But as my eyes settled on them, I recognized Solae and her cousin. Opposite from how put together they were at Moses’ party, they both looked like they were having a bad day. Both of them looked rough, wearing hoodies, gym shoes, and ponytails. Solae’s face looked weary. Kahlani just looked pissed.
They were appalled as I appeared before them in boy shorts that rode high on my hips and ass cheeks, a tank top, and my hair curled to perfection. I was lounging, but I was always sure to look cute for my man.
Instantly, I got irritated as I rushed towards the door.
“You’re Aaliyah, right?” Surprisingly, her demeanor was calmer than I expected. It was the bitch behind her that looked like she was ready for a fight.
“Yes,Solae. You know who I am. Don’t play.”
She was shocked at my response. “Excuse me?”
I ignored her failed attempt at being ignorant. “Why are you here?”
“Are you and Rah in a relationship?”
The way she tried to front angered me even more. “Youknow we are! Solae, don’t front. We just had a baby. You know this! What? You’re lonely on Christmas, so you wanted to start some drama?!”
She looked shocked, to say the least. Rah was always telling me how this chick played dumb, and he was so right.
Solae appeared flabbergasted as she asked, “So, it’s true. You just had his baby.”
“Yes!” This bitch was being ridiculous with this act. She knew what it was.
Solae stood there in a daze. I guess she didn’t expect me to be so bold. I was pissed that she had the nerve to show up at my house, and on Christmas, for that matter!
Then Kahlani had the audacity to jump in. “Bitch, how are you in a relationship with him when he is engaged to and lives with her? This bitch is lying, Solae.”
She sounded ridiculous, so I laughed. “They don’t live together.”
Solae’s mouth flung open. “Yes, we do!”
I didn’t care if she was trying to save face in front of her friend. She wasn’t about to use me to do so. “Whatever, Solae! He pays the bills here. He lives here! I don’t have shit to prove to you. Rah already told me that you don’t like me because he left you for me. So don’t come over here trying to start no shit on Christmas because you’re at home by yourself!”
Solae folded her arms and smirked. “If that’s yo’ nigga, where is he then?”
Admittedly, that realization hit me like a ton of bricks. If Rah was supposed to be with his kids, I wondered why Solae was standing in front of me.
“Not with you, bitch,” I muttered as I slammed the door.
I wasn’t about to give that bitch one up on me, though. Idefinitely wasn’t about to catch pneumonia standing in the doorway arguing with her ass either. However, I definitely started blowing up Rah’s phone.
KAHLANI
As we drove away from Aaliyah’s house, the silence in the car was deafening. I sat in the passenger seat, replaying the way Aaliyah had looked at Solae, like she was nothing more than some jealous baby mama causing drama. It made my stomach turn.
Solae gripped the steering wheel tight, causing her knuckles to pale. “Can you believe that shit?” Her voice cracked with anger and hurt. “She really looked me in my face and acted like I was lying. How am I jealous over a relationship and baby that I didn’t even know about?”
I shook my head, exhaling slowly. “She’s been manipulated. That’s the only explanation. Rah must have her head all the way gone, making her think you’re the problem when it’s really him.”
Solae laughed, but it wasn’t from humor. It was the kind of laugh that came from pain that had nowhere else to go. “He has her brainwashed. And I can’t even blame her, because, clearly, I was too. But still…” Then her anger softened into confusion. “It hurts. Like, who is this man? Who the hell have I been loving and living with all these years?”
I glanced at her profile, watching the way her jaw clenched. Her eyes were glossy, though she was fighting not to cry. I wanted to reach out, to comfort her, but there was no easy fix for this kind of betrayal. All I could do was tell her the truth. “Rah isn’t who you thought he was, obviously. Maybe he never was. He just wears his mask so well, even the women who love him can’t see past it. But believe me, sis, none of this is on you. Don’t ever think you weren’t enough.”
Solae blinked slowly, and a tear slipped down her cheek before she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand. “I just… I don’t know how much of my life with him was real. I feel like I’ve been sleeping next to a stranger all these years.”
For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The only sound was the rumble of the tires on the uneven road. And as I sat there, watching her fight to hold herself together, I knew Rah’s lies had destroyed more than just trust. They had broken the very foundation of who Solae thought she was.
Solae sniffed, shaking her head like she was trying to push away the hurt. “You know what? I don’t even want to talk about him anymore.” She glanced at me quickly before looking back at the road. “How are you holding up after the arrest?”
