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ONE

XIYAH

I had been trying to find the right outfit for the haunted house tonight for what seemed like hours. Even though I didn’t know what I was wearing, I knew I needed to look good. I had no idea who I might run into, and I needed to be prepared for anything.

The costume I’d picked out for the Halloween party after the haunted house was already put together and ready for me to put on. Everything, from the outfit to the accessories and my makeup look, was laid out for me when I got back. My costume was simple, but still super cute, and I couldn’t wait to step out in it. My only issue was the outfit for the damn haunted house, which I’d honestly rather not be going to.

After deciding that looking at myself in the mirror, rotating and holding each outfit up to my body for the last hour, was enough wasted time, I laid everything out on my bed and headed to the bathroom. I needed to get showered and at least do the base of my makeup. I figured I could make a final decision about what I was wearing when I got out. If Oaklyn showed up and I wasn’t ready, she’d be on my ass about it, and I didn’t have the time or patience for that. She wouldn’t be wrong, but I still didn’t want to hear the shit.

Once I got out of the shower and started doing my makeup, I knew exactly which outfit I wanted to wear. So, I hurried, did my eye look to match my outfit, threw on my clothes, and started grabbing the accessories I wanted to wear. Not long after I put my last earring in, I heard Oaklyn coming down the hall to my bedroom.

“Oh bitch, if I showed up and you weren’t ready, that was going to be your ass, I swear,” Oaklyn said, laughing as she took a seat on the edge of my bed.

Laughing, I replied, “Trust me, I already know it. I’m ready to go, though. I just have to apply some lip gloss, and then we can head out.”

“Uh-huh,” she said, circling me as I applied my gloss in the mirror. “Well, you’re looking extra cute today, friend. Your ass looks amazing in that skirt. If I were a nigga, I would definitely be trying to see what was under there,” she said, smacking my ass and laughing as though she’d said the funniest shit she’d ever heard.

After I applied my lip gloss and grabbed my bag, we headed to the front door. When I stepped into the living room, I saw her costume for the party later tonight already laid out on my couch. Since we were riding together, it didn’t make sense to go back to her house when mine was closer to where we had to go. We could just come back from the haunted house, freshen up, put on our costumes, and ride to the party together. Gas was way too damn high to waste it when we didn’t have to.

“So, you know Hasan is going to be at the haunted house,” she said, smirking as she pulled out of the driveway.

“And? Why should I care about where that man is going to be? He ain’t my nigga anymore,” I said, rolling my eyes as I scrolled on my phone.

“Friend, you don’t have to pretend when it comes to me. I promise you that I won’t judge you if you wanted to hop back on that niggas dick tonight. I don’t even know why you two made-for-each-other motherfuckers broke up anyway. Well, I know, but the reasoning is stupid, if you ask me.”

“Oaklyn, you know exactly why the fuck we broke up, and the reason for it. He ain’t shit! He had a choice to make. He made it, and I bounced. You already know me well enough to know that I’m not about to sit around and let no nigga play in my damn face when I can stop it.”

“I get you, friend. And you know that I would never under any circumstances tell you to allow a nigga to play in your face. Hell, I’d shoot a nigga behind you for doing that shit. But at the same time, you didn’t let him explain himself, didn’t do any investigation to see if the shit was true or not, or anything even remotely close to making sure that shit was the way it seemed to be. You just asked the nigga about it, didn’t let him answer your question, and decided y’all were done. Then you went complete ghost mode on his ass. I’m just saying, if you truly love him, which I know you do, you should at least have let the man explain himself.”

“Ugh, is this a therapy session or something? You’re my bestie, you should be encouraging me to hop on a new dick, not the old one.”

Everyone wanted to plead their case for Hasan and me, but the truth was that I didn’t want to hear it. Yeah, I didn’t give him much of a chance to explain himself, but I shouldn’t have had to. Hell, I should’ve never been put into a position where he felt like he needed to. He should’ve known exactly what he was and wasn’t willing to do when it came to me. But he didn’t. He fucked up, and I didn’t have time for all of that. I wanted a man who knew that he wanted me, and only me. Clearly, that wasn’t him.

So, while I missed him, I wasn’t going to break and take him back. I didn’t believe in backtracking, and I wasn’t going to start now. Besides, I had already mentally started to move on. It had been almost a month, and he seemed to be living his life just fine without me, which further solidified that I was right to make the choice that I made when it came to him and our relationship.

“Nah, I wouldn’t be a real friend if I did that. But hey, let’s just let the night play out. You never know what Cupid has in store for you two delusional motherfuckers,” she said, bringing me back to reality and out of my feelings.

I didn’t like to stay there too long anyway. Thinking about Hasan for too long had me about to text him on many occasions, and I didn’t want to go down that road. I had to stand firm and stand my ground when it came to him.

Tapping her arm, I laughed. “Bitch, Cupid is for Valentine’s Day. This is Halloween, hoe.”

“Shit, same difference if you ask me. These fuck niggas can be just as scary and hide behind masks on Valentine’s Day the same way they do the shit on Halloween.”

Shaking my head, I decided that I wasn’t going to argue with her when she was right. These niggas were nothing like they claimed to be, no matter how much of an act they put on for you.

About thirty minutes later, we pulled up to the haunted house. My hands immediately became sweaty. I didn’t know why I agreed to do this shit every year knowing that I didn’t like being scared. Usually Hasan was with me; hell, that was how I met his ass years ago.

I was afraid and running through the haunted house, trying to figure out where the hell the exit was, because I was over it, and ran right into him. At first, I swung at him, thinking he was one of the characters doing too damn much. But when he put me into a bear hug and held me, I melted in his arms, and we had been locked in ever since. Well, we’d been locked in up until I broke up with him three weeks ago.

Everyone thought I was crazy for leaving him, but I knew it was the best thing for me. If I had to keep dealing with his bullshit, I would’ve ended up going upside his head or putting a bullet in his ass, so it was best for us to part ways. Although I was sure that, in his head, we were still together. From what I heard, he was for damn sure acting like it.

“Okay, let’s get in here. Everybody on TikTok saying this shit is ten times scarier than last year,” Oaklyn said, parking and getting out of the car. Before she could get too far, she turned around and said, “Oh, hold up, taser and gun in the car bitch,” she said, laughing as she turned around and pointed from me to the car.

“What are you talking about?”

“Bitch, you don’t remember when you got so scared you damn near killed a guy. Put that shit up. I’m not going to jail before we hit this party tonight.”

“I’ll have you know, I didn’t bring either one with me,” I said, laughing as I shut my door.