by A'zayler
East was quiet, as was Yeshi. He didn’t have much to say to her other than to answer whatever questions she may have had, so he didn’t bother to rush along their conversation.
“Can I ask you another question?”
“Shoot, beautiful.”
“Sheena, what happened with you and her?”
Yeshi sucked his teeth at the same time he released an annoyed breath. “Some bullshit.”
East tittered. “Now you’re the one dancing.”
“I’m not dancing. That’s just some bullshit that blew up into more than what it should have been.” Yeshi paused, trying to put his thoughts into words. “You remember when I told you my lack of self-control ruins relationships?”
“Yep.”
“Well, that’s kind of what happened with her. That, and the fact that she’s a fucking liar.”
“What did she lie about?”
Yeshi’s stomach turned as he felt the urge to throw up. Since he was a professional at handling hangovers, he swallowed it back and cleared his throat.
“About being in a relationship with my friend.”
“Say what now?”
Yeshi laughed at East’s tone of voice.
“Yeah, she talks a good game, but at the end of the day, she’s just out for self. She told me she had a nigga, but never told me it was my boy.”
“Hold on, wait a minute. You didn’t know she was with Killian?”
“Yeah and no. I told you I mess up relationships. I didn’t know at first, but even after I found out, I kept kicking it with her.” He sighed. “Either way it goes, though, she ran over both of our asses. I look at my heartbreak as karma, but she really fucked that nigga up. He loved her on some real shit. I mean, I think I did too, but not the way he did. So, when she blew up our spot being scandalous, it really wounded Kill.”
“What about you? Her stuck up ass wounded you too?”
“Not really. I’m used to heartbreak, so her li’l games weren’t shit to me. I took that with a shot of Hen and kept it pushing.”
Yeshi heard East curse in the background before mumbling something to herself. She made an array of disapproving noises that black women always made when showing their disdain before coming back to their call.
“Well, I hate that for both of y’all stupid asses.”
The sickness that he’d been feeling disappeared when he began laughing at her.
“Why we have to be all of that?”
“Because I don’t like that hoe, so any nigga who does is stupid in my book.”
He laughed again.
“Well, I appreciate the info, Yeshi. I pray you’re being truthful with me, but if not, there ain’t really nothing I can do about it now.”
Yeshi sat back on his sofa. “I’m being real, li’l mama. You good. I didn’t fuck you, I promise. If I had, you’d know. Trust me.”
East laughed, and he could hear the bashful emotion in it. “I’m sure I would. Bye.”
“Peace, boo.”
Yeshi tapped the screen on his phone and tossed it onto the wood coffee table. Not even an entire second later, he was out of his seat and speed walking to his bathroom. The whole scene of vomit came and went, and he was back in his spot on the sofa drifting in and out of sleep.
Alas, that didn’t last long. Two hard knocks came to his door before it pushed open and in walked Katana. Katana was his younger sister and one of the biggest pains in Yeshi’s ass. Unlike other siblings, he and Katana weren’t super close. They didn’t hate each other, but they could most definitely go months without seeing each other, and it not faze either of them. Yeshi liked to blame their relationship on the raggedy upbringing his mother provided.
Versus being positive and caring like a normal little sister, Katana was condescending and extremely annoying. When Yeshi held his stomach while trying to look over the back of his sofa, he immediately fell back down. She was in town with her friends for the weekend and had been aggravating him the entire time. The sound of her heels clicking against the marble cement floors of his home annoyed what little sanity he had left right out of him.
“What you doing over here? I thought your flight left this morning.”
Katana flopped down on the sofa near his head and kicked off her shiny, black pumps. “It was supposed to, but I missed it. My next one doesn’t leave for another three hours, so here I am.”
Yeshi closed his eyes and focused on trying to breathe without throwing up everywhere. Not only was he not in the mood for Katana, but he really didn’t have anything to say to her.
“You must be hung over?”
Yeshi nodded.
“As usual.” The distaste in her voice didn’t go unnoticed, but he didn’t really care.
Yeshi was tired of Katana and all her annoying bullshit. All she did was moan and complain. If she wasn’t talking down on him, she was getting ready to. It was never a normal day with her. He could never just chill in her presence. He had to be on guard twenty-four seven or else she was coming for his throat.
“Katana, what the fuck do you want?” Yeshi sat up and extended his hand. “And give me my fucking key back.”
Katana’s nose turned up at the same time she snaked her neck and crossed her arms. “I know you don’t call yourself talking to me like that.”
“Just give me my shit. The weekend is over. You don’t need it anymore.”
Katana stared at him for a minute before laughing to herself. “You are always so nasty for nothing. I swear you act just like your mama.”
“Don’t you ever say no shit like that to me again.”
“I’m for real. I came over here to chill with you, and you’ve been rude since I walked in the door.”
Yeshi huffed. “So, I’m supposed to just forget that you stole from me?”
“I already told you I didn’t take your li’l money.”
Unlike most women, Katana didn’t cower easy. Her eyes didn’t dart, her posture never wavered, and she damn sure didn’t budge. She held her ground like the stone-cold bitch that she was.
