The devastation lingered in the air as we both sat quietly, in awe, with tears in our eyes.
 
 “Did you ask him why he would do this?”
 
 “He won’t even answer my calls.
 
 Suddenly, I stood up as fury came over me. Looking at the shock in Kahlani’s face confirmed how fucked up this all really was. A man has a way of making you think that you are the one that’s wrong. They have a way of making you think that maybe you are just delusional, overreacting, and making shit up.
 
 But I now had even more confirmation that Rah was the fuck up.
 
 “I’m going over there.”
 
 Kahlani jumped up as well and followed me into my bedroom. “Going where, Solae?”
 
 “To that bitch’s house.”
 
 Kahlani didn’t ask any questions. Like true family and a friend, she was game. “Cool. I’m going with you.”
 
 AALIYAH
 
 It was late afternoon on Christmas day. Rah and I had spent the morning getting in some major quality time. Since it was a holiday, his phone was actually silent. It wasn’t ringing nonstop with calls from the bar and his boys. I got up early that morning and cooked a big breakfast. Then, we exchanged gifts. I got him a watch encrusted with diamonds that made him smile all over. I think his dick got harder putting on that watch than it ever had for me. Rah had a love for material things that far surpassed his love for life, so I knew the quality of it would take his breath away.
 
 He gifted me a few things; a Louis Vuitton bag that I’d been eying, the matching shoes and wallet, a nice chain, and a leather Prada jacket for when the snow went away. None of it was the romantic proposal by the tree with a three–carat ring I was hoping for, but it would do for the time being.
 
 “Whereare you going?”
 
 It threw me off when Rah came into the living room fully dressed. We had been lounging all day and watching movies since opening gifts. Even Junior had slept most of the day.
 
 “Gotta go give the kids their gifts and stop by my mom’s crib.”
 
 I couldn’t even hide the disappointment. I knew he had to see his kids on Christmas day, and because of Solae’s hate for me, I couldn’t go with him.
 
 “Are you going to visit your mom today?” he asked me.
 
 “I’ll have to call to see if she’s herself today. I can’t take her not recognizing me on Christmas.”
 
 Reluctantly, regret came over me. Thinking about my mom made me so sad. I didn’t want that feeling over me on Christmas. Every holiday, I felt so alone, until I met Rah.
 
 Rah saw the sadness in my eyes and came towards me as I sat Indian style on the couch. He cupped my face and kissed me softly, taking my tongue and sucking it. Then he growled lustfully. “When can I hit that?”
 
 When he reached behind me and grabbed my ass, I creamed in my panties. “Soon, baby. Just another week or two.”
 
 We gave each other flirtatious stares until his phone started to ring. He looked at it and put it back in his pocket. “That’s the kids. Let me get over there.”
 
 “When will you be back?”
 
 “Soon. Give me two hours.”
 
 Honestly, I had gotten spoiled in the few days he’d spent cooped up in the house. I hated to see him go. I reluctantly waved goodbye as he walked towards the door. He blew me a kiss with big suckable lips before leaving out. As the door closed, I melted into the couch.
 
 I wanted to fuck my mansobad.
 
 Since I was alone, I started flipping through the channels. Just as I had settled on watching reruns ofScandalon Netflix, there was a knock on the door.
 
 Though I could have sworn I heard Rah pull off, I figured that he’d doubled back because he left something. I hopped up, opened the door without a thought, and hurried away, running away from the thirty–degree weather that was on the other side.
 
 Yet, as I sat back down, I noticed two women standing in the doorway.
 
 I jumped back up asking, “Who the fuck are you?!”