chapter seven

As I watched the video stream of Marcus's pool party unfold, a twisted sense of satisfaction spread through me. Eliza was there, right on cue, and she wasn't playing around.

I could almost feel the tension radiating through the phone screen as Marcus, always so full of himself, stood there trying to maintain his bravado, even as Eliza's muscle made their move.

She wasn't the kind of person to waste words—she was action, pure and simple—and watching Marcus crumble as his guests looked on was nothing short of poetic.

To be honest, I'd been anticipating this moment for a while. Marcus had done more than just damage Tookie's reputation with his lies and slander. He had crossed a line that most people wouldn't dare to. He thought he was untouchable, and in some circles, he was.

But what Marcus hadn't realized was that Tookie had people who didn't play by the same rules he did. People like Eliza, didn't need a public statement or a clever retort to make sure justice was served. No, Eliza took care of business the way only she could—with swift and undeniable force.

I was sitting in my office, but I might as well have been standing right there on the lawn with Eliza. I could feel the power shift as Marcus's bravado crumbled.

It wasn't about how much muscle he had standing around him—it was about understanding that there are consequences to being a manipulative, deceitful person in the industry. I wanted to feel nothing but elation, honestly. Marcus had it coming, and Eliza had delivered.

But then the worry crept in, and my gut twisted.

I couldn't ignore the fact that Tookie's album was dropping soon—soon—and here I was, watching Eliza settle a score that could very well leave a stain on Tookie's career. There was a part of me that couldn't fully bask in the glory of Marcus getting what he deserved because all I could think about was how this might affect Tookie.

She'd been working so hard on this album, and it was everything she'd dreamed of—a project that represented who she was, who she wanted to be, and where she was going. People were talking about it—hell, they had been for months.

The industry was buzzing, and Tookie had finally broken through with something that wasn't just good but groundbreaking. She was on the verge of finally getting the recognition she deserved.

But as Eliza stood over Marcus—her team surrounding him, forcing him to realize his mistake—I couldn't help but wonder if the timing of all this would somehow taint the moment.

I knew Marcus was an industry rat, but his connections weren't something to overlook. What if some of his allies decided to retaliate, not just at Eliza, but at Tookie too? They could drag Tookie into this mess. And if they managed to muddy the waters just a little bit, all the momentum Tookie had built up around her album could be at risk.

I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I almost didn't notice my phone buzzing. It was a text from Eliza.

"Don't worry. People will forget about Marcus when they hear Tookie's album. Trust me. This moment is fleeting."

I stared at the message for a few beats. She was right, of course. Eliza didn't worry about consequences in the same way most people did. Her mindset was always clear: you deal with the problem head-on, and let everything else fall into place. And Marcus's fall from grace wasn't something people would be able to ignore, especially not after Eliza had made such a dramatic point.

But I couldn't help it. The anxiety gnawed at me. I didn't want to admit it, but there was still a lingering fear in the back of my mind. What if the industry decided to throw stones at Tookie because of what happened with Marcus? What if people tried to turn her success into a scandal just because of who she was associated with? It was a real concern and one that didn't disappear just because Eliza had made sure Marcus paid for his wrongs.

I shook my head, trying to focus. Tookie's album, I reminded myself. That's what mattered. Eliza was right—Marcus was done. His reputation was already in tatters, and soon no one would even remember his name. His dirty tricks had caught up with him, and the world would move on. But Tookie's album? That would live on. That would define her for years to come.

Still, I couldn't stop thinking about the timing. Tookie had worked so hard, and I knew she'd been excited about the release, even if she kept a cool front. I needed to call her. I had to. I needed to remind her of everything she had going for her and let her know that, no matter what Marcus had tried to do, her music would speak louder than any controversy.

I grabbed my phone and dialed Tookie's number, my heart in my throat. It rang twice before she picked up, her voice warm but not without a hint of exhaustion.

"Hey, Kayla," Tookie said. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to check in," I said, forcing my voice to stay upbeat. "How are you feeling about everything? I know it's been a crazy few days with all the drama surrounding Marcus."

There was a pause on the other end, and then I heard her chuckle softly, almost ruefully. "Yeah, girl. I've seen the headlines. Marcus's drama is everywhere, but I'm not worried about it. Honestly, I'm focused on the album. I've been focused on this project for so long, it's time to let everything else go."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "Good. That's what I wanted to hear. This album is your moment. All the hard work, all the blood, sweat, and tears—it's finally paying off. Don't let anyone else's nonsense distract you from that."

Tookie was quiet for a moment, then said with quiet conviction, "Marcus isn't going to affect this album. People will forget about him once the music drops. And the people who matter? They know what's real. I'm not worried about him or anyone else trying to take away from what we're about to do."

I smiled. She was always so grounded, so focused. Tookie's ability to center herself in the face of any obstacle was one of the things I admired most about her. She wasn't going to let anyone's dirty work get in the way of her success.

"Exactly," I said, my confidence in her growing with each word. "You've got this, Tookie. No one can take away what you've built. Marcus? He's a ghost now. And your album is going to be the thing everyone remembers."

"I'm counting on that," Tookie replied, her tone a little lighter now, more assured. "Thanks, Kayla. You always know how to keep me focused."

"Anytime," I said, smiling as I leaned back in my chair. "You've got something special, Tookie. And now it's time for the world to hear it."