Yeshi looked at her like she was crazy. “Don’t sit here playing with me.”
“I’m not the one playing, you are. You want to point fingers and toss out accusations, but you didn’t see me take anything. Unless you can show me proof, I didn’t do it.”
“You talking about I’m like Mama, but that’s your dope head ass. All she did was fucking steal, now look at you. You love to act like you’re better than me, but you ain’t shit either.”
At first, he wasn’t going to do it, but her attitude pushed his buttons, so Yeshi decided to get disrespectful.
“I mean, the least you could do was let your damn nose cool down.” He shook his head. “You hadn’t been off the plane two seconds, and you were already buying dope from niggas you don’t know.”
Katana’s bright skin turned red as fire as she leaned forward and attempted to slap him. Yeshi caught her hand, causing her to miss.
“Don’t start nothing you can’t finish. You already know how I feel about women putting their hands on me.”
Katana did her best to snatch her hand away but was unable to until he released the hold he had on it. Her body was on fire as she sat in her seat fuming with suppressed anger.
“You were all talk a minute ago. Say that shit now.”
“Fuck you.”
Yeshi smirked. “That’s what I thought. You better learn how to act or stay your ass away from me.”
Katana snatched her shoes from the floor before standing to her feet. “Gladly.”
With that, she marched back out of his house and probably out of his life for another couple of months.
For many years, he’d been dealing with the same tantrums from the same woman, and quite frankly, he was tired of it. Katana was played out. She could keep her mediocre love in Georgia. The more Yeshi thought about her, the harder it was for him to believe they were related.
Then again, no it wasn’t. They were both ruined in a multitude o
f ways with no willpower to make things better. With him being the oldest, there were times he’d considered mending their brokenness, but then she’d come around and do something dumb. Just as she’d done this weekend. He was good on her. Yeshi had enough drama of his own to last the rest of his life.
4. Even When You’re Not, You Are
The sun was setting, and the wind was blowing. The light windbreaker Killian wore was barely doing the job, but he was almost to where he needed to be. He and Gabrion had just left the gym, and he needed to hit the grocery store before going home. Killian was all out of milk and needed some for his protein shakes. The one he’d had that morning had been disgusting without it.
Like he’d figured it would be, the grocery store was packed with people. Women and children were everywhere while men were sprinkled here and there. With a sense of urgency in his step, Killian moved past everyone, going straight for the freezer section. His eyes scanned the shelves for the red cap before he opened the door and grabbed his milk.
He was headed back to the front of the store but decided to turn back and grab a pack of cookies as well. Chocolate chip was his weakness and would be just what he needed after the day he’d had. On top of missing East like hell, some of his employees had been slacking on their job and costing him unnecessary money. It had taken him nearly an hour to right their wrongs before leaving to go home.
With his milk and cookies, Killian cut down one of the aisles and headed to the front. A medium height woman with her two kids stopped his stride. She was on her tiptoes trying to grab a bag of chips that he could reach with no problem.
“Let me get that for you,” he told her while grabbing the bag from the shelf and handing it to her.
She turned to him and smiled gratefully. “Thank you so much. I thought I had it.”
“It’s cool. That’s all you need?”
“I think so.” She looked around the top of the shelves a little longer before smiling at him again. “I might need you to follow me around the store just to be sure.”
Was she flirting with him? Killian only wondered for a second before becoming reclusive. “Have a good night.”
Her eyes held a longing look, but she smiled politely anyway. “You do the same.”
After grabbing her children’s hands, she pulled them the rest of the way.
Killian was in the self-checkout line when he noticed a pair of legs that he’d recognize anywhere. Long, toned, and sexy. The short spandex shorts East was wearing stopped mid-thigh, leaving the rest of her legs on display. With her feet tucked nicely in the red shoes he’d bought her in Foot Locker that day, and the red dri-fit Nike hoodie covering her torso, it was a dead giveaway that she’d just finished working out.
She was holding a NAKED smoothie in her hand—the green one, it was her favorite—along with a bag of those nasty ass veggie stick chips she loved so much and a jar of peanut butter. Her long ponytail was neat minus a few stray hairs flying around her neck and edges. Killian’s eyes moved slowly over her athletic stance, appreciating everything about it.
The large gold earrings she wore made Killian shake his head. He’d been telling her over and over that she didn’t need to exercise with her jewelry on, and she bucked every time, letting him know that she was grown and could do what she wanted.
“Those shoes you have on are nice,” the man behind her in line told her.
“Thank you.”
“I like that hoodie too.” He flirted. “You have runner’s legs. You run?”
East nodded. “Sometimes.”
Killian sucked his teeth. Lying ass. She ran on the treadmill, and that was it. Her ass ain’t run nothing else but her mouth.
“I figured that since you’ve been running through my mind all day.”
What the fuck? This muthafucka. Killian shook his head at the man’s tired ass lines. He actually even grew a bit irritated too when he noticed East laughing like that shit was really funny.
“Shit ain’t even funny,” he mumbled to himself.
“You need to stop,” she told him through her giggles.
