Page 7 of Save Room for Us

“No, I’m not. The whole time you were telling me about him beating you and terrorizing you, I knew it was lies, but I felt bad for you. He told me all about how crazy you were and how you pretended he was abusing you to get sympathy from people. He told me how he tried to leave you so many times, but you threatened to kill yourself or tell the world he was beating you.

“So see, you don’t want me to get on that stand, Anastazia, because it will blow your little case wide open. I know you shot Cedric because he was probably trying to leave your ass again for the umpteenth time. He’s a good man, and I knew he was, which is why when you first started complaining about him, I sought him out, and we’ve been together ever since.”

I stood there before Jacinta, damn near hyperventilating. I couldn’t believe this shit and that I had somewhat trusted her. It wasn’t too shocking that Cedric would fuck with her, though, because he would do anything to make me feel like shit, and fucking a coworker of mine would surely do that if I still gave a fuck or loved him. I found it funny, though, that the dynamic he claimed we had sounded an awful lot like some people named Bashar and Nixi.

“You know, I thought you had more sense than to be blinded by a nigga like Cedric, but I see you’re a typical dumb bitch thatwill take a piece of a man just to say you have one. Even if he is a bum,” I spat.

“Bitch, please! I ain’t got a piece; I got the whole fucking thing! He didn’t want you, but you couldn’t let the shit go, and now my man is in a coma while I’m pregnant!” She barked back.

Unable to control myself, I hit her in the face. Jacinta’s head popped back, and she immediately removed her purse from her shoulder and swung it at me. While she kept swinging that purse, I punched her in the face repeatedly, causing her to grab onto my shirt. We swung around in circles, me pounding her face and her horribly maneuvering that purse to hit me with instead of using her hands, blocking the entrance of the sandwich shop.

Even as I heard someone from inside tell us to move whilst calling security, I continued to beat that bitch’s face in.

“Hey!” I heard what sounded like a burly man bark at us, before coming over to pry my hands from Jacinta’s hair.

“You are fucking crazy, just like he said!” Jacinta screamed, her once perfectly poised bun now loose and all over the place.

“Hey!” The security yelled again but now at Jacinta, pointing at her like an upset mother readying to chide a child.

“Bitch, keep talking, and I will show you crazy!” I hollered over his big ass arm as he continuously nudged me in the opposite direction of Jacinta.

Finally, he gripped my shoulders to steady me and looked down into my eyes. Recognition hit him, and I didn’t know why until I remembered why I was even here approaching lying ass Jacinta. My face and Cedric’s had been all over the news.

“Aye, aren’t you?—”

I snatched from him abruptly before he could finish his sentence and darted off to my car. I didn’t realize it until now that people would know me when I went out. I could no longer do things like a normal person, because every time someoneturned on the news, there my face was in that horrifying mugshot. And I admit, I looked crazy and broken.

Sitting in my car, I thought back to everything I told Jacinta and all the times I’d actually thought she was a friend, when the whole time she was running back to Cedric, telling him everything. It all made sense as to why whenever I would show her a photo of my injuries, Cedric would be gone all night and then come home the next day irate. At the time, I was just happy his ass didn’t come home. I didn’t too much think about the details and puzzle pieces.

Covering my face with my hands, I could do nothing but weep.

I stepped out into the backyard of the St. Thomas residence, seeing the party going on was in full effect, as “The Largest” by BigXthaPlug played from the speakers situated in the back. Everyone was here tonight, including Yolani, which was a nice treat.

As many times as I’d been around her at this point, I still got starstruck. Even in person, she just looked like somebody. She wore a dress at the moment, and though her body had always been it, the baby had somehow improved on a body that didn’t need improving.

But stranger than seeing Yolani just chilling as if she were a normal person was seeing Cemone in love. Currently, she was seated in his lap, both parties smiling as they kissed every so often. I felt like I was in the wild, seeing the most unseen shit right now.

“You came!” Analicia rushed over to me, making me grin.

“Yeah. I figured it was safe to get out and come here. Plus, I need fresh air. Mama is driving me crazy,” I joked, making her giggle.

“Probably driving my baby Sophie crazy too,” she replied, and we chortled in unison.

“Where is Benton?” I quizzed.

“Inside and upstairs with his grandparents and his cousins.” She beamed, looking so happy.

“This muthafucka wanna be Prime so bad he even limping like that nigga,” Cemone called out, and when my sister and I glanced back, we saw Lequay walking up, looking as if he’d injured his ankle.

The whole backyard broke out into laughter at Cemone’s comment, and even though Lequay tried to remain stoic, I could see the smile hiding in his face as even his wife guffawed.

“Nigga, I hurt my ankle. Fuck you.” Lequay flipped his brother off before slapping hands and leaning down to hug him then Yolani.

“Nigga even trying to come up with a reason to get an amputation,” Khari stated, and the laughter continued, Lequay mocking them with a face.

“Fuck asking me if I’m okay, huh?” He sat down, and Scotland descended into his lap, giggling as she kissed his temple.

I greeted and spoke to all the ladies and brothers, before doubling back inside of the house to do the same to Prime and Lisara.

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