URBAN

TWENTY FIVE

Ashanti

"Ti, you need to tell me what's going on." Eli came towards me. I was sat against the front door, crying. I don't know if it was in frustration, hurt or anger. "Ti, come on, stand up, baby. You can't let Keem make you feel like this,"

"... he doesn't believe me," I managed to say, looking at her.

"Believe what?" Eli asked, widening her eyes. "Does he think you cheated on him or something?"

I nodded then took in a sharp breath as I tried not to cry. "... I love him so much," I said quietly. "He doesn't even understand what happened."

Eli crouched down to my level. "Come on, Ti, baby, talk to me,"

"... Levi." I cleared my throat. "Levi said... he must've told Keem that I tried to get onto him... and I told Keem I didn't like being around Levi..." I was telling the whole story in bits, do you see how scattered my brain is right now?

"Yeah, I told you to tell Keem," Eli nodded, standing back up and putting her hand on her hip. She's been having back problems, you know with the baby and all. I didn't wanna cause her to be in pain so I moved and sat on the stairs.

"Yeah, yeah, exactly. You told me to tell Keem. Cos I was stupid and didn't tell him when Levi first showed all those red flags. How can that nigga try anything with me? He's Keem's best fucking friend. I don't get it," I started speaking all my thoughts. 

My heart started beating fast as I felt anger in my chest. Do you guys know how it feels for someone to be lying on your name and the only person that matters doesn't believe you?

"Yeah, so I told Keem a couple weeks ago," I wasn't crying anymore. What's the point in crying? This shit don't even feel real. "Last week, Levi kissed me," I said, bluntly.

"What the fuck?" Eli gasped. "Nah, I told you he's actually a homewrecker."

"Listen to me, Eli. He grabbed me. Okay, I admit, I was being bare friendly,"

"Ashanti, come on," Eli shook her head.

I really need to work on myself too. I know I was at fault, I was too touchy with Levi. I didn't need to hug him. Or tell him I'd go for him if I was single. I'm wrong for that. I need to stop doing shit like that.

But none of that makes up for the fact that Levi kissed me, especially the second time, with force. None of that was me. I tried to move away from him after the first kiss.

"I know, I shouldn't have been like that. I hate myself for being so friendly towards him but, I swear, I kept reminding him I was Keem's girlfriend... and he kept saying that hasn't stopped him in the past," I paused. "Then he fully just grabbed me and kissed me. Then I asked him what he was doing and I was tryna get away from him..."

"He forced it?" Eli asked.

"Yeah, he grabbed my arm, look,"

Eli gasped again but this time it was in horror. "Ti! Oh my God, I can see his hand print,"

I looked at the bruise on my arm and deeped how hard he had a hold on me.

Just the thought of it brought tears to my eyes. "I told Keem... he didn't believe me. He thinks I came onto Levi,"

"No, but, Ti, how hard was he holding you?" Eli asked. "When did this even happen?"

"Last week," I sniffed. "It doesn't hurt as much as my hip," I didn't even realise I'd got hit along my waist till I got here, it was probably from when I was separating Keem from Levi. One of them must've hit me. I raised my oversized top and pulled the side of my shorts down a little, seeing a large dark brown-purple bruise along my waist.