The man touched her hair. “You the one need to stop. Stop looking so gotdamn fine.”
Again, East was snickering and blushing and shit. Killian shifted from one foot to the other as he tried to maintain control of himself. That ole lame ass, baggy pants wearing ass, fucked up temp fade ass nigga was pissing him off.
“You showing out now. I can’t take you.” East moved up in line while still wearing a smile.
“I’m just trying to make you smile, beautiful.” He touched her hair again. Killian took a deep breath. “You’re too pretty to have a man who makes you frown like that.”
I know this nigga ain’t talking about me. Killian frowned.
“I don’t have a man.”
The hell you muthafucking say! Killian leaned his head to the side, stretching his neck.
“That a crime and a shame. You should let me take you out to eat or something. Let me see if I can change that.” His hand ran from her ponytail down her neck and rested on her shoulder.
Oh, fuck nah! Killian stepped around the lady and man that had been separating him, East, and her little admirer.
He walked right up on her, pressing the front of his body against the side of hers. She stepped away instinctively but stopped when he pulled her to him by her arm. Her expression was unreadable, but she didn’t pull away. Killian’s eyes were on fire as he looked down at her with a scowl on his face.
“This your nigga?” He nodded his head toward the man.
East pulled out of his grasp. “No. I don’t have one.” She looked him up and down before looking away.
“Excuse me, brother, we were talking,” busted ass temp fade told Killian.
Killian frowned harder. “Well, stop. She mine.”
“Not from the looks of it.”
“Bruh, don’t get fucked up about this woman.”
East’s open palm pressed the center of Killian’s chest, pushing him toward the empty register that had just come open.
“Bring your crazy ass on.”
Killian made sure to keep his eyes on the man, letting him know he was good and ready to slap them dusty ass jeans right off his non-dressing ass. He only maintained eye contact for a millisecond before looking away. East was busying ringing up her things, not paying either of them any attention.
Killian set his stuff down with hers. She rang it up and held her hand out for his card. He handed it to her without thinking about it.
“Where the hell you been working out at?”
East frowned when she looked up at him. “Not your gym.”
“Obviously.” Killian grabbed their bags and followed her out of the store.
She switched in front of him all the way to her car. The lights blinked when once she’d hit the locks.
“The fuck you was in there entertaining that nigga for? That’s why we in the shit we in now.” He pushed her forehead with his pointer finger. “You don’t know how to sit your hot ass down.”
“Killian, if you don’t get your ass away from me with this mess. I’m not about to stand out here arguing with you. Your ass don’t be wanting to talk no other time.” She pushed past him. “Keep the same energy you’ve had, stupid ass.”
She hadn’t gotten two steps past him when he roughly snatched her back to him and got into her face. He inhaled her exhales and vice versa as they glared at each other. His eyes took in everything about her that he’d been missing. Her fresh eyebrows, glossy Chapstick, and the little mole under her eye… gotdamn East. Killian wanted to say some mean shit but couldn’t. Well, almost.
“Get the fuck off me. Undecided ass nigga,” East sassed.
“I ain’t undecided, I just ain’t about to wife no woman that’s for everybody.”
East’s eyes widened. “You muthafucka!” She swung, trying to slap him, but he caught her hand. “If I’m for everybody like you say, the next time you see me talking to another nigga, stay the
fuck out of it! Let my hoe ass worry another nigga.”
“You so fucking dumb. I hate you,” Killian spat.
“Shut yo ass up. You don’t hate me, you love my ass! That’s why you’re so fucking butthurt now. Weak as fuck. Can’t even man up and make stuff right. You’d rather throw tantrums and bark out threats when you know you ain’t gon’ do shit.”
East words were hitting him everywhere but the right places. He was so angry with her right then that if he didn’t move, he would surely punch her in her jaw. Killian released her and took a step back. His gaze didn’t waver, and neither did hers. She was breathing hard, wanting to say something but didn’t know what.
“You got it,” he said and turned to walk away.
Killian was in his car and preparing to back out when her car came to a stop behind him. Killian put his car back in park and got out.
“What you doing? Why you fucking with me?”
“Because you making me mad.” Her tone was a lot softer than it had been minutes prior.
“Why you mad?”
“Because you keep acting like you don’t want me no more.”
Killian looked away from her. He watched the cars and people pass by them while desperately trying to gather his thoughts.
“I ain’t acting like that.”
“Yes, you are.” East grabbed the front of his jacket and just held it. “And you need to stop because I’’m about to go crazy.”
He chuckled. “You gon’ go crazy?”
She nodded.
“You gon’ have to get a whole new car when I get done.”
He laughed harder. She joined.
“Can you hug me?” East’s voice was soft when she made eye contact with him.
She pulled, he came. Killian grabbed her and hugged her up some. When she wrapped her arms around his neck tighter, he kissed the top of her head. In the middle of the busy Walmart parking lot, they held each other. No words were spoken as people passed them. They were too lost in one another. Killian especially. His eyes were closed, and he was breathing deeper, trying to take in as much of her as he could. He wanted to savor it for later when he was home in his bed alone.
