Page 174 of Own It

“He figured out who you are, like you said he would, and told me I was stupid for being with a man who kidnapped me.” I sniffled as Rakim thumbed my tears and pecked me.

“I’m gon’ talk to him. Explain what this is and get that nigga in line for name calling you.” He sat in his seat as I moved back into mine.

“Okay.” I felt a little better. The power of Rakim Godfrey. “I’m sorry. I know you had something to do after this.”

“Don’t apologize, baby.” He shook his head. “You come before all that shit. Don’t ever settle for a muthafucka willing to hop in the streets instead of tending to you.” He spoke cavalierly, but it held weight. “The driver is gon’ make sure Kasia, Shardaya, and Serene get home.”

“Thank you.” I exhaled, relaxing a bit.

I was pissed with Serene, but I didn’t wanna leave the bitch hanging with no ride.

Rakim simply took my hand and kissed it. I could tell the entire ride home, he was in deep thought.

* * *

THE NEXT AFTERNOON . . .

As I sat in my office trying to focus, despite the hangover I had and the events of last night replaying in my mind, I heard my phone buzz. Looking down, I saw my mother’s name and ruminated on whether or not I should pick up since I was able to pretty much guess what this call was in regard to without even answering.

My mother called me very infrequently, and it was no coincidence that she was phoning me the night after I hit Serene.

“Hello?” I sighed, ready to get the chiding over with.

“I hope you know what you did was wrong and that your sister is going to press charges. She cannot even go into work because her eye has been blacked. Why would you do that to your sister, Day? What has gotten into you?”

“She tried to dance on Rakim,” I said.

“Oh, please! You know how many of my friends or family danced with Cairo? That doesn’t mean I would go and punch them. You want your boyfriend to be integrated into this family but get jealous when your sister tries to include him?”

I chuckled humorlessly, massaging my forehead.

“It wasn’t like that. He was seated, and she attempted to straddle him. Whether she was having fun or lacked an ulterior motive, I couldn’t care less. I don’t want another woman, sister or not, straddling my man. Also, she slapped me first. I simply retaliated.”

“Do you think you should be with a man who makes you this jealous, Daylin?”

“Ma, she hit me first, like I said, and it’s not necessarily Rakim; it’s the fact that she tried this with my man. Had I tried this with Avant, Serene would’ve ran to you guys like a damsel in distress, and you would’ve been at my front door with flaming pitchforks.”

Sighing, she replied, “Serene is having a hard time right now, Daylin, so she is maybe acting out a tiny bit. You know damn well she is not a fighter, yet you hit her with a closed fist. She is going through a lot, and as her sister, I expected you to handle her with a bit more care. I’m disappointed.”

Realizing I would never get through to my mom, because she was biased, I said, “What else is new?” before I hung up the phone.

I should’ve known a night out with Serene and us becoming closer was too good to be true.

TWENTY

lamia

A WEEK LATER . . .

“Mommy, I’m hungry!” AJ shouted from the back seat, only intensifying my headache.

“Okay. After we leave here, we can get some food,” I said.

“I wanna go back to Grandma’s!” Ayanna chimed in with her tiny, cute voice.

Peering at her through my rearview as AJ co-signed, I replied, “Trust me, you guys are going right back after we get the food.”

My kids had been staying with my mother for the past few days because I needed time to process shit and get my damn life together. Nothing was going right, and I found myself aimless and confused at the moment. I only had them right now because they had to be here for the doctor.