Page 65 of Full Court Press

Pulse Media Magazine

Farmington Hills, Michigan

“The two-time Grammy Award winners, Kema P. and her husband, Knowledge, took to the media to speak on behalf of the recent scandal surrounding their marriage. A recent video went viral on social media when the video captured Kema in an altercation with⁠—”

The door to my office swung open, halting me from continuing my piece. Tashina appeared in my doorway with a huge smile on her face. It didn’t matter how many times I’d told her to either knock or call me; the woman did whatever the hell she wanted to do. I promise, if she wasn’t my bonus sister, I would have fired her six years ago.

Tashina was my mom’s new husband’s daughter.

I’d hired her as my assistant when she finally graduated from college. She was only supposed to work for me as an intern until she got her dream job as a graphic designer for a modeling agency called Revive.

The same Revive Sabrina Murphy co-owned.

It didn’t quite work out, because Tashina had a bad case of ADHD. She often denied it, but her father, Parnell Higgins, told us she was definitely partial to hyperactive energy.

Because of that, Revive decided to go with someone less active, which was why she was still under me as my first assistant.

I couldn’t deny that she was good at her job, but she was very intrusive, sometimes forgetful, and absolutely did not respect boundaries.

“Guess what?” she asked, coming inside and closing the door.

“Tash, before we play any guessing games, what have I told you about barging in without knocking or calling first?”

“My apologies, sis. I totally forgot.”

“You always forget.”

“I know. I’m going to do better. I promise.” She took a seat in front of my desk. “Now guess.”

I sighed and smirked. “You have a date with another clown in your roster of clowns?”

“See, allat ain’t even necessary.” She rolled her eyes playfully, then pulled an envelope from her pocket, sliding it across my desk.

“What is this?”

Her smile was way too wide for me. “Open it and see.”

I side-eyed her and opened the envelope, pulling out two tickets to the Detroit Vipers black-tie charity gala tonight.

Instantly, my mind traveled back ten years. I was back at True, seeing the gorgeous smile of none other than Khalil Grey.

I shut my eyes as my head lowered.

Leaving him was one of my life’s biggest regrets. Every day after I left, I felt my heart break from the inside out.

I tried calling.

I even sent letters, but to no avail.

After two months of me trying to reach out, I had finally given up and realized Khalil was through with me.

When his number got disconnected, my sadness turned to anger. I was angry because, for someone to tell me how much they loved me and couldn’t live without me, he made my young mind believe that what we had wasn’t as real as he projected it to be.

I knew the truth, though.

I’d hurt him.

Not only did I walk out on him, but I also walked out on Kiyanne and Nana. In those two and a half months of dating Khalil, I had grown attached to his family.