"Zim! Can we please stop." Fatima let out an exasperated breath as she ducked to dodge my latest advance.

"Come on, you need to know how to defend yourself." I jabbed my gloved fist at her.

"But we've been at this for hours." She groaned.

"Square up." I said through gritted teeth.

The timer was set to go off in less than thirty minutes. This was the last sparring match for the day and I went easy on her yesterday. She was the one who saw me and Richard sparring and decided that she wanted to learn so here we were in my home gym with her busted lip and dried blood on her chin.

She sent a right hook but I was quicker than her and stepped aside to throw a soft blow to her stomach. She groaned as she stepped aside with her fist raised to her face just like Richard had taught her.

"Was Carter a good fighter?" She asked.

"Can we talk about this after?" I sighed inwardly.

"Or, you can just answer now." She smirked.

She knew she could question me and distract me and then the final minutes would tick by for the buzzer to sound and she would throw a victorious fist in the air for successfully evading the last few minutes of sparring. I was tired anyways so I gave in.

"She was better than the average fighter." I answered truthfully.

"But... she couldn't beat me." I smiled.

"Have you guys ever fought before? Like a real fight fight." She unstrapped her boxing gloves.

"Uhh..." my eyebrows knitted together as I thought about our encounter at her house.

"Damn.." Fatima laughed.

"See the thing is, things weren't so peaceful between Carter and I before she died." I admitted.

"I might've broke her door down one night from drunken rage and beat the shit out of her and the girl she was there with." I pushed my lips together.

"Jealousy?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Pft.. hardly." I rolled my eyes.

"Then?" she pressed.

"The girl was just caught in the crossfire, honestly." I laughed.

"At first, I thought she was just your best friend but then the more you talked about her the more I realized that you guys were together. Didn't want to assume you were into studs, plus I thought that was kind of weird." She nervously spilled the words.

"How?"

"It was only weird because I've never seen two studs together before so I didn't really understand but I've also realized that I don't care, to each his own." She smiled.

"You're a bright one, bud and again I'm queer." I threw my gloves at her chest.

She hung them on the hooks over the dumbbells and walked towards the door with me in tow. I saw our new helper, Charmaine, and smiled at her. I had asked her to make us sandwiches for after the workout session and even though Richard explained a few things to her she still did more than required so there she stood with a tray that held our homemade subs and two bottles of blue Gatorade.

"Charmaine, I told you that you could've left them in the kitchen." I took the tray from her.

"But Miss Zidania, it's my job." She pleaded.

"It's not, you'll get used to it." I softly shook my head not in the mood to explain.

I watched her scurry away and decided to go to my room to eat. I knew Fatima had walked away and was probably getting ready for a shower right now. I rested the tray on my bed and stripped kicking the clothes to the foot of my hamper. I preferred cold showers these days, they kept me alive and alert. I stood under the cascading water and willed my mind to not drift too far. The wedding was this weekend and I haven't seen nor heard from Kwashie since she stepped foot outside of the bar room last month. The days were flying by faster than I had hoped and I knew five years from now I will argue that this year was the fastest to blow over.

I stepped out onto the mat and walked into my room hearing the tv on. Fatima was on my bed in a tank top and boxers with her heavy breasts loose and erect nipples, she was chewing her sandwich and not paying any attention to me as my naked figure walked over to my dresser to get underwear. She's been here since the beginning of Christmas break last week and we just kept getting closer and closer. I was afraid of that though, afraid that my involvement in Carter's death was going to tear us apart since she was so keen on knowing who this person was that who we kept comparing her to.

I got dressed and laid beside her taking up my sandwich and checking to see what she was watching. She hates cartoon and this was where we disagreed. The guest room didn't have a tv so she was always in here with me and would sometimes sleep with me. I didn't mind the documentary on fire ants and Fatima's comments on the cameras that were most likely being used but my mind was elsewhere.

