“Corey can you go sit in the truck with my kids please,” I said to one of Dominic’s drivers. I went and stood at my husband’s side and waited for her to continue talking.
“I’ve called the police, and they’re on their way here. You and your ratchet ass brothers are going to jail,” she yelled as she got up in my face. I’m giving her a pass only because I know that she’s hurting. As long as she doesn’t put her hands on me she’ll be fine.
“You better get out of my wife’s face with that bullshit Kennedi. Now I’m sorry about what happened to your cousin, but my wife and my brother-in-laws didn’t have shit to do with that,” Dominic said while holding my hand.
“Don’t stand here and try to defend this hood rat bitch,” she yelled as she stepped up and pushed his head. That was all it took for me to get in her ass. I let Dominic’s hand go and ran up on her. It didn’t take more than two or three licks before the fight was over. I wanted to lay her ass out, but Dominic picked me up and carried me to the truck.
“That’s why I told you to stay in the truck,” he fussed as he placed me in the passenger’s seat.
“Fuck what you talking about. I wish I would let that bitch push you and don’t do nothing about it,” I replied out of breath.
We sat around for a few more minutes until the police arrived. I thought she was bluffing, but that crazy bitch really did call them. When she finished telling them her story, even the police were looking at her like she was crazy. After it was all over with they told her to call the detective that’s handling Tiffany’s case if she has any leads. They gave her the detective’s phone number and left not long after they came. She hopped in her car and sped away right after they did.
As soon as Dominic and I got home we called Bryce to fill him in on the drama. He wasn’t surprised at all when he learned of who was behind the destruction of his shop. He really didn’t care because he’s in the process of getting the shop rebuilt from the ground up. He also has an idea about who had possibly taken their lives. Dominic told me about the visit from some man named Vamp when he was at my brother’s shop a while ago. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that he’d finally caught up with his intended target. I guess Tiffany was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Even though she was a pain in the ass, I really felt bad for Kennedi. She pushed her father away, and her mother is locked up. She thought that she would be able to trap Dominic into paying child support, but even that backfired on her. She really taught me a valuable lesson though. I’ve learned to appreciate what I have because you never knew when it would be taken away from you.
KENNEDI
Laying my cousin and best friend to rest was the hardest thing that I’ve ever had to do. It was even harder when I had to go with her father to positively identify her body. It hurt me to know that somebody had riddled not only her car, but her entire body with bullets and left her to die like an animal. Thank God none of the shots were to her face or head, and we were able to have an open casket. She’s my angel now, so I made sure that she wore all white with just a hint of pink. We don’t have a huge family, but the few we have came out and supported my uncle during this difficult time. My mother isn’t considered immediate family so they wouldn’t let her out to come to the services. She was so heartbroken when my uncle and I told her the bad news. She’s always looked at Tiffany as a daughter instead of her niece. Even though I give Scott and his family a hard time, they’ve been here for me every step of the way. I thought back to the last conversation that I had with Tiffany. Maybe she was right when she said that I should give Scott a chance to love me. I based my feelings off of what he could do for me financially, but I never really gave him a shot. Even now, we’re at Tiffany’s repast at my Uncle Thomas’s house, and he’s been dealing with Starr all by himself. He hasn’t asked me to do anything, and I didn’t offer. I was in my own world sitting in the corner grieving in peace.
I looked up and saw Scott walk in, but he’s no longer holding our daughter. I was about to ask him where she was until I saw my father walk in not long after him with Starr in his arms. He beamed with pride whenever he looked at his first and only granddaughter. I hadn’t spoken to him since before I had her, but I’m happy that he came to pay his respects. I saw him at the funeral, but I was too upset to talk to him. I sat up straight and fixed my hair because I knew that he was going to come over and talk to me. I needed to apologize to him for my behavior lately. It’s not that I want to, but I’m really going to need his help soon. I’m almost broke, and he’s the only person that can help me out of the mess that I’m in. If I play my cards right, I won’t even have to look for a job for a few months. I watched as he held my daughter and talked to my uncle Thomas and his wife. He handed my uncle a sympathy card that I’m sure had some cash in it. When he handed my daughter back to Scott, I thought he would make his way over to me, but he never did. He walked out of the house and went straight to his car.
“Daddy,” I yelled as I ran to catch up with him. He turned around to face me like I’m the last person that he wants to see.
“Yes Kennedi,” he said nonchalantly.
“I just wanted to ask how you’re doing. I haven’t talked to you in a while,” I said nervously while fidgeting with my fingers.
“You haven’t talked to me because you didn’t want to. You’ve made that clear plenty of times, and I finally got the message. I’m sorry to hear about Tiffany though. I know how close the two of you were.”
“Thanks, but I also want to apologize to you for the way I’ve been acting lately. I had no right to be mad you, and I’m sorry. Can we just start over and work on our relationship?” I begged.
His eyes softened and for a minute I thought I had him right where I wanted him. That was until he opened his mouth to speak.
