Page 181 of Own It

“Are you fucking serious?” Daylin’s eyes widened in shock and what appeared to be a little bit of fury.

“Yep.” I nodded. “Thankfully, they got arrested.”

“You got jumped but only have a cut lip so them hos can’t fight. We should pull up on that bitch,” Daylin suggested.

“Can’t. I just said she got arrested so⁠—”

“She’s out.”

“Huh? How do you know?”

“I was on the phone with Rah a little bit before you texted me, and he mentioned Josias bailing Tarin out. I didn’t know or care why the hell she needed to be bailed out until I just put the pieces together right now.”

I paused, wondering if Josias knew why Tarin was even locked up and if he still bailed her ass out after finding out the reason. Every day that passed, I realized more and more why I never needed to look back on his ass. He would always bounce between us, and his loyalty would never be with any one of us. I was happy as fuck to be out of the toxic ass cycle with him, but oddly, I still didn’t feel good.

To make matters worse, this was his week with Divine, and the thought of him leaving her to go bail Tarin out, knowing what she did, sickened me.

“Wow,” I finally mumbled. “Of course he got the bitch out.” I shook my head. “You know I’ve been having a great time with Darron, but I can admit I was holding back a bit because of Josias like a fool. Fuck that.”

Daylin nodded somewhat somberly.

“Yeah, I like him, and he feels like a brother to me, but I agree. Stop sitting around waiting for him to be something he clearly doesn’t want to be. You stopped fucking with him months ago, and he still hasn’t changed for the better, so move on. Darron doesn’t have to be endgame, but it’s a start.”

“Yeah.”

“So, for now, let’s go get that bitch Tarin.” Daylin rose from the couch, making me chuckle.

“You serious?”

“Yep. That bitch knows you’re not a fighter but couldn’t even show up on her own. She jumped you on top of it all with her bullying ass.” Daylin ranted as she started toward my door and pulled it open.

“Okay, wait, let me get dressed!” I hurried to the back to change into some leggings and a big T-shirt.

Leaving out, I climbed into Daylin’s passenger seat, then directed her toward Tarin’s. I’d only known where she lived because I forced Josias to give me her address one time when he said all the kids would be together. I didn’t trust that his ass wouldn’t have Tarin around my baby and would’ve hated for Divine to be over Tarin’s house, needing me, and I had no idea how to get to her. Anywhere my child could possibly visit, I needed the exact location.

We made it to Tarin’s cozy home in Torrance rather quickly, and it was still enough light outside for us to see. Spotting her car in the driveway made everything feel real at this point. I had been worried she wouldn’t be home after the whole fiasco. Josias worked quickly to get his favorite baby mama out.

I couldn’t lie; on the way here, I wondered if maybe Josias hadn’t gotten her out, but seeing her car was evidence since it’d been towed upon her arrest.

Daylin hopped out of the car and rounded it, stepping onto the curb and treading across Tarin’s impeccable grass. She banged on the door before I even made it to the porch, so I prepared myself to fight.

“Wha—how did you find my house?” Tarin spat, looking Daylin up and down. I could see the fear intertwined with the attitude on her face.

“Where are the kids?” Daylin queried.

“With my man, why?” Tarin replied, darting her eyes to me.

“Come out and have a fair fight with Kasia,” Daylin said. “Or you scared she gon’ beat your ass?”

My heart was pumping in my chest because I honestly didn’t know if I could beat the bitch up, but as mad as I was, I surely was going to try.

Tarin laughed, unlocking her screen door and stepping outside.

“Watch and learn,” she told Daylin as if Daylin hadn’t knocked her damn tooth out in their own fight.

I geared up as Tarin stalked toward me, but in the last minute, Daylin punched her in the back of the head. Tarin whirled around, enraged, before Daylin started punching her back to back. Tarin looked like a fool, trying to shield her face from the punches but also trying to grab onto Daylin’s hair, which she’d intelligently tied up in the car.

“Ooh!” I jumped, hearing the sound of Daylin’s knuckles crash into Tarin’s nose as she screamed, grunted, and yelped.