Mama E had came to visit me and she said there must be something wrong with the both of us as to why we were always having problems right before our wedding day. I told her that this one was more serious and I don't know how to come back from it. She understood, she told me that Kwashie has been staying out ever since she approached her on the situation but not before getting a good beating, that made me smile. Mama Ekuban wore leather hide slippers so I knew it stung from a good slap, she was more busy these days since Sharon asked her to help manage her diner.

Richard was the one who bought a suit for Fatima to wear to the wedding and Richard was also the one who suggested that I get another bridesmaid so that she could stand beside Mr Devereaux and the girl could stand beside Sharon. I had to laugh at the suggestion , this wasn't a traditional wedding anyways and Richard started to care less and less about what others thought. Fatima would be sitting in the front rows though and this time the wedding was just 50 persons unlike the 200 associates that came to the last wedding.

The wedding would be held inside the large greenhouse on the other side of town near a hotel that I would be staying overnight just like last time. The only thing I did was selected the venue and Kwashie didn't even give a slight glance at the wedding details, she just wanted to show up and be done with it. I wanted the same, I guess.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Fatima asked after she muted the tv.

"Kwashie used to ask me that." I sighed.

"I'm sorry..." she said lowly.

"Don't be." I gave her a reassuring smile.

"I was just thinking about the wedding." I admitted.

"Things were so much better before the first attempt, you know? Kwashie was warm and loving and now she's so cold and distant I don't know what to think. We would take turns spending the weekend or week at each other's houses, we would go on dates and make silly faces on Snapchat, she would deliver ice cream to me." I sighed at the almost empty ice cream container that I've been nursing for almost two months now.

"About the Kacely girl..." she trailed off.

"She was obsessed with Kwashie and apparently she cursed me on the day of the wedding when she gave me a massage. That's when my fainting spells begun." I air quoted the word curse.

"And she's the same girl Kwashie is gallivanting with right now?" She raised her hand in a question like manner.

"First off, who the hell says gallivanting these days?" I laughed.

"Obviously, me."

"Whatever and yes." My lips fell back into a frown.

"Do you think she'll invite her to the wedding?"

"That's a bit presumptuous, don't you think?"

"It would be but Kwashie seems like the type to go against the crowd."

She was right. That was something I loved about her and it always made me feel special but she was courting Kacely now and that same trait was prominent with her. I hissed my teeth and my already solemn mood worsened as Fatima pulled me into a side hug and unmuted the tv to learn more about the vicious fire ants.

So far, no one has attempted to kill me. Mr Citronelli told me that he explained to her why there was a delay, apparently I was heavily guarded and wasn't an easy target with my constant and ever present security threading in the background. He also said that I was always with Fatima and killing someone else was not apart of the contract and it would cost more.

"Shit.. how could I have forgotten to spill this tea." Fatima clapped her hands together.

"Girl, lemme draw my chair. Crrrrrppppp, spill." I flung my green hair back as I sat up waiting.

"I just need to say I love this wig once more." She started.

I blushed and blinked my eyes as I tilted my head away from her. I remembered when I first got the wig last December and Sophia hated it, she didn't have an opinion this time around when she saw me yesterday.

"Anyways. I heard that Kacely will be dropping out of school."

"Why?"

"Can't afford the tuition."

"Damn.."

So this bitch really decided to use her tuition money to get me killed instead of securing her future?

"BUT this is the good and bad part... rumor has it that she's been hanging out a lot with you know who and she spoke to the admin board about it."

"How do you know?"

"Tanya.."

"The student council girl? Y'all fucking?"

"What?? No.. can't I just be friends with her?" She rolled her eyes.

"What else you know?"

"I heard that you know who delivered a bank slip with her signature on it." I gasped.

"Noo."

"Yes."

"I'm gonna beat some ass." I jumped up and ran to my walk in closet.

"NO BITCH IS TAKING MY BITCH WITHOUT A FIGHT." I pulled out my Nike sweats and my black timberlands.

