by B. Love
Bishop
I’d convinced Kai to spend a few weeks at my crib. I needed her close until I got my hands on Courtney. I didn’t need him trying to use her to get to me. We were at her crib so she could pack a few bags and take care of whatever bills and business she had to take care of before leaving. I’d been in the house with her the whole time until Rell called and I stepped out to answer. I was supposed to meet up with him an hour earlier, but I didn’t expect Kai’s ass to take so long to pack. When I left out, she had five fucking suitcases laid out. I told her ass a few weeks. She was packing like a nigga said a few months. I should have expected this, though.
While I was on the phone with Rell, he was telling me about him and Lay. How she had been acting funny lately. His ass was just as paranoid and crazy as I was, so I told him I’d ask Kai what was up before he spazzed on Lay’s ass. Before I could hang up the phone, I heard Kai raising her voice yelling at somebody. Ending the call immediately, I ran into her crib only to find Courtney running out of the back door. I let off a few rounds and managed to hit him once in the leg looked like. When I was sure that he was out of dodge, I went back into the house to check on a frazzled Kai.
Kailani
Bishop had convinced me to chill at his spot for a few weeks. We’d been in my bedroom, tripping for an hour or so while he complained about me and my packing before Rell called him. When he stepped outside, I knew he was hoping the call was about Courtney. As soon as he closed my front door my hall closet creaked open. Low and behold Courtney walked out.
“The fuck are you doing in my closet, Court?” I asked as he closed the door behind him.
“I needed to talk to you. I’ve been waiting for you since fucking yesterday. You spent the night with that nigga?” he asked as if he had a right to.
I laughed at his ass. “What does that have to do with you, Courtney?”
“Everything. You’re mine. You’ve always been mine and you always gone be mine.”
“Whatever, nigga. I told you I don’t want to have anything to do with you, especially after you put your hands on me.”
“I apologize for that, Kai. You know how a nigga feels about you. I just got scared because I thought I was about to lose you and I didn’t know how to handle that. I flipped. I’m sorry.” Courtney tried to take a step closer towards me, but I took a step back.
“Don’t come any closer to me, Courtney.”
“Why you treating me like this, Kai? It’s because of that nigga, ain’t it? I should have made sure his ass was in his spot when I burnt it down. Guess I’ll do his house next.”
I was so surprised by his confession that I laughed slightly out of anger.
“The hell you just say, nigga?”
“You heard what the fuck I said, Kailani. Yeah, I did the shit and you not gone tell that nigga either.”
“What makes you think I’d do anything to protect your ass?”
“Because if you don’t, I’m going to tell Rell that I’ve been fucking his bitch, your best friend and you know when I tell him that he’s going to beat her ass. Might even kill her. You know how us street niggas are about loyalty. I might just kill her ass myself or kidnap her as my insurance. Yeah, that’s what I might do and make you choose whose life you want to save… hers or your niggas. You want that on your head?”
I looked at him with disgust as I shook my head. “I don’t believe you. You’re lying.”
“Fuck would I lie for, Kai? I took her virginity before I took yours. Why you think I came to her before I came to you? She’s always been the first fuck.”
I watched as he pulled his phone out and played a video of him and Layyah fucking. I didn’t know what came over me, but I started yelling at his ass and punching the shit out of him. He managed to push me off of him and run out of my room towards the living room and out the back door before Bishop ran in and started shooting at his ass. I didn’t know where Bishop hit him, but he hit him somewhere because I heard Courtney shriek in pain. It couldn’t have been serious because he was able to run away. I didn’t even care if Bishop had killed his ass at that moment. I was pissed.
When Bishop came back inside, I was pacing the front room, tears running down my face. These weren’t tears of sadness. These were tears of anger. Betrayal. Surprise.
“What the fuck was that about?” Bishop asked as he returned his gun to his waist.
“Nigga told me he hit your shit, said he was going to do your home next, told me I better not tell you otherwise he’d tell Rell that him and Lay been fucking. Said he was going to kidnap her or some bullshit and make me choose between the two of you.”
