August.
"Sorry I'm late y'all," Yanni huffed, joining her friends at the table. "Had a conference call that ran late," she smiled.
"No problem sis, we only got seated five minutes ago," Sincere waved her off. "That boy Boudreaux got you busy, huh?" she chuckled.
"Girl does he? It's like his agent before ain't do shit but collect a check. You know the ESPY's is in a week and he didn't even know?! Like where was your PR, sir? It's ridiculous," she shook her head. "Enough about work though, how are we today?"
"Good, my poor tootie butt is sick though, so she at home crying her head off. I was so close to staying home but baby daddy said he got her," she sighed.
"Y'all are the cutest lil family, we all knew y'all was gonna have babies when we graduated," Nyx chuckled. E'ani learned that Sincere and her man had been together since they were really young, and everyone knew them in high school. They were like a little married couple.
She had become much closer with Nyx and Roman too. They were both really cool and although Ro didn't talk much, she could always count on him to have sports talk with her when she needed it. They watched games together sometimes, and while Nyx enjoyed football, Yanni and Ro enjoyed it more.
As the girls continued talking, and enjoying the meal, E'ani's phone buzzed. She learned to always check her phone with her new job, because you never knew who was calling. But this time she genuinely regretted it, seeing a text from another unsaved number, knowing it was Devin. She simply blocked and kept it moving.
"What just happened? You look so annoyed," Nyx asked, furrowing up her eyebrows.
"J-just my ex. He...he likes bothering me, I just gotta keep blocking his ass till he gets it," she sighed. "Our breakup was bad and he steady on my line tryna talk," she confessed. She hadn't talked to anybody about him since they broke up and she got him jumped. It weighed heavy on her chest since she literally never got it off.
"Ew, fuck him. What he do?" Sincere asked, lip curled up, already disgusted without knowing any details.
What didn't he do is the question.
"It was a lot...it's kinda a long and depressing ass story, I don't wanna ruin the mood—"
"Chile please, we girls, that's what we here for," Nyx said, causing Sincere to agree.
"Okay...well," she started, taking a short breath. " His name is Devin. We had been together since we were 19, we met in college. Everything was so perfect at first. My parents loved him, he was cool with my brothers and he spoiled me like crazy, we spent so much time together. After our 3rd year being together though, something had changed and I had no idea what it was. His personality just switched up on me. He became extremely cold and unaffectionate, I never understood why.
We lived together at this point. One night I had come home, and he asked me to do something but I didn't hear him. So, I asked him what he wanted and he just snapped. He started yelling and calling me all kinds of stupid bitches and a hoes and so many other things and the yelling resulted in me getting a black eye. Of course I was stupid and didn't learn the first time, I stayed. I was ashamed to go home and show my daddy that I wasn't strong enough to get away from him. It was like I was paralyzed in fear at home and of what he'd do if I tried to leave," she chuckled dryly, sipping from the wine glass in front of her.
Her friends were astonished. They never would think someone like her who was so fierce and strong would go through something like that.
"I stupidly reasoned that it wasn't his fault he was lashing out he must have been stressed out and my attitude just sent him over the edge. I managed to hide my eye from my family when I'd see them, but after that it was an endless cycle. He'd hit me and apologize over and over and I stupidly forgave him every single time.
Then I got pregnant. When I found out I was already nearly two months. I told my big brother first, he was excited because as far as he knew, Devin and I were still in a loving happy relationship. My next thought was to go to my boyfriend's house, he'd be happy right? Maybe the baby would make everything okay, maybe he just needed to see that I loved him. I was so so wrong about that shit.
After I told him. he was completely silent, he didn't say anything for five minutes. I didn't think he'd be ecstatic about the pregnancy but I didn't think he'd react that way either. When he finally responded he asked me if I cheated on him. I denied it, almost offended he would even ask me some stupid ass question like that and I said those exact words to him and he flipped shit on me. He started swinging on me and he hit my face with almost every swing. He busted my lip and blacked my left eye. He hit my head up against a wall and kicked me down a flight of stairs, I was holding my stomach the entire way down praying nothing was gonna happen to my baby. It seemed like he flew down the stairs after me and delivered blow after blow to my face until I blacked out," she breathes out, blinking back tears.