"Sweats and timbs?" Fatima laughed.

"Yes hoe, when I'm stepping.. I'm stepping." I kicked out my foot pulling on the sweats.

"You gon get ready or what?" I looked at her getting irritated.

"I didn't give you this information for you to think irrationally." She tried to calm me down.

"Then you should've kept ya damn mouth shut, son." I lifted my gun fingers at her.

"Go get ready and make sure ya ass is in full black. We going to a funeral today." I turned back and went for my black v-neck cotton shirt pulling it on.

"This bitch got me fucked up." I muttered to myself.

I took my laptop from its place on my desk and powered it on. I had a tracker on her car and phone, it was her idea in the first place so that we would always be able to locate each other. I waited on the MacBook to load up as I laced up my timbs and looked in the mirror, I didn't like how I looked. I knew I was going to whoop ass but I needed to look good while doing so. I thought adding my matching sweat jacket would pull it off but I didn't want to get a heat stroke since it was midday and the sun was at its peak. I shrugged off my sweatpants and was for the first time glad that the foot had zippers which I thought were unnecessary until now.

Then I thought about the black jeans I pulled out and knew I'd have to take off my damn shoes anyways. When I was finally fully clothed again, I was in my black jeans with a black button down that was rolled up to my elbows and my timbs laced up on my feet. I pulled my contrasting hair into a low ponytail and prepped myself while I waited on the app to send the location and details to my phone. I was hidden in my closet tucking the gun at the back of my waistband when I heard my door open.

Fatima was in a black shirt that had leaves on it and a black jeans that hung lowly on her waist. I walked back to my closet and pulled down a black flannel I had that I knew would fit her and threw it to her. She rolled her eyes and changed as I put my money clip and phone into my pockets. I turned the tv and AC off leaving the room after she had fully changed. I didn't want to pull up in my Jeep because she would know it was me but then again the location was a hotel and it was a Thursday evening.

I was driving and clutching tightly onto the steering wheel while Fatima held on for dear life when I took the corner without breaking.

"Can we please arrive alive?" She asked me.

I didn't answer, I continued listening to 21 Savage as the tall hotel building came into view. She was making her own money working with her father so she could afford to stay at a hotel while her comfortable bed at home stayed cold.

"She got me fucked up." I chanted over and over under my breath until I parked across the road and shut the Jeep off.

"Look, I don't know what's going to happen in there so if you want to wait out here then I understand." I calmly said to Fatima.

"Are you crazy? I'll be there to gas you and then out you so come on." She motioned for me to get out as she pulled the door and exited.

All I knew was that Kwashie's phone was here in this hotel, I didn't know what room or anything. I walked up to the receptionist with a sad look on my face ready to put on a show.

"Good afternoon, can you tell me what room Kwashie Ekuban is staying in please?" I greeted her.

"I can't do that." She gave me a sorry look.

"I understand but do me a favor, please. He's my fiancé and I think he might be cheating on me." My voice cracked. I was faking but the story was true.

"Oh dear," she looked around her before sighing and handing me a keycard.

"412. I'm so sorry, men are trash." She consoled me.

"They keep proving that." I squeezed her hand.

"Yet still we can't get enough of them." She smiled softly.

I lightly chuckled as she let my hand go and I walked off. If she only knew. I took the elevator up to the fourth floor and started counting down the doors with Fatima beside me commenting on how nice the hotel was.

412.

I saw the numbers on the door and my adrenaline shot through the roof wondering what the fuck I was doing. I was already here so there was no backing down now. I let out a loud sigh and shook my arms then cracked my neck to loosen the tension. I lifted my fists in front of me like I was getting ready to tackle in a boxing ring punching at the air and hyping myself up.

"I honestly don't know why she decided to fuck you, a crazy ass motherfucker, over." Fatima watched my mental preparation beside me.