As I hung up the phone, I finally allowed myself to breathe a little easier. The worry still lingered in the back of my mind, but it wasn't as consuming as it had been. Tookie had made it clear that she wasn't going to let anything sidetrack her. This album was her time and nothing—no drama, no slander, no shady industry connections—was going to change that.

Eliza had handled Marcus in the way only she could, and now it was time for Tookie's music to do the talking. I did not doubt in my mind that once that album hit the shelves, everything else would fade into the background. Marcus might have tried to tear Tookie down, but in the end, it was Tookie's talent, her voice, and her heart that would define her legacy.

And that? That was something Marcus couldn't touch, no matter how hard he tried.

Liked by reeva, cmpunk, lala, and 419,673others
kaylathepublicist One thing about @elizabaccay is she keeps her word
View all 3,133 comments
lala She definitely does!!!!
ericamena Baby she don't play
yungmiami305 I don't know why ppl keep testing her gangsta
miraclewatts00 I'll never forget her fighting in the club and when the security tried to grab her she tossed him like a piece of paper
jeffloagz she is the realist

I wasn't looking for it, not that I ever look for anything these days. But it showed up on my timeline, right there in front of me—Kayla and Eliza, wild as hell, throwing hands at some girls outside a nightclub.

The video was short, maybe 30 seconds, but that was more than enough. It's funny how something so brief can feel like it drags on forever. I swear I could hear every hit, every grunt, every little exhale in my head.

It wasn't the first time I'd seen them fight, but this? This was different. This time, it wasn't just a street brawl or some neighborhood tension. This was raw. This was the kind of chaos I couldn't pull myself away from, even though my gut was already telling me it wasn't something I should be looking at.

After the whole Marcus situation blew up. Eliza... I don't even know how to describe her. She's seemed unpredictable, intense, and damn near impossible to control.

But what happened with Marcus at that pool party? That was a whole different beast. And now, here is a fight video of her and Kayla resurfacing from years ago on X.

I didn't even have to watch the whole thing to understand what was going on. The background noise in the video, the music blasting from the club, the voices of the crowd—all of it screamed one thing: chaos.

But it was the way Eliza and Kayla moved together that made my stomach drop. There was a rhythm to it, like they were in sync, like this wasn't their first time dancing in the chaos. They were feeding off each other, fueling the fire.

The caption on the video said something about the fight happening after Eliza caught her boyfriend cheating in the nightclub.

The video switched to a shot of Kayla punching one of the girls in the face, hard enough that you could see the girl's head snap back. I didn't even know who the hell the girls were—they could've been anybody.

Kayla, she shocked me. I didnt think she was the type to get into these kinds of fights, at least not over bullshit like this. Kayla seemed cool-headed, the one who kept her distance from the drama.

But seeing her throw hands like that, her eyes wild and focused—it sent a chill down my spine. I don't know why it hit me like that, but it did.

I kept watching, hypnotized by the violence of it all. It wasn't just the fight; it was the way Eliza looked afterward. After Kayla landed that punch, Eliza was grinning, looking like she just won some kind of twisted game.

There was something in her face that made me feel like I was watching something I wasn't supposed to see—something raw and untamed that I couldn't understand, but couldn't look away from either.

I needed to know more.

I pulled up my messages and sent a text to Kayla. "Yo, you good? What's up with that fight trending on X?" I didn't expect an immediate reply.

It was crazy how things had changed since the pool party. One minute, we were all living our lives, doing what we did. And the next? Well, the next was this mess.

That pool party had been the spark that lit this whole damn thing up. Marcus never saw it coming. Hell, none of us did. Eliza had made sure of that, though. She had been planning the whole thing for days, and I guess I couldn't blame her.

She had her reasons. Marcus had crossed her friend, hurt her friend, and maybe even betrayed her friend in ways I'll never fully understand. But what happened after? The way she played it out? It was like watching a slow-motion car crash that you couldn't stop.

I kept thinking about Marcus in the pool, surrounded by his boys, thinking he was untouchable. And then Eliza walked in, like she owned the place. I wasn't there, but I heard about it—how Eliza had set the whole thing up. The whole thing was caught on camera, and the video spread faster than wildfire.

I stared at the screen as the video looped again. Kayla landed another punch. The ping from my phone brought me back to reality. Kayla had replied.

"Don't worry about it, Zilla. It's old. Just some stupid girls tryna step up after we caught Eliza's ex cheating."

I wanted to respond, ask her more, dig deeper into what the hell was that—but then I stopped myself. Kayla had her past, and I had mine.

Still, as I stared at the screen, watching that damn fight loop again. Jacob walked in. "You seen that video of your girl and her friend fighting? How old is that video and why is coming out now?" Jacob asked.

I shrugged. "Probably Marcus, trying to make Kayla and Eliza look like some thugs," I answered.

Jacob sat down on the couch. "That's crazy though. Like Reeva told me they get down like that but I wasn't expecting that. I see why Phil was saying that there's a reason why when they all get mad he doesn't let them near each other like they become one evil brain cell," Jacob said.

I shook my head. "I should have known because when I took Kayla to Waffle House, this girl bumped into her. Kayla stared at the girl until she apologized and with that look on her face, I thought she was gonna slice the girl," I said.

Jacob nodded. "Reeva got that same look," Jacob said.

"What the fuck did we get ourselves into?" I asked Jacob.

"We got some real goons," Jacob answered.

"Phil raised goons," I said.