Page 8 of Kassir and Rebel (D-Ville Projects #2)

“We were not,” she says, but the little curl on the left side of her mouth exposes that she’s lying. Ma could never tell a lie because of her tell.

“Mmmhmm.” I smirk before sipping from my sweet tea.

Spending today with Ma is exactly what I needed. After my emotional rollercoaster of a night with Kassir, this is what any doctor would prescribe. I woke up to a quick breakfast of salmon croquettes and grits then we came to the mall to find me the perfect royal blue dress.

Although Ma is marrying at the courthouse, they are having a nice reception in the ballroom at The Drexel, and as the maid of honor, I have to look cute.

Over the years, Ma has housed and taken care of eighteen foster children, but I stayed with her the longest. I’m still in contact with a few, and most of the others I managed to find on social media.

So fourteen of them will surprise her at the reception and I’ve told them all to please wear her colors, royal blue or cream. She deserves her special day.

After shopping all day for my dress and her shoes and accessories, we stopped at the Taste of Italy for an early dinner.

Ma loves Italian food and they finally opened a Taste of Italy here in Diamond Falls.

We don’t have to make that drive to Crescent Falls anymore.

Although this location isn’t as big as the one in Crescent Falls, the food is the same, portioned on the bigger side and delicious.

They have great drinks too but I’m saving that for tonight at Teaira’s, when I download my Kassir episode with her.

I’m enjoying my chicken marsala and penne, and as usual.

Ma is eating their trio special with lasagna, baked ziti, and chicken piccata.

We both also ordered to-go meals. She’s bringing a trio back for Mr. James and I’m surprising Teaira with her favorite, the seafood linguine, since she’s squeezing me in after a long shift.

“Get her attention for me, please,” Ma says, referring to our waitress.

“I need to make sure she puts extra marinara in the bag. Jimmy loves it with the garlic knots.” Since the waitress is behind me at another table, I wave my hand and she spots me.

As soon as she’s at the table, Ma makes her request.

About twenty minutes later, she returns with our check, small containers for our leftovers, and two bags with our to-go orders. When I grab the check, Ma frowns.

“Let me pay for dinner. I got Jimmy something and I know you are spending too much already on my little party at The Drexel.”

“I’m paying,” I insist.

Treating her to dinner is the least I can do because there’s no way I can repay Ma for all she’s done for me.

Never. She became my mother at a critical stage in my life, loved me through my hurt and anger, and supported me in every way.

She attended every track meet in junior high and high school and made sure I had everything I needed when I went off to college.

“Rebel,” she scoffs.

“Ma,” I repeat sternly and she shakes her head. After placing my credit card on the bill, I stand and trek to the bathroom. When I return to the table, Ma is ending a call. Before I can ask who she was talking to, she looks up and asks me a question.

“Is there room for one more Thursday?”

“Did I miss one of your friends?” I ask.

“No, no, no. That was Mae. Yahzi is back and Mae wants to bring her,” she says, referring to Suleem’s Aunt Mae and his girlfriend and I’m really surprised. Yahzi and I keep up with each other on social media and the last time I spoke with her she didn’t mention coming back to Diamond Falls.

“Really. Wow! She can definitely come though. One more is fine.”

“Good, and FYI, I’m paying the tip,” she says and I just shake my head.

I don’t add a tip either when our server returns the receipt for me to sign. Ma already has a twenty dollar bill out to tip and she adds it to the black folder before we get up from the table. With our bags in hand, we leave the restaurant and I drive her Corolla back to the apartment.

“You can drive to Teaira’s. There’s no need in paying a driver. You know I’m not going anywhere tonight,” Ma says when I pull into the back parking lot. She hates driving once the sun is no longer brightening the sky.

“Are you sure?” I ask.

“Positive and tell Teaira I said hello,” she says.

“Well, let me park so I can help with the bags.”

“Jimmy’s right there,” she says and I look up.

Mr. James is walking out of the back door to the building. She must have texted him when we were pulling in. When she gets out, he pulls her in for a quick peck on the lips, then opens the back door to grab the bags.

“Just those behind her. Those other two are mine,” I tell him and he nods.

Once he has the bags and closes the door, I text Teaira before backing out then head her way.

Her purple Jeep is parked out front and I pull in behind it.

We both pledged Delta Alpha Zeta in college and we were even part of the same line, the Dynamic Twelve.

However, she’s the more active of us and reps the purple and white as much as she can.

“It’s open,” she yells when I knock on her door. When I enter, she rushes past me then darts up her stairs. “I got to pee and take a quick shower,” she offers.

