Page 8 of All The Smoke

“Babe,” I whined, unbuckling my seatbelt and climbing into his lap, peppering kisses all over his face and lips. “I’m sorry, okay?” I peered into his eyes. “Just come upstairs and let me make it up to you.”

The corners of his lips curled into a smile even though he was trying his hardest to fight it off.

Jamal was extremely jealous, he always had been, so I knew seeing me talk to Solomon would ruffle his feathers.

I apologized, but I couldn’t lie and pretend like it didn’t feel good to see him bothered for a change.

“You gon’ make the shit up to me for real,” he mumbled against my lips before kissing them again. “But let me go handle this shit with Vick, then I’m coming right back.”

My stomach caved hearing him say he was about to go meet with Vick because moments ago he was going to meet Rico.

Fighting the urge to question him, I just nodded, kissed his lips, then climbed out of his lap.

Once back in my seat, I grabbed my purse from the floor, making sure to accidentally drop my AirPods case under his seat before climbing out of the car.

He waited until I made it inside to pull away so I hurried to change my clothes and shoes in the guest room before calling Mo.

“What’s up, bitch?” she answered, sounding like she was in traffic.

“Come pick me up.”

“From where? I thought you were with Jamal.”

“I was,” I replied, going to Jamal’s contact to confirm what I already knew.

He turned his location off . He did that when he was up to no good because he knew I was going to pull the fuck up.

That was why I left my AirPods case in his car, so I’d have a way to track his cheating ass down.

“I’ll tell you about it when you get here. ”

I could have taken my car, but everyone knew mine and would tell his ass I was coming before I could catch him up. Morgan’s mother had just gotten her a new one as a gift for opening her lash bar, Pretty Peeps, and no one knew it yet.

When she confirmed she was coming, we hung up and I finished getting ready.

I texted Jamal a little while I waited so nothing seemed off.

I typically asked him a million questions while he was gone so I had to keep that up.

The fury burning inside of me grew as we texted because he was blatantly lying.

I asked him about turning the location off and he continued to blame it on him handling business and not needing me to pull up acting a fool where he was.

Too late mothafucka.

Morgan texted and let me know she was outside so I headed to her car. Once inside and rolling, I had her go to Find My iPhone and track my AirPods. She did so without question.

“So I’m assuming Jamal is on his bullshit?” she said, briefly taking her eyes off the road and glancing my way.

“Mhm.”

“What did he do this time?”

“Nothing really, I just have a hunch that he’s on bullshit.”

“Your hunches are usually right.”

“I’m tired of this shit, Mo.” I shook my head. “I want to believe my man when he says he’s leaving and going to handle business, shit I’ve been trying to, but the stupid nigga can’t even keep up with what fucking homeboy he’s going to do business with.”

Had Jamal not mixed up Vick and Rico’s names I wouldn’t be in the car on the way to where he was.

Plus the shit with the girl at the movies didn’t sit right with me.

I promised Jamal to do better, to try and trust him and shit, but that didn’t mean I was going to be stupid and turn a blind eye to the obvious.

Him and that girl clearly knew each other and I couldn’t help but think he overreacted about me and Solomon Sr. just to have an excuse to see her.

“Well, he’s been lying for years, bestie, so it makes sense if you don’t trust his word.”

“I know.” I sighed. “I just don’t understand why he can’t do right by me.”

The tears I had been fighting cascaded down my face. They weren’t because I was sad, well not all of them, they were more from frustration. For more years than I should have, I kept trying to give life to this relationship with Jamal and it was clearly past time for me to let it go.

“No, bitch.” She put the car in park because we were in front of our destination and turned toward me. “Dry your fucking tears,” she demanded, thumbing some of them away. “He doesn’t deserve them, Kaori.”

“Okay.” I sniffled and used the back of my hands to wipe the rest away.

“And this is it, bestie,” she continued.

“We’re about to go see what’s up here tonight, but this is the last time I will accompany you to do this shit.

Jamal doesn’t deserve you and you know it.

Out of six years the only thing he has done for you is help trump up charges on your record while he continues to live off of you.

