Three Is A Crowd

by Chenell Parker

  “I’m not even dead and she’s throwing me a repast,” Dray complained.

  “It’s not a repast, it’s a welcome home dinner. Stop being ungrateful. We all know how Eva is. She’s just being nice,” Dena said.

  “Yeah, well she needs to show some of that same love to Sassy. He’s her son, not me,” Dray replied.

  “I agree but that’s their business. Now, come on and let’s go. You too Jersi. You can leave your car here until we get back,” Dena said.

  “I’ll pass. I’m about to go home,” Jersi said as she stood up and stretched.

  “Excuse me?” Dena huffed while placing her hands on her shapely hips.

  “I said I’m ready whenever you are,” Jersi replied humbly.

  “That’s what I thought you said. Y’all hurry up. I’ll be in the car,” Dena said while walking away.

  “Your scary ass,” Dray frowned as he looked at his sister.

  “Boy, I’m not about to argue with that lady. You know she means business when she put her hands on her hips,” Jersi laughed.

  “That shit don’t scare me no more. It ain’t like she ever whipped us or nothing. Hell, she never even raised her voice. Why the hell were we scared when she put her hands on her hips? Shit don’t even make sense,” Dray replied.

  He and Jersi cleaned up the mess that they’d made in the family room before joining their mother in her car. Jersi was too excited when Cat sent her a message and asked if she was coming over. She and her family were already there and Jersi was happy for that.

  When they pulled up to the house, Jersi was happy to see that it wasn’t crowded. Eva was always claiming to be doing something small that turned into a full blown party. Jacob was at work and he got off easy in Jersi’s opinion.

  “Welcome guys. How are you feeling Dray?” Eva asked as she opened the door and greeted them with hugs.

  “I feel great. Thanks for asking,” Dray replied with a phony smile.

  As soon as Jersi walked in, she went right over to where Cat was sitting. Cat’s son was on his tablet and the twins were watching tv. BJ was in another room talking to his father while Eva played the role of hostess.

  “Hey boo,” Cat said when Jersi leaned down to hug her.

  “What’s been up girl?” Jersi asked.

  “Nothing much but I put in for an apartment a few days ago. My lawyer is drawing up the divorce papers and I’m about to be free,” Cat smiled happily.

  “I’m so happy for you friend. The good thing is, you’ll have a career and will be making your own money,” Jersi said.

  “Exactly. I couldn’t see myself being like Mariah forever,” Cat replied.

  “What’s up with her? My mama said that her kids have been staying with Eva and her husband,” Jersi whispered.

  “They have because that bitch is losing her mind behind Blake. He told BJ that all she does is cry and talk about you all day. He said the house be a mess and she don’t try to fix herself up no more. She was neglecting the kids and all. Blake told her about y’all having an affair and everything. You know I be eavesdropping,” Cat admitted.

  “There is no affair and there never was. I fucked him once and let him go down on me a few times. Everything about Blake repulses me and I’m trying to see what I was so in love with when we were together. I just had to show that bitch Mariah that she’s not the only one who can hurt people. Her husband has turned into a straight up stalker though. He calls me at least twenty times a day. I blocked his ass and now he calls from all kinds of different numbers. I told him that I was in a relationship and that only seemed to make him go harder. She can have the nigga back because I’m done with him,” Jersi said.

  “That nigga is in love too honey. He’s always telling BJ how much he loves you and how happy he is when y’all are together,” Cat replied.

  “Trust me when I say that the feelings are not mutual. I just had to repay him and his bitch for how dirty they did me. Now, they get to experience the kind of pain that they inflicted on me. Mission accomplished,” Jersi said right as the doorbell rang. She cringed when Eva opened the door and she heard Blake’s voice.

  “Mommy!” The twins screamed when they saw Mariah walk in behind him.

  She didn’t look anything like what Cat had described but she was not the same Mariah that she was before. She had bags under her eyes and her hair was in a ponytail. She wasn’t draped in labels either. She was dressed down in a pair of leggings with a sweater. Her girls were happy to see her but she didn’t even acknowledge them. No hug, smile or nothing else came from her. She just walked right by them and over to where Jersi and Cat were seated. When she hauled off and punched Jersi in the face, the entire room erupted in chaos.

  “No that bitch didn’t just hit my sister!” Dray yelled as he jumped up from the chair that he was sitting in.

  Dena held him back as Jersi got up from the floor where she fell when she was hit. It was like she had tunnel vision and Mariah was the only one that she saw.

  “Stay the fuck away from my husband!” Mariah screeched right before Jersi delivered a blow to her face that made her stumble a little.

  The two women exchanged licks as Mariah’s kids stood there and cried. Jersi was angry and the jabs that she was throwing reflected that. She had Mariah dazed and she fell to the floor in exhaustion.

  “Jersi stop! That’s enough!” Dena yelled when Jersi sat on top of Mariah and kept swinging.

  “Get her off of me. I’m pregnant,” Mariah cried while shielding her body.

