Chapter 5 #3
She said it as if it were no big deal, but they both knew otherwise.
That little keychain weighed more than it should’ve.
Not physically, but emotionally. It was intentional, and Najee received whatever message she was trying to deliver.
He was about to say something else when Nyesha walked over with the mic in her hand.
“Hey, y’all. Sorry to interrupt, but we’re about to do the toast. Where’s Renae?” she asked.
As if he’d just remembered he had a girlfriend, Najee slightly shook his head. The reason why she stormed off was right in his face, yet he had no clue where she ran off to. He’d blocked the entire party out for this moment with Orielle and had no regrets.
“Let me go see where she’s at,” he said.
Nyesha told him okay and headed back toward the middle of the lounge. Najee started to walk off but paused and faced Orielle.
“Aye. Don’t run off ‘cause you made amends,” he jested, making Orielle chuckle.
“I didn’t have any plans to.”
Najee nodded, accepting her answer before starting his search for Renae.
He walked through the lounge, loving to see everyone enjoying themselves.
Despite their previous grievances, Nyesha had also helped plan the party and was responsible for the catered food from Kaine’s Kitchen.
Najee was happy to see them mending whatever had been broken, and now he needed to do the same.
He checked the section they had reserved, the bar, and even peeked outside on the patio, where a few guests were taking a smoke break. Spotting Renae’s brother, Jermaine, Najee waved him over.
“Yo, you seen Renae?” Najee asked.
Jermaine blew out the smoke from his blunt. “Nah. Not since I been out here. Everything straight?”
“Yeah,” Najee answered. “We ‘bout to do the toast in a minute, and I want her up there with me.”
“A’ight. We’ll be in there.”
Jermaine went back to his spot on the bench to grab his cup while Najee kept it moving.
He made his way back inside toward the back hallway, where a couple of doors led to private rooms and storage areas.
He didn’t know if they were supposed to be back there, but he looked anyway.
As he turned the corner, familiar voices carried through one of the half-open doors.
“Nae. Come on now. Why even be here and have all of us come out if that’s what you’ve been on?” Kelli, Renae’s sister, questioned.
“It wasn’t supposed to go that far. I swear,” Renae whined.
“Cheating on your man while he’s locked up, getting pregnant, and having an abortion is pretty fucking far if you ask me.”
Najee froze and blinked slowly, trying to process what the hell he had just heard. He was sure his mind was playing tricks on him. Nah. I must be drunk as fuck, he thought to himself.
“And that’s why I didn’t ask or tell you anything. You’re judging me,” Renae said, proving that he had heard Kelli loud and clear.
Najee leaned in just enough to keep hearing the conversation clearly without getting caught. His chest was as tight as his clenched jaw. Gritting his teeth, his nostrils flared as they continued talking.
“I’m letting you know that what you’re doing is dead wrong. That man has done nothing but love and take care of you,” Kelli hissed. “You don’t pay any bills and want for nothing. Literally.”
“Okay! I get that, but he had the nerve to invite the same bitch he was defending that night to a party I spent my money and time on. That’s beyond disrespectful. What man do you know willing to put his freedom on the line for some random ass woman? He could’ve minded his business.”
“A real man! That’s who,” Kelli fumed. Instead of being proud of your man for coming to her defense, you cheat,” she said, shaking her head. She was so pissed off at her sister that her hands were trembling. “And she wasn’t just some random girl. It’s Saleem’s cousin.”
“Which makes my point even more valid,” Renae sassed. “He left me out here lonely for fourteen months, all because he wanted to be Captain Save-A-Hoe.”
“Says the actual hoe,” Kelli spat with pure disgust.
Renae sucked her teeth. “No need for the name-calling. I pulled you back here to vent, thinking you’d be on my side, but I see how it is.”
“You lucky I don’t beat your ass. I’m truly so disappointed in you, Nae, for real.”
Najee detected the disheartened tone in Kelli’s voice, but he didn’t care. As far as he was concerned, she was guilty by association, so it was fuck her too.
“That’s fine. I’ll have to live with that just like I have to live with this and take it to my grave,” Renae concluded.
This bitch gon’ be in a grave sooner than she thinks, Najee thought.
“So, you don’t ever plan on telling him?” Kelli asked.