“You didn’t believe that shit, did you? He was just trying to get in your head. There is no way…”
“I saw a video of them fucking, Bishop.”
“Damn…” he mumbled.
“I’m sorry, Kailani. Can’t believe she’d do that to you.”
“Yeah. Me either. Take me to her.”
“Baby, you need to calm down first so you can think rationally.”
“Fuck rationality. Take me to that bitch, Bishop. Now!”
“Okay. Okay. Just finish packing and we’ll go.”
Bishop
I wasn’t sure if taking Kai to see Layyah right now was the best idea but better it be Lay getting it than me. Kai had been shaking the entire ride to Rell’s house. I’d tried to calm her down. I was kissing on her the entire ride there but that shit wasn’t even working so I knew she was pissed. Rightfully so. There were just some things you didn’t do and Layyah had crossed the ultimate line of betrayal. It wasn’t like Courtney was some nigga off the streets that Kai messed around with for a brief moment. That nigga was her all until me. So for Lay to do what she did… that shit was foul. So foul I still couldn’t believe it, but Kai said she saw a video so it had to be true. I was just hoping that Rell wouldn’t take the news too hard. Loyalty was everything to us and apparently it was to Kai, too. I’d never seen my baby so worked up, not even over Ashley and me. I was scared for Layyah. From what I’d heard, Layyah was a loose cannon too. I knew this wasn’t going to end well.
Before I could even cut my car off, Kai was jumping out.
“Hold yo crazy ass up. Don’t go to that front door without me,” I said, stopping her dead in her tracks.
She said nothing as she rocked back and forth with her arms crossed over her chest. I called Rell and told him we were outside. He opened the door and his smile immediately faded at the sight of Kai.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked before even acknowledging me.
“Where yo bitch at?” Kai asked, causing Rell to look up at me.
I said nothing.
“She’s in the den watching TV. What’s up?”
Kai said nothing as she walked past him and looked down both sides of the hallway.
“To the right,” Rell said.
“Follow her, nigga,” I said.
Rell did as he was told as I closed the door behind us. I wanted Rell to hear this shit come from her, not me. Layyah was surprised at the sight of Kai.
“Hey, boo. What’s up?” Layyah asked.
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” Rell said as I joined them.
“Get the fuck up, Layyah,” Kai said.
“Fuck is wrong with you?” Rell asked.
“Let her be nigga you’ll see,” I said.
Best friend or not, he wasn’t going to be talking crazy to Kai, but I knew she had to respect his home so I went and stood in front of her.
“You need to respect his house, Lani. Y’all need to take this outside.”
“Take what outside?” Lay asked, standing.
“Is there anything you need to tell me?” Kai asked her, looking around me to Lay.
“No… What is going on, Kailani?”
Kai took a step back and stared at Lay.
“What?!” Lay asked. Her temper started rising.
“Don’t fucking yell at her!” I yelled louder than I wa
nted to.
“Nigga, don’t be yelling at her!” Rell yelled.
I looked at his ass sideways, but quickly let it go when I remembered that he didn’t know what was going on.
“Fuck that bitch, Rell! She cheating on you anyway! With Courtney!” Kai yelled.
Rell looked from Kai to Layyah before choking Lay so hard and tight that he lifted her off the floor and slammed her into the couch. “The fuck? You cheating on me bitch?”
She couldn’t answer even if she wanted to. Nigga had her breath cut off.
“Get the fuck off her!” Kai yelled, pushing Rell off, surprising both of us.
“You still taking up for this hoe after she betrayed you?” Rell asked, letting Layyah go.
“Hell, nah, but you a nigga you can’t be putting your hands on her. Let me!” Kai said before grabbing Layyah’s legs and pulling her onto the floor. Did the shit so quick and fast, I thought she was gone bust Layyah’s head on the floor.
“The fuck?! You tryna catch a fucking murder case?” I asked, grabbing her before she could get on top of Layyah.
“I tried to let that bitch square up, but she wanted to play. Bitch, you knew what the fuck was up when I walked in this damn house! How could you, Layyah? Of all people… you?!” Kai screamed with tears falling from her eyes.
