Page 7 of Certified To Handle You 2

‘Lo let out a short breath and shook his head again. “Yeah… ‘cause right now that was just some random bitch ass nigga walkin’ in here like he part of the family. I don’t like that.”

Pressure nodded once after that, backin’ it up without sayin’ too much more. His eyes ran over my face, and I saw the moment he caught the shit. He leaned his head to the side a ‘lil’ and raised his brows.

“Nigga… I know you ain’t let ‘Nelle fuck you up like that,” he said.

I sucked my teeth and wiped my thumb across my lip.

“But you see who ran the fuck up outta here though,” I replied, lookin’ at him like that was all that needed to be said.

Him and ‘Lo went quiet for a second, and I could see that shit buildin’ on they faces. They was holdin’ it in, but barely. I looked between both of ‘em already knowin’ what was comin’.

“Fuck y’all,” I muttered.

That was it. Both them niggas broke, laughin’ low and shakin’ they heads.

‘Lo rubbed his jaw, still smilin’. “You sick, bruh,” he said.

“I’m sick?” I shot back, cuttin’ my eyes at him. “Man, she walked a whole nigga in here like he was one of them party clowns or some shit. Like he was booked to be here. I just showed her ass.”

Pressure smirked a lil’, but his tone stayed even. “Yeah… we see.”

I looked back out toward the crowd, my eyes already movin’ again.

“Renza,” my mama voice came from the side, and I turned my head to see her walkin’ up to me.

She stopped right in front of me, lookin’ me over, and I already knew what she was about to say before she even opened her mouth.

“Oh my God, baby! What happened to your face?” she asked, reachin’ up like she was about to touch me.

I stepped back just enough to avoid that and shook my head.

“I’m good, mama,” I told her.

She wasn’t hearin’ that shit though.

“Sweetheart, please get me some peroxide or see if there’s some alcohol wipes around,” she said, turnin’ her head toward somebody else before lookin’ back at me. “Did Reni do this?”

I frowned at that. “No, mama. I’m straight.”

She kept lookin’ at me like she ain’t believe that, her eyes movin’ over my face again like she was tryna piece it together.

“You don’t look ‘straight,’” she replied, her tone firm now.

I stood here and let her talk, not sayin’ nothin’ extra, ‘cause I already knew better than to get slick with her, especially in front of everybody.

“Stand still,” she said, and I did what she said without arguin’, even though I ain’t feel like dealin’ with none of this shit right now.

Somebody came back with what she asked for, and she handled it quick, cleanin’ me up like I was still a kid instead of a grown ass man standin’ here.

“Son, you need to be more careful,” she added, dabbin’ at my face like it was nothin’. “If you’re going to… take people apart, you should at least have the sense to do it when you don’t have somewhere to be.”

“Yes ma’am,” I said, keepin’ it simple.

She looked at me for another second like she wanted to say more, but then she nodded and walked off to go handle whatever else she had goin’ on.

I stayed here for a minute longer, but I already knew I wasn’t about to finish this party out. My head wasn’t here no more.

I looked at ‘Lo and Pressure.