Jacqueline looked offended instantly.
“You think this is funny?”
Nina was confused. The perplexed look on her face told her family that she was confused. “Did anyone hear me laugh?”
“Nina,” her father warned quietly.
She turned to him.
Charles Marcelle carried power differently than Jio. Jio’s power felt dangerous, whereas her daddy’s was more so inherited by default. He didn’t do shit to deserve it.
“You embarrassed this family!” Jackie said sharply.
“How?” Nina desperately wanted to know.
“You are running around New York attached to a criminal,” she hollered, holding her chest.
“My blood pressure is through the roof and it’s all your fault.”
“Oh please! Yall are blaming me for everything these days.” She shook her. head.
Jackie stood. “Do not talk to me like I’m unreasonable!”
“Ma, you walked into that bakery looking for a fight. What were you thinking?” She still wanted to know what her real reason was for causing a ruckus.
“I went to buy dessert!”
“You went to Beaumont because you knew exactly whose family owned it. Theyallegedlykilled your best friend, so you thought you were going to go and seek revenge.”
Her mama was at a loss for words. She wasn’t used to being called out and Nina had facts to prove it.
“You wanted a reaction,” Nina continued. “But when you get one, everybody wanna act all shocked because you got what you were looking for.”
Jackie looked furious. “That family is trash. They all belong in the gutter and I’m going to make sure they’re all in jail!”
Nina’s chest tightened instantly. “No, you are not.”
Charles threw his hands up.
“Oh my god! Girl, listen to yourself.”
Nina turned and looked at him. “What?”
“You’re defending these people like they raised you.”
“They’ve shown me more kindness lately than y’all have.”
The room went still, but she didn’t care because they all knew that there was truth in her statement.
Jacqueline looked wounded now instead of angry.
“Why can’t you see that you’re being manipulated.”
Nina rolled her eyes. She knew she should’ve stayed home, nestled up with the man that they swore was the devil. “You think I’m weak enough to be brainwashed into loving somebody?”
“I think you’re lonely and looking for attention,” Charis chimed in.
Nina couldn’t do anything but shake her head as she thought,Bitch I know you not talking.
