Page 41 of Certified Pressure 2

Trill-Land, Jungle Estate

T oday I was ‘bout to send Ka’mari home, and to be honest, this was the hardest shit I was about to do.

I had been pacin’ in my office all mornin’, tryna line my head up with my heart, but the two wasn’t agreeing.

Renza was leaned back in one of the leather chairs, smoke curlin’ up from his blunt, and Blaqson was standin’ near the wall with his arms crossed, quiet like he was waitin’ on me to explode.

I kept lookin’ around the room though, my mind stuck on somethin’ else.

“Where the fuck Lo at?” I asked finally, squintin’ like maybe I was missin’ somethin’.

Renza shrugged without movin’ much. “Nigga said he was goin’ outta town for a few days. That’s all he said.”

I stared at him for a beat, then glanced at Blaqson, but he just shook his head like he ain’t have nothin’ to add.

Normally I would press the shit harder, but my chest was too heavy with the shit I had to handle today.

Kay’Lo would turn up when he felt like it, and whatever he had goin’ on wasn’t bigger than what I was about to do.

I pulled out my desk drawer and reached inside, my hand closin’ around a cream-colored box.

Just feelin’ the weight of it had my pulse thumpin’ like a bitch.

I flipped it open, and the diamond inside caught the light like fire.

That shit was blinding. It was the kind of ring that could change a whole life.

“Goddamn,” Blaqson muttered under his breath, his eyes locked on the stone.

Renza leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “Pressure, you dead ass about this? Like, for real?”

I nodded slow, my eyes still on the ring.

“Yeah. I’m dead ass. Kashmere been patient with me in ways I didn’t even think she could.

When I told her we needed to fall back on sex, she ain’t trip.

She ain’t throw a tantrum. She just started steppin’ up in other ways, like communicating, showin’ up, bein’ present.

She gave me somethin’ different. And I can’t act like I don’t see it.

I’m tired of puttin’ her before everybody else.

She might be crazy, but she love a nigga. ”

Renza rubbed his chin. “I hear you, but you sure this the move you wanna make? Don’t get caught up in what sound right and end up missin’ what feel right.”

“Yeah,” Blaqson said, still eyein’ the ring like it was hypnotizing him. “We gon’ ride with whatever you choose, bro, but don’t half-step with it. If you gon’ do this, be all the way in.”

I shut the box and slipped it into my pocket.

The elevator ride down with Renza and Blaqson was quiet, but in my head, shit was loud.

I kept seein’ Ka’mari’s face and kept hearin’ her laugh, but rememberin’ all the fucked up nights we survived together.

But I also saw Kashmere, patient and smilin’, waitin’ for me to choose her.

It felt like I was about to cut my own heart open either way.

When the doors opened to the foyer, both of them was standin’ there—Ka’mari and Kashmere…

They had their bags packed at their feet, both of them dressed like they knew today was the day. They looked beautiful, but it wasn’t the kind of beauty you just admire—it was the kind that made your chest ache because you knew you couldn’t have it both ways.

I called Ka’mari first.

She walked over slow, her heels clickin’ against the marble, her lips pressed tight.

Her hands trembled just enough for me to notice, and her eyes were already wet.

When she stopped in front of me, I did somethin’ I hadn’t done in a long time.

I gave her a real kiss. Not because I felt like I had to or ‘cause I felt sorry for her, but because I wanted to give her that one real goodbye.

When I pulled back, my hands stayed on her face.

“Ka’mari… what we had was special. Don’t ever think it wasn’t.

The years we put in meant somethin’ to me, but it was built off pain and obsession.

I been holdin’ onto you ‘cause of our son, and ‘cause I ain’t wanna let him go. But the truth is, we not healthy for each other.”

Her lips trembled as the tears finally fell. “Don’t do this to me, Pressure,” she whispered, her voice crackin’.

I swallowed hard and wiped her tears away with my thumb.

“If I could take all that shit back, I would. I’m sorry for everything I put you through.