I felt so weak. So helpless. My baby was hurting and it wasn’t shit I could do take away her pain.
“I’m sorry, Kai! I’m sorry, but I’m not about to fight your ass! You know how we do! If you wanna talk, we can talk, but I’m not fighting you! You’re my sister girl! It was just dick!” Layyah yelled with tears running down her eyes and blood pouring from the back of her head. Her ass was gone have a mean concussion when this was over. The only thing that kept that shit from hurting as bad now was her adrenaline being so high.
“Oh, so that’s what it was? Just dick? Fuck wrong with my dick that you had to get it from somebody else?” Rell asked before slapping the piss out of Layyah’s mouth.
Kai was about to lose it as she wiggled and fought to get out of my hands.
“I’m not gone tell you again, Rell! Keep your hands off of her!” Kai yelled as she grabbed a nearby lamp and tossed it at Rell’s head.
Lucky for him, her uncoordinated ass couldn’t throw for shit.
“Bishop, let her ass go so she can tag into Layyah’s disloyal ass!” Rell yelled at me.
“Nah, fuck all that. She’ll be done killed her ass right now.”
“Well then, Layyah, you got about thirty seconds to get the fuck out my house before I kill yo ass.”
Layyah looked from Rell to Kai as more tears fell from her eyes before she grabbed her keys and purse and left, not before Kai popped her ass one last time as she walked past her. I could see the anger in Lay’s ass but she still didn’t want to fight and I was glad she didn’t. After we had heard Lay drive off, I let Kai down and she was still pacing.
“How long this shit been going on? Since the nigga got out?” Rell asked her.
“Apparently since we were kids,” Kai said.
“Are you serious?” Rell asked.
Kai nodded before dropping to her knees and sobbing.
Rell looked at her just as hopelessly as I had been earlier, but his sadness was quickly replaced with anger as he grabbed his keys and headed for the door. I knew he was going after Lay.
“Don’t do it, nigga,” I warned.
“Lock up when y’all leave,” he said, ignoring me.
I said nothing as I picked Kai up and carried her to the bathroom. After I’d stripped her of her clothes, I placed her in the shower and let the water trickle down every inch of her skin as she cried. I never thought something would affect her this much. She wasn’t sobbing anymore. She was just… still. Quiet, with tears, constantly running down her eyes. Once I washed her, I grabbed a towel and covered her body with it. As I carried her over to Rell’s bed, she finally spoke.
“You cheating on me?” she asked me off guard. “I mean, I know we’ve never made us official, so if you are messing with somebody else, I can’t really get mad. I’d still feel like you were cheating on me, though. So, just tell me right now, Bishop. Are you cheating on me? You still fucking off with Ashley?”
I sighed before drying her body off. Should I tell the truth? Should I tell her that a nigga had never been in a faithful relationship before? That as much as she satisfied me I just… had an itch to fuck off with a different bitch every now and then? Should I tell her that I was hoping that she could be the woman to tame me? But, that wasn’t something that I could guarantee? As much as I wanted to be honest, I knew she couldn’t take too much more right now.
“Nah, Lani. I’m not cheating on you. I’m not fucking with Ashley or anybody else.”
“Promise?”
“I promise that my dick is not going in any other woman’s pussy.”
“What kind of answer is that Bishop? So what that mean? You getting oral or some shit?”
“Lani… now is not the time for you to be picking away at every single word I say. Nobody else has my heart baby.”
“But, who else has your body?”
“Nobody, Kailani,” I said, standing to grab some lotion from Rell’s dresser.
I could tell she didn't believe a nigga, but I didn’t care. She was in her feelings, but I wasn’t in the mood for this back and forth shit.
“Bishop…”
“Yeah, Lani?” I asked, taking her leg into my hands.
“I love you,” she almost whispered as a lone tear slid down her face.
“I love you too, baby. No other woman has ever heard or will ever hear me say that. You hear me?”
