ᴏɴɪᴋᴀ ᴍᴀʀᴀᴊ
Dinner had been wonderful—a night of laughter, good food, and carefree fun with my girls. But all that came to a grinding halt the moment I spotted Kevin's face. Just seeing him there drained the joy from the evening.
We were outside the restaurant, waiting for the valet to bring around the car, when I heard Kevin's voice yell my name. My heart sank, and I sighed heavily. Why did he have to ruin a good night at such a classy place?
"Onika! I know you hear me calling you, man!" he shouted, coming down the steps with a wobble in his step.
I turned around slowly, already feeling the irritation creeping up. "What, Kevin? And could you not be so loud? This isn't the place for that."
"Who has my son?" he demanded, his words slurring slightly.
"My mother does. Why?" I answered irritatedly, trying to keep my composure.
He got closer, the stench of alcohol hit me like a wave. He reeked of it. Kevin stumbled forward again, this time attempting to wrap his arm around my waist. Reflexively, I pushed him back, my face twisting in disgust.
"Don't even try it. You know we're not like that anymore," I snapped, fixing my dress and glaring at him. The nerve of him, thinking he could just do anything he wants.
"You know you want me, and I want you," Kevin slurred, his voice thick with desperation as he tried to close the gap between us again. "I'm sorry for what I did. I just want you, baby."
Before he could get any closer, my girls stepped in, their protective instincts kicking in immediately.
"Get out of her face and leave her alone," China snapped, her voice sharp and commanding. "You're doing too much now. Learn that she doesn't want you anymore."
"Yeah, back off," Rylee chimed in, standing firm beside China. But Kevin just laughed, a cold, dismissive sound that sent a chill down my spine. He roughly shoved them aside, his eyes locked on me with a crazed determination.
The valet, standing just a few feet away, witnessed everything but didn't lift a finger to help. My heart pounded as Kevin grabbed me forcefully, yanking me toward him with a grip that made my skin crawl.
"You're coming with me, Onika," he growled, dragging me away despite my protests. "We're gonna talk about this and get things right."
I yelped in shock as he pulled me towards the back of the restaurant, his hand tight around my wrist. The fear in my chest turned into a cold, hard knot as I struggled against his grip.
"Let go of her!" my friends screamed, sprinting after us, their voices full of panic and anger. They reached out, trying to get me away from him, but Kevin was too strong dragging me further into the shadows.
My heart raced as the fear and adrenaline coursed through me.
"I'll be back! I'm going to get help!" Rylee shouted, and with that, she dashed back into the restaurant.
China stayed by my side, her presence a source of strength as Kevin continued to drag me toward his car. The fear in my chest was real.
"Get off of me!" I yelled, struggling as Kevin tried to lift me into his car. He opened the door, but I fought back, refusing to let him force me inside.
With every ounce of strength, I resisted, pushing against him and making it clear I wasn't going anywhere with him. China stayed close, trying to pull me away from his grasp, and the fight in me only grew stronger.
Moments later, Rylee returned with a group of people, and my heart leaped with relief when I recognized Aubrey among them.
"Yo!" Aubrey called out, his voice cutting through the tension. "What the hell are you doing, Kev?"