If you decide to still be with him after we find out if he’s up to no good or not then that’s your business, but I won’t support this anymore. Okay?”

I nodded. “I understand.”

Morgan had always been painfully honest and blunt so I knew she wasn’t lying about this being her last time pulling up to a random address with me to catch my no good nigga up again. Hell, I couldn’t blame her. She had been doing this with me for years and he wasn’t her man.

“Good, now come on. Let’s go fuck him up one last time.,” she said as if she was sure he was on bullshit.

Who was I kidding? His trifling ass definitely was on bullshit.

We climbed out of her car and made our way to the front door of the house. I rolled my eyes as I bypassed his car because he was full of shit. I had been to both Vick and Rico’s places and the duplex we were in front of definitely wasn’t either of their homes.

Morgan knocked on the door and we waited a few minutes until my suspicions were confirmed. The girl from the movie theater answered the door.

“Can I—what the hell?” she screeched as I pushed inside of her house. “What are you doing?”

“Where is he?” I asked.

“W-who?” she stammered.

“Bitch, don’t play with me,” I growled. “I came to fuck him up for playing with me, don’t get your ass beat too.”

“I-I don’t…”

“Bae, who is…that?” His voice trailed off when he realized who the fuck it was. His lying ass was already comfortable too, walking around with no shirt and shoes on. “Baby, what you doing?”

“Who’s baby?” I quizzed. “Me or the bitch you don’t know?”

“Kaori, I?—”

Not caring to hear the lie he was about to tell, I rushed him, swinging as soon as I was close enough.

I didn’t give a damn that he was bigger than me or that he was a man.

I fought him like we were equals, only he wasn’t fighting me back.

Instead he covered his face because I was successful in knocking him down and getting on top of him.

I swung, connecting my fists anywhere they would land while talking shit to him. I was sick of him playing me and dragging me through the mud. He kept trying to scoot away and push me off, but I kept climbing my way back. He was going to feel my wrath. There was no getting away.

I was also crying as I beat his ass. I was not only furious; I was one hundred percent positive I was done with him. This was the final straw for me. I had pulled up to the last bitch’s house to whoop his ass for the final time. I was done.

“Okay bestie, that’s enough,” Morgan said before she pulled me up.

“I’m calling the police,” the girl cowering in the corner said as she headed for the hallway but Morgan stopped her.

“No need,” I scoffed, trying to catch my breath. “I’m leaving, but Jamal, I’m warning you to stay away from me.”

“Kaori—”

“I don’t want to hear it,” I snapped. “I don’t give a fuck what you have to say and I don’t want to hear any more of your fucking lies. I’ll have all of your things packed and sent to your mother’s place. Just stay the fuck away from me, Jamal, or I’ll get Ice and K-Dot involved.”

He knew I meant business if I threatened to get my parents involved. I did my best to keep them out of our relationship. But I was fed up with his bullshit. I wanted nothing else to do with him.

“Baby don’t do this,” he pleaded. “This shit ain’t what you think it is.”

“You damn right it isn’t,” I responded breathlessly.

“I thought you loved me and were ready to finally get it right with me, but you know what, it’s my fault.

My fault for not seeing your no good, trifling, broke ass for who you really were.

You’ve done nothing for six years but use me for sex, money, and a place to stay.

You know none of the bitches you fuck with can fuck with me on any level, so you fuck them but never wife them because none of them offer the type of home and stability I do, but trust me…

” I looked in ol’ girl’s direction. “I’m not saying that to flex because saying this out loud really shows me how much of a stupid bitch I’ve been out here fighting him and the bitches he cheats with, catching charges and shit like a weak bitch, but no more.

” I shook my head, looking back into Jamal’s eyes. “Forget I ever existed.”

With those being my final words, I turned and left with tears still rushing down my face.

Only this time they were tears of joy. I was happy to finally be walking away from this toxic ass relationship.

I wouldn’t get over him completely overnight , but I felt good with each step I took, knowing it was a step further into a brighter future without a fuck nigga stressing me out.