Sincere immediately reached out and rubbed her arm comfortingly, to try and soothe her even if just a little.
"When I came to, I was by myself in his bed. My legs was throbbing, everything was hurting. I was limping and bleeding between my legs and I—I cried for so long. I couldn't believe I let it get to that point. I was so stupid, and so naïve, I actually thought his ass would change. I really believed in him after he broke me down like that and I hate myself for it. I ended up losing my baby, and I left. I went home to my dad and we cried. He took me to the hospital, turns out he bruised my cervix, fractured two of my ribs and broke my nose. I um...I tried to take him to court, but my cousins and brothers jumped him so bad it looked like assault. I did get a restraining order that obviously has lifted since. It's just a lot," she sighed heavily.
E'ani never thought she'd be an abuse victim. She was always seeing documentaries and commercials about domestic violence and wondered why they couldn't leave, or why they didn't just tell. But then she experienced it. The paralyzing fear, the feeling as if you don't known what's gonna happen to you if he catches you near the front door.
The shame that came along with being abused, knowing you should be strong enough to walk away and hating yourself for allowing it to get to the point where you're damn near dead until you come to your senses. She hated that she'd been raped. Degraded and used to that degree. Every part of her college experience was traumatizing until she crossed the stage and she hated that she let a man do that to her.
"I'm so sorry you had to deal with that, babe. We're so glad you're here to tell it though, you're extremely strong for even being able to sit here and tell us this," Nyx said. "You never deserved anything like that to happen to you, you're such a good girl, a sweet and kind soul. I pray you've found peace with yourself," she continued, actually making Yanni tear up.
"Me too. You deserve solace, I sincerely hope you're happy and your grow sis. All the good stuff that's happening to you right now is everything you deserve," Sincere said.
E'ani was glad she met these two. It'd only been six months but that was enough to show her that she was missing these two in her life.
"Thank y'all for listening, and your words. I would have really needed to hear that two years ago. Hell I needed it just then," she sniffed as their waiter approached.
The rest of the night was spent having heart to hearts with each other, drinking wine and eating. She hadn't had a good night like this in a while with some good girlfriends. She really felt like she needed it as much as they did.
"Amere!" she snapped, making him quickly look in her direction from the tv.
"Ma'am?" he answered, making her shake her head. Ever since the first time he did it, he always answered her that way because of how much she sounded like someone's mom when she called him like that.
"I need you to listen. We have stuff to do," she chuckled. "Firstly, you need your damn hair done. Secondly, the weekend of the ESPY's, we have a meeting with the staff at Gatorade about an endorsement, as well as a video conference with Children's about your charity fundraiser you're gonna do for them," she began, making him nod along.
Amere never knew how much work went into searching for and securing endorsements until he saw E'ani do it. She believed heavily in having him involved in all his deals, not just giving him contracts to sign without explaining terms and rules just for a nice check. He appreciated that about her, because even though he didn't understand half the shit at the meetings, he was glad to be there, and be a part of his career off the field finally.
"Okay. Now what's our big endorsement goal before the season ends?" she looked up from her MacBook as he smirked in her direction. The two of them had a day where they wrote down what Yanni thought was best for him and what he actually wanted and came to a middle ground with big names. Gatorade being one. This one, they both agreed on.
"Nike," he said. Every athlete, well at least the ones he knew, wanted to be signed with Nike and he was no different.
"Good. We're getting there before playoffs, big dawg," she smirked as well. "Now you have an interview with BET, but it's written, and a young black journalist student is gonna ask you about your college experience, try to make it educational," she chuckled to herself.
"I was a good student!" he defended himself.
"Good student my ass," she laughed. "Now about the ESPY's—" before she could finish, his front door opened, and Cortez walked through the door, being loud.
"Wassam!" he yelled walking through the door. "Where you at?! Nigga I know you he—baby mama!" he grinned when he saw Yanni.
She'd met his best friend a while ago, and he kept calling her his baby mama, which she didn't understand, but laughed at nonetheless.
"Hi Cortez," she chuckled as he hugged her from the side.