  It was as if someone had poured cold water on a flickering flame when she said that. Jersi immediately stopped hitting her and backed away. She was breathing hard and sweat was pouring from her face. She was livid and she wanted to finish what she started. Knowing that Mariah was with child, her conscience wouldn’t allow her to. Instead, she grabbed her phone and purse from the table before storming out of Eva’s house. Dray went after her and Dena wasn’t too far behind. Mariah had her fucked up and Jersi had never been so determined before in her life. Obviously, Mariah hadn’t suffered enough but Jersi was about make her feel it in the worst way.

  “W hy would you start a fight when you knew that you were pregnant? Scratch that! Why the fuck didn’t you tell me that you were pregnant?” Blake bellowed as he paced back and forth in his living room.

  He and Mariah had just come back from his parents’ house and he was fuming. His first mind told him to leave Mariah at home but she begged him to get her out of the house for a while. Mariah was a diva, so he should have known that something was wrong when she didn’t dress up or wear any makeup. She was on a mission and she used him to help her accomplish it.

  “Do you even care Blake? You’re never home and you act like I’m invisible when you do decide to show up. It’s like I don’t even know you anymore,” Mariah cried.

  Truthfully, she and Blake really didn’t know much about each other when they hooked up. Everything happened so fast and they were married in less than a year. They never really dated. She was pregnant so they didn’t have time for a long engagement. It was crazy how they were married and trying to get to know each other after the fact. Blake came from money and that was all that she cared about at the time.

  “You didn’t know me when you tricked me into getting you pregnant either, did you? You’re supposed to be on birth control now and once again, you pop up pregnant,” Blake ranted.

  “You act like I’ve been fucking myself! You got me pregnant!” Mariah yelled.

  “Don’t remind me,” Blake sighed.

  “Wow. I really fooled myself into believing that you loved me,” Mariah chuckled sarcastically.

  “I do love you Mariah but a lot has changed since we got together. This entire situation is just complicated,” Blake said while taking a seat on the sofa.

  He was frustrated and taking it out on everybody else. Seeing Jersi at the hospital with her new man had him in a bad mood lately. Blake was wondering why she’d stopped answering his calls and now
he knew why. She had moved on and he was sick about it. He hated that he worked so much because he couldn’t really pursue Jersi like he wanted to. He was all ready to hand Mariah some divorce papers to be with her but she had moved on. The final nail in the coffin was when she blocked his number. Blake was going crazy and not knowing where she lived didn’t help much.

  “You called her from my phone Blake. That was the ultimate form of disrespect,” Mariah said, interrupting his thoughts.

  Mariah was well aware that you found things when you looked hard enough and that’s exactly what happened to her. She waited until Blake came home from working a double shift to go through his phone two days ago. He was dog tired and she had lots of time to spy. Mariah was sorry that she did when she read the text messages between him and Jersi. Her husband, the man who she took vows with, was begging his ex to let him go down on her. At first, Jersi messaged him back and even met him at their so called spot. After a while, he seemed to be going crazy because she stopped. Mariah couldn’t believe it when she looked on her phone and saw that he had been calling her from there too. She didn’t know how much more she could take before she really lost her mind. The final straw was his message to Jersi, telling her that she should have been his wife and not Mariah. In her mind, Jersi was the cause of her crumbling marriage and she wanted her to pay. Mariah didn’t think it through when she hit Jersi. She was acting off of emotions and that was never a good look.

  “What? Called who?” Blake questioned with a frown after a while of being silent.

  “Jersi, that’s who. You called that bitch from my phone over thirty times in a three day period. You might love me but you’re in love with her,” Mariah sniffled.

  “Did I ever try to deny that fact?” Blake questioned, crushing her even more.

  “What does that mean for me Blake? I can’t sit around wondering if or when you’re gonna leave me for your ex-girlfriend. Did you even stop to think about our kids?” Mariah asked him.

  “Did you? It seems that I’m the only one, besides my parents, who’s worried about them. You haven’t seen them in weeks. You don’t even call to see how their doing,” Blake pointed out.

  “What good am I to them right now? I can’t even find the strength to get out of bed most days. Thanks to your affair, I’m too depressed to even think straight,” Mariah sobbed.

  “What does that have to do with our kids Mariah? I work sixteen hours a day sometimes. They barely see me as it is. The least you could do is make sure they see you. What are you gonna do when the new baby gets here? My parents didn’t sign up to raise our kids,” Blake noted.

  “And I didn’t sign up to get cheated on,” Mariah countered.

  “You need to stop trying to play the victim. We got together by cheating so miss me with the sympathy ploy,” Blake frowned.

  “That is not the same. Jersi was your girlfriend. I’m your wife,” Mariah pointed out.

  “Then you need to start acting like it. Get my girls back home where they belong and clean up this damn house. Look at you. You’re not giving me a reason to be faithful,” Blake frowned.

  “Did you really just say that shit to me?” Mariah asked in shock.

