ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪɴᴇꜱ
ɴᴇᴡ ʏᴏʀᴋ, ɴᴇᴡ ʏᴏʀᴋ
ᴏᴍɴɪꜱᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ᴘᴏᴠ
"I don't see why you can't just buy them both" Ari said to Giselle as the two argued over which heels they wanted to buy.
"I know I won't wear these as much." Giselle said, holding them up. She glanced down at a pair of heels in her hand, then looked up at Kennedy and Kimora.
"Which ones?"
"No shade auntie but you can't even walk in heels the right way, do us both a favor and put them down." Kennedy said making Kimora laugh lowly.
"And you're lucky I love you and you're with my son otherwise I would've dropped you right back home." Giselle said putting the heels back on the display.
Ari chuckled, shaking her head as she watched Giselle dramatically place the heels back on the display. "What's wrong with you two?" She asked eyeing her daughters.
"I'm tired." Kimora said.
"And I'm hungry." Kennedy added.
"Ok we'll be done in a minute, we can get some food and then head home after." Ari said receiving a nod from the both of them.
"I'm complaining now but I'm actually going to miss her forcing us to go shopping with her when I move out." Kennedy said, leaning on Kimora.
"Girl move out? You not going anywhere any time soon so don't miss it too much."
"Says the girl who love sleeping over at people house now." Kennedy smirked, seeing Kimora look away from her with quickness. "Yeah I was waiting on you to tell me all about it."
"It's nothing to tell."
"You forgetting we sisters right? Grew up together and all that, I know when you're lying."
"I'm not though. Nobody ever told you that you're nosey?"
"And is. No shame in it." She laughed. "The only reason I can think of you not coming home that night as that he laid that pipe on you..."
"Kennedy?" Kimora eyes widened a bit. "Nothing happened with me and Darius. Like I don't know what you want to hear."
"Who's Darius?" Giselle's voice was heard, making the both of them snap their necks. Kimora looked away from her aunt's glare, staring down at her shoes, trying her best to avoid eye contact. Ari, sensing the tension in the air, stepped forward, her expression soft but curious. "Who's Darius, Kimora?" she asked, her tone more gentle than Giselle's, but with an underlying hint of interest.
"Ma you should've came to the tournament. Darius wants her bad but she just scary." Kennedy said smiling.
"I'm not scary, I just don't like him." She mumbled.
"Yet you stayed over at his house, Lord knows what yall did."
Ari and Giselle's eyes widened as they looked at each other and back at Kimora, who was giving Kennedy a death stare.
"Who the fuck is Darius? Kimora spill." Giselle said, pulling her closer to her by the arm.
"He's nobody. We just met at the tournament."
"So that's where you were that night?"
"Ma nothing happened. I swear. I ended up falling asleep, that's all."
"So are you two like friends...or?"
"Friends? I don't even know if you can call it that. He's Nia's brother. So we're well aquatinted with each other."
"Please like she like that man. And he want her bad." Kennedy said.
Ari raised an eyebrow at Kimora's words, her curiosity piqued, but she kept her tone calm. "Well, if he wants you so bad, what's stopping you?"
Kimora sighed, rubbing her temples. "It's not that simple, Ma. I don't know him like that. And besides, I don't... I don't trust myself to get involved with someone right now."
Ari's gaze softened at the vulnerability in Kimora's voice. She could hear the uncertainty, the fear of opening herself up again. Ari knew how hard it had been for her daughter to trust people, especially after everything she'd gone through in the past with men.
"You don't have to rush anything, baby," Ari said gently, placing a reassuring hand on Kimora's shoulder. "But I'm glad you're opening up about it. I know it's not easy for you to talk about stuff like this."
Kimora gave her a small thankful smile before Giselle started to speak. "So you admit you like him?" She asked making the three ladies look at her waiting for an answer.
Kimora didn't know herself whether or not she liked him, but she knew she wanted to know more about him, what he was about.
I don't know," she replied slowly, her eyes darting from her mom to her aunt. "I mean, I like him... I guess. But I'm still trying to figure it out. I don't wanna rush anything"
Giselle smirked, clearly not satisfied with the vague response. "Kimora girl you remind me so much of your mom when she first met your dad" She laughed as so did Ari. "But don't stress it for real. You'll know as time passes if you like him or not."
Kimora nodded slowly before their conversation took a shift. After finishing their meal, the family headed back home, the evening winding down. As Ari opened the door, Junior, was waiting by the entrance, his eyes lighting up when he saw his mom. "Hey, Ma! You're home!" he said, rushing to hug her. Ari smiled and flattening his braids, relieved to be back. The house felt peaceful, and with the day coming to an end, everyone began heading to their rooms.
By the time night had fully settled in, the house was quiet, each of them getting ready for bed. Kimora climbed into her bed, her mind still on Darius, but for now, she could push the worries aside as she was thinking about the outfit she would wear tomorrow to see Sade and Nia. Kay tucked Junior in, and Kairo and Kennedy settled into their own rooms. The house was calm, and despite everything, Kimora felt a sense of comfort, knowing she didn't have to face it all alone.
