ᴡʜᴏ ᴅɪᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ'ᴅ ᴇɴᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ?
ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ
It's been six months and I'd be lying if I said that he doesn't cross my mind every day. It's like ever since that night, he's everywhere. His games pop up on every television when I go out with friends, his face and name all over my instagram and TikTok. Hell, even my brother is obsessed with him.
No one knows who he is besides my best friend and sister. The shade room posted us but after no response from either of us for 6 months, the hype has died down. Thank God. I couldn't live another day having my name next to his.
The good news is, I'll get to escape all that the next two weeks. My sister is getting married in the Bahamas, so I'll escape the American bullshit for now. She getting married to an NBA player, which is crazy. But Jaren is nice and he completes her. Plus, I can't hold every man accountable for one man's actions. Not all ball players are hoes, Kobe? Lebron? There's good guys out there.
"You got everything," Imani asks me, as we get out of the Uber.
"A little too late to ask that question," I reply as more cars pull up to the secluded spot in the airport where private jets belong.
"Jaren should be here by now," she says, tapping her foot nervously. Stacy and her new boyfriend, Devin get out a car and she instantly smiles and waves in our direction. She runs to me, leaving Devin to grab all their luggage.
"Bitch, these braids eat," she says, hugging me tight. "When did you dye it?!"
"Last week. I needed a change you know," I smile and run my fingers through my ginger goddess braids.
"You look like a goddess," she replies, spinning me around. She's my hype woman, ride or die and has a matching mental illness. She's my soulmate in bestie form.
I smile, as Jaren and whoever he's supposed to be bringing with him arrives. I've met him a few times and heard his voice over the phone, that's the most though. He seems like a genuine guy, but looks can be deceiving.
One by one, tall, black men exit the big black SUV. Jaren's first, then some light skin covered in tattoos follows him. One guy with curly hair but could pass for white if he wanted to is next and then my heart drops. Ja's here, dressed in a white tee and some basketball shorts just like the rest of them. I guess there was a dress code I didn't know about.
Ja glances at me, and I quickly look away before anyone notices my discomfort. But Imani does, and goes and grabs Jaren by the ear and drags him to us.
"Why did you bring him," she asks, annoyed. "I said some of your friends."
"He's my best friend," he responds, pulling her hand away from his head. "You can't tell my you believed I wouldn't bring him."
"To the wedding? Yes. This vacation? No. I've voiced how I felt about him so many times," she replies, folding her arms.
"Without a reason. You never gave me a reason as to why you hate him so much. He ain't never did shit to you."
"Y/n," Imani calls and I turn my head to meet her eyes.
"Oh shit," Jaren cusses. "You're the girl he was- I didn't know Y/n, I swear."
"It's okay Jaren, I promise," I reassure him, placing my hand on my sister's shoulder. "Im gonna get on the plane."
"I tried to tell him without telling him you know? I'm sorry-"
"No need. This is your wedding, Mani. I'm happy as long as you're happy," I smile and turn to walk up the plane. I bump into someone and go to apologize. But of course, it's Ja.
"Watch where your lil ass going," he tells me and I roll my eyes.
"Says the one standing in the middle of the fucking walkway."
"You coulda walked around me," he retorts.
"You were in the fucking way," I reply.
"Who the fuck are you cussing at," he shouts, and everyone turns their attention to us.
"Well I'm look at you aren't I?"
"You gon learn to watch who you talking to. But aye, lemme let you get on the plane so you don't pee on yourself."
"Fuck you," I shout back at him, pushing him out the way.
I hear him chuckle and then he yells something that makes me want to smack him out of existence."You already did!"
I sit at the back the plane and put on my wireless headphones, blasting Ain't Shit by Doja Cat over and over. As if this day couldn't get any worse, Ja sits across from me. I pull out my laptop and put on a movie, but occasionally I glance up and see him staring down at me. I try to ignore it but I can't.
"What's your problem?"
"I ain't got one," he responds, slouching into the seat.
"Obviously you do. You have a staring problem."
"I'm just waiting for your nipple to slip out that slutty ass outfit you got on," he replies and I close my laptop.
"Are you calling me a slut?"
"Are you saying you ain't one?" He leans forward.
"I already have to deal with your black ass every day for the next week. Leave me the fuck alone for the next 5 hours on this plane! You don't always have be an asswhole but I guess that's just your personality!"
"She ate you up with that one," someone shouts and Ja just leans back and rolls his eyes.
The rest of the plane ride is silent, and I'm grateful for it. Any more of his bullshit and I would've thrown him out the window. He still glanced at me occasionally, but he didn't stare. I overthought everything though. Did I look like slut? Did he tell everyone I was? We had sex on the first date- the day we met actually. Is that what he saw me as?
"Mom and dad are going to drill you in about Mikey," Imani tells me and I roll my eyes.
Mikey is my ex fiancée, who might I add is a lying, cheating son of a bitch who is no better than Ja. My parents- my whole family loves him still. I'm too scared to break their hearts and tell them what he did. Not even my sister knows, they just know we broke off the engagement. And I'm gonna keep it that way.
"I know," I grab my bags and enter the Air BNB, searching for an empty room. There is none.
"So," Jaren tells me, placing his arm around my shoulder. "You probably hate me now, because of Ja being here. But I'm sorry to have to add to that hatred, but the only open room is with Ja."
"I'll take the couch," I tell him.
"Jordan called it already."
"Why can't him and Ja share a room? Or both of them just take the couch?"
"It won't be that bad, I promise. It's just everyone else is together, other than you three, and Jordan's girlfriend didn't come but she'll be here for the wedding. He's good on the couch, you and Ja-"
"Ugh," I say and push the door open, seeing Ja organizing his jewelry on the dresser.
"Hey roomy," he jokes and I laugh, sarcastically. "Look at us, back where YOU left us off. In the same bed."
"I left us off?"
"Yes Ms disappearing act," he responds. "You left us off."
"If I remember correctly, you said and I quote 'just a groupie type shit.' Obviously you didn't care."
"You heard that?"
"I more than heard it, I felt it. It hurt me. Now I have to spend the rest of my life living with it so please, do me a favor and leave me the fuck alone!"
"Y/n-"
"Save it Ja. Nothing you say can take back that night or the past 6 months of nightmares that came afterwards. I was just a groupie, a one night stand, or in your words from 5 hours ago, a slut. Let's leave it at that."
He remains silent.
"Oh and Ja," I start, making him look up at me. "I hope one day I can piss on your grave."
I walk out the room and downstairs to meet all the others. This night seriously couldn't get any worse.