Page 76 of All In

“I’m seven!” Max yelled from upstairs. “Mind your business and play,” Jackie called back immediately. “Okay!” he yelled. Kormia turned slowly, eyebrows raised. “See? Messy. Just like his mama.” Jackie grabbed a throw pillow and launched it at her. Kormia laughed harder.

“I’m far from messy,” Jackie shot back. “Now loud? Maybe. But never messy. As matter of fact, Jackie Brown always keeps itP.” Kormia pointed at her with a greasy finger. “Well, this time you kept it M.” Jackie huffed a laugh despite herself. “Seriously though,” Kormia said, settling back again.

“Just call that man and apologize. He already spared your ass in that last conversation.

Because if it was me? And you was driving my cousin’s car, spending the night in his condo, eating ramen and drinking sake? Baby, I would’ve set fire to the rain.”

“Nothing happened,” Jackie muttered. “Mmhm.” Kormia responded unconvinced.

“I’m serious.”

“Girl, I don’t care if y’all played Uno all night. The optics look crazy as hell.”

Jackie sighed and cracked open a wine cooler.

“I tried giving Cash his car back several times,” she said after a sip.

“He won’t take it.”

“Clearly,” Kormia replied dryly, “that mean drive it like it’s yours.” Jackie leaned back against the couch cushions. “I tried to explain everything to Najee,” she admitted quietly.

“But he already had his mind made up.”

“Or” Kormia muttered, “you got defensive.” Jackie shot her a look instantly.

Kormia lifted both hands in mock surrender. “I’m just saying, cousin. You have the tendency to swing first when you feel cornered. And I understand why you like that. But that don’t automatically make you right.” Silence settled over the room after that. Not awkward. Just honest.

Jackie stared down at the bottle in her hand for a second before exhaling.

“I think we past the point of no return now anyway.”

“Why? “Kormia frowned. Jackie hesitated. “I canceled our breakout session today.” Kormia sat up so fast she almost dropped her chicken. “Why would you go and do that?” Jackie groaned softly.

“I was in my feelings.” Kormia smiled slowly. “Well. Acceptance is the first step.”

Jackie rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. Instead, she reached for her phone, opened Instagram, and tapped through her feed until she landed on his story. The screen filled with low lighting, soft music, and what looked like one expensive ass dinner. Thenthe camera shifted. And there he was.Najee.Jackie’s breath caught slightly. He was dressed in all black, sitting back in his chair looking clean, calm, and fine as hell in a tailored suit that probably cost a bag.

But that wasn’t what caught her attention. It was the woman sitting next to him. Covered modestly in a silk overgarment, a beautifully beaded hijab framing soft features Jackie recognized almost immediately. “She look familiar,” Jackie murmured. Then it clicked. “The field,” she said. “She was with Zambia.” Kormia leaned closer, squinting at the screen. Oh, I know her. That’s Fatima.”

“She’s Zambia’s older sister. I used to do her nails back when I worked at Bri’s shop.”

“That was a million years ago though,” Jackie said. “Yeah,” Kormia nodded.

“But you never forget the big tippers. Fatima used to cash me out.”

Jackie looked back down at the story, taking the woman on the screen in a little more carefully this time. Fatima was beautiful, maybe a shade or two darker than Zambia, with piercing brown eyes, glass skin, and immaculate bone structure. She was naturally beautiful. Nothing about her looked altered or manufactured. She was just… striking. And Jackie couldn’t even front. Her and Najee looked damn near perfect sitting next to each other, like the picture made sense before you even understood the context behind it. That made something uncomfortable skip through Jackie’s chest.

“She good peoples too,” Kormia added. “Nothing like Zambia’s stuck-up ass. Fatima always been quiet, down to earth, and low-key. Well…” Kormia dragged out slightly, “that’s until she went away to school.” Jackie glanced over, “What happened when she went away?” Kormia snorted softly before taking another sip of her wine cooler. “You know how them superreligious good-girl types be once they finally get freedom,” she said. “They overdose on that independence and start throwing that ass in a circle.” Jackie huffed a small laugh. “Fatima ain’t do all that,” Kormia continued. “But she definitely started living and having fun.” She shrugged. “And apparently she had a little too much fun.”

Jackie’s brows pulled together slightly. “So what happened?” she finally asked.

Kormia took another sip of her wine cooler before continuing. “Homegirl ended up pregnant by some little wannabe drill rapper. And that was all she fucking wrote. Her marriage back home was called off almost overnight and her ass got excommunicated after that.” Jackie stared at the screen a second longer, watching the story replay. Najee looked relaxed and comfortable. Like his mind was already on to the next. Kormia side-eyed her knowingly. “I’m honestly surprised to see her back around,” she continued. “Last thing I heard, she was somewhere in Delaware doing scam taxes.” Then came the smirk. “Either way…” Kormia dragged out. “She look real comfortable next to your man.”

Jackie shot her a look immediately. “He’s not my man.”

“Yet.” Kormia said between sips of her cooler. Jackie rolled her eyes, but the heat crawling up her neck betrayed her immediately. “That’s a good man, Savannah,” Kormia added. “You better act like you know.” Jackie didn’t respond. Because she didn’t really know what to say. Kormia’s words sat with her longer than she wanted them to. She was right, Najee was a good man. An intentional man. And even if he wasn’t technically hers…yet—that was about to change.

Jackie closed Instagram and opened their text thread instead. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. Not typing. Not moving. Just there. Kormia fake stretched beside her, clearly trying to peek at the screen. Jackie clocked her instantly. “Itold Max I was gonna take him to the Telly so he could go swimming,” Kormia said casually. “The reservations were supposed to be for tomorrow, but I can call my hotel plug and switch it for tonight if you need the crib.” Jackie looked over slowly. Kormia shrugged. “Just say the word.” Jackie thought about it for a second. Didn’t say anything. Just bit her bottom lip and shifted in her seat. And apparently that was enough.