Page 83 of Pieces of Us

“I’m about to push her ass off this boat,” Nehemiah said as I laughed.

“Leave her alone. It’s her birthday,” I told him with my arms wrapped around his waist.

Chelsea, Shanice, and Drue were huddled around her, hyping her up.

My mom was at the villa with the girls, while Nehemiah, Chelsea, Shelby, Shanise, Lawrence, two of Nehemiah’scolleagues, Martel and Brandon, and his cousins, Ruger and Jaxson, and their wives joined us on the yacht.

Shelby was turning twenty-nine tomorrow, and she had been turned up since Wednesday when we left.

Since Thanksgiving was approaching, we decided we were going to extend the vacation and celebrate the holiday here. Although I loved to see the snow around the holidays, I didn’t mind spending it in the sun this time around.

“She’s doing that shit on purpose, trying to get Brandon’s attention. I’ma fuck her little ass up.”

“Do you not want your sisters to find love, Hemi?”

“No.”

I laughed. “Well, that’s too bad. You can’t expect them to be alone forever. At least if she does kick it with him, he’s not a broke man or sells drugs.”

“Whose side are you on?”

“Hers this time.”

“Oh yeah?” he said, pinching my ass cheek.

“Oh, now you want to abuse me?”

“Just that pussy, mama.”

“Oh my God!” I laughed as I looked out at the setting sun.

It had been months since everything had transpired. That one day in May when I caught my ex-husband cheating had created some type of good and bad omen. The year of 2024 had revealed so much. I knew it was only God working to remove the demons out of my life and to allow my angel to return.

There was a buzz going around on social media saying that Katt Williams had set this year off, spilling truth serum around the world from his interview with Shannon Sharpe. I believed that wholeheartedly.

Six months ago, everything that I had been blindsided by had finally began to reveal itself. Pastor Gioni Prescott had been catching hell from every which way. He had lost 70 percent ofhis followers, had to sell the home out in Troy, Michigan, moved back to Detroit,andlost his family. My mom hadn’t spoken to him since Megan’s birthday party, and neither had Drue and I. I loved my father, but what he’d done to me and allowed to happen between me and Justin wouldn’t allow even the God-fearing part of me to accept what he’d done. I still prayed for him. Even after all his wrongdoing, I still loved him and wanted the best for him.

Megan and Mariah still loved their grandpa, so I made it happen to where they went to visit him twice a week, but they could never set foot back inside his church.

Papa Cole had finally retired from the drug game and had him a girlfriend whose name was Kym. She was a Pilates instructor and in her late forties. My girls adored her…I felt like they adored any damn body, though. However, I was happy for him. They were also at the villa with the kids. I just hoped my mom and Papa Cole behaved.

Jesus, kill the visual!

A few weeks after the incident with my baby, Drue, Chelsea, and I ran down on the Duprees. There was no way I wasn’t going to get my revenge on that ho, so I waited until she was heading out to wherever the fuck she was going, and me and my sisters beat her ass so bad she had to be hospitalized.

A few weeks after that situation, her son mysteriously got his ass beat too…and something told me that it had something to do with the man standing before me. I didn’t know who he had do it, but I honestly wasn’t mad about it as long as he didn’t do it himself. The Duprees moved shortly after that.

Justin still had his career, and he was doing good. I guess he didn’t need to sell his dick to another man’s wife anymore since he had gotten back on his feet. He was only allowed to have Mariah with supervision on the weekends. I hated that for him,but it was what it was. He left my baby in the hands of that evil woman, so he had to suffer the consequences behind that.

Mariah didn’t seem to have any ill will toward her father. I was happy about that because I didn’t want them to lose the relationship they had with one another. She loved her father, and knowing how detrimental the lack of a father’s presence was, I wanted my baby to have that relationship with him.

I was cordial with him for the sake of Mariah, but our friendship was completely done. I had my king by my side.

“Aye! Sit y’all asses down somewhere! And turn that ratchet ass shit off!” Ruger yelled, walking inside the yacht and cutting the music.

“Mekai! Would you stop it? Let them have their fun!” Kenzi scolded him.

“I don’t want to see my little cousin out here shaking ass in front of these niggas.”

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