Jay'Shawn Lawson, NJ 📍

It's been a week since Jo'nae told be about Stephanie. Stephanie was jumped by Layla and her friends outside the club the other day. I didn't know how to tell Ashanti cuz that's her sister. But I slipped up and left my phone on the bed with me and Que's messages open.

"Why the fuck am I just now finding out about this?" She asked holding my phone.

"Ma, I got it."

"Nah nigga you don't. This is my sister. She was jumped by yo bum ass friends and you didn't tell me?"

"Ashanti just trust me with this."

"How? How am I going to trust you if you keep shit like this from me. This is shit I need to know about."

"I'm sorry for not tellin you ma. But it's best if you not get in this aight." The look she gave me made me feel like jus another nigga to her. She pushed past me and left the room.

---

Ashanti Renèe Robinson, NY📍

"Hi mommy baby." I said taking Aqua out her car seat. I be havin to put her in there to watch tv because she's a fast mover.

"You okay?" Jo'nae asked as she said next to me.

"No. I'm pissed off."

I have every right to be mad at Jay right now. The fact that he keeps all this important shit from me angers tf outta me.

"He didn't want you to worry about it ashanti. You guys still have to parent did you forget? You can't be out here fightin bitches left and right no more."

She was right. I looked down at Aqua and my arms and she made a face.

"Stephanie is okay. She can hold her own ground."

"But this isn't her problem."

"It isn't yours either. And look your hopping into it. That's what I love about you but that's also what I hate. You love to help people but you don't like it when they help you. I'm pretty sure Jay protects you from the things he knows is gonna hurt you. It was out of love shanti."

"Stephanie's my sister. Maybe not by blood but she is."

"And we all understand that. But you need to start worrying about you boo. And Aqua." She said smoothing her hair down."

I took a deep breathe and looked down at my phone. I got a text from Stephanie.

stephanie💕

jay told me that you found out. it's my fault he didn't tell you. i didn't want you to know because i knew you would want to fight. i didn't want to take you away from aqua. besides i got some licks in on layla bum ass before her friends came. but that's besides the point. I'm okay and you don't have to worry about me. I love you! xoxo❤️

"What is it?" Jo'nae asked me as I put Aqua back in her car seat.

"Just Stephanie clarifying what happened."

"Oh okay."

"Aqua!" Demarcus yelled coming in the room. She laughed as he took her out her car seat.

"Bro I just put her in there."

"And I just took her out. Always tryna put her on baby prison." Jo'nae laughed and I hit his arm.

"Wanna go wit uncle de?" He asked her and she threw her head back.

"She still doin this crazy shit?"

"She. Is. A. Baby!" I said to him. "Why do ya keep acting like sum wrong wit my daughter!"

"She actin like someone always tickling her neck, glitching and shit."

"Gimmie back my baby!" I took her from him and held her but she started whining.

"Yea tell her say mommy ion want yo big head ass I want uncle de!"

"You gon stop tellin my kid to curse!"

"Say fuck" He said in front of her face.

She just gave him a confused as look that made us all die of laughing. Demarcus took her back and left the room.

"He want a kid."

"You don't have to keep reminding me Ashanti!" She said putting her hand up. I laughed.

"Alright, Alright. I'm just sayin."

"Girl, we was layin down last night just scrollin instagram and he started touchin my stomach talkin about 'i can't wait to feel kicking' i said KICKING?!" I laughed so hard I almost pissed on myself.

"He has baby fever."

"I never heard of a nigga havin baby fever."

"Oh it's possible just like we have it they have it."

"Girl I am not ready for a kid."

"Then don't have one. Just because he want one don't mean you gotta give him one."

"You right you right."

"Girl I know. When am I ever wrong?" I said flipping my hair over my shoulder.

"You're annoying."

---

Later that day

I went to the store with Jo'nae to get more diapers and wipes for Aqua. She sat in the cart in her car seat just making baby noises.

"Girl why the hell is we in Target knowing we should be in Walmart?"

"Jo'nae shut up!" I said putting wipes in the cart. Since Aqua's car seat took up a lot of space I had to put the diapers under the cart and the wipes beside her.

"Here." I said handing her a little toy. She just looked at it before dropping it. She got these serious ass looks she be giving people. Like damn!

We pushed the cart throughout the store to the makeup department. Jo'nae wanted to get some makeup.

"Which shade match my skin more?" She asked holding up to foundations.

"The left one." She put the other one back on the shelf and put the one I picked in the cart.

We left the makeup aisle and continued throughout the store. I kept feeling constant eyes on me but every time I turned no one was there. On some weird insidious shit.