“Bravo,” he said as he clapped his hands. “That was a great performance, but I’m not buying it. You’re not sorry about anything. You need me right now, so you’ll say anything to get your way. When I look at you, all I see is a younger version of your mother. A young money hungry woman who will stoop to any level for the sake of a dollar. My love for you will never change, but this bank is officially closed,” he said as he got into his car and slammed the door.
He pulled off and left me standing there looking and feeling like a fool. I’ve official pushed away everybody who means anything to me. My mother has me so corrupted that I can’t even have a normal relationship with anyone. The more I think about it, the more I feel like Tiffany has it easy right now. Death seems so much easier than dealing with my life right now.
Epilogue
(2 years later)
NADIA
Living in Virginia is not as bad as I assumed it would be. I’ve found a good job working with my mother as a dispatcher. I’ve also made lots of new friends. Surprisingly, I’ve been dating a nice guy named Darryl for the past year, and we’re still going strong. I didn’t want to start our relationship off with lies, so I told him all about my past in New Orleans. He also felt comfortable enough to share some of his background with me. My life is good, but that doesn’t stop me from missing the one that I had back home. I really miss my friendship with Candace most of all. She never answers her phone when I call, but I understand how she feels. I did her wrong, and she doesn’t want to have anything else to do with me.
I keep up with everything back home by looking at the local website. I almost died when I looked at the obituaries and saw Tiffany’s picture come up. She and Kyle were killed together, and no one was ever arrested for their murders. I can’t help, but feel like I’m partially to blame for that. I was the one who told Vamp everything about Kyle. I gave him his home address and told him what casino he went to all the time. I even told him what time he goes and where he parks his car. I never imagined that he would be there with Tiffany because he usually went alone. I never saw any burial information on him probably because he really didn’t have any family to make arrangements.
Kevin and Shannon are st
ill locked up, and they aren’t coming home anytime soon. I took Candace’s advice and told the police about what they did to me. Those charges ended up being added to the ones that they already had. After going to court for almost a year, I got three years of probation and a ton of community service for my charges. I also had to pay restitution to the courts for the counterfeit checks that I cashed. I’ll probably be paying that for the rest of my life. All in all, life isn’t so bad. I feel like I’ve been given a second chance at living, and I plan to get it right this time around.
KENNEDI
I walked into my living room and resisted the urge to walk right back out. That’s how much of a mess it is. I’m so happy that my dad has Starr because I’m not in the mood to deal with a two-year-old on top of cleaning up this mess. He’s been good with helping me out with her, but that’s about it. He doesn’t give me any money, and he buys whatever my daughter needs himself. I took a leap of faith and decided to try a relationship with Scott. That was clearly the worst mistake that I’ve ever made in my life. He started out being the perfect mate. He was attentive and treated me like a queen.
That all changed when he gave up his apartment and moved in with me. Things were okay at first until I noticed that he was always drinking. He couldn’t go one day without a drink, and he hated to be called out on it. It got so bad that he eventually lost his job. He went to work drunk and ended up having an accident in the company truck. He was fired after he failed the sobriety test, and he wasn’t eligible for unemployment. I started working as a teller in a bank about a year ago, so all of the bills are on me. Thank God for my uncle Thomas and the money that he gave me from Tiffany’s life insurance. If it weren’t for that, I would probably be broke and homeless. I never told Scott about it because he would probably drink it all away. I couldn’t believe that it’s been two years since my cousin was killed. Starr and I visit her grave and talk to her often. I’ve been coping with it one day at a time, but it’s still hard.
“Get your ass up,” I yelled as I kicked Scott’s legs. He was sprawled out on the living room floor with an empty Jack Daniel’s bottle right next to him. I wanted his ass to get out of my house so bad, but I made a stupid mistake and put him on my lease. His mother has been paying his half of the rent since he’s been out of work, but that’s still not enough.
“What?” He asked groggily barely able to stand to his feet. I don’t know what the hell made me even go there with him. If my mother had something to say about Dominic, who was damn near perfect, she would die if she sees what I’m dealing with now. I missed my mother so much that it often brings tears to my eyes. She was given a ten-year sentence for the many charges that they had on her. She probably would have gotten more if my uncle Thomas hadn’t paid for her an attorney. I hate that she has to see her one and only grandchild from behind the prison walls.
“Get up and help me clean up this mess that you made. You need to find your ass a job because your time here is running out. I’m not putting you back on my lease when it’s time for renewal,” I fussed.
“Bitch you should be happy that I’m still here. It’s not like you’re a catch or nothing. We don’t fuck, so it’s not like I’m missing some anything. Shit, I see why Dominic left your ass for his new wife,” he slurred. He’s always throwing the fact that Dominic left me for Brooklyn in my face.
“And that’s why he beat your ass for telling me about it. Your nose is still crooked from that beat down,” I laughed.
