“Are you saying you wouldn’t have waited if I asked you to?” Tyeis quizzed.
“Hell, no. I love you with my whole heart, but I’m not one of Big G’s strongest soldiers. You might have been running from me those first couple of months, but you were also running from this dick at night.”
“Babe!”
I almost choked on my champagne as Loyal shrugged his shoulders, while Tyeis sat there with red cheeks.
“What? You know I don’t believe in sugarcoating a damn thing.”
“I think what everyone is trying to say is that you should enjoy your time with Kavello and all the perks that come with him because he won’t be around long. As much as I love seeing you happy, you and I both know where your heart is. Besides, I know my brother, and he isn’t going to let you walk off into the sunset with someone else.” Ciyani reasoned.
“I get that you all love Dreaux and you’re rooting for him, but he doesn’t seem to feel the same way. He’s an incredible father to Promise, and I’m grateful for all he’s done for us, but I would be a fool to sit around and wait for him to decide he wants to be with me. I may not be in love with Kavello yet, but he’s putting in the effort.”
“You don’t need to explain yourself to any of us. Trust me, your happiness matters more than anything else. We’re biasedbecause we know the kind of man Dreaux is, but we love you, and we will support whatever you decide. Now enough talking, it’s time to turn up!” Ciyani cheered.
I placed a smile on my face, but internally, I was in a battle between my heart and my mind. Dreaux sent me a video of Promise singing Happy Birthday to me, but he hadn’t actually reached out to me all day. I hated the way his absence in my life made me feel, because I had to acknowledge how much his rejection hurt me.
It was my birthday, and I refused to spend it thinking about someone who wasn’t thinking about me. Janae and Ciyani pulled me towards them and danced with me. The rest of the ladies joined in, and we partied for the rest of the night. Instead of focusing on what I lacked, I decided to count my blessings. I was surrounded by genuine love and family. As I stepped into the next season of my life, I was grateful for the path that led me there.
My phone vibrated in my handbag, but I decided to wait to check until we made it back to our rooms to check it, assuming it was a notification from someone wishing me a happy birthday. My phone had been going crazy since I posted my birthday photos, and I was grateful for all of the love.
Rule and Messiah both made birthday posts for me on their social media pages, so my friend requests had blown up within minutes. I still hadn’t gotten used to having celebrity siblings, and I wasn’t sure I ever would. They were both so down-to-earth, I almost forgot they were famous until I saw them in action.
After we docked, we all changed at the hotel and changed clothes so we could go bar hopping. The weather was nice, so I settled on a pair of Daisy Dukes and a yellow crop top with my heels on. Kavello took me to get my belly button pierced, so I was pressed to show off my new jewelry.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” Kavello asked as he held me from behind. He had been in and out most of the day, so I felt like I hadn’t gotten to spend much time with him. The only reason I hadn’t complained was that my family kept me company.
“Today was amazing. Thank you for putting this together for me. This was one of the best birthdays I’ve ever had.” It was the truth. Growing up, birthdays were rarely celebrated. My momma would buy me a cake and a few gifts, but I didn’t have my first real party until I got older.
“I’m glad to hear it. Umm, I’ve got to catch a flight back home tonight, so I have to leave in a little while. I’ve already made arrangements for you and your people to have breakfast at Azul’s, and the check has already been covered.”
I shifted so I could see his face. I couldn’t believe he was breaking this news to me in the middle of a bar. He had already been on and off the phone most of the day, and now he was telling me he was leaving early, even though he had planned the whole trip.
“I thought you said you didn’t have any shows this week. It’s the reason you said we were doing it this weekend. I don’t understand,” I whined. There was no point in trying to pretend I wasn’t upset because I was.
“I know. Some family shit came up, and I have to make sure everything is straight. You already know I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t an emergency. I’m really sorry, baby. I promise I’m gonna make it up to you as soon as I can.” His eyes were pleading for me to understand.
“Okay. Have a safe trip.” I kept it short because I didn’t want to ruin the rest of my night. I grabbed Ciyani’s hand and told her I needed to go to the bathroom. Janae followed behind us as we walked through the crowd. As soon as I got to the bathroom, I told them what happened.
“I don’t know, boo. It sounds a little suspect to me. Did he tell you what the family emergency was? Hell, you know my investigative skills are top-notch. All I need is a little bit of information.” Janae offered.
“He was pretty vague about what the emergency was. I didn’t press him for more information because I was so upset about him bailing on me.”
“I know you’re disappointed, but we’re here, and we are going to enjoy this weekend on his dime. Fix your face, adjust your crown, and go out there and enjoy your night. The bars out here don’t close until four in the morning, and I plan to be up riding my man’s dick until it’s time for breakfast,” Ciyani yelled drunkenly. She and Justice had been making out like two teenagers, and it warmed my heart so much to see black love around me.
“Exactly! I already told you that man is a part of your present, but he will not be a part of your future. Don’t trip over someone who is only meant to be around for a season. Enjoy the perks, get some head out of the deal, and go on with your life. Cause like we told you earlier, our brother is coming back to get what’s his, and I said what I said,” Janae proclaimed. I giggled, even though she was being serious.
“Tell her, sis. She can count our brother out if she wants to, but we know who he is.” Ciyani cosigned.
“Whatever, let’s head back out here. I need another drink.” I washed my hands and tossed the paper towel in the trash can. It was then that I remembered I had forgotten to check my phone earlier.
“Speaking of Dreaux, bitch did you see what he posted on his page?” Janae probed.
“No, I haven’t seen anything. My phone was going off, so I decided to wait to check it later. Now you’ve got me worried.”
Once I retrieved my phone, I had over a hundred notifications, and that didn’t include the numerous tags and comments on social media. I scrolled through and responded to people, then checked my messages. The first message I saw pissed me off because he had a lot of nerve to be reaching out to me. His message confused me because I had no idea what he was talking about.
Chop: Bitch! You’ve got me fucked up! I knew you were a slut ass bitch, but you really violated. After all of the shit I did for you, this is how you do me! When I see you and that nigga, it’s on sight.