"Bitch greet me when you walk in my house," Amere joked, making Tez suck his teeth. "Getcha' ass beat if you want to," he pointed.
"Y'all busy?" Tez asked Yanni, completely ignoring Amere.
"Just a little bit, I was almost done," she replied. "You wanna pick up tomorrow? I can just call you," she said.
"Nah, don't mind him, love. He straight, na' what about the ESPY's?"
"They called me last minute, they want you to present an award with Odell, with his fine ass," she mumbled the last part under her breath.
"Not baby mama crushin' on Delly, ew," Tez scrunched his face up. "Right in my face too, bae? You wrong," he said, making her laugh again.
"Cortez please, I'm trying to work, thanks. Anyway, yeah so you gotta go to the run through on Thursday and Friday, I'm putting it on your calendar, please be there at 5:45," she said.
"You got me hella busy, Yaya," he pointed out. He came up with the nickname from thin are because nobody ever called her Yaya. Never.
"I also got them pockets looking fat, so be thankful," she chuckled, shutting her laptop. "And don't let me hear you was late to practice again this month or we gon have issues, you hear me?"
"Yes ma'am," he laughed. "You know you not my mama, right?" he asked, getting up to walk her to the door. "You can't tell me want ta' do,"
"Yeah okay, see what happens if you late again, Boudreaux," he rolled her eyes, stepping out the door. "Bye, Tez," she waved, walking to her car.
"By mother of my children!" he yelled back. Amere shook his head, and waited till she pulled off before shutting his door and going to sit on the couch and start up the PS4 for him and Tez to play and be lazy.
"You like ha' don't you?" Tez asked.
"Nigga huh? Like who? E'ani?" he asked back, confused.
"No, fuckin Michelle Obama, yes E'ani, dumb ass,"
"Don't get beat the fuck up," he chuckled. "What gave yo ass tha' idea I like my agent, Cortez? You not makin' sense,"
"Y'all flirt all day long, don't play dumb, Saint. I know when you like a girl, I been knowing yo' ass since I was a child," he explained.
"That's jus' how we play, don't nobody like Yaya," he shook his head. He couldn't even see what Cortez was saying. He and E'ani were literally just friends. Sure she was pretty and all, but she was like one of his best friends.
Beside the fact that she worked for him, he'd never met such a genuine, down to Earth girl. Not since he got drafted. Even though she was very mean to him, like he always mentioned to her, he was glad they were actually getting close. He felt like he had a real one in his corner for once in the business.
"Yeah, whatever nigga. Run my my game, you still owe me cash from the last one,"
"Bitch no I don't! Cheatin' ass," he grumbled as they began to play.
"Hol' on Yaya, my mama callin'" Amere said to E'ani. They were just leaving from their meeting with Gatorade, which she aced, again.
He was starting to think she didn't lose, like at all.
He forced her into a celebratory dinner with him at a restaurant she'd never been to. He was completely shocked she'd never been to Del Frisco's as long as she'd been in Philly. Of course they had to go to one that wasn't in the city since he was famous and she was a woman.
Last thing they needed was to be on 'Bae-Watch' tomorrow.
"Hey pretty lady," he grinned picking up her call as Yanni got in his passenger seat, responding to some emails, like she was always doing.
"Hey my baby," Ms. Gina smiled. "You busy?"
"Not too busy for you, mama. Whatchu up to?" he asked, making Yanni smile. She thought men who had good relationships with their mothers were so adorable. It reminded her of Ezekiel, he was a mama's boy too.
That just reminded her to text him.
She texted her brother amidst other work things, and then did a quick scan on twitter of Amere's name, smirking while she read people tweet about how chill he is, how funny his interviews are and how they were glad he wasn't weird and awkward like they originally thought he'd be.
Her plan was working, slowly, but surely.
helllooooo!
so, let's chat.
we finally found out why she hates devin so much. thoughts?
also that girl WORKS okay? e'ani anderson works lol.
how do we feel about cortez suddenly speculating about feelings 👀 y'all think it's there yet, or no? do mere be flirting with sis?
lol leave me some thoughts as usual!
till next time 😙