Symone lay there bleeding, laughing through her bloodied mouth. “Guess I hit a nerve, huh?”
“What the fuck is she talking about, Blessing?” Messiah’s voice boomed through the vacant alley.
She wouldn’t look at him. Wouldn’t look at me either. Her chest rose and fell rapidly with her hands clenched at her side.
“This ain’t even the place for all this,” Dru said, scratching his head. “Where the fuck is Kam-“
“Blessing,” Messiah cut him off, stepping closer. “Look at me.”
Her eyes were filled with tears. Still, she didn’t look at him, just shook her head.
I stared at Blessing, waiting for her to deny it. She never did. Symone wasn’t lying. Blessing set Sage’s father up, and she hid that shit from me. I guess I didn’t know her as well as I thought.
Everyone’s eyeswere glued to me as I paced around the living room. I was barely sober and couldn’t think straight. I can’t believe this bitch just told my fucking business. I don’t even know how she knew this shit. Besides Rell, Chanel was the only other person who knew, and there was no way she would tell my business.
“Let me talk to my brother alone,” I said, chewing my bottom lip. Everyone stood to leave but Messiah and Saint.
“Talk,” Messiah demanded sternly. His face held no emotions.
I sighed, taking a seat across from them. “I had to do it, Siah. It was either him or me and I chose myself. I had to live for my daughter. Seven was beating my ass every chance he got. He wasn’t high off drugs or drunk. He was sober as fuck.”
Messiah’s jaw clenched as he balled his fists up. “Why didn’t you tell me, Blessing? I would’ve handled this shit!”
“He was going to kill you!” I yelled as tears filled my eyes. “When I threatened to tell you the first time he hit me, he told me he was going to kill you. We already lost daddy and mama. I couldn’t lose you, too, Siah. He tried to pay Rickey to kill you, but he wouldn’t.”
“Lil Rickey? The rapper?” Saint asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. There’s more… After Rell killed Seven, I paid him what I promised, but he came back asking for more. He said the fifty thousand I paid him wasn’t enough, and he needed more to leave town. He knew that you were looking for him. I told him I would give him more, but I didn’t. His mistake wasn’t my problem. I paid him the price he gave me.” I shrugged, wiping the tears that fell. “He kept sending me threatening messages, and he was the one who threw that brick through my windshield.”
“Blessing.” Messiah huffed and shook his head. “This is the dumbest shit you ever did. Even if you were trying to protect me, you should’ve told me! Y’all are my fucking responsibility! What if shit went wrong and you ended up dead? FUCK!” He slapped his hand against the coffee table before standing up and leaving.
Dru walked in with Chanel trailing behind him.
“Just let him cool off,” Dru said, patting my shoulder.
I huffed, running a hand down my face. This is not how I wanted this shit to play out. I knew I was wrong for hiding things from him, but I did what I needed to do. Just like Seven got handled, so would Rell.
“Why didn’t you tell me that nigga was harassing you? I understand you wanting to handle things by yourself but there are too many men in your life who don’t play about you. This shit could’ve been handled when it first started. If you didn’t want to tell me or Messiah you could’ve at least told Dru.” Saint said, sitting beside me.
“I know, Saint. I fucking know.” I snapped.
“Aye, you can drop the attitude. I get your upset cause your little secret is out, but relax.”
“My little secret isn’t the only one that’s out. Friend fucker.”
Dru and Chanel erupted in laughter, causing Saint to suck his teeth.
“Ain’t shit funny. Go the fuck upstairs, Blessing.” He responded.
“Nigga, you don’t tell me what to do. YOU go the fuck upstairs.”
“Blessing.”
I huffed and rolled my eyes. “Goodnight y’all.” Saint smacked my ass as I walked past him and made my way upstairs into our bedroom. The room still smelled like me. I undressed and placed my dirty clothes in the overflowing hamper.
A soft moan escaped my lips as I relaxed underneath the shower head. The steaming hot water felt so good against my skin, relaxing me. Tonight didn’t go as planned. I just wanted to get drunk and turn up with my girls.
A breeze of cool air filled the shower as Saint stepped inside behind me. I sank my teeth into my bottom lip, already knowing where this was going. He trapped me between him and the wall. His lust-filled eyes raked over my drenched body until they landed on my rib cage, where his name was stamped. During our trip to Willow Creek, we got drunk and got matching tattoos. He tattooed my name in big, bold red letters in the same spot.