Page 25

“Back to you, Lo,” Denim redirected. She must have known that I was about to bring Lucky up to get more tea about their situation. “You should really try with Armias again.”

“Like I said before, that’s too close to begging. I’m not kissing his ass anymore.”

“You don’t think you got too much pride for somebody who was in the wrong?” Denim quizzed.

“Fuck no, because his ass wasn’t innocent. He had a jail bae the whole time and wife’d the bitch up when she came home. That same bitch came at me crazy when I was calling his phone to tell him about our daughter. No, I’m not apologizing or explaining myself again,” I shook my head heatedly. I was getting angry all over again. “The only thing I really did was lie and that was horrible, so I’m not downplaying it. I never have. But I’m not fighting for a nigga who’s not fighting for me. Hell, he’s not even trying to fuck with me like that. Meanwhile, he’s still fucking on that jail bird hoe who wants smoke with me so bad. Actually, I can’t wait to drop my baby. I’ma be outside every weekend getting my roster up.”

“You? A roster?” Denim questioned incredulously.

Dream tittered. “Let my best friend talk her shit. Maybe she really means it.”

“Ain’t no maybe. Just watch.

“Well if you’re really allowing the Armias ship to sail then I can see you fucking with somebody else easily. Niggas always be on you whenever we go anywhere. Ion know if I see you with a roster though, sis,” Denim laughed. “But I would love to see it, bitch.”

“Hell, me too…cause now that you’ve refreshed my memory, Ali did piss me off with how he handled your pregnancy when you first told him.”

“I don’t see how you could forget,” I snapped.

“Maybe because he did a hell of a 180 and has been treating you like a princess. He literally attempted to hit you up a few hours after that phone call to make shit right. You ghosted him for a whole month after telling him you were getting an abortion…and honestly, that’s what he needed for playing in the first place. But when he finally caught up with you he made everything right.”

“Facts,” Denim co-signed. “And it’s a big reason why I want y’all together. Because yea, you did some shit and he did some shit but beyond all that I can tell he really loves you and you really love him.”

“Why?” I frowned. “Because he’s doing what he’s supposed to do?”

“Girl please, the average baby daddy ain’t doing the shit Armias does. He’s stepping this heavy because it’s you carrying his baby. I think you’re getting it twisted because he hasn’t tried anything sexual with you.”

“Well I can only go off his actions and words. I’m not going to big myself up into thinking he feels a certain way for me because he’s going above and beyond for his kid. This is the same man who does his big one for his mama and he barely likes her. He got that provider shit from his dad. He’s also the type of nigga who goes the extra mile for the people he loves.”

“Helloooo,” Denim waved her hands. “You just made my point, hoe.”

“No,” I shook my head. “Because I’m talking about his love for his daughter. The same way he loves his siblings. He does a lot for them and his mom benefits by default. I’m benefiting by default because I’m having his child. And no, I don’t think he hates me. I actually think he still has lingering feelings for me, but it’s not enough for him to try being in a relationship with me again. He feels like I can’t be trusted, so I don’t think he’ll ever see me the same. No amount of explaining myself or apologizing will work because I’ve done both. He’ll have to get over it on his own and that probably won’t happen, so fuck it.”

“I really hate that, best,” Dream sighed.

“I do, too,” I admitted. “Cause I really thought he was the one.”

“Then why did you lie to him about where you lived at, hoe?” Denim giggled.

“Bitch, I didn’t know he was the one when I told that lie. By the time we were exchanging I love you’s it was too late to take back. The damage was done already. And me telling the truth wouldn’t have changed the fact that he had a bitch in jail.”

“Oh girl, cut the shit. You know that hoe is not his bitch,” Dream scoffed. “I already told you the tea Kai gave me.”

I rolled my eyes while folding my arms stubbornly.

“Wait, what’s the tea? See, y’all bitches be holding out on me,” Denim complained.

“Girl, I could have sworn I told you. But Kai used to fuck with Naz’s sister, so he was around for everything. He said that Naz and Ali have never been serious. Ali started off as one of her side niggas and then when her main nigga went to jail she tried to give him a promotion that he respectfully declined. She took the rejection on the chin and they continued to mess around. She’s a scammer and booster, so she’s done a lot of favors for Ali through the years and that’s how she’s earned his friendship and loyalty. She’s also familiar with his family for the same reason. Rahesha has always tolerated her because of the stolen shit she gives the family for free or at a discounted price. Kai said that he was even introducing her as his friend at his prom send off.”

“Yea, you ain’t tell me none of that, sis. That’s tea!”

“It also matches with what Ali already told Lo,” she eyed me closely. “So yea, he probably was looking out while she was in jail but I don’t think it was no more than what he would’ve done for a male friend.”

“Girl bye, that’s his cousin. He has every reason to lie or water some shit down on his behalf. And at the end of the day Naz ain’t a male friend because he fucking her.”

“My man ain’t lying, hoe. He has no reason to. I brought that up to him after Naz answered Ali’s phone in August. Kai didn’t find out about your pregnancy from Ali until September, so he damn sure didn’t tell him about that phone call. It was me who was heated on your behalf. I was over there thinking that the whole family had played in your face and that AIl had a bitch the whole time. That’s when Kai gave me the rundown on Naz. I wasn’t sure if I fully believed everything he was saying at the time. But when you and Ali finally had a conversation and he told you about Naz himself I realized the stories matched. That’s when I told you that he’s probably telling the truth about that.”

“Regardless of all that he still decided to date her for real when she came home, so that jail talk had to be something crazy.”