I wanted our baby so bad. I wanted him more than I ever wanted anything.

Losin’ him broke me in ways I ain’t even know I could break.

That’s why I clung to you. But we can’t keep livin’ in that grave.

We can’t keep breakin’ each other just ‘cause we too scared to let go.”

She let out a sob and leaned into my hand. “Please…”

“I gotta let you go,” I said, my voice tremblin’ for the first time. “I love you, but not like this. You deserve better. You deserve freedom. I’m so sorry for holdin’ you back.”

Her sobs echoed through the foyer, heavy enough to make even Renza shift uncomfortably. I kissed her forehead one last time and stepped back. “Go be free.”

Her whole body shook as she grabbed her bag and walked passed Kashmere rollin’ her eyes. She turned slow toward me, and when she walked away, it felt like a piece of me was walkin’ with her.

Regardless of how she felt, she knew in her heart, it was time to let go. I could just tell by the way she chose not to put up a fight.

My phone kept buzzin’ in my pocket, but I ignored it. My eyes was already locked on Kashmere.

“Come here,” I said.

She walked over with tears already slidin’ down her cheeks, but hers were different. She was smilin’ through them, her eyes shinin’ with hope. “I can’t believe this is real,” she whispered.

I reached into my pocket, my fingers brushin’ against the ring box. The weight of it felt final, like once I pulled it out there was no turnin’ back. My phone buzzed again under my hand, vibrating against the box. I cursed under my breath and pulled the phone out, ready to shut it off.

Then I froze.

It was Pluto.

Her name lit up my screen like a ghost comin’ back to haunt me. I swallowed hard, my thumb hoverin’ over the screen. I should’ve ignored it, but I couldn’t. I pressed accept.

“Pressure,” her voice came through, shaky but firm. “I’m outside the gate.”

My chest locked up. “What?”

“I’m outside,” she repeated quickly. “Never mind, a car is comin’ through. I’m already on my way inside.”

“Pluto—” I started, but the line went dead.

I shoved the phone back in my pocket and turned toward the door, my stomach twistin’.

Renza and Blaqson was right behind me when I yanked the door open.

A few moments later, I saw Pluto walkin’ up the driveway with her bag in her hand, her eyes locked on me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.

My chest exploded with emotions I couldn’t even name.

Before I could say anything, she dropped her bag, rushed forward, and crashed into my arms. Her lips hit mine like she had been starvin’ for this shit, and I kissed her back without even thinkin’, my hands grippin’ her waist like I never wanted to let her go.

When I finally pulled back, breathless and stunned, I turned around, and froze.

Kashmere was standin’ in the doorway, her face pale, her mouth parted and her eyes full of disbelief as she watched us.

The whole world stopped.

I couldn’t even lie… this shit was crazy as fuck. Pluto was in my arms and Kashmere was standin’ at the doorway with a broken heart I ain’t even know if I could piece back together.

I backed up slow, my hands still tinglin’ from touchin’ Pluto, but my eyes locked dead on Kash. She wasn’t sayin’ shit, but the look she gave me cut deeper than any words could. It was disbelief and pain all mixed up, like she couldn’t believe I just played in her face like that.

And the worst was she didn’t even know what I was about to do. She didn’t know I was standin’ there earlier with a ring in my pocket, ready to make her my fiancé.

I pulled in a breath and walked back into the house, my chest tight. Renza and Blaqson was already there lookin’ at me like, nigga, what the fuck? Kashmere was still frozen in the doorway, tears rollin’ down her face as her eyes bounced between me and Pluto.

She reached for her luggage like she was ‘bout to dip, but I moved quick, rushin’ toward her. “Kash, chill,” I said, my voice low but urgent.

She stopped, her hand still grippin’ the handle, and looked up at me. She didn’t speak, but she ain’t have to. Her tears told me everything she wanted to say.