She nodded yes before lifting her free leg and wrapping it around my waist, instantly causing my dick to throb. After I unzipped my pants and pulled my dick out, I pulled her to the edge of the bed. Resting her arms on my chest, she watched as I slid inside her slowly. Moaning. Covering my dick with her wetness, I held still and stared into her eyes.
“I said do you hear me? I need to hear you, Kailani.”
“I hear you, baby.”
“I know I ain’t the best nigga, but I love you, baby, and if I ain’t loving you the way you need to be loved… just teach me how. I don’t mind learning you.”
Instead of speaking, she pulled me down to her and kissed me deeply. As I started to stroke her, she pulled me in deeper and held me tighter than she ever had before.
“Please, Bishop… always be honest with me. No matter what. If you stop loving or wanting me… just… tell me. If I ever stop being enough…”
“Kailani, shut up. I’m not going to stop loving and wanting you. You’re never going to stop being enough. Baby, you’re all I need. You are all I need.”
“Okay, Bishop. I trust you. Now… let me feel your love…”
Kailani
I’d spent the first few days of my stay at Bishop’s house moping. He didn’t want us to stay at his home in Memphis so we were staying at his second home in Arlington that only he and Rell knew about. As much as I wanted to fight him on it, he was so set on me not leaving that I just accepted it. If he wasn’t at the house, Rell was there. By the fourth day, I was about to lose it so he agreed to let Rell set up a home studio in the basement so I’d at least have some type of release.
When I found out about Layyah’s betrayal, my heart was shattered. I didn’t give a fuck about Courtney cheating. That shit was something that I could get over. But Layyah’s betrayal was something that I was struggling with. I would have never expected something like this from her. She was my girl. I loved her. I trusted her. I was there for her. I gave to her. I fought for her. I cried with her. I struggled with her. I turned up with her. And she tossed all of that to that side for some dick. She’d been blowing my phone up. Said she wanted to meet up and talk to clear the air. Even if we were never friends again, she wanted to woman up and apologize to my face. I was going to give her that. So I agreed to meet her for lunch. Bishop didn’t want
me out and about alone because they still hadn’t found Courtney so he agreed to let me go only if he and Rell could join us. I was cool with that as long as Rell promised to act civilized. He agreed.
We looked extremely awkward. Bishop, Rell and I were sitting on one side of the booth with Layyah sitting across from us. They were sitting so close to me I literally could not move my arms to even grab my water to take a sip. I looked from one to the other with a scrunched up face before asking them to scoot over.
“Can y’all niggas move? All in my personal space.”
Neither said anything as they both stared at Layyah.
“You said you wanted to apologize?” I asked, seeing that they weren’t going to move.
“Yeah… I know what I did was foul. I’m so sorry, Kai. You’re the last person I’d ever want to hurt. Fuck it you’re not even the last person. You’re not even on the list. I’d never do anything to hurt you. Well, I never planned on it. It’s just… when I let him fuck in high school… the shit just kept going on because you weren’t having sex with him and Mike wasn’t doing me right. So, I stopped having sex with him, but when you gave him your virginity, I cut him off completely. Then, he got locked up. I kept in touch with him on and off. He wanted to make sure you were straight. So he used me to keep tabs on you. When he got out, he stopped by and… shit just happened. Old lust started coming up, but I promise you, it was just sex. It meant nothing to either of us.”
“So, the dick that meant nothing to you was worth losing me over?” I asked her.
She said nothing as she slid deeper into her seat.
“You know what I can’t understand, Layyah? Why couldn’t you just tell me? We tell each other everything. Shit wouldn’t have changed between us. Yeah, I would’ve been a little mad and hurt for a second but I would’ve let it go, but you let this ride for ten years, my nigga. Ten years!” I yelled louder than I wanted to as other guests in the café looked at us. “I loved you, girl, would’ve given you my heart, but now that I see how heartless your ass is… I wouldn’t spit on your ass if you were on fire. Don’t ever call me again and if you see me in the streets, act like I’m just another bitch. Since that’s how you’ve been treating me anyway.”