He didn’t look around the club.
He didn’t scan the room.
He locked straight in on us, then on her.
My chest tightened a lil’ because I could already feel what shit was about to turn into—I saw how he did Gio.
Nobody moved toward Love. They moved outta his way on instinct.
Jada didn’t even feel his presence. She was still half facing us, still in whatever she was tryin’ to prove minutes ago.
Finally, she got over herself and turned the other way, and as soon as she did, everything in her face paused. I almost laughed.
Love started walking.
Slow.
Not rushed.
Not angry loud.
Not performative…he was just direct.
He moved through the crowd like the floor belonged to him, whether anybody liked it or not.
The closer he got to her, the more she tried to back away, but she couldn’t.
Love stopped right in front of her and just stood there for a second. Looking at her like she wasn’t even worth his breath.
Jada lifted her chin a lil’, trying to hold her ground, but it wasn’t steady.
She stared at him as if she had just seen a ghost, but his eyes shifted past her and to me.
He reached and yanked her arm, pulling her across the floor and through the door.
Me and Keith looked at each other at the same time and rushed down the few steps, across the floor, and out the door with my girls and Love’s niggas behind us. At first, we didn’t see them, but I heard my man’s voice coming from the side of the building. We all walked around to hear Love yelling.
“Whatever you think you want to say to my woman, you say that shit to me! —”
“Your woman?” Jada scoffed, cutting him off. “That’s funny.”
That was the wrong thing to say to that man.
Love stepped closer, seeing that a crowd was starting to build around.
“I’ma say this one time and one time only. You don’t talk to her, you don’t look at her, and you damn sure don’t try to embarrass her in public.”
Jada’s face tightened, like she was trying to figure out if she was supposed to back down or stand on pride.
“I wasn’t even talking to her like that?—”
“I wasn’t even there, and I know you’re fuckin’ lying.” Love looked back at me. “That woman right there. Go ahead and look at her, this one and only time.” Jada sucked her teeth and looked at me while my girls waved back at her before Love continued. “She is gonna be my wife, no half-steppin’, no maybes, no we’ll see, it’s none of that. She is going to be my wife. I don’t give a FUCK what you thought your ass was gonna be, bitch, you didn’t make the cut! Now step to my wife again, and I promise you, Jada, I’ma lay hands on you…and you know I keep my promises.”
Love’s voice was low, controlled, and firm as fuck. You had no other choice but to respect what he said.
He looked at me, and that’s when everything in him changed.
Not softer, but a redirect.
