POV

*AYANA*

I can’t lie Simone got down with that one. She was never one to speak like that because it was out of her comfort zone. She genuinely cared, but she never openly expressed her feelings for everyone. However, she wasn’t lying. I’ve been saying the same thing. Mira really needs to let that man go. She found someone who might actually care about her, and she’s still holding onto baggage. Like, girl, pick a struggle.

She’s still my girl, and I love her with all my heart, but she needs to wake up sometimes. Just know that, right or wrong, I’m always here for her because our bond is strong. And I’m my sister’s keeper.

Keema, on the other hand, can jump into oncoming traffic. I’m so tired of trying to connect with her. She just needs to come clean and stop messing with people’s men. It’s like if they’re available, she doesn’t want them. She’s a gutter mouth ass hoe. At one point in college, she tried to go after a guy I liked. Thankfully, we never went further than project partners. Otherwise, she would’ve been one with the pavement a long time ago.

It’s clear that when she showed up to brunch, things became personal very quickly. She tried to cross me, and I took that, but she crossed my best friend. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

She had called me the night before, which had my antennae up in the first place because we hadn’t spoken since Mira’s birthday. She’d been one red flag after another since then.

“Hey Yana,” she said.

“Ayana, what do you want, Keema?”

“Why is everyone so cold to me?”

“Keema, you don’t really want the answer to that.”

“You’re right, but I called to talk and maybe vent a little bit.”

“About what? We haven’t spoken to each other in so long.”

“Friends don’t have to speak every day, Ayana. Anyway, so I went to see Chris at the hospital, and he said some interesting things.”

“Why do you keep messing with that girl’s man? You just don’t learn, do you?”

“Why is everyone missing the fact that he was mine first?”

“That was a long time ago, and he built a life with Mira, not you!”

“Well, he started with me first.”

“What do you mean?”

“We were expecting a baby first, before…you know.”

“Right, right, but Keema, have you ever considered that maybe a baby with someone else’s man wasn’t a good idea?”

“Maybe, but it doesn’t erase the pain or the memory of what happened.”

“Where are you going with this?”

“Apparently, Mira is pregnant with his child now. It really upset me, and it still does.”

“Hmm.”

“I genuinely believe that me and him are meant to be together, and when I heard that, I knew I had to do something. So, I kept prank-calling her job, hoping they would take action. I just wish she would get out of the way so we can finally be together.”

What is she, five? At our grown ages, do people go around prank-calling people’s jobs? This woman really needs to get a grip. Wait… did she just…

I’m not sure if she knew that I had caught that, but it made my blood boil. Was she really that miserable a person that she would stop at nothing to get a piece of a man who doesn’t even notice her for real? Hell yeah. How did she become so pathetic?

“Keema, if he truly wanted you, I think he would have made that clear a long time ago.”

“No, when we lost the baby, he just went through a rough patch. I can fix it, she just needs to get out of the way.”

Delusion at its finest.

“Look, that’s a lot to process with you and Chris right now. How about you come out for brunch tomorrow to take a break?”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, girl. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at that fancy restaurant on thirteenth and main… chateau something.”

“Ooh, I’ve been wanting to go there. See you then. And Ayana, thanks for listening.”

“Yeah.”

I hung up, but I couldn’t do it fast enough. The audacity she had to call me after sabotaging my best friend. Girl, fuck you.

It was challenging to keep it from Mira, but I understood that revealing it would prevent her from showing up. Distributing blows to the face was well worth it. My hand meeting her face ignited a surge of energy within me. It felt like I had to repay her for both past and present transgressions. Considering Mira’s pregnancy, she wouldn’t be able to get in the field, so I had no qualms about taking matters into my own hands.

I know what I did wasn’t all the way right, but it’s no regrets on my end.

….

*KEEMA*

I’ve somehow become public enemy number one. I’ve been trying to follow my heart, and all of a sudden, I’m labeled as a problem. I yearn for acceptance and happiness, yet I’m consistently portrayed as the villain while my feelings are disregarded. I acknowledge that I made a mistake with Mira years ago. However, Simone was supposed to be my partner. She never expressed her feelings in such a manner. It hurt, but I can empathize with her perspective. I simply didn’t recognize her expressing herself in that way.

I genuinely believed that I could confide in Ayana. I hadn’t done anything to her. She was my last resort. I needed to vent my emotions. I didn’t even intend to reveal my actions to her; it just slipped out. I attempted to divert her attention to avoid detection.

Since she didn’t acknowledge it, perhaps she didn’t catch on. The fact that she was there to listen made me feel lighter and happier. When she invited me, I thought we were making waves.

I had been so foolish that I should have known better. However, it was too late when my face screamed in pain and I collapsed to the ground.

The situation outside was even worse. The cold, hard metal of the car collided with my face and brain, causing me to swell and bleed profusely. I couldn’t think straight due to the pain. I managed to walk away with a few bruises and a busted lip. My nose may also need to be checked, but it could have been worse. I’ve learned my lesson and will never go out with those women again. My face hurts so bad.