While she’s upstairs, I place her food on the kitchen counter, wash my hands, then raid her bar.

She has a bottle of 1800 Ultimate Watermelon Margarita ready to serve, so I rinse her blender then fill it with ice, a splash of lime juice, and little more than half the bottle.

I’m sipping my first drink when she makes it down, dressed in a DAZ shirt and purple shorts.

“Food on the counter and drink in the freezer,” I tell her.

“And I need both. All I had today was a damn smoothie and chocolate croissant. I’ve been running on fumes the last eight hours of my shift. There was a bad accident off 8 th and we were swamped.”

“Oh no.”

“No fatalities, though. Thank God,” she says then sighs. “Did you find a dress?”

“Yes, a cute, one shoulder one. Ma loved it.”

“I’m going to wear my blue fitted maxi. It’s navy though.”

“Girl, you don’t have to wear blue.”

“Yes, I do,” she scoffs. “I’m not about to have Miss Chandra side eyeing me on her day. Oh, and your box came today with the bachelorette stuff in it too.”

“Oh good. Where is it?”

“Right there, by the door,” she says and I glance over and spot it.

I found a website with the cutest bachelorette party kits and I ordered too much.

The box is big and heavy so I drag it over to the sofa then open it.

With me, Teaira, Ma, and her friends, there are eleven of us in total and we each will have a silk bag filled with personalized sashes, hangover kits, personalized flasks and shot glasses, silk bonnets, slippers, and robes.

The set came with twelve, so thankfully I have an extra bag for Yahzi.

Her items won’t be personalized though. “I want to see what’s in a bag,” Teaira says when she joins me on the sofa with her food and drink in hand.

“Nope. It’s a surprise for everybody when we check into the hotel.”

“Mean ass,” she utters before shoveling a forkful of food into her mouth. “Okay, I take that back. You’re not mean,” she says after she swallows. “This is so damn good. Thank you.”

“You know I have to feed you before I unload all of my shit.”

“Kassir?”

“Who the hell else?” I ask rhetorically. I didn’t talk to her last night but I did send her a brief text.

“So, walk me through it. He knocked on Ma’s door.”

“Yeah, late as hell too, and he wouldn’t leave; so I went with him.”

“To his place?”

“Hell no. For a ride.”

“Not in the Charger?” she asks while grinning.

“No. I can tell you’re never on my side of town. The Charger is gone and he has the G-Wagon, finally.”

“Oh shit! Good for him,” she says and I cut my eyes at her. “Damn. I can’t even compliment his ride?”

“Nope. I’m your friend. He’s the nigga who broke your bestie’s heart. Friend, me, and enemy, his ass,” I clarify and she cuts her eyes at me this time.

“Me, true friend. So I’m always on your side, but I’m going to always be honest with you too.” She eats more of her pasta then leans back on the sofa. “Where did y’all go?”

“To Fadez.”

“That barbershop? Why?”

“It’s his. He owns it apparently. He was going on and on about how he has changed and how he’s really off the streets now.”

“That’s good, right?”

“I guess,” I say, trying to sound like I don’t care but I do. Of course I do.

When I left for Miami, things were really bad between DP and the Bedford Boys.

Shootings were damn near weekly and Kassir was always on the block and in the streets.

Shit was really bad and I’m really glad to hear things are calm now and he’s safe.

I endured too many sleepless nights, laying awake and praying he walked back through his door when we were together. ”

“Okay. I guess but did y’all talk about her and the baby?”

“Yeah and he actually said he regretted what he did,” I say and she sits up dramatically.

“He said that?” she asks incredulously, displaying the same sentiment I felt last night.

“Yeah and I broke down. I didn’t know how much I needed to hear him say that shit to me. Hell, I’m 'bout to cry now thinking about it. You know how much I loved him,” I say then gulp down some of my margarita.

“You know it’s okay to still love him, right?”

“But is it though? He had a baby on me,” I say and she seems to ignore my words.

“Be honest. Do you still love him?”

After taking a big ass breath, I finish my drink then fall back on the sofa. “He said that he still loves me,” I utter.

“But do you love him?”

“He has a son. How can I even deal with that? Could you deal with that?” I ask, avoiding the answer I know deep down in my heart. Of course, I still love him. I never stopped, which is why my heart hurt so bad when I found out Linnea was pregnant. “Well, could you?”

“If that man loved me as much as you and I both know Kassir does you, I think I could try. I know you hate when I say this, but you two were broken up when they got together. Plus, love like y’all’s doesn’t come around that often. But it’s not about me, it’s about you. Do you love him enough?”

“Oh God! I love him too much,” I admit out loud.