The Awakening by Shakir Rashaan

can have anyone I want, once I show my body off. Hell, I’ve even got you two beat. So how am I not sexy?”
    â€œBecause it’s your attitude, bitch,” I finally chimed in. It’s time to set this woman straight on a few things. “Candy’s right, you’ve bought into your own press. You think you’re better than everyone else, like it’s a privilege to fuck you or something.”
    â€œOh, so it’s my fault?” Jasmine huffed. “These people have no game at these parties, Mercedes.”
    â€œYou just don’t get it, do you? Look, Jay is a lot like Kane. He doesn’t put on airs or acts like he’s better than you. He makes women feel sexy, and they feel at ease around him.” I had to lay it all out for her, to make her understand. “All you do is frown at people, making sure no one approaches you. Do you understand that turns people off? I mean, word gets around, Jasmine.”
    â€œI don’t give a fuck about those people!” Jasmine yelled again, this time with tears in her eyes. “I just want my husband back! These bitches don’t hold a candle to me, and he knows that!”
    â€œJasmine, you never lost your husband. If you did, he would have beaten your ass, and probably killed the guys you were fucking when you thought he was gonna crash at Kane and Mercedes’ placethat night, like he usually does when you kick him out.” Candy had just about reached her boiling point. “He still goes home with you, and manages to fuck your brains out when you get home. I know, because you bragged about it all the time. Do you know how many women would kill to have a man like Jay to be married to?”
    â€œAll right, ladies, enough,” I finally stated. “Jasmine, after what he caught you doing, I’m honestly surprised Jay even wants to see you right now.”
    â€œBut…” Jasmine tried to protest.
    â€œBut nothing, Jasmine,” I cut her off. “You’ve been blasting your husband for things he never did, kicking him out of the house, embarrassing him at parties; the list goes on, and he still stuck by you. Now, you expect him to forgive and forget, come back home to you so you can have your ego intact? You really have to be living in a dream world.”
    â€œYes. He’s my husband. We will get past this. We…we have to,” Jasmine flatly answered, as if she were trying to convince herself.
    â€œThen you deserve your fate,” I stated. The ice in my stare was unmistakable, and I really wasn’t in the mood anymore. “You want to control something, buy a damn dog.”
    Even Candy took a step back after that comment. I guess my husband rubbed off on me a little more than I cared to admit as well. He usually said things like that, matter-of-factly, and it usually got the point across. By the look on Jasmine’s face, I’d say I did a decent job of doing that.
    But you know how we women can be.
    We had to have the last word.
    â€œI don’t control my husband, Mercedes. I let him do whatever he wants to do at parties, let him hang out with his boys. How could you say such a thing?” Jasmine asked.
    â€œBecause it’s true, you treat him like a child. You want to limitthe people he deals with, and they had better be able to live up to your impossible standards. No wonder my husband can’t stand you. What’s the term he uses to describe you when Jay’s over on Poker nights? Oh yeah, ‘do you need to check in with the warden?’ ”
    â€œMercedes, please, she’s had enough.” Candy knew I was bringing out the heavy artillery, and she tried desperately to intervene.
    â€œI’m not done,” I snapped back at Candy before turning my attention back to Jasmine. “I remember when you tried to confide in us, telling us you don’t trust him, and I see now you were the one who shouldn’t have been trusted the whole