27. Yolani

COUPLE DAYS LATER…

"All that, Lani?" Yailey asked as I handed off my menu to the waitress. My mom, sister, and I were out to brunch at the moment.

"It's just waffles and a burrito," I replied, but noticed my mother giving me a look. "What?" I snapped.

"You think you're having a baby?" my mama quizzed.

"No, I am not. I'm just hungry." I frowned.

"Well, you sure are mean and hungry," Yailey added, and I chuckled.

"I'm sorry. I just haven't eaten all day because I wanted to eat a lot when we got to brunch," I admitted.

It was true.

"Anyway, did you hear about Avery and Tilsa? I'm sure you have."

"No. I haven't talked to Avery and never dealt with Tilsa, so." I shrugged, taking a sip of my orange juice.

"They broke up," Yailey added, drinking her hot chocolate.

"Little girl, read your book until the food comes, and let me talk to Yolani." My mother tapped Yailey's chapter book she took everywhere these days.

She claimed older girls read books with no pictures and long chapters, something, according to Cemone, she'd gotten from our niece Harmony who got it from Banks. I loved that Yailey had someone that was like family that she could be close with since she and I were so far apart in age. She was pretty much two years older than the soon to be eight-year-old Harmony, so it was essentially perfect.

Huffing, Yailey opened her book, set her bookmark off to the side, and sat back.

"Apparently, he got some inappropriate footage of her sent to his messages or something. I don't know. I'm not on all these social media apps. He put her out of his house."

"Oh yeah."

"So you knew?" She stirred her coffee.

"I knew about the video because Cemone told me what he did. And before you say something, I told him then that was messed up to do."

"Yeah, beyond."

"But there would be no video to send if Tilsa didn't comply. Furthermore, do you know why she even engaged with that man?"

"No, why?" My mother's brows kissed, but when she noticed Yailey paying attention, she shot her a look, making her cover her face with the book as I laughed.

"She was trying to get with Cemone, and he made her think in order to, she had to… you know."

"What?" Yailey and my mama exclaimed together, causing me to crack up at Yailey's inability to tune out.

"Yes, but I was more so upset because he and Avery already have beef, and I was hoping it died down. But with Cemone doing that, I know Avery isn't gonna let it go."

"Then why would Cemone do that?"

"Why do you think?"

"He wants him to do something." She figured it out, sighing. "That's your brother, Yolani. You need to explain to your husband how important he is to you so he can stop this."

"I tried, and I tried explaining to Avery that Cemone was important to me, and he still decided to try and set him up. Then continued to say shit about him to try and convince me not to be with him. So at this point, boys will be boys."

"That's it? You don't care if something happens to one of them?"

"Nothing will happen to Cemone. He's on another level, a higher one than Avery. But after the shit Avery said to me, after he tried to expose me, after trying to set up Cemone, and then finding out he had a hand in all the men I've been with cheating, we aren't siblings, Ma. Who needs opps with people like him around?"

"Yeah, that's true." She sat back, thinking. "Tilsa really likes Cemone, huh?"

"I guess so. I wanna fuck her up again."

"Whew, you tore her up, Lani!" Yailey giggled, making my mama smirk at her. "I've never seen so much blood!"

The waiter set our plates down just as she said that, so the three of us guffawed when she left.

"You did, and that was enough. We are lucky she didn't attempt to press charges on you." My mother raised a brow. "Anyway, Avery is pissed, according to your father. Not so much about Tilsa because we all could see how he really felt about her, but it's the principle."

"I know, and that's what Cemone wanted."

"We better pray then." She ate some eggs. "You didn't tell me Cemone's whole family was handsome."

Laughing, I said, "I didn't think to mention it. You better not let Daddy hear you talking like that."

"Please, Darrell knows I love him, and it would take more than another handsome face for me to mess up a good thing." She wiped her mouth with the cloth napkin. "I'm gon' always look, though, as I am sure he does."

"No, he doesn't! Just like Cemone, he doesn't look at anyone but Yolani, and me sometimes, but that's because I'm his second favorite," Yailey explained.

"I see whose side you're on, so let me stop talking," my mama replied as I chuckled.

As we finished our brunch, two things were on my mind. The first being me wondering if I was pregnant, and second was worrying about the outcome of this Cemone versus Avery stuff.

It wasn't so much that I was worried about who would live or die, because it was highly unlikely that Cemone would be the loser of this back and forth. I just didn't want it to go too far, creating an even bigger wedge between my husband and my father.