I stared deep into her eyes, and it was like we was talkin’ without movin’ our mouths. She was tired of bein’ second place. She was tired of me choosin’ everybody else over her. And through my eyes, I was tryna tell her I saw her, that I loved her, and that I was tired of doin’ her wrong.

My own eyes burned, and I ain’t even care if anybody saw it. That shit wasn’t weakness—it was real. She meant more to me than I could ever explain, but here I was, caught up in some shit I couldn’t untangle.

Pluto was standin’ behind me, her eyes wide, probably thinkin’ she just made her big move back into my life. Kashmere was in front of me breakin’ down, and I was damn near breakin’ with her.

Renza and Blaqson exchanged a look, and I knew right then they wasn’t about to let this shit go no further in front of everybody. Renza cleared his throat and stepped forward.

“Look, y’all both need to chill. Pluto, Kash, don’t go nowhere. We gotta talk to Pressure real quick,” he said firmly.

Blaqson nodded, his tone even sharper. “Yeah, hold tight. This ain’t gon’ get solved like this.”

They stepped in, one on each side of me, and hurried me toward the elevator. I didn’t fight it. My head was spinnin’, and I ain’t have the words anyway.

The ride up felt longer than usual. None of us said shit, but the tension was sittin’ heavy. When the doors opened, we walked into my room. Blaqson closed the door behind us, and the silence broke with all three of us lettin’ out a breath like we been holdin’ it too long.

Renza was the first to speak. “Nigga… what the fuck goin’ on? We need answers.”

I sat on the edge of my bed and buried my face in my hands. My phone was still in my pocket, and that shit felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. “Man, I don’t even know,” I muttered. “I wasn’t expectin’ Pluto to just show up like that. I really thought we was done when I left her yesterday.”

Renza leaned against the dresser, his arms folded. “But she did. She showed up, and you ain’t push her away. You kissed her back. Nigga, you been flyin’ out to her city, fuckin’ her, beggin’ her to come back. You in love with her. Stop frontin’.”

Before I could respond, Blaqson cut in, his voice firm. “Nah, hold up. Let’s keep it real. Pluto been runnin’ from you this whole time. Givin’ you excuses, tellin’ you no when you wanted her to come home. And now she just pop up like everything sweet? That don’t sit right.”

Renza shook his head. “So what? It don’t matter how she came back, it matter that she did. It’s obvious she’s the one this nigga want. All that shit he did, all them flights—he ain’t do that for Kash. He did it for Pluto.”

Blaqson stepped forward, his voice rising.

“And what about Kash? You forget how she started out? Yeah, she was wild, rowdy as fuck, but I been watchin’ her.

I seen the way she toned that shit down, the way she tried to meet him where he was at.

Nigga, you just said you was tired of choosin’ everybody else over Kashmere, and tired of puttin’ her last. Now look at what’s happenin’. You about to do the same shit again.”

I sat there, my hands pressin’ into my face, my mind twisted up in knots. Renza’s words hit one side of me, Blaqson’s words hit the other, and both of them felt true.

Pluto was the one I couldn’t get out my system, no matter how far I tried to run.

She was the one I kept beggin’ to come home, the one I couldn’t stop thinkin’ about.

But Kashmere… Kashmere was the one who ain’t leave.

She was the one who stood tall in the storm, even when she could’ve walked away.

She was loud at times, crazy, sometimes too much, but she was still here.

She stayed when I gave her every reason not to.

And now I was stuck in the middle of them both.

“I don’t know what the fuck to do,” I admitted finally, my voice low but raw. “I ain’t never ran from shit in my life, but this right here… I don’t know.”

The room went quiet again. Renza exhaled heavy, shaking his head like he wanted to argue more, but he held it in. Blaqson was pacin’ slow, his face tight.

“Pressure,” Blaqson said, stoppin’ in front of me. “You can’t play with this. Somebody gon’ end up broken beyond repair. You can’t keep one foot in with both of ‘em. You gotta decide.”

His words hit hard, and I sat there frozen, because deep down I knew he was right.

But damn… I honestly didn’t have the answer.