Page 101 of Real's Love

"Pip! You don't have a fiancé! You just made up that story for Tammy nem, remember? Or have you totally lost it?"

She huffed out a sigh before glaring over her shoulder at me. At least, I assumed she was glaring—I really couldn't see in this dark ass room.

"Since when am I that crazy, Everly Love?"

"Since forever. But since when do you give a fuck what Tamyra and her crew think?" I challenged.

She sighed again, this time softer. "I... don't. Not really. But they've been picking for two damn decades. And all of 'em married?—"

"Most miserably," I reminded her of the rumors.

She pressed on, ignoring me.

"—and Em got Prime and as soon as we blink, Targen gon' snatch my sister away. Then you?—"

I cut that shit off right then.

"Me, what? Me, nothing!"

"You, lying!" she countered before laughing. "Wasn't that Real's fine ass out there redirecting Heath?—"

"He did what?" I squawked.

I had missed that! Pip kissed her teeth.

"Ev, you don't want no damn Heath.”

I hated her for being right. Trying to forget Montréal Hamilton was the reason I’d broken my no-date edict, and it hadn’t even been worth it.

“Yeah, so he redirected Heath, and he pulled you all up against him just when Tammy was about to start,” Pip continued. “That left me. I didn't feel like popping her up in her wide ass mouth tonight."

So, when Tammy had asked Pip where her date was, Pip had coolly informed her that her "fiancé" was busy...

Minutes earlier...

I fought to keep my mouth from falling open like the Three Treacherous Trolls'—Tamyra (aka Tammy), Tracy, and Telina. I don't know who was more shocked at hearing that Epiphany had a fiancé—me, her supposedly closest confidant, or them, our childhood worst enemies. It didn't take Tammy's messy ass long to recover and start a round of harsh laughter at Pip's expense. I tried to squirm away from where Real held me against him, ready to go off if my cousin even gave me half a sign. I hadn't come here for this, but Pip was my baby. Real wouldn't let go and I scowled at him over my shoulder.

"Chill, cuz if her nigga come over here, he gon' have a problem," he rasped against my ear, catching me off-guard.

"You engaged without a ring, Pippi?" Tammy snarked, calling Pip the nickname that had been meant to make fun of the two wild braids she'd loved when we were younger.

"It's being sized. All of this is really new to us but we're taking our time, getting it...right," Pip returned with her own snark, not even being subtle about hinting at the divorce rumors swirling about Tammy and her husband Byron.

Tammy made an ugly little sound as I smirked at her and her followers. The sad thing was, the Trolls were pretty women who had been above average students. They just chose to be a pack of evil bullies.

"What is it that this sudden fiancé of yours busy doing?" Tammy started again.

"How is that yo' business, witcho messy ass?" I demanded.

"Swear this country ass version of you makes my dick hard," Real mumbled.

"Any version of me makes yo' dick hard," I whispered back, sucking my teeth.

"I'm just saying. It's mighty convenient and desperate how y'all... pleasantly plump asses popping up with these niggas all of a sudden. Hell, you probably payin' this fine ass specimen," Tammy piped up, scowling at me.

"Nah, from what I heard about her last ex, he probably paying her," Tracy spat. "Hoe," she mumbled.

Real's arms tightened just as Pip grabbed my hand to keep me from reaching out and touching the bitch.

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