I knew they weren’t a part of my family because I would have recognized them.
“Yes, Chop is our cousin.”
Raylee and I gave each other a look. Her statement had me confused because she mentioned my man instead of Samara’s baby daddy.
“I think you might have things mixed up. Samara is my cousin, but Chop isn’t the father of her baby. He’s my boyfriend.”
The young girl’s eyes shot over to the man as if she needed him to step in and save her. I watched their interaction and waited for her to respond.
“Oh, well, our auntie Rita invited us to this baby shower because she said her son was the father. Chop is the only son she has.” The other young girl next to her commented. Rita was Chop’s mother’s name, but none of what they said made any sense.
Before I could ask another question, I noticed Rita and my Aunt Ramisha talking. My head shook in disbelief because there was no way this was happening.
“Peace, maybe we should get out of here. I told you I didn’t think this was a good idea,” Raylee whispered.
My hands shook as I glanced around the room to see if I recognized any more of Chop’s family members. I saw two of his other cousins, with whom we often hung out.
“D-Did you know about this?” I questioned. Raylee and her family were much closer than mine, and I found it hard to believe she knew nothing about them. The guilty expression on her face told me everything I needed to know.
“I heard the rumors, but when Chop reached out to me about taking you out for a day of pampering, I assumed it must have been a made-up story. I told you she was moving funny, Peace.”
My breathing became restricted as I took in the scene before me. I felt like I was on one of those prank shows, waiting for someone to jump out and tell me it was all a joke. A part of me wanted to get up and walk out, but I needed to see it for myself. Chop and Samara hated each other, so I couldn’t imagine the two of them being together.
dreaux davis
. . .
“I don’t understandwhy I’m here? I don’t fuck with Chop, and you know that.” I complained as I sat between my sisters, Dana and Dominique.
“I get what you’re saying, but he’s still family. Besides, Aunt Rita invited us, and we haven’t spent time with this side of the family in a really long time,” my sister Dana reasoned.
None of those things mattered to me. Auntie Rita may have been my mother’s sister, but she wasn’t someone I would consider family. After my father’s funeral, she stopped checking on us within the first week. Everyone knew about my mother’s struggles, but they never reached out or tried to lend a hand. We were out of sight and out of mind.
“Put a smile on your face. At least act like you want to be here.” Dana whispered as she jabbed me in the side with her elbow.
“They better be glad I came to this bullshit. That’s all I’ve got in me.” I shrugged, then pulled out my phone. Chop and I were cousins, but we were never close. He was one of those niggas who liked to pretend to be more important than he was. Evenwhen we were younger, he would brag about his clothes and shoes as if his mama wasn’t the best booster in the city.
“Please act like you’ve got some sense at this baby shower, Dreaux,” Dana warned. I wasn’t gonna do anything as long as they left me alone.
While we were talking, two women approached our table and sat down. My eyes locked on the pretty chocolate beauty with dimples. She looked like a model or a dancer. I tried not to stare, but lil’ mama was gorgeous.
When they sat down, I listened to my sister make small talk with them. Danae was nosy by nature, so I wasn’t surprised when she started asking questions. It was the answers that caught me off guard. When Lil’ mama said Chop was her man, I knew the baby shower was about to take a turn for the worse. Her aura deflated like a balloon when Dominique confirmed that Chop was our cousin and that Aunt Rita had invited us. I should have known it was gonna be some bullshit the moment she invited us because she was a messy individual.
Lil’ mama remained silent while they played the first round of games, but her energy was loud. Her leg shook under the table, and I could tell it would only be a matter of time before she exploded.
“Can we all stand for the guest of honor?” The lady next to Aunt Rita asked. I assumed she must have been the girl’s momma.
“Are you fucking kidding me! What the hell is this?”
Everyone’s heads snapped towards the dark-skinned beauty as she got up from the table and stormed towards Chop and her cousin. Her fists were clenched as she made her way closer to them. A few people reached out to try to stop her, but she yanked away from them. While most people found drama entertaining, I didn’t. That shit was weird to me.
“What are you doing here, Peace? You were supposed to be out with Raylee.” Chop stood there nervously, scratching the back of his neck.
“What the hell is going on, Chop? I thought you sent me out with Raylee to get ready for my welcome home party. What the hell are you doing here with my cousin? I thought you two hated each other.” Her voice cracked, and for some reason, it made me angry. It was clear by the hurt on her face that Chop had played with her feelings, and that was some lame ass shit.
“I’m sorry, baby. It’s not what you think, I swear. I had a weak moment, and things went too far.”
I scoffed at his weak-ass excuse. How do you slip up and fuck your girl’s cousin? Something about the girl seemed familiar, but I couldn’t figure out where I knew her from. Chop and I didn’t live in the same city, and we definitely didn’t hang out in the same circles. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had seen her before. It wasn’t her looks, but her voice.