He had looked at me with fire in his eyes before he staggered upstairs. He hates when I remind him of the time that Dominic broke his nose. Just thinking about Dominic had me missing how things use to be with us. I never had to worry about anything when we were together. All of my bills were paid, and I had money for whatever I wanted. Now, I barely have fifty dollars to spare after paying all of the bills and making sure Starr is straight.
Lately, I’ve been thinking that it’s time for me to find another sponsor. I need a new man with money, so I don’t have to spend my own. Of course, I can’t do anything until my broke ass baby daddy is gone. I can’t wait until it’s time for me to renew my lease so I can take his name off it. Unfortunately, I have five more months of hell to live in before that time comes.
DOMINIC
“Alright Brooklyn, work it bitch,” Co-Co yelled through the bullhorn that he was holding. We’re all seated up front cheering for Brooklyn as she received her degree. We have the first three rows of the auditorium on lock with all of her family and friends. It took Brooklyn two weeks of begging her classmates to be able to get enough tickets for everybody who wanted to attend. Even DJ was standing in the chair screaming when he saw his mama walking across the stage. He used to be my shadow when he was younger, but he’s a straight up mama’s boy now. He still hangs out with me all the time, but he loves Brooklyn to death. Dominique clings to both of us, but she’s more of a daddy’s girl. DJ is four and Dominique is two, and they’re both spoiled rotten. I told my wife that I’m ready for another one, but she’s not having it.
“Cordell sit your ass down somewhere before these people escort us out of here,” Co-Co’s father yelled.
“Do y’all hear somebody talking?” He asked in his usual dramatic tone. “I don’t see anybody here named Cordell.”
“Boy, sit down and shut up with that damn bullhorn,” Mrs. Pam fussed.
I swear there is never a dull moment whenever our families get together. It’s definitely going down later on tonight at Brooklyn’s graduation party. I rented a hall and paid somebody to cater the food and decorate it for us. Our kids are going to be with my parents for the weekend, and I’m ready to turn up with my wife.
After the graduation, we stood in the front of the auditorium waiting for Brooklyn to come out. They have a beautiful waterfall out front, and Brooklyn’s mother wanted us all to take pictures in front of it.
“Girl sit down and stop waving that cheap ass ring around,” Co-Co yelled as he pushed Taylor away from him.
She’s so excited that Bryce finally popped the question. It happened over four months ago, but she’s always flashing her ring in somebody’s face. Since Bryce’s shop burned down he had it rebuilt bigger than it was before. He had the stylists and barbers downstairs while he and the other artists worked upstairs. Business is so good that he had to hire some more people.
David and I are also doing our thing. Since signing with the other construction company, we’ve signed on with two more this past year. I told Brooklyn that even though she has her degree she doesn’t have to work if she doesn’t want to. She’s always wanted to be an elementary school teacher, so she’s not trying to hear that.
Surprisingly, Candace and David are still going strong too, but they aren’t ready to make any commitments. It’s probably because they break up every other week. She hasn’t been home in over a year, but she still swears that they don’t live together. Even Dwight and Co-Co are hanging in there. I just feel so bad for Dwight for having to put up with that drama king every day of his life. Co-Co is always embarrassing him, but he doesn’t seem to mind.
“Look at my mommy,” DJ said as he took off running in Brook’s direction. Dominique wiggled out of arms and took off running after him. She picked our daughter up and walked over to us.
“Congratulations!” Everybody yelled. She’s smiling hard from ear to ear, and so am I. It took a lot for us to get to where we are, but it’s all been worth it.
“Thanks, everybody,” she said as she came stood next to me.
Mrs. Pam is dying to take some more pictures, so we spent the next hour doing just that. Once we finished, we all went out to eat before going home to get ready for Brooklyn’s party. We have a few more hours to chill before we go to the hall. I looked over at my wife and smiled. She returned the smile, but she doesn’t know that I’m smiling for a reason. I can’t wait until she gets home and sees her surprise in the driveway. She still has her Audi, but I got her a brand new silver Mercedes Benz SUV as a gradua
tion gift. I had Tiana to wrap a red bow around it before we came home.
“I know you’re tired of hearing me say this, but I’m so proud of you baby,” I said as I grabbed Brooklyn’s hand.
“I’ll never get tired of hearing you say that. I’m…” she started to say until we pulled up to our house.
“Ahhh! Dominic I know you didn’t!” She screamed as she jumped out of my truck. She didn’t care that the car was still rolling when she did. I parked and got the kids out while Brooklyn ran around her new truck like a kid. I tossed her the keys and watched as her, and the kids climbed inside. I laughed as they played around with all the features like it was a new toy.
“You like it?” I asked even though I already knew the answer.
“Yes, I love it. You already know that I’m driving this to my party tonight. Thank you, baby,” she smiled as she gave me a big kiss.
Seeing her smile is all the thanks I need. Unlike Kennedi, Brooklyn never asks for anything. That only makes me want to give her the world and everything in it. I always tell her that she’s not perfect, but she’s perfect for me. She’s not only the mother of my kids, but she’s also my wife. It’s kind of hard to believe that she started out as being just my little secret.
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