Page 66 of Still Made For You

“Go to hell. I’m doing no such thing. My man was trying to take my drink order,” I replied.

“Ummm, hmmm. I don’t believe you, but whatever you say.” She smirked, making me drop my head in shame.

“You know what I like, baby. Sincere will be staying the night with his nana so keep them coming!” I slowed down on my drinking after I gave birth to my son, so I only got drunk when he spent the night away from home. It’s crazy when I think about how much motherhood changed me, both physically and mentally. I’m a completely different person than I was before him.

“I got you, bae. I’ll be right back.” I thanked him, then turned my attention to the other people next to me.”

“I’m glad your ass decided to come out and bring that fine ass man of yours! I can’t believe you were really about to turn down the opportunity for free drinks and food. Clearly, I haven’t rubbed on you the right way.” Serenity snickered, taking a shot from her glass.

“Aye, chill with thatfineshit. You and I both know you would be ready to beat a bitch’s ass if I even glanced at her too long.” Her boyfriend, Jett interjected.

“You’re damn sure right about it. I don’t give a damn who she is. Anyone can get slapped. I’m sorry, baby. I’m still adjusting to being a taken woman. It won’t happen again,” she batted her lashes, then poked out her lips in his direction. I loved seeing her be vulnerable with her man, even though I knew her personality would never change.

“You’re so full of shit, but I love your crazy ass,” Jett leaned down to peck her lips. Several minutes passed before Onyx returned with my drinks. I danced in my seat when he handed my glass to me.

“Thank you, baby.” He pecked my lips then took his seat next to me. The party was lit and everyone around us seemed to be enjoying themselves. Once the drinks took effect, we started dancing and singing to the music. Moments like these I cherished because I thought I’d never have an opportunity to have a life once I had Sincere. My mother made parenting sound like a death sentence where I wasn’t allowed to have a life. Let her tell it, she barely helped me in order to teach me a lesson. I still haven’t figured out what I was supposed to learn for it.

“I know he’s fucking playing right now.” I heard River snarl. I’d been grinding so hard on Onyx, it took a moment for me to even focus my attention on anything else.

“I’m missing a piece of the puzzle. Do you know her or something?” Serenity asked River. That’s when I turned to glance in her direction. Her face displayed pure disgust which piqued my interest.

“What’s going on?” My question was answered the moment I heard his voice.

“What’s good, family?” Freedom walked over to where Ciyani, Justice, O2 and Oh,Shun were sitting. It took no time for me to realize why River had been so upset. The woman holding Freedom’s hand seemed oddly familiar, but my mind wouldn’t allow me to accept it until she turned around. Markeisha.

“Can you believe this hoe really walked into this section as if she isn’t a foul ass bitch!” River fumed. My emotions were going haywire, trying to process what was going on in front of me. There was no way Freedom walked in here with my own cousin on his arm. My hands started sweating as I attempted to gather my thoughts.

“Are you okay? Is there something I should know about?” Onyx held me from behind as if he knew I needed him to hold me up.

“Yes, I’m fine, baby.” Markeisha kept her head down as Freedom greeted everyone around the section. When our eyes locked, I saw something different in his eyes. They appeared glossed over and his pupils looked bigger than normal. Working as a CNA for the last three years, I’ve studied people enough to know when things were off.

“What’s up, River?” He reached out to hug her, but she curved him. Freedom responded with an angry chuckle.

“I see you’re still fraternizing with the enemy. You never did understand what loyalty meant so I shouldn’t expect too much.” He shrugged, then turned to face me. A wide grin spread on his face as he glanced between me and Markeisha.

“What’s up, baby momma? I believe the two of you already know each other.” The smirk on his face, set a fire in my chest. I could care less about who Freedom chooses to have sex with, but this was a different level of betrayal. I’d cried on Markeisha’s shoulder many times about the bullshit Freedom put me through over the years so seeing her here with him cut me deeply.

“You know, I don’t put anything past my baby daddy because he’s a pathetic loser. I guess I should be upset because we’re blood, but honestly, I feel sorry for you. Imagine thinking you’ve won some kind of prize and it turns out to be shit. Your self-esteem has got to be disgustingly low to sleep with your cousin’s ex, not to mention, a nigga who doesn’t take care of his child. Enjoy your night, love.” I turned my body away from them, trying to calm my nerves. The emotional part of me wanted to smack the shit out of them both for trying to play with me.

“You can save the speech for someone who doesn’t know any better. Contrary to what you maybe think, this isn’t some attempt to get back at you. Freedom and I have been messing around for years, long before you started fuckin’ around. You’ve always thought you were better than me, but really you were easy pussy. He finally got tired of pretending you were what he wanted with your wide ass and decided to come back home,” Markeisha smirked.

“W-why not tell me about your relationship? You’re sitting here smiling as if this brings you joy, which makes you a weirdo in my book. Why would you sit back and watch me date a man you claim you had before me? I don’t know what kind of reaction you were looking for, but I hope you get everything you wanted from this.”

“Umm, hell no! Best friend, you’re not angry enough for me! This bitch has been playing in your face for years! She needs her ass beat.” River huffed, removing her earrings.

“I don’t know what you’re doing all that huffing for, hoe. It’s not my fault your best friend has been living in my shadows her whole life. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m trying to enjoy my night withmy man. Who knows, we might go half on a baby since he won’t be taking care of that bastard of yours,” My fist connected with her face before I could even process what was happening. I played about a lot, but my son would never be one of those things.

My mind went blank as I thought about all the times I’d confided in her about my relationship. She listened to me cry, and told me how I deserved better, only to find out she’d been screwing him the whole time. He could have left me alone a long time ago, but once again Freedom showed more proof of why I’d made the right decision to finally choose me.

There were hands grabbing me all over, but it’s as if I had gained some kind of superhuman strength as I released all of my frustrations on her.

“Get this big bitch off of me! Freedom! Let my hair go!” Markeisha screamed while I delivered punches to her face.

“That’s enough!” I heard, before being lifted into the air. I’m a thick baddie so it caught me off guard. His familiar scent let me know exactly who it was. My adrenaline rushed through me as he carried me out of the section. Once we exited the club, the cold air began to sober me up.

Onyx remained silent once he placed my feet on the ground. I secretly wondered if I’d upset him, because I’ve never acted this way around him before. He knew my temper could get out of hand at times, but not to this degree. I watched as he typed away on his phone, waiting for him to address me. After a few minutes, he turned in my direction.

“Let’s go.” He commanded. I followed him to the car without any words between us. Onyx opened my door the way he normally would, but he surprised me when he reached down to unbuckle my heels. It’s something he does for me often, but given the circumstances, I hadn’t expected him to offer tonight.

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