Page 5 of Ony If It's You
“Interesting.” I snickered. “If you learned your lesson, you wouldn’t have a baby on the way by Jade.”
“Kehlani—”
“Text me if you want the twins.” I cut him off and disconnected the call.
“Ugh I didn’t think you’d ever hang up on his goofy ass,” Celeste said as she entered my room and flopped down on my bed.
Celeste and my grandmother hated Pharaoh. They always had. There was never a time that they missed telling either of us that they didn’t care for him. The both of them tolerated him because of the kids, but that was as far as it went. He didn’t care for them either though, but him and Brooke were cool. It had been that way since school. He often told me that she was my only real friend since she supported our relationship, but I knew better. She and Celeste were both myrealfriends.
“I know, friend.” I laughed.
“I can’t wait for you to get a new man on his ass,” she fussed. “He’s going to be sick seeing another nigga treating you how you should be treated.”
Laughing at her rant, I walked over and started to put my clothes away. I had been single and celibate since I’d left my kids’ father. I didn’t have time for menat all. The twins were involved in so many extracurricular activities and I was always busy with Rejuvenated, the beauty bar that I had recently opened. I didn’t have any time to spare. I really didn’t have the time to take off for Vegas, but I couldn’t miss my friend’s wedding.
“Well, that won’t be anytime soon,” I said. “You know I have tunnel vision right now. If it wasn’t for Brooke getting married, I wouldn’t be going to Vegas.”
“I know and as much as I hate to say it, I’m glad the bitch is getting married so we can get your ass to do something other than work and be a mom.”
“Am I not supposed to be responsible, Celeste?”
“Yeah, but you’re supposed to get dicked down in between too.”
Sharing a laugh, I waved her off and went into my closet to grab my Yeezy slides and purse. It was time for me to get my little humans and go to my grandmother’s.
“Come on hoe, I have to get the kids.” I pulled her off of my bed and the two of us headed out, turning all of the lights out on the way. Her shoes and purse were by the door, so she grabbed them and the kids’ suitcases before we exited and I locked up. “I’m going to start charging you rent to stay here.”
“Uhm, yep, I’ll start to pay rent when you do.”
“Oop, touché, bitch.” Lightly shoving her, I laughed before getting into the car after putting the kids’ things in the back. I was in my feelings a little thinking about the amount of time that I was going to be away from my babies. The only time we weren’t together was when they were at school, at my grandmother’s, or with their father and his people.
It was super important to me to raise my own kids. It had a lot to do with my mother abandoning me because she felt that she wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready either, but as soon as I saw those two lines on that pregnancy test, I got ready. They didn’t ask to be here, so I was going to forever go hard for them and make sure they felt all of the love I had for them.
Chapter Three
Javyous
“A committed relationship?” I frowned. “What does that even have to do with my career?”
My uncle and I had come to meet with the image consultant he’d hired for me. He was really on this shit about me rebranding myself and changing up my image before I got back in the ring. I was with it at first, but now not so much. I’d always lived by my father’s words that relationships, emotions, and all that shit were a distraction. I just wanted to fuck and get on through. Nothing more, nothing less.
“Yes, a committed relationship, JV,” she reiterated then leaned forward, folding her hands in front of her on the table. “Listen, think about Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant to name a few, what do all of those men have in common?”
“Money.” I shrugged.
“Javyous,” my uncle chastised.
“What?” I asked, feigning ignorance.
“What else, JV?” Diverting my eyes, I looked everywhere other than at her so I could avoid answering her question. Catching onto what I was doing, she answered her own question.“They’re all married. Each of them are successful, wealthy,marriedBlack men.”
“I ain’t getting no fucking married,” I hissed.
Chuckling, she reached to touch my hand and delivered me a sympathetic, but reassuring look.
“I’m not saying that you have to. All I’m saying is each of these men are very successful and stable. A part of that stability comes from displaying a solidified home front. You almost killed a man on national television, JV, and he was in a coma for weeks after that. LeBron is a beast on the court, but he is loved by everyone for what he does off of the court in charity and how he is with his family. It is very important that we not only show your fans, but the world that you have taken the necessary steps to change.”
My glare went back and forth between her and my uncle before I finally looked away and ran my hand across my fade. I hated to admit it, but she was right and so was my uncle. I had to change the public’s perception of me.
