“Because 9 times out of 10, Kas wasn’t the one doing shit. This was one of those times… you really fucked up, boo boo.”
“I know, and I feel terrible because he beat Des’ ass and Des wasn’t even the one I fucked.” Yanna chuckled. “I don’t know what to do.”
“At this point, there’s not much you can do but give him a little space. Don’t worry though, I’ll be here tonight to keep you company. We can eat and binge any show you want to watch. If you need to cry it out, you can do that too, but I won’t be leaving you.”
“Thanks, Pooh.”
“Now, I’mma need you to explain this whole situation to me starting from Barbados. How did we get to this point? And tell me all about this Trell guy.”
Yanna spent the remainder of the night crying on her cousin’s lap and dispelling her woes. Before she drifted off to slumber that night, she sent a prayer to God that her indiscretions wouldn’t mark the end of her and Kas’ relationship.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
THREE WEEKS LATER…
“First of all let me saaay, you can’t accuse me of all the things you know that you are guilty of. And I see… that it is easy for you to blame everything on me!” Kas loudly sang off key to the Keyshia Cole song blaring from his wall speakers.
He was a mess. His curly mane was dry and matted to his head. He’d been wearing the same Tee shirt and sweats for the past two days. A bottle of Dussè was clutched in his hand while the other rested over his heart.
“I might as well haaaad cheated on youuuu YOU as much as you accused me of cheating. I might as well haaad lied to youuu YOU!” Kas continued to croon at maximum volume as his front door swung open.
“What in the hell… boy, what are you doing? We have to get out of here soon!” Layla marched into the living room, elegantly dressed in an off white one shoulder jumpsuit. Her hair and makeup were done to precision as they were all set to attend Troi and Onyx’s co-ed wedding shower. Onyx came in behind her, also dressed in navy blue and off white for the occasion.
“Mumma, it hurt. It hurt so bad, I think I’m having a heart attack.”
“You not having no damn heart attack, boy. I told you that yesterday. Goodness, Onyx, can you take him upstairs to get dressed? I’ll go put on a cup of coffee.”
“I got him. Bring yo ass, Kas.” Onyx gripped his brother’s hand and pulled him from the couch. He had to practically push him up the winding staircase, directing him to his bedroom. He went into the bathroom and turned on the shower, adjusting the knobs until the water was lukewarm. “Hurry up and take a shower.”
“You trying to say I stink?”
“Nigga, yes. Gone nie, you fitna make us late.”
Onyx waited in the bedroom while Kas took a shower, still singing the entire time. Ten minutes later, he emerged with a towel wrapped around his lower half, stumbling his way into the closet.
“Aye, Nyx?”
“Yea?”
“I’m fucked up, and I’m not talking about the liquor.”
The confession caused a pang to shoot through Onyx’s chest. He never wanted his brother to feel anything other than joy but knew he couldn’t protect him from everything. Certainly not from heartbreak. “I know, baby bruh… I know.”
“I tried, Nyx, I really did. I loved her the best way I knew how.”
“You did.”
“And she fought me the entire time. At the first sign of real problems, she ran from me like she’d been training for the shit.”
“Dusted yo ass.”
“Like Sha’carri Richardson doing the 100-meter race.”
“She’s a runner, she’s a track star,” Onyx sang.
“Bitch fast as fuck. Jetted and took my poor lil’ heart with her.”
“Yea, but I mean, you knew she was a flight risk. You spooked her, and she took off… did some irrational dumb shit. I had one of those before. When I started feeling that shit in my chest so much, I felt like my shit would bust open… I went and got mine.”