“Girl, what? No. You think I’m about to throw away a good situation ‘cause of some shit I did while he was gone? I’m sure he has cheated, and it just never got back to me.”
Kelli sighed. “Still, that’s foul.”
It was beyond foul. Renae had pulled the ultimate betrayal.
Najee couldn’t move. He didn’t even breathe as he contemplated what he wanted to do next.
If he hadn’t heard her with his own ears, he would’ve never believed that she had played him like this.
Cheating was one thing, but to let another man nut in her and get her pregnant, then have a fucking abortion was grounds to have her family making funeral arrangements.
With the way he was feeling, Najee was going to make sure it was a closed casket.
His heart pounded in his chest so erratically, and for a moment, he saw nothing but red. First, blood, then red and blue flashing lights with yellow tape in the distance. Just as quickly as those images flooded his mind, he reeled them in.
He made a promise to himself that those cell walls would never see him again, and he meant that. If he acted on his impulses right now, he’d become the type of man he despised: an abuser. Stepping back, Najee ran a hand over his waves and gave himself a few seconds to compose himself.
Then, he stepped toward the door like he hadn’t heard a thing.
As if he didn’t want to knock Renae’s head off her shoulders.
He didn’t condone violence, especially to women, but looking at his cheating ass soon-to-be ex-girlfriend, Najee could somewhat understand why a man would put their hands on them.
The type of anger he felt was unhealthy.
“Aye,” Najee called out roughly.
Renae turned fast, startled, but quickly masked it with a smile. “Hey,” she greeted, running a hand through her hair. “Everything okay?”
Najee just stared at her. His facial expression was as calm as he could make it. She’d just admitted to doing the grimiest thing and had the nerve to be smiling.
“It’s time to toast.”
“Oh. Okay. I was just talking to Kelli.”
Yeah, I heard, is what he wanted to say. Instead, he said nothing and walked away.
Renae looked at her sister, who gave her a side-eye and shook her head like she didn’t want any part of what was about to happen.
“Come on,” Renae said, following behind him and out to the main floor.
Kelli huffed, but she followed suit. The crowd had already started to gather around the raised platform near the DJ booth. Nyesha figured that spot was better since everyone could have the perfect view.
“Okay, okay. Hey, everyone! First, thank y’all for showing up and out for my brother. Y’all know they couldn’t keep a real nigga locked up forever,” Nyesha said, getting the crowd hype.
Najee would’ve smirked, but he was far too angry to do so. He just stood at the front, watching as his family passed out flutes of champagne.
“We’re gonna do a toast, but Najee has something to say first,” Nyesha said, holding the mic out to him.
Off to the side, Orielle felt Cheyla bump her shoulder. She glanced her way. “What?”
“He and his girlfriend must’ve gotten into it,” she whispered. “He looks mad as hell.”
“I hope not because of me. I do not want that man,” Orielle confessed.
Zoey sniggered. “We can’t tell.”
Waving them off, Orielle focused her attention back on the front.
She was certain something had happened with the way he kept flexing his jaw, but she hoped it had nothing to do with her.
She watched him toss back a shot of dark liquor that Saleem handed him, before they dapped and he stepped to the side.
Renae slid in next to him, giving a closed-mouth smile like everything was picture-perfect.
“First off,” Najee started, his deep voice echoing through the speakers. “I just wanna thank everybody for pullin’ up tonight. I know it’s been a minute. Some of y’all been rockin’ with me for years, and others I’m just meetin’ tonight. Either way, the love hasn’t gone unnoticed.”
The crowd responded with a few “yessirs” and claps, with some lifting their glasses already.
“I wanna thank my Uncle Ron for holding the business down while I was gone. Business might’ve slowed up, but it ain’t stop. To my sister and auntie, I love y’all fasho. Appreciate everything y’all did even though I got cussed out for not calling.”
The crowd chuckled, cutting through some of the tension he felt.
“My right hand,” he continued, nodding toward Saleem. “You know what it is. Same shit, different day.”
“Getting new money a different way,” Saleem finished, reciting their infamous mantra they’d been saying since they were youngsters.
He gave him a salute, and Najee continued.
It’s a lot of y’all in here who looked out, and if you’re here, it’s because I want you to be.
” He spoke those words while looking directly at Orielle, and she prayed no one noticed.
