Page 102 of Shâhzâdeh

She laughed at how ridiculous she sounded and I had to join in with her. “Beats me. Sounded good. So,Pippi—”

And just when I thought we were getting along. “For real?”

She sat up giggling and playfully bumped shoulders with me. “Babes, I thought we established this already. We red heads have to stick together. Stop being so uptight about a nickname. I gave one to Smoke as soon as I kidnapped him.”

I was so confused because what did she mean she kidnapped that man? “Wait, what?”

“Yeah. He wouldn’t tell me his name so I was calling him all kinds of random shit. Like Ember. It was a really great time.” She got this dreamy look on her face like she was reminiscing hard and loving every second of the flashback.

“Did you say you kidnapped your boyfriend?”

“Ewww that’s my man. Ain’t nothing boy about him.” She stuck her tongue out and started to make her booty cheeks bounce. I wondered if she would teach me how to do that without making fun of me. Hell nah, this is Jada.

“Okay your partner—”

“In crime, for sure. I like that. It sounds all dastardly.” She shimmied her hips and it was amazing how quickly I’d forgotten who I was dealing with.

“You are just as much in your own world as I originally thought you were.”

“Thank you. I would tell you that it’s really fun here but I also have really crazy thoughts. They can be intrusive. Most are usually violent. So it’s best for you to stay on the outside looking in.” She pat my hand as though that was going to make me feel better.

“But Smoke could weather it?”

“Afolie à deux. It’s really beautiful when someone just gets you, you know?” Jada looked vulnerable and dreamy whenever she spoke about Smoke.

“Sure, Jada.” Because this girl was unstable and had already said that her man was insane so did she really think I was going to refute shit she said?

“So, listen. I’m sure this has been a whirlwind of a wedding, kinda like all these shits are, but you’re in good hands.” She’d actually straightened up and was looking like she was putting her professional hat on. I had to brace myself because who even knew how long it would last?

“Were you sent over here to say that?”

She looked around the bridal salon before pointing to herself and staring at me. Her face was serious for the first time since I’d met her. “You think that I’m the one they would’ve sent to be sensical? I’m almost insulted by that.”

I chuckled and nodded my head because she made a good point. “Forgot who I was talking to for a minute.”

“Obviously!”

I laughed at her because she truly looked offended by being the voice of reason. “It won’t happen again. I think the fact that I’m not the same person I was when you met me in Frankie’s bridal suite says a lot.”

“You know what? You’re right. I gotta give you credit for that. Cause I really thought you were a scary bitch.” She nodded her head to emphasize just how scary she thought I was.

“Jada, if your best friend, the only person who you’d been able to depend on your entire life was getting ready to marry a dude that had her kidnapped, what would you do?”

“Blow up his house and have Smoke execute his family.” I hated how she seemed to have this pre-planned and Lord I didn’t want to ask questions but my intrusive thoughts wanted to interview her intrusive thoughts.

“So why in the world would I be any different?”

“Because it was Liam.” She spoke with so much emphasis on Liam like his name alone should’ve let me know Frankie was going to be fine. I mean, Jada wasn’t wrong, but how the hell was I supposed to know that then?

“Jada, I didn’t know that man from Adam and what I did know I didn’t like. So, no. I wasn’t a fan.”

“Damn I gotta remember that everyone doesn’t look at the world from my point of view. Life lessons. Thank you, Vanya.”

“You’re… welcome?” I hadn’t even understood what I’d said to give her an epiphany but I was done playing with fire for the day.

“Stop that. We’re friends now. Technically, we’re family. One big happy ball of destruction. There are layers to the madness, though. Like take Yacouba. He’s not at the core of the madness like some of them are. He orbits around it, dabbles when he needs to and dips. Like an electron. Some of us hang out in the center, like Priest and Xerxes. Those niggas are the insane ones. They let their madness simmer but it’s always there. You can be an electron, like Couba. He’s always around, but he doesn’t get bogged down in the crazy.”

“I didn’t realize I would be getting a science lesson with dress shopping today. I didn’t know I would be dress shopping today so there was that.” Because what else could I say to breakdown?

---