ONE WEEK LATER…

"This hair is a look." Nelly stood behind my chair, eyeing me through the mirror.

"It's cute, but I'm happy it's a wig because it's a bit much," I replied.

This morning, I was doing a magazine spread that was featuring all the top contenders in female R he's just a good man," I said.

"I see he got you in check too," Bambi quipped, and we broke out into snickers.

All the ladies decided on seconds, and because Cemone had made me a plate twice, his brothers felt obligated to too. Bashar, however, claimed he made Analicia's first plate, so Cemone didn't influence him to do anything. I wasn't too sure if I believed it.

We then got up to dance a little bit since the deejay Lequay hired was doing an amazing job of playing songs from all different coasts. We, of course, had to do the most when our own region of songs dropped.

As I danced with my sisters-in-law to "There She Go" by Latto, I saw a familiar face, making me do a double take. Sure enough, hopping out of a black truck, mean mugging was Avery. Five other men hopped out with him, all wearing the same expression and clearly about to start some shit. An identical truck parked behind theirs, and five more exited, making my heart stall.

"Cemone!" I shouted, seeing he had his back turned, foot on a bench as he talked shit with his brothers.

He whipped around in record time, seeing exactly what I was trying to warn him of. No guns were allowed during the event, but thankfully, it didn't appear that Avery and his crew had any either.

"What's up, you bitch ass nigga!" Avery's homeboy hollered at Cemone.

Without much talk, Cemone and Avery collided, the former's brothers joining the fight to be sure Avery's homeboys didn't jump their brother.

A huge brawl ensued, and I didn't know what all was happening frame by frame, but I know every single Compton was fighting, as well as their stepbrother and his friend Low. It literally looked like some shit you'd find in a war movie as I watched blood spew and heard bones crack.

"What the fuck!" Couture screamed, all of us not knowing what to do as people all over the park clamored about.

I saw some people hurrying out to leave, figuring this fight would go even further and bullets would start flying, not caring that no guns were allowed.

"We should take the kids to the car," Presley said, already headed toward the playground.

"And start the car as well so we can be ready to pull off," I added, and the ladies commented to agree, moving fast.

I helped them usher their kids to the cars as the boys continued to fight. I'd started to notice Avery and his crew were being laid out, and after that, the brothers didn't give a fuck about fighting fair, tag teaming some of Avery's crew despite them already losing.

Sirens blared over the park, causing the ladies and I to scream and honk the horns at the brothers. They responded quickly, thankfully, running toward the parking lot where the kids had been buckled and strapped into their respective cars, hopping inside.

I floored Cemone's Rolls Royce, realizing I had all this money and had never driven one of these things. It wasn't until the siren was a distant sound that I looked his way, seeing he had not a scratch on him with the exception of a bloody nostril like last time. It was nothing compared to Avery and most of his friends snoozing in the grass back at the barbecue.

"Fuck!" Cemone shouted. "Pull over," he added.

Not wanting to protest and since we were far away from the scene and the police, I did as he asked.

"Are you okay?" I quizzed.

He smirked at me, leaning over to kiss my lips.

"I'm good. Thanks for asking. I wanna make sure you good though. I ain't even have fucking time to secure you."

"I was fine. The fight was unexpected, so you guys had to do what you had to do." I caressed his handsome face as he nodded, still looking troubled.

"Let me drive." He got out and we switched places. "Next time, get out and come around. Don't be bending my fucking baby all up, Yolani."

"I didn't bend them; they're not even big enough for that. I just crawled over." I chuckled at the angry expression he wore while staring down at my midsection as I buckled up.

Pulling off after checking his nose, Cemone said, "I don't like that that nigga made that shit happen in front of you, my sisters, and my nieces and nephews." He shook his head, looking like Avery crossed a deadly line. "Then to have my brothers fighting and shit." He chuckled, nodding, almost like he was talking to himself.

"That video, Cemone."

"That's my fault. You right. But when he put that shit out about you, I realized the nigga wasn't gon' let shit go either way. I'm gon' smoke that nigga. Fuck the bullshit."

I wanted to say something to change his mind, but I knew it wouldn't. I could see how pissed he was about Avery showing up at his brother's event and causing pandemonium. Cemone cherished and loved his brothers, even though he acted like he was so stoic when it came to them, so I knew Avery wrapping them up in anything would be the straw that broke the camel's back.

Also, I knew this feud wouldn't stop, so it was no point in trying to talk Cemone out of anything.