Page 40 of Certified Pressure 2
My chest was heaving, my makeup running down my face, and all I could do was glare at Kashmere like I wanted to kill her.I tried to push past the guard to get at her, but he held me back tight.
“Move! Let me get this bitch!” I screamed, tears stinging my eyes. “Bitch, you done fucked up my whole look! You jealous ass slut!”
Pressure cut his eyes at me. “Ka’mari, shut up and just go change!”
His words burned worse than the drink in my eyes. I wanted him to comfort me, to check Kashmere harder, to stand on my side in front of everybody. But instead, he brushed me off like I was just some extra drama he didn’t have time for.
I cursed under my breath and stormed out, the guard walking me down the hall so I wouldn’t double back and try to finish the fight. I was still yelling, cussing and promising myself Kashmere wasn’t gonna get away with this shit. By the time I reached my room, my chest was tight with anger.
I slammed the door behind me, rushing straight to the mirror. The reflection almost made me cry. My makeup was smeared, mascara streaking down my cheeks, my wig half twisted with salad still clinging to it. My dress was ruined and had stains everywhere.
We were supposed to leave in less than an hour, and here I was looking like the before picture in a makeover show.
I pressed my palms against the wall, leaning in close to the mirror, breathing heavy as my eyes welled up. Kashmere had embarrassed me in front of everyone, and worst of all, she had done it before I even got the chance to step out with Pressure. My night was supposed to be perfect, but now I didn’t even know if I could show my face.
Trill-Land, Jungle Estate
Man, I ain’t tryna hear all that shit, Kash!” I shouted, pullin’ her crazy rowdy ass out the kitchen. She was still loud, still poppin’ off, still tryna explain herself like she ain’t just dump a whole plate of food and drink on Ka’mari, and then whooped on her in front of everybody. My hand was clamped on her arm, and she snatched away like I was the problem.
“Ion give a fuck, Pressure!” Kashmere barked, her voice bouncin’ off the walls. “That bitch came at me first! She always got some slick shit to say and you know it. I don’t even know why she in this house, real talk. If you gon’ check somebody, check her ass!”
Her mouth wouldn’t quit, but I wasn’t in the mood to hear none of that. My head was hot, and the more she talked, the more it felt like she wasn’t even hearin’ me.
“You trippin’,” I told her, gettin’ close enough to make sure she saw I wasn’t playin’. “You wild as fuck, throwin’ food. You don’t handle shit like that in here, period. I don’t give a fuck what she said.”
Kashmere rolled her eyes and folded her arms. “Man, miss me with that bullshit. You know I don’t start no fights, Pressure. She jealous, that’s all it is. She mad I’m even here. And you takin’ her side? That’s crazy.”
I shook my head. “This ain’t about takin’ sides. It’s about you knowin’ how to act.”
Her mouth popped open like she wanted to come back harder, but I turned away. I wasn’t gon’ keep goin’ in circles with Kashmere. She wasn’t wrong about Ka’mari, but she damn sure wasn’t right either. I just needed a second to cool off.
That’s when it hit me. I realized I hadn’t heard Toni’s voice all through the mess. Normally Toni would’ve had some wild joke, some loud-ass commentary, or at least some words throwin’ gas on the fire, but she was ghost. For a second, it threw me off. I glanced around the kitchen, then the dinin’ room, but she wasn’t there.
It crossed my mind to go look for her, but I shut it down just as fast. I just needed a moment to calm down after tusslin’ with Kashmere. Toni was probably tucked off somewhere laughin’ about the whole situation anyway. I told myself I would catch her later, and if she was salty about somethin’, she would let me know when she was ready.
Right now, Ka’mari was the one on my mind. As much as I hated to admit it, she had a way of makin’ a nigga feel bad for her. I could still see the way her face looked with whatever the fuck Kashmere splashed across it, how her dress was clingin’ toher body, wet with food on it and her makeup runnin’. Ka’mari wasn’t the type to throw hands, but she tried her best to get with Kashmere, which told me all I needed to know about how much this shit stung her. She wasn’t tough in moments like that. And I hated that Kashmere knew it.
I dragged my feet toward the kitchen doorway, then cut back through the foyer and headed for the elevator. I knew Ka’mari wasn’t downstairs no more, and she damn sure wasn’t gon’ be sittin’ around with salad in her hair. I hit the button, stepped inside, and leaned back on the rail, takin’ a slow pull off the blunt I had tucked behind my ear since earlier.
When the elevator slid open on the top floor, it was quiet as a graveyard. I started movin’ down the hall, pushin’ open doors one by one, but the rooms was empty. The mansion was too damn big sometimes, and it made my patience short.
Finally, I hit the last room on the left, and when I opened it, there she was. Ka’mari was sittin’ on the edge of the bed with her head down with her fingers pickin’ weak at her hair. She had changed outta the ruined dress and heels, and was now in a tee and sweatpants like she couldn’t care less, but her eyes told on her. They was red and swollen with white streaks runnin’ down her cheeks. I could tell she had been cryin’.
I stood there a second, lettin’ the door swing wider. My first thought was how fucked up it was, ‘cause not even an hour ago she was dressed up to the nines, ready to step out with me, lookin’ like a million dollars. I hated that Kashmere took that from her. I hated that she let it knock her down like this.
“Man, look at you,” I said, walkin’ in and closin’ the door. “This what you on? You lettin’ that shit get to you like this?”
Ka’mari sniffed, still pickin’ lettuce out her curls. “Don’t start, Pressure. I don’t wanna hear it.”
I sat down beside her, my elbows on my knees. “You think I don’t feel bad? You think I liked seein’ my night fucked up ‘causeof some dumb shit? I was breakin’ it up. Don’t try to flip it on me like I wasn’t there.”
She looked at me, her eyes glistenin’. “You wasn’t there for me though. Not the way I needed you to be.”
I leaned back, slid my arm across the headboard, and stared at her. “I’m here now, ain’t I? All that extra shit don’t matter. What matter is we don’t let that lil’ bullshit ruin our night. You hear me? We still got shit to do.”
She shook her head, tears fallin’ again. “I don’t even feel like goin’ no more. I’m embarrassed, I’m mad, and I’m tired. Kashmere always get away with everything, and you don’t even?—”
I cut her off. “Nah, you not finna do that. You not finna let her win like that. You gettin’ up. You was lookin’ too damn good to let it go to waste. Best revenge is actin’ like what the next muthafucka did ain’t stop shit, you feel me? I already paid for VIP, got the whole section waitin’. You gon’ sit here cryin’, or you gon’ get up and show she ain’t faze you?”
