Denial is a River

Reem

The ice pack that I press to my face is only gonna control the swelling. Years of sparring with Ty has shown me that no matter if it’s face shots or body shots, Ima be sore for at least two weeks. That’s why we only do it once every other month.

At least now that he has his gym, we use boxing gloves. There was a time when he and the twins were teaching me to fight and they only had their fists. Ain’t no open-slap boxing. Nah, niggas was putting knuckles to cheeks. It was either learn or get a broken nose.

“My bad,” Ty grumbles, sitting down on the floor next to me. He hisses and grabs at his ribs. At least I pinched the bitch.

“Head shots is crazy. Rone got you that pissed?”

He lays down and covers his eyes. “Fuck that nigga.”

“One to ten?”

He sighs. “Eight. Was a twelve before we sparred… He acts like shit was all peachy before he got sent up top. Pooh was more of a father to me than Rone ever was, how fucked up is that? Now he wanna come around, tryna drop wisdom, act like we two peas in a pod and shit. I’m finna be thirty, I don’t need no fucking dad. Rico had the right idea.”

“Ma said you told her some bullshit about moving to Belize. I wish yo dumb ass would leave me here with these muthafuckas so you can chase waterfalls with Rico.”

Ty coughs out a laugh. “On some real shit, though, I’m worried, Reem. This the longest he’s ever been back there. He didn’t come back for Turk’s wedding, his birthday, or even Autumn’s. He never answers my facetimes, only calls back. And Nan ain’t no better, acting like she forgot how to speak English. Granny saying just give him time, but I think that meeting with Pooh last year set him off.”

“Nah. If that was the case, he woulda just popped ‘em. Maybe he really do have a secret wife, and now he has a secret baby.”

Ty sits up to glare at me. “Rico doesn’t have a secret family, dumbass.”

I wave him off as my phone starts vibrating. “You don’t even believe that.”

When I see it’s Tamera, I answer and bring the phone to my ear. Wassup–”

“Kareem,” she rushes out. “I was in an accident. Ugh, can someone stop that incessant beeping!”

“Huh? The fuck happened?” I stand and start grabbing my shit.

“My brakes just stopped working. I swerved so I didn’t hit anyone, but my car is totaled. They’re keeping me overnight because I have a slight concussion, but I just wanted to tell you, I’m not flaking on our date.”

“What hospital?”

“Memorial,” she replies, her voice smaller. “Kareem–”

“I’ll be there in the morning. I’m finna see about your car.”

“Kareem, I just got my brakes done, and they probably messed up–”

“And Ima see. You just rest, aight? See you soon.” I hang up and put my backpack on.

“What happened?” Ty’s up, too. Always ready for whatever.

“Somebody fucked with Tamera’s car. She’s in the hospital.”

This nigga starts smirking as he backs into his office. “Ah shit.”

I shake off the shiver that creeps into my spine and try to calm my beating heart. It hasn’t even been a week since I’ve last seen YT, and my body’s going haywire at the thought of seeing her again. The fucked up part is, I don’t even think I’m mad at her. Annoyed, yes. Because Tamera's innocent. But pissed? Nah. I gotta work myself up for that, even though she’ll prolly laugh at me.

YT don’t ever take me seriously.

We take my car to her townhouse she thinks no one knows about on the west side and I pull right up, jumping the curb. Ty and I bounce out and we draw our guns as the front door opens.

“The fuck?” Ty mutters, as a tall, lighter version of YC strolls out in all black like the grim reaper. His gaze flits from me to Ty before focusing back on me as he pulls out his phone and brings it to his ear.

“Your victim’s out here with his friend,” he says before putting his phone back in his pocket. “Kareem Durrell and Tyree Johnson. If you’re still here when I get back, I’d love to chat more.” He walks past us to a truck parked in front of me and peels off, leaving us more confused.

“Better make this quick, Reemie.” I roll my eyes and lower my gun as YT makes her way toward me.

“I’ll be in the car. Waddup, Love?”

I jerk my head at Ty. When the fuck he start calling her that?

“Hey, Ty-Ty.”

The fuck.

I reach out and collar YT’s throat, bringing her chest to chest with me. The cold diamonds of her choker bite into my skin. Even at home, wearing small ass shorts and a tube top that barely holds in her titties with a loose wife beater, she’s got a chain on. I’ve never seen her without something covering her neck.

“Since when you and Ty like that?” I growl.

She wraps those soft hands around my wrist. Not because I’m hurting her, but because her freak ass likes my hand around her throat. “You jelly, Reemie?” she coos, her white teeth near blinding in a wide smile.

I smirk back. “Nah. You the one jelly, fucking with Tamera’s brakes. Too bad she survived huh?”

YT rolls her eyes and grips my wrist harder. “She’s alive because she hasn’t served her purpose yet. Be foreal, Reemie.”

I bring her closer, inhaling her breath. Her eyes flutter closed, and I feel her melt in my hand. I don’t know when she stopped hating me and started wanting me. One day we were going back and forth, and then the next day, she texted me some meme alluding to wanting to be married.

To be honest, I miss when she only wanted to kill me.

“You can murk every bitch on earth, Love. You’ll still never be wifey.” My lips graze hers as I speak before I release her and take a couple steps back to calm my heartbeat.

Her grin turns sharp as she touches her fingertips to her lips. “Oh, Reemie. You don’t know how fun it’ll be proving you wrong. Better get going before my brother gets back.”

I don’t give her my back as I get into my whip and pull off from her house. Ty mutters something about someone’s high beams, but I’m not listening.

Maybe I should just break up with Tamera. I’m not in love with her to be going against the grain, putting her life in danger because I got a homicidal Nikki Parker on my dick. 

“Reem!”

I get out of my head fast enough to swerve out the way from a rogue car. All I seen was headlights on my side of the street, but I get out the way, and we narrowly miss each other.

“Oh fuck, the fuck was that?” Ty’s hyperventilating, clutching his chest. “My whole fucking life done flashed before my eyes! Damn, I think I pissed a little.”

I shake my head, glancing in the rearview mirror. The car’s parked in front of YT’s house, and that YC look alike and a kid jump out as YT rants with her hands in the air.

Figures one of her kin tries to take me out. 

Yeah, anyone with the last name Young, I need to keep fifty feet away from me and mine.