Butterfly 3

by Ashley Antoinette

“He sent me at you, and everybody know how you feel about her. Weaken the king, then kill him. We were supposed to hit everybody you fuck with. He never named her, but she’s first when it comes to you.”

“But yo, while you at it, plan a funeral too, shorty. You gon’ need a black dress that day, because the day I watch you walk down the aisle to that lame-ass nigga is the day he takes his last breath.”

“And since I’m the hostess and you’re a guest, I don’t really think your approval is required,” Alani said.

“You never really cancel a good subscription. Like Netflix. You might pause it, but you just keep coming back,” Livi said.

“What the fuck, Mo? Stop letting niggas ruin you. You’re so much better, man. You’re so fucking good, yo. I’d love the shit out of you if you let me.”

Don’t run around tangling yourself up in temporary flings thinking it’s going to replace somebody that made you think about forever.”

You can’t rush her transformation, son. Every man who has ever tried to do that to any woman has been left disappointed.”

“If he loved you that well, you would have chosen him,” Ethic said. “You never did. So he might love you. In fact, I believe that he does. I’ve seen him with you, with your kids. A man who loves on kids like that when they aren’t his can only have infinite love for their mother. So yeah, the nigga loves you, Mo, but how about you? You love him the same? Or you shortchanging that man so you can keep a little saved up for Messiah, cuz if that’s the case, you ain’t all the way right either.”

“Same as love. You can’t hate a man without loving him first. Hate is just disappointed love, Mo,” Alani said.