Page 134 of Set me Free

"Why the fuck was she even here?" I demanded; my arms folded as I stood in the middle of his living room.

"I didn’t invite her," he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Bullshit."

"I didn’t Serenity!"

I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. "And you just let her in, let her stay while we were celebrating our daughter? Knowing the disrespect she had been spewing towards me which you didn’t fuckin’ stop that shit either."

"Look, I handled it and made her leave. What the fuck else you want from me?"

I scoffed. "Yeah, made her leave after she ruined my daughter's birthday, Creed. After she stood there screaming at you like she had any place in our family."

His jaw clenched. "I can’t control what she does."

"You could if you actually gave a fuck," I snapped. “I don’t want her around my fuckin’ kids going forward, am I understood?”

“You think you talking to Cree or Giovanni? I ain’t no fuckin’ kid Serenity.”

“Oh, no? You were sure acting like it, letting that bitch parade around this mutha fucka like she owned it. If you had her in this mutha fucka, that’s your business, but my business is those kids. And I said what the fuck I said. I don’t want that bitch around my fuckin’ kids Creed.”

“Yo kids?” Creed exhaled sharply, stepping forward. "You sound just like Gianna." I froze and I knew he noticed. Then he delivered the final blow. "And last time I checked, we only got one kid together. So, you definitely not about to dictate who’s around MY son."

My mouth dropped open, wide enough that if a fly was in the room, he’d zoom right in my mouth. I saw red. The way he saidmy, like I didn’t love Giovanni, like he wasn’t a part of me. He didn’t come from me, but you couldn’t tell. I was Mama Ren, and I loved him just as much as I loved Cree.

Before I could stop myself, I slapped fire from his ass. His face whipped to the side, my palm stinging from the impact.

"Fuck you," I whispered, my chest tightening. "You know I love Gio. And for you to throw that shit in my face like I’m some random bitch?—"

Creed ran a hand down his face, looking immediately regretful.

"Serenity—"

I stepped back, shaking my head as tears burned my eyes.

"Nah. Kiss my ass, Creed."

Then, without another word, I turned on my heels and walked the fuck out of his house.

38

CREED

Jailah wasn’t taking this well. Not that I expected her to.

"You’re really gonna do this, Creed?" she scoffed, pacing my living room, her curly blonde hair bouncing with every agitated step. "After a whole year? Over a little argument with your baby mama?"

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "It’s not an argument, Jailah. You showed up to my daughter’s birthday party uninvited and unannounced, acting a whole fool. That shit was disrespectful as fuck."

She let out a humorless laugh, shaking her head. "No, what’s disrespectful is how you still got that bitch running your life."

I clenched my jaw. "Jailah, watch yo mouth."

"Or what?" she taunted, crossing her arms. "You gonna go running back to her like you always do?"

I exhaled sharply. "Look, this ain’t working. It hasn’t been for a while. We both know it. Let’s just end this shit here and keep it moving."

She stared at me, silent for a long moment before scoffing. "Wow. You really got me out here looking stupid."

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