"I guess we'll be finding out in 3,2,1." I quickly swiped the card and pushed the door open.

No one was in the room but the shower was on and I heard giggling. My anger skyrocketed as I made long strides to the bathroom door that was already open. Steam wafted through the air as I pulled the glass door and stood staring at the two naked bodies belonging to Kacely Chidike and Kwashie Ekuban.

"THIS IS WHAT WE DOING NOW????" I shouted not waiting for them to see me.

Kacely screamed from the sudden intrusion and tried to cover herself up. So she knew that Kwashie was a female? Interesting.. I stepped aside and allowed them to exit the bathroom wrapping themselves in towels. I directed them to sit on the bed while Fatima sat on the arm of the loveseat.

"So, how did she take the shocking information?" I asked Kwashie.

"Love is love." Kacely answered.

"Aye bitch, I ain't asked you shit." I restrained myself from slapping the shit out of her.

"Zidania.." Kwashie finally spoke up.

"My fucking nigga, you can actually talk." I gasped as she clenched her jaws at my choice of words.

"What is all of this, Kwashie?" I flung my arm.

"Does she know why we're getting married?" I asked.

"I know it is not for love." Kacely interjected.

"I'm going to say this one more time, I ain't asked you shit. Talk out of terms again and I am going to shut you the fuck up myself." I threatened.

She opened her mouth to say something but Kwashie rested a hand on her thigh and my nose flared at the intimate touch. At least she knew what I was capable of when I was angered.

"So you just decided to start fucking the bitch that ruined our wedding, huh? It's supposed to be fucking us!! Why you had to do me like that?" I asked.

"I'm sorry.." Kwashie said.

"What the fuck you sorry for? For telling me we can't have sex because of tradition but you out here plastic balls deep in some other bitch?" I shouted.

"I should put a cap in ya motherfucking ass." I moved to slap her but Fatima was by my side holding me back.

"You can't do shit." Kacely spoke up.

"Let me go." I calmly told Fatima.

She sighed as her hands left my arms and I lunged at Kacely. As soon as my fist touched her soft jaws I felt satisfied, I pulled back my arm and swung once more while I held tightly onto the towel holding her up. Kwashie was trying to push me off but Fatima pushed her back. I knew Fatima couldn't fight and Kwashie was quite the opponent so I quickly left the screaming and thrashing helpless woman beneath me to stand between the two right as Kwashie flung her fist. It connected with the side of my head and I staggered a bit from the impact but quickly recovered and flung myself onto the tall woman standing before me with the towel loosely hanging on her body.

I pulled my fists back and started throwing them one after the other hitting her in the face and arms as she tried protecting herself from my assault. I was pulled off of her by my hair and kicked my foot out connecting my timbs to her jaw as soon as she lifted herself up. I held onto the hands of the person dragging me by the hair and knew it was Kacely. Fatima attacked her and I heard her screams as she let my wig go and I flew back up to face Kwashie. My face was hard and stern matching the cold gleam in her eyes.

"Is this what you really want?" I asked.

She didn't answer me. I sighed and pulled my gun from behind me pointing it at her face, emotions finally displayed on her face as her busted lip pulled down into a frown and fear rose in her eyes. Kacely was still struggling to free herself from the grip Fatima had her in as I lifted the gun and brought the back grip down on her head knocking her out, she let her naked limp body go and stepped over it just as shocked that I had a gun.

"What influenced this?" I really wanted to know.

"I just couldn't stay away." She was crying.

"I love you." She reached out to touch me but I stepped away.

"You have a weird way of showing it." I laughed.

"Did she bewitch you?" I asked.

"No..." as the words left her lips my own tears threatened my eyes.

"It was my own conscious and impulsive decision." I stared into the face of the woman I loved knowing that the feelings were no longer mutual.

**

I think I might be ending this at chap 40 👀 but let us see how it goes.

#KeepingUpWithTheMcGlashans