Page 70 of The Plus One

“I know.”

“Do you?”

“Yeah.” I lifted her arm and kissed the place Kel had grabbed. “But I’m probably still gone do it.”

Kema shook her head. “You’re impossible.”

“And you like me anyway.”

“Unfortunately.” I smiled before pulling her into my arms. She rested her head against my chest.

Inside, the DJ encouraged everybody to return to the dance floor. A few people cheered, attempting to bring the energy back. I looked through the glass doors at Sierra and Stephen dancing together despite everything. Tomorrow, I would find a way to make this right.

But right now, all I could do was hold Kema and accept that choosing her had officially cost me one of my oldest friendships. I’d already told Stephen she was worth it. Even after the blood, broken glasses, and ruined reception, my answer hadn’t changed.

Fourteen

Kema

Not sure what I was expecting after how the wedding reception ended. I was sitting in the room while Ace was in the bathroom cleaning up. Was I expecting Ace and Kel to fight? Probably. To be honest I knew damn well what I was doing when I brought Ace. What I did not expect was for them niggas to fuck up the wedding reception.

And it was Kel’s fault. He waited all week to give me a funky ass apology today. I didn’t believe for one bit he was actually sorry. Kel was mad that somebody picked up what he discarded as trash. But I let him have it. I accepted his apology so we could move with the day. I guess after he apologized to me he decided to get into an argument with Tiana which apparently led to him getting drunk, grabbing my arm, and starting with Ace.

Did I feel bad for Kel? Nope. His drunk ass should’ve gone to his room and left everybody alone. Instead, he grabbed me, shoved Ace, and got exactly what he was looking for.

For some reason, Kel thought because he didn’t want me anymore, nobody else was supposed to either. That sounded like a him problem. Maybe that was why Markel cheating fucked me up the way it did. I’d spent my whole childhood being moved from one temporary home to another. Then I found somebody who chose me, and for once, I thought I finally had something permanent.

When he chose somebody else, that little girl who’d spent her whole life being left felt that shit too. But I wasn’t her anymore. And I damn sure didn’t need Markel to choose me to prove I was worth staying for. The weirdest part of it all was I didn't feel good about Tiana leaving his ass at this wedding alone.

A week ago, I would've laughed and enjoyed the spectacle they caused. Hell I would've probably smiled knowing the bitch he cheated on me with was somewhere crying over him. Now, I didn’t care. Watching her yell at Kel hadn’t made me feel like I won anything. If anything, I felt bad for her.

She spent this whole trip worried about me while the man standing beside her couldn’t stop watching me. He wasn’t a prize. And she realized that too late. I shook my head of those thoughts as I thought about Ace. I felt bad that I put him in this situation.

He was in my bathroom right now with a busted lip because when Kel put his hands on me, his first instinct was to protect me. He’d spent this entire trip showing me how a man acted when he actually wanted me. I wasn’t about to keep looking backward at a relationship that had already taught me everything I needed to know. Markel and Tiana could figure their shit out without me. For the first time since he cheated, I really didn’t give a fuck what either one of them did next.

Ace walked out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist. His bottom lip was swollen but other than that he didn’t have any other bruises.

“I’m just goin' buy them flights to Jamaica and pay for a resort for two weeks,” he said. “You think that’s a good enough apology?”

I blinked. “What?”

“I said I’m goin' give them a honeymoon trip to Jamaica”

I stared at him. I was thinking a gift card and maybe a couples’ massage. This rich-ass nigga wanted to send them on another honeymoon. “Ace, we knocked over one table.”

“I punched the best man at their wedding reception. I felt like the apology needed to be big.”

“After he grabbed me.”

“So Sierra’s still pissed.”

“You think Jamaica gone make her forget?”

“No, but she can cuss me out from a private villa.”

I laughed. “You’re ridiculous.”

“You got a better idea?”