Before she knew it Ari knocked on Kimora's door before pushing it open slightly. "You up?"
Kimora was lying in bed, scrolling through her phone, but she sat up when she saw her mom step inside. "Yeah, what's up?"
Ari closed the door behind her and sat at the edge of the bed. "Let's talk about Darius."
Kimora let out a deep sigh, already knowing where this was going. "Ma..."
"I'm not here to lecture you," Ari assured, her tone soft. "I just... I know you. And I know this isn't just about not liking him."
Kimora stayed quiet, staring down at her hands.
Ari reached over, tucking a strand of hair behind her daughter's ear. "Baby, I know it's hard. Letting someone new in after everything you've been through... it's scary."
Kimora swallowed hard, her fingers picking at a loose thread on her blanket. "It's not even that, Ma. It's just... I don't trust it. I don't trust me to make the right choice."
Ari's heart clenched. She hated that her daughter felt that way, that her past had made her doubt herself.
"Kim, what happened to you wasn't your fault," Ari said gently. "You were young, you were in love, and he took advantage of that. That doesn't mean you can't trust yourself now."
Kimora exhaled shakily. "But what if I let someone in and it happens again? What if I misjudge him?"
"Baby not every man is like your ex respectfully." Ari cut in. "What if he makes you happy?"
Kimora blinked rapidly, her throat tightening. "I don't even know what happy with someone else looks like anymore."
Ari reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. "Then maybe it's time to find out. Slowly. On your terms."
Kimora sniffled, nodding slightly but still looking unsure.
"You don't have to rush anything, baby," Ari reassured her. "But don't let your past stop you from having a future. You deserve to be happy. And if Darius really wants to be in your life, he'll show you that he's worth the risk."
Kimora wiped her eyes quickly. "I just... I just don't know if I'm ready."
"And that's okay," Ari said. "Just don't shut the door completely. Give yourself the chance to heal. To move on when you want to, not when your past says you have to."
Kimora exhaled deeply, nodding again. "I'll think about it."
Ari smiled, squeezing her hand once more before standing up. "That's all I ask." She kissed Kimora's forehead. Ari looked at her first birn's face and seen that it was still uneasy, something was still on her chest. "What's wrong?"
"You know how Darius is from the Sev?" She mumbled. Ari nodded, seeing where this was going.
"The other night when we were together, I asked him what he does for work and he told me he's some type of drug lord, and Ma I kind of don't want to get myself into that. But I can't help but be interested in him. And-"
"Kimora?" Her mom said in a tone that she couldn't even describe, but she knew her mom wasn't pleased.
"No wait ma listen!" She pleaded. "He didn't want to, it was his dad that forced it on him."
Ari let out a slow breath, forcing herself to keep her expression neutral despite the concern she was feeling at the moment.
"Look, baby," she started, choosing her words carefully. "I won't sit here and act like every man in the streets is a lost cause. Your dad? He was deep in it too, and you already know how I feel about him. I love everything about him."
Kimora nodded, her grip tightening on the blanket in her lap.
"But that don't change the fact that the lifestyle is dangerous," Ari continued, her voice softer now. "And I wouldn't recommend it, not for you, not for anybody. The streets don't care how good of a person you are. Your dad made it out, but a lot of people don't."
Kimora swallowed hard. "I hear you, Ma. I really do. But Darius isn't reckless. He's smart about how he moves, and he wants to build something for himself."
Ari let out a small sigh, rubbing her temple. "That's what scares me, Kim. Because that's exactly how it starts. A smart man with ambition, thinking he can outmaneuver the game. But at the end of the day, the game always catches up."
Kimora looked down, playing with her fingers. "So, what are you saying? You think I should just cut him off?"
Ari hesitated. She wanted to say yes. She wanted to tell Kimora to run in the opposite direction, to never look back. But she also knew that if someone had told her to walk away from Kay all those years ago, she wouldn't have listened.
"I'm saying... be careful," Ari finally said. "I'm not gonna sit here and tell you to cut him off. That's your decision to make. But what I will say is don't go into this blind. Don't ignore the risks just because you like him. Don't make excuses for the things you know could hurt you later."
Kimora nodded slowly, her face unreadable.
Ari reached over, tucking a loose curl behind Kimora's ear. "And if it ever gets to a point where you feel unsafe, where you feel like this life is pulling you into something you don't want? Promise me you'll walk away."
Kimora met her mother's eyes, seeing the silent fear behind them, the worry Ari was trying so hard to hide. And for the first time, she really let it sink in.
"I promise."
Ari studied her face for a moment before giving a small nod. "That's all I can ask."
She pressed a kiss to Kimora's forehead before standing up. "Get some rest, baby. We can talk more about this tomorrow."