Page 25 of The Hellcat Barbies: Zora
Because I wasn’t.
9
Zora
The sun was finally setting, bouncing off the asphalt and making the air feel thick. Cars were lined across the lot—hoods open, engines humming, people crowding around with drinks and cameras out. Bass shook the ground every few seconds, and laughter carried over the noise. The Barbies were out front where they always were—loud, confident, and ready to make a statement.
I leaned against my Charger between Tiana and Nia, watching the crowd. The smell of gas and burnt rubber hung in the air, but it didn’t bother me one bit. It smelled like… home.
“Look who just walked up?” Tiana voiced. I followed her gaze and caught him right away. Semi moved through the crowd like he had all day to get where he was going. His daughter, Samerah, was right beside him—talking, laughing, and pointing things out that she deemed interesting. Behind them were his brother and nephew. Semi stopped every few steps, shaking hands, speaking to people, but his eyes still found me. I didn’t move… justwatched him until that small smile hit the corner of his mouth. By the time he reached me, the noise faded into the background.
“Wassup, mama,” he greeted, low and smooth.
“Hey,” I answered.
Before I could blink, he leaned in and kissed me… slow, and deep. It wasn’t for show, but people definitely noticed. I heard Tiana mumbling something slick beside me, but I didn’t care.
When he pulled back, Samerah was grinning up at me, hands on her hips like she’d been waiting to speak. “You’re really pretty,” she said matter-of-factly. “Daddy said your car’s fast. You gonna take me on a ride one day?”
I laughed, crouching, so we were eye level. “Oh yeah? You think you can handle that?”
She nodded without hesitation. “I can handle anything. Right, Daddy?”
Before Semi could get a word out, I spotted my brother and Kaia coming through the crowd. He had that look letting me know he was about to get in my business, and Kaia was right beside him, eating a snow cone and talking his ear off.
“Aye, who is this?” he asked, eyeing me and Semi. Semi never broke eye contact with my brother while he grilled him.
“Q, this is Semi. Semi this is my brother, Quentin, and my niece, Kaia.” I introduced the two who still in a stare-off.
He nodded slowly, studying him for a beat before shaking his hand. “Aight. I guess the nigga cool if he got you out here displaying public affection and shit.” He smirked. That caused me to hit him in the chest and Semi to smirk.
“Hi,” Kaia spoke to Samerah as if she was feeling her out.
“Hey,” Samerah countered. “I like your hair.”
“My TiTi Zo did it for me,” she revealed causing a small smile to grace my face.
“Daddy, can I have pink hair?” Samerah looked at her daddy with those big doe shaped eyes of hers.
“We’ll think about it, Peanut,” he assured.
Samerah introduced her cousin CJ to Kaia, and his little mannish ass was showing all his teeth in my baby’s face. The next few minutes consisted of the three of them talking about any and everything like they were old friends. I knew right then that those three would be inseparable.
I looked over and saw Semi and my brother off to the side engaged in a conversation while the kids talked. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but when my brother nodded and Semi looked at me with that coochie melting grin, I knew I had to be good.
The sound of engines rolled over the crowd again, and Semi leaned close enough for his breath to touch my ear. “You need anything?”
“No… I’m good.”
His hand brushed the small of my back before he stepped aside with Merah, giving me space but still staying close.
By the time the races wrapped up, the crowd started thinning. The noise dropped from chaos to a low hum—people packing up, engines cooling, the smell of rubber still thick in the air. I leaned against my car watching everything slow down. Tiana and Nia walked back up looking like they were ready to start their shit.
“So, I see y’all were serious about seeing where things go. That man came up to you like he didn’t care what nobody had to say about it,” Tiana probed.
“And didn’t,” Nia added.
“Y’all making it more than what it was,” I deflected. I know I agreed to do whatever this is that we’re doing, but I wasn’t expecting him to go full force with it.