But that was like wishing on a star. A few folks glanced her way, but she didn’t notice.
Her gaze stayed locked on his until he broke eye contact.
“But most importantly…”
He paused and looked down at Renae, who beamed up at him like she was the main character in a fairy tale ending, and was getting her happily ever after.
“I wanna thank Renae.”
The crowd echoed awww, and Renae blushed.
“I wanna thank her for reminding me what it means to trust my intuition when you locked up in that cage. She kept it so solid, and I didn’t expect anything less.”
While everyone else listened with admiration to the praises he gave, Renae felt sick to her stomach. The smile she had faltered, knowing she hadn’t been solid at all. With everyone’s phones out recording the moment, she hoped she didn’t look as guilty on camera as she felt.
“Bitch,” Cheyla hissed in Orielle’s ear. “I know this nigga didn’t invite you to his engagement party.”
Orielle’s heart dropped. She didn’t think Najee would do something as lame as that, but his speech was giving proposal.
“But I should’ve,” Najee voiced.
His tone was much harsher, and he finally looked at Renae. She knew he had discovered her deceit without her having to say a word, and before she could try to intervene, Najee continued his speech.
“Nah. Watch out,” he spat, pushing her hand away as she tried to grab the mic. “Everybody in this room knows what type of nigga I am. How I move and handle mothafuckas.”
“Oh, Lord. What this girl done did,” Aunt Joyce murmured in the distance. Najee was respectful of his elders and would never openly talk so recklessly, especially in front of her.
“Najee, please.” Renae’s pleading was heard faintly over the speakers.
“Please, what, huh? Don’t do this? Don’t tell all of our family and friends who you invited tonight how much of a slut you are?”
“Aye, cuz,” Jermaine called out. “You ain’t bouta disrespect my sister.”
“Nigga, fuck you and your sister. While she’s parading around here like she’s the girlfriend of the year, did she tell y’all how she’s been lying to my face, having me thinking shit was all good when she was out here pregnant with another nigga’s baby.”
Gasps echoed throughout the room. Renae was so in shock, she couldn’t move.
Her face drained of color, but that wasn’t enough for Najee.
He warned her, and now she was about to feel every bit of his wrath.
The pissed off chuckle he released before continuing was so cold, it was felt throughout the room.
“That ain’t even the most fucked up part, y’all. The bitch got an abortion.”
He chuckled and shook his head, flicking the tip of his nose.
“You’re going too far!” Renae’s mama shouted.
He hadn’t gone far enough in his opinion.
“Najee, that’s enough,” Nyesha whispered, tugging on his arm. “We get it.”
“Do y’all?” he questioned, holding the mic toward Renae, who was crying.
“You got somethin’ you wanna say, since we celebratin’ and all?
Tell the people what you been up to. Let ‘em congratulate you for being disloyal. Your ass didn’t want to give me a baby but got the mothafuckin’ audacity to get pregnant by another man.
You the worst type of hoe. And to think I was going to make you my wife. Joke’s on you.”
He had so much more to say but decided that was enough for now. Grabbing his glass from the DJ booth, Najee raised it. Hesitantly, those who didn’t chase after Renae, who ran off, lifted their plastic flutes with him. The most awkward silence filled the room as he finished his speech with a toast.
“Yeah, it’s still a celebration. Raise them glasses.
Y’all know I never gave a fuck,” he said, making his family and close friends laugh loudly.
“To me. To growth, new beginnings, and for still being a real nigga and having my freedom. Don’t ever let a bitch think it’s sweet. That payback is a mothafucka.”
“Exactly, cousin! Cheers!” one of his female cousins shouted.
With that, everyone sipped from their flutes.
Orielle stood in shock, not knowing what to do or how to feel.
The second-hand embarrassment she felt had her head spinning.
When she glanced at her friends, they were sipping the bubbly like nothing had happened.
Like, Najee hadn’t just humiliated Renae in front of everyone.
“Are y’all for real right now?” Orielle asked.
“What? I’m not wasting my drink. That was a good speech,” Cheyla said, downing the rest.
Shrugging, Zoey did the same. When the DJ turned the music back on and everyone continued partying, Orielle shook her head and slowly slipped her drink, too. She had never witnessed anything so chaotic and heartbreaking in her life, except in her own.