I stood up and slowly walked over to where they were.
“What we are not going to do is let that crispy nigga in California fuck up what you have created here. Islah, since we met you, we can all agree that you are strong as hell. That boy—I don’t even want to call Gio a man or a nigga, that’s giving him too much clout. That lil’ ass boy couldn’t take no for an answer, and that is not your fault. You moved away from him because you didn’t want him to hold you back, and now, he is still not going to hold you back. You are going to burn this shit!”
I smiled with a lil’ laugh. “What?”
They all nodded.
“You need to release him,” Deja expressed. “The way he was holding on to you, you are still holding on to him.”
I shook my head, but I didn’t want Gio.
“We know that Gio played with your mind and heart, so now you need to let your heart and mind know it’s not going back to him.”
Kenya handed me a lighter. I took it from her and walked up to the lil’ bucket that had the things in it that I had. I took a deep breath, looked at the things one last time, flicked the lighter, and caught the dress on fire.
I stood back and watched as everything started to catch fire.
“Now cuss him out!” Kenya said.
“What?” I asked.
Deja laughed. “You heard her, cuss Gio the fuck out! Send him to hell, where the fuck he belongs.”
I stepped closer to the fire.
“GIO, FUCK YOU! FUCK EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU! I hate that I wasted seven years of my fuckin’ life with a clown ass lil’ ass boy like you! You were never a man, you were never a stepper. You played with me, you gaslit me, you held me hostage! I never want a love like yours, I never want to meet a nigga that looks like you. I am so fucking glad that you are gone!”
Once I said that, the shit in the bucket sparked a little bit, making me take a step back, and I smiled.
“I love Love. I am so happy that you fucked up so I could move and meet the love of my life. Your name will never be brought up again, and I will never think about you again! It’s fuck Gio to the death of me!”
I spat on the shit in the bucket, and my girls clapped and cheered for me.
“Tell me, how the fuck do you feel now?”
I exhaled. “I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Thank y’all.”
We had a group hug, then stepped back, and they were still looking at me.
“So, what are you going to do now?” Kenya asked.
“I am going to get my nigga back! We have a wedding to plan! It’s time to become Mrs. Love Mayer.”
The girls cheered for me again while I kept smiling and looking up to the sky. That release was needed for better things to come. I just hoped that Love would hear me out.
Chapter 26
Reflecting
Iducked off to a hotel. I kept telling myself that I needed to sleep—all I needed was a good night’s sleep, and then I would go home. But it was the next day, and I was still sitting in the hotel room looking crazy.
Islah had my heart. I loved everything about her. What I hated was what she went through, and her trying to compare me to that nigga.
I walked laps around that room trying to figure out what I had done to make her think I would do her like that nigga did after all I have done to make sure she was content.
After a while of walking in circles, I sat down and was ready to smoke, and realized I didn’t have shit with me, and I didn’t feel like getting any. I took my phone outta my pocket and sent Sammy the address, telling him to bring me some weed when he closed up the shop. Then I looked at all the times Islah called and texted.
I was about to text her or call her back, but I stopped myself. She needed to figure out what she wanted with and from me.