  “I said it and I meant it. Focus less on Jersi and more on what really matters. Get your shit together before you don’t have a husband or kids to come home to. And that’s not a threat,” Blake warned as he walked away.

  Mariah was stuck but she didn’t have any other options. She was miserable but she had to put her feelings to the side and do what her husband said. She had to smile through the pain and be a mother to her girls. Either that or find herself back in the same place that she was in when she met Blake. Everything that her mother had told her years ago was so true. A man could either build you up or tear you down. In her mother’s case, she was irreparably torn and Mariah felt like she was headed down the same path. In a time where people were buying products to lighten their skin, Mariah was wishing that hers was darker. Maybe that’s what attracted Blake to Jersi. Her black was indeed beautiful and for the first time in her life, Mariah wished to be someone else.

  “That’s good for that stupid bitch!” Talena yelled over the phone.

  Jersi was on a three way call with her sister and Ariel, telling them what happened with her and Mariah a few days ago.

  “I feel bad as fuck for hitting a pregnant woman but I didn’t know,” Jersi replied.

  “I’m sorry cousin but that’s not your fault. She swung on you first and it’s not like she’s showing. You had no way of knowing that she was expecting,” Ariel reasoned.

  “Exactly! Fuck that bitch!” Talena snapped.

  “Now the bitch is playing on my phone like a lil ass girl. I don’t know how she got my number but I’m tired of blocking her delusional ass. I really wanna lay hands on her again. Since I can’t, her husband is the next best thing,” Jersi said.

  “Let that shit go Jersi. You and Memphis are happy together. Fuck Blake and Mariah,” Ariel advised.

  “Ariel, shut the fuck up. Memphis ain’t gon’ know shit. Do you Jersi,” Talena said.

  Jersi felt like she had satan on one shoulder and an angel on the other. They were both leading her in two different directions but her mind was already made up. No matter what anybody had to say, she was gonna do what she wanted anyway.

  “Fuck you Talena. Your miserable ass don’t have a man, so you don’t care if she lose hers,” Ariel snapped, surprising both Jersi and Talena.

  “Memphis ain’t going nowhere. That nigga would be a fool to leave my sister. Look at Jersi and look at him,” Talena noted.

  “The fuck is that supposed to mean?” Jersi challenged.

  “I’m just saying, even you said that he wasn’t too cute when you first met him,” Talena pointed out.

  “Bitch, I don’t give a fuck what I said in the past. Don’t try to come for my man. That’s the quickest way to get your feelings hurt,” Jersi barked.

  “I know that’s right cousin,” Ariel agreed.

  When Jersi’s phone rang, she looked at the screen on her dashboard to see that her mother was calling. She had been avoiding Dena since the incident at Eva’s house, but she couldn’t avoid her forever. Jersi told her girls that she would call them back and answered the phone for her mother.

  “Hey ma,” Jersi said.

  “Don’t hey ma me. I was about to be on my way to your house if you wouldn’t have answered this damn phone,” Dena fussed.

  “I’m not there,” Jersi chuckled.

  “It’s not funny Jersi,” Dena chastised.

  “Sorry ma,” Jersi replied.

  “I need you to tell me what’s up. When did you start messing with Blake again?” Dena questioned.

  “It’s nothing ma. I kicked it with him a few times but that was it,” Jersi said, downplaying the situation.

  “Why though Jersi? We talked about this already. I know that their actions hurt you but you should have been the bigger person.”

  “For years I was the bigger person. I never bothered them and I didn’t have a reason to start. Mariah is the one who started coming for me and I got tired of it. Why does she get to hurt people with no consequences for her actions?” Jersi wondered.

  “I get it Jersi. You wanted her to feel some of the pain that she inflicted on you but it’s not the same. Blake is not her boyfriend, he’s her husband. They have two kids and another on the way. You have a good man and that’s what you need to focus on,” Dena encouraged.

  Jersi heard her but she wasn’t listening. Bitches like Mariah made her sick. They did shit without caring or thinking about anybody else. She needed to know that she wasn’t exempt.

  “Okay ma,” Jersi replied after a while.

  “I mean it Jersi. Let it go and move on,” Dena advised.

  “I said okay. I’m done with it,” Jersi replied before they disconnected.

  That was perfect because Dena had just arrived at her destination. She parked her car in the driveway and walked up t
he stairs. After ringing the doorbell, she waited for someone to answer.

  “Dena, come on in my dear. I didn’t know that you were stopping by,” Eva smiled as she welcomed her in.

  “It wasn’t a planned visit but I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Dena replied.

  “Not at all. The girls are back home with their mother, so I’m here alone,” Eva said while offering her good friend a seat.

  “Speaking of their parents; did you know that Blake and Jersi had rekindled their relationship?” Dena asked. She didn’t buy that bullshit that Jersi had told her. In her heart, she knew that it was more than what she tried to make it out to be. Mariah wasn’t going crazy like that for nothing.