Ronny?”
Riah nodded.
“The fuck did she do?” Jhyrah questioned.
“That hoe clearly done got too comfortable,” Keyasia spat. “Riah been feeling a way about it, and now today we caught them coming out of the private room in here.”
I stood back taking everything in, wanting to remain rational. Ronny’s daughter, Eve, worked for him. She was his assistant or whatever the fuck. So, she worked very closely with Sincere Junior, along with a few other boxers.
Eve was a bit on the tomboyish side, but was heterosexual, as far as we knew.
She was also a cute girl, with long, fine, curly hair, pale light skin, and a medium shapely figure.
So, she was definitely popular in a male dominated space, but Sin J had my sister, and Eve wasn’t fucking with Riah on her worst day.
“It was just the two of them?” Jhyrah wanted to clarify.
“Yep,” Riah admitted.
“And what did you do when you saw that?” I had to ask.
“I made Sin go right back in that private room, and I slapped the fuck out of him.”
No lie, I was a little thrown off by her admission, and couldn’t help but laugh.
My sister and Sin J usually had a pretty healthy relationship, so you really didn’t hear about too much drama concerning them.
But every now and again, Riah would act up and lay hands and feet on that man like he wasn’t a fucking a world class professional knock-out artist. Having good restraint, he never hit her back, but it was wild to me that she didn’t hesitate to touch him, knowing about all the money that was on the line tonight.
What if she had him mentally distracted?
“So, you didn’t even spare him on fight night?” I snickered.
Riah shrugged. “Nope. If anything, he’ll thank me later. He can literally take out all his aggression out on his opponent.”
“True,” Jhyrah concurred.
“I honestly doubt that Little Sincere is cheating with that melanin deficient hoe, or anybody else,” Keyasia admitted. “Cause aint too many men cut like him. He’s crazy over Riah, and we never hear nothing about no funny shit.”
“That is also true,” Jhyrah agreed.
“But we should still jump Eve’s lowdown ass,” Key proposed, seriously. “Cause I can see it in her eyes. She’d fuck him, if she could.”
“But don’t that cock strong hoe be in the gym, working on her biceps?” Taraj finally spoke up.
“Yeah, she’s definitely cock strong,” I co-signed.
“And that’s why I said that we’ll jump her,” Keyasia reiterated.
Riah smirked. “Ronny would lose his shit, and Sin needs him.”
“So, what does that mean?” I enquired. “Is she off limits or nah?”
“For you, she is,” Jhyrah chided, while placing a palm on my stomach.
Sucking my teeth, I slapped her hand away.
Riah looked me up and down. “You aint on birth control. So, are you?”
Key tilted her head sideways. “It looks like it.”
My nostrils flared. “Are you bitches calling me fat?”
“No,” Jhyrah spoke up. “We’re pointing out the physical differences. You be acting like you can’t breathe without that nigga, now your stomach aint flat. It aint hard to tell.”
I hooded my eyes. “Girl, I know you aint talking. Ms. I live in Jeremy’s skin.”
“And she stays pregnant too,” Key messily added.
Jhyrah placed her hands on her hips. “And you don’t?”
Taraj giggled. “Yeah, y’all whole bloodline is fertile as fuck. Make a bitch wanna go tie her tubes, just from hanging ‘round y’all.”
Josairah just scratched the back of her neck, knowing that she couldn’t even joke about it. She’d birthed my parents’ first grandchild, and had made four more since then.
“Well, I’m not surprised,” Riah claimed. “Jaylah was lowkey waiting on that boy.”
I frowned. “Wait, what?”
“You was. That’s really why you decided to keep Khari. I know that Zae’s situation didn’t help, but if you really wanted to get rid of that baby, then nothing would’ve stopped you. You was sweet on that nigga and liked the idea of having his baby.”
Jhyrah nodded. “I believe that too. Plus…a little birdie told me that you was close to filing child support papers, just so that he’d know about her, without you having to call him. But be swearing up and down that you was gonna let him live his life, without ever knowing Khari.”
Riah tittered. “Nah, here’s the real tea. Mama already had it planned. She said that she was gonna contact him herself. She just kept holding off on it, because she knew that you’d be in your feelings.”
I narrowed my gaze. “So, you bitches been sitting around gossiping, huh?”
They all giggled before speaking in unison. “Of course.”
“Jahreiah,” Paula, Riah’s personal assistant, said, as she approached us. “Sincere is ready to pray, and he needs you at his side.”
Riah rolled her eyes. “Fuck him.”
“Riah,” Jhyrah spoke up in a serious time. “Now is not the time. We don’t interfere with the bigger picture. Ever.”
