Startled by his presence, Giselle blinked away more tears when Heavy entered.
“And I’m not doing anyone any good around here,” she finished.
“You won’t even give it a chance. You know why, because you’re always running from something,” Maisie pointed out. “One thing your parents did was allow you to give up because they were always there to catch you if you fell. You don’t have that safe landing anymore, so you want to run. It’s not going to make it any better, Giselle.” Maisie’s voice cracked. “So, I hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for out there.” Maisie pushed past her down the hall and left Crew standing there.
“Take care of yourself.” He gave her a tight squeeze, but Giselle barely reacted.
Crew tossed a glance at Heavy before going after Maisie. The two had only stopped here so they could change clothes, but they planned to go back over to the block to enjoy the rest of their night.
“Where you going?” Heavy nodded toward her bags.
“Where I belong,” she answered, her tone harsh and cold.
He let go of a deep breath and swiped his hand down his beard before shaking his head.
“Prischa is like family to me. You embarrassed her in front of everybody. I had to step in.”
“And put me in my place in the process, right?”
“That’s not what I was trying to do,” he denied. “You walk around like the whole world owes you an apology, princess. I’ve seen enough people lose everything to know… nobody’s going to hand you peace. You gotta earn that shit.”
“You think I don’t know about loss?” she asked after swallowing a lump in her throat.
More tears glistened in her eyes, but didn’t dare let one slip. The air between them crackled, and she wondered if he could hear the rampant thudding of her heart.
“My whole life burned down, almost literally. I try to remember what breathing feels like on a regular basis because every time I close my eyes, I hear my mother screaming… begging for her life, and then a gunshot so loud it nearly shattered my ear drums. Then, my father, broken, like a little boy… weeping over her dead body before they shot him too.”
Her pain hit him deep in the chest, something he hadn’t expected as she stood there, holding it together the best way she knew how.
He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came. Crew gave him the story, but it was nothing like hearing it from the eyewitness. Underneath all that pretty, this woman was deeply scarred and drowning in anguish. He stepped closer, but Giselle reacted swiftly. Sniffling back her tears, she gripped her luggage tighter and moved past him. He grabbed her before she slipped too far away, stopping her long enough for her to face him.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” he acknowledged in a low tone. “Maybe I came at you wrong, but maybe you need to take a look at yourself and this situation. Yes, you suffered a great loss. Now, how do you pick up the pieces of your life?”
“I just want a life that doesn’t hurt every single time I wake up or try to go to sleep. I don’t need you or anybody else telling me how I should feel or when I should move on. You don’t know!”
Nodding slowly, he resigned from his stance. It was obvious that she was dead set on how she felt in that moment and what she had to do. There was no changing her mind.
“Then stand on it, princess. I hope somewhere along the way, you can find a way to heal too.”
She met his eyes one last time, pulse racing. For some reason, she felt like this was a pivotal moment in time, one she would always come back to and wonder how she could do it differently. On one side of the door was what she considered her future, and on this side, Heavy and her family represented something else. Not just the past, but home… comfort. A safe space, until it wasn’t.
She looked him over one last time, making a memory since she didn’t expect to ever see him again. Marching over to the door, she let herself out onto Remi’s porch and sighed with her head raised to the sky. Alonzo helped her with her bags once she reached his car, and as she was pulling away, she spotted Remi’s truck speeding up the block in her rearview. She didn’t ask Alonzo to stop as he maneuvered into traffic toward the nearest interstate.
Six weeks later…
“I would like everyone to welcome Giselle, and her investment with Maynard Holdings. Together we will be adding to the brand, bringing you Knox Interior Designs. Giselle will beheading this up. I’m just here to make sure it’s a success.” Alonzo raised his flute inside the crowded venue, and all his attendees cheered, clapped, and whistled proudly.
At his side, Giselle commanded the room in her vintage Vera Wang black sequined off the shoulder dress. Her long, deep brown hair was pulled into a high braided bun and two tendrils hung in front, crowning the dark glam beat on her face. City lights flickered behind them from the balcony of their ballroom while expensive bottles of champagne flowed. Glasses clinked together, and the flicker of cameras flashing in their direction distracted her.
This world, Alonzo’s world, which once felt like hers, was swallowing her whole. There was always some event draining her social battery. Lately, it was hard to even get out of bed because she was so tired. It wasn’t because she was restless anymore; sleep hadn’t been an issue in weeks.
At first, everything was so glamourous and fun. She convinced herself this was where she was supposed to be, photographed leaving restaurants or the latest hot party circuit, so she could be all up and down the social feeds. It was exhausting, and that emptiness she’d been running from crept in.
“Do you have anything you want to say, baby?” Alonzo stepped in beside her, resting his hand on the back of her neck. It was a gesture he often did, like he wanted to be able to give her an encouraging squeeze when she spoke.
Plastering a large grin on her face, Giselle searched the many faces in front of her.
“Um, sure.” She rested a hand against her stomach and took a breath. “I’d like to thank everyone for being here. It’s such an honor, and I am extremely grateful to Alonzo and his vision and for taking me under his wing. I look forward to launching a soft opening soon, so you all can get a feel for the brand and what’sto come.” Giselle swung her glass in front of her, and the crowd cheered again.
