Suddenly, someone opened the passenger door, and I felt him being dragged off me. I inhaled sharply and coughed violently, my throat burning from the lack of oxygen.
“Nigga, are you out of your fucking mind!” I heard a woman’s voice. After taking a few minutes to recover, I looked and saw that it was River.
“Baby, what you doing here?”
“What am I doing here? What the fuck you doing here?! I knew you were caught up on this bitch! I knew it! You really that pressed for some pussy that you were gonna take it!” she yelled and shoved him.
I quickly pulled up my sweatpants, jumped down, and ran past them.
I could hear them arguing and fighting as I rushed for Shakur’s car. My hands shook as I unlocked the car, hopped in, and started it. The tires screeched from how fast I sped out of there.
Tears poured down my face. What if River didn’t decide to follow him? He would have raped me and killed me.
I started hyperventilating so much that I had to pull over. I clutched my chest and cried hard.
A numbness washed over me.
Did that really happen? Was that real? I really couldn’t tell anymore. A sudden feeling of nausea hit me, and I closed my eyes, wishing I had someone to help me.
Even now, I knew that I couldn’t tell Shakur what just happened. I knew Viper, and he would kill my brother and maybe even my daddy, too.
Suddenly, the thought of going home hit me hard. There was no way I could go home in this state. My father and even Shakur would immediately pick up that something happened to me.
Thoughts of Havoc then clouded my mind. If he and I were still talking, would I have gone to him?
I jumped at the sound of a car door slamming shut. Panic made me immediately pull away and head for Sparkle’s house, which felt like the only place I could feel safe.
She was the only one who truly knew what happened the first night Sony tried to assault me. My dad heard the water downed version, and that was only because I made the choice to report it to the cops, but Sparkle was there that night. She knew how bad it really was.
As soon as I pulled up on her driveway, I saw her open the front door. Like Shakur, she had installed one of those Ringdoorbells, so I knew she saw me before I even finished getting out of the car.
“Heffa, what you doing here this time of night like you my man or something?” she jested but stopped when she saw my face. “What happened?”
Tears rolled over my cheeks as I walked toward her.
“Sony—he—” I couldn’t even finish what I was saying. Sparkle took my hand and led me into her house.
“He what?” she fumed. I sighed and then went on to explain what happened.
“Kairi, I’m so sorry!” Sparkle cried, then she wrapped me in her arms.
We remained hugged up for a few minutes, until my phone ringing put a stop to it. My eyes widened when I pulled it out and saw that it was Shakur.
Seeing me stall, confused on whether I should answer it or not, Sparkle took it from my hand and answered it on speakerphone.
“Excuse me, can I have some time with my best friend without you bothering us?” she said and giggled.
I couldn’t help smiling when he sucked his teeth.
“I should have known she was with you,” he said.
“Mmhm, now good night, we busy,” Sparkle playfully sassed, and he hung up.
“Thank you,” I said. I knew if I had answered, he would have picked up that something was wrong from my voice, even if I told him that I was with Sparkle. And Shakur was crazy enough to show up at her house, even in the middle of the night.
Sparkle led me to her living room to take a seat. Even now, my hands were shaking.
What would have happened to me if River never showed up?