Never going against what our big sister said, Riah stood. Like a big baby, she pouted, while stomping towards Sincere Junior. After giving each other looks, we all followed suit.
After gathering around Sin J, we clasped hands.
Magically, Malice was standing next to me, holding my hand, while my mama was suddenly on my opposite side, holding the other.
Naturally, Riah was standing with Sin J, as he had an arm hooked around her.
His head was bowed, while Ronny prayed over him and the fight.
Then once the prayer was done, I realized that Sin J was now leaning down, with his face buried in the crook of Riah’s neck.
He was saying something to her, while both arms were now wrapped around her.
She said nothing, while simply nodding. He continued to hold onto her, which is why I think she caved and kissed him.
Right after that, he stood upright, but kept his arms wrapped around her. He was holding her closely, and didn’t let go, until after she hugged him back. And only then did he seemingly come alive, and turned to face the world.
I guess that me and Malice were both standing back studying them, because he suddenly chuckled.
“I guess we just witnessed in real-time a woman’s work. A nigga be needing that shit.”
***
We were seated on the second row, ringside, to ensure that we could see all the action. Naturally, there were cameras everywhere, as the fight was televised. Of course, Sin J was the main event. So, there were other fights before his. And I was enjoying every moment.
I think for me, boxing was one of the most exciting sports to witness in person.
So, I was into it, and so was Malice. Unfortunately, my energy completely shifted towards the end of the last fight, before Sin J was set to come out.
The people on the row behind us had to do a little shuffling around to make room for two people, as they were sitting in their seats.
With the worst luck, fucking Zae ended up sitting directly behind us.
Malice was so into the fight that he hadn’t really been looking back, plus he’d never seen Zae, as far as I knew.
So, he was chilling. However, that was a completely different story for me.
The moment Zae settled into his seat, I looked back and we locked eyes.
Wanting to be cordial, I gave him a light head nod, hoping that would suffice.
When Omari aka Guap started rapping to bring out Sin J, our whole crew stood. For a moment, I nixed Zae’s presence off and focused on my brother-in-law’s muthafuckin’ entrance!
Goosebumps peppered my skin as I witnessed how the crowd went crazy for Little Sincere.
I’d been to most of his fights, but it was still amazing to see how far he’d come, and I was proud to say that he was my sister’s husband.
I could tell that Riah had shook the earlier drama off, as she was screaming at the top of her lungs for him.
I was clapping and cheering, when Zae leaned forward and spoke in my ear. “How you doing a thing that used to be our thing, with the next nigga? That nigga know that he’s standing next to my woman?”
When Zae was still perched at my ear, Malice turned to look at me. “The fuck is this?”
I leaned my head away from Zae.
Malice glared at Zae, as Zae stood upright. Tauntingly, Zae smiled at him.
“Say, who the fuck is that lame ass nigga to you?” Malice fumed.
I sighed, knowing that I couldn’t lie, especially when the truth could easily come out. “That’s my ex.”
Heatedly, Malice nodded.
Ding-Ding-Ding
The fight officially started and distracted us all.
We all sat down, eager to see some action.
Almost immediately, Sin J’s opponent, Rayford, was motioning side to side, as he walked Sin J down.
As soon as he posted up, he swung, and missed.
Sin J responded with a mean uppercut to the jaw, knocking Rayford off his feet.
The crowd erupted.
Rayford was down. The ref started the count, when he reached ten, everybody went berserk. Naturally, I was screaming and cheering, then once again, Zae knelt to speak in my ear.
“You know what you doing. Doing all that shaking and moving, making that ass jiggle for daddy—”
Zae never finished his sentence, as Malice reached over me and shoved him back.
Then before I could process what was happening, he’d jumped over the seats to where Zae was seated, to continue his assault.
Even with the loud crowd, that slap Malice delivered caught the attention of everybody in the immediate vicinity.
Somehow, Zae found himself pinned against his seat, as Malice viciously pummeled his face. Meanwhile, I was in a state of shock. Eventually, Wale climbed over his seat to grab Malice, as the security was fighting their way through the crowds.
With all the chaos, and the fight being officially over, the security never did reach us, as Wale and couple of my brothers managed to pull Malice out of the stands, before we all collectively followed Riah, and flooded the ring.
I felt like a chicken with it’s head cut off, while my brother-in-law celebrated his victory, and Malice had an arm hooked around my neck, speaking in my ear.
“Ion know what the fuck you think this is, but Ion play like that, Jaylah. On my mama. You and this friendly shit gotta stop. Somebody gone fuck around and die tonight.”