"What's wrong with you?" Jo'nae asked as she pushed the cart.

"Whatchu mean?"

"Every 5 secs you snappin ya neck, lockin around you good g?" I nodded.

---

"Damn bitch you not gon help me?!" Jo'nae said snatching me from my daze.

"Oh my fault."

"Yea you ain't pregnant no more. Help me wit these bags." I laughed and helped her stack them in the trunk of her car.

"I'll be back." I left to put the cart in the things the stores have outside. When I turned to walk back to the car I felt eyes again. I looked up and saw a man sitting in a silver suv. His eyes were locked on me and it made me feel so gross.

"You okay?" Jo'nae asked as I got back in the car.

"Yea I'm cool." I laid my head on the window and looked out the rear view mirror. The car was right behind us.

Jo'nae left the parking log of the store and started heading home. We were almost there when I looked in the rear view mirror again and the same car was still behind us.

"Don't go home." I told her as I unbuckled my seatbelt.

"What? Shanti what the hell is you doin?"

"Bitch drive damn!"

"Where?"

"Anywhere just not home!"

I got in the backseat with Aqua put her pacifier in her mouth and gave her a toy.

"Shanti tell me what's going on!"

"We're being followed! Gimmie my phone!"

She grabbed it from the cup holder and handed it to me.

bighead❤️

connecting...

yo.

we have a problem jay.

what problem?

we're being followed.

by who?

nigga if i fuckin knew i would've told you!

aight ma damn relax! give the phone to jo'nae

wassup talk to me.

drive through the hood. dip as many corners as possible lose the car! once you do take route 18 all the way up and take the next exit here park the car in the garage and come in the house through the garage.

aight heard you.

give the phone back to ashanti.

you okay ma?

yes. why wouldn't I be?

jus makin sure imma ask you questions when you get here but for now I just want you to focus on getting home safely. You, Aqua, and Jo'nae.

I looked up from the phone and saw a long strip of buildings and alleyways. Kids running around and cars parked alongside the street. Jo'nae started bussing corners fast, speeding down back streets, and up alleyways.

I turned back and saw that we had lost the car.

"We lost it Jo'nae go." She pushed the gas and turned onto route 18, sped up the highway and through the exit.

We parked the car into the garage and closed the door before getting out.

When we walked in the house Jay approached us while Demarcus was at the bay window.

"You good?" He asked taking Aqua's heavy car seat out my hands. I nodded and walked over to the window where Demarcus was.

We all gathered around the window looking outside when we say the silver car pulling up the street. I ran and turned all the light off near us before going back to the window. We watched as the car rolled up our street. It stopped a couple houses down from us but kept going. We all backed up from the window.

"I need to talk to you shanti. Ya get them bags out the car." Jay told them as he lifted Aqua out her car seat. We walked upstairs to his room and he placed Aqua in the middle of the bed where she lay asleep.

"Come here." I walked over to him and he looked at me. "You good?" I nodded. "Okay tell me what happened."

I told Jay everything from the moment we walked in the store till we got here. He had a serious look on his face but I know that look. And it's not good.

"What color was the car?"

"Silver."

"What did the dude look like?"

"He was darkskin. With braids. Like the ones you used to have. He was wearing a black shirt."

He rubbed his head with his hand and let out a deep breathe.

"Aight ma. Thank you." He got off the bed and walked out the room. I looked towards Aqua and picked her up before following Jay.

"What happened?" Jo'nae asked as Jay stormed past her. I shrugged.

"He didn't say nothing really he just asked me what happened."

We walked towards her room where she had a crib for Aqua and I put her in there so she can sleep. We could hear Jay on the phone but not what he was sayin. Seconds later we hear his footsteps in the hallway.

"De we gotta slide." He said pushing open his door. He came to Jo'nae's room and told us he was gonna be back.

He kissed me and Aqua before leaving the room.

"Well...they gon kill them a couple people."

I laughed and laid back on her bed.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked looking at her she had a mug on her face.

"I wanna kill people too. They ain't even ask me if I wanna come."

"Girl it's not no field trip!" I said laughing.

She shrugged and grabbed her phone. "You been. on Instagram lately?"

"Nah why?"

"Girl. Rachel got her house raided the other day it's all over Instagram."

"Raided??"

"Girl. She had rocks."

"Crack?" She nodded.

"That's...something." I said shaking my head.

We spent the rest of that day in her room just chillin. I don't remember seeing the boys that night. I had fallen asleep after giving Aqua her bath.