Morgan rolled her eyes and turned to face Messiah, as he came strolling in. She took him in. The navy suit he wore was so dark it almost looked black, and it was tailored to perfection, with Red Bottom-studded loafers to accent it. The Versace shirt he wore underneath was trendy, and he wore extravagant jewelry; six, diamond chains, and four, diamond rings on his left hand. He wore his dreads French braided in two to the back and a gold, Presidential on his wrist. He was intoxicating, and his cologne made matters even worse. Messiah was a young man, getting money, and he always looked the part of a young boss. His normal, understated style was put away for the occasion. He didn’t care if he looked like new money. It all spent the same. He carried a small box that had been beautifully wrapped and handed it to Morgan.

“Happy birthday, beautiful,” he greeted.

Morgan took the gift and gave him a short smile. At least he showed up. He could have skipped it altogether, she thought.

“Thank you,” she signed.

Ethic walked up and greeted Messiah. “Your young gunners outside?” Ethic asked, getting straight to business. Just because there was a reason to celebrate didn’t mean he would drop his guard. Ethic would never put himself in a position to be caught slipping. He had to make sure the party was safe and that every guest who walked through the doors was weapon free. Every guest, except himself and Messiah, that is.

“Yeah, my niggas on it. We’re good,” Messiah concurred. He slapped hands with Ethic, who then eased back into his corner, allowing the flow of the party to resume.

“I’ma see you before I leave out of here, a’ight? I hope you like the gift,” Messiah said.

Morgan nodded, as she watched him walk away with another girl on his arm.

She didn’t feel much like partying after that, but she put on a smile, as the night thrived, and everyone had a good time. Morgan couldn’t quite fix her mood, not with Messiah sitting across the room with his date in his lap. They were whispering, and the girl smiled, as if Messiah was telling her the best joke in the world.

Nigga ain’t even funny. Goofy bitch just being extra, Morgan thought. She hated that Messiah had reduced her to a hater. Truth was, Shayna was gorgeous, and Morgan knew it. She had that grown woman feel that made Morgan feel as if she were simply a little girl with a school-age crush. She dug into her purse and retrieved her cell phone, as she stormed away from the crowd. She was sick, literally. She felt like she would throw up. Messiah was too close to her to be so distant, and she hated the fact that someone else was making him look good.