Zaire flinched, his heart aching and snapping him back to the present. He couldn’t take it. Not in front of strangers…not in front of his Mama…not in front of Meadow…not in front of his own self. He’d never folded for the cameras and he wasn’t about to start now. He walked off quickly toward the guest house.
Meadow chased him, her short legs unable to keep up. “Zaire! Please let me explain!”
He didn’t turn around…didn’t even slow his steps. What he did do was, slam the front door hard enough to make the windows rattle.
Lesha held Meadow once she’d caught up with her. “Baby…give him a minute.”
Meadow covered her mouth, tears spilling like mad tears.
Lesha rubbed her back, voice soft but sure. “He ain’t mad at you.”
Meadow sobbed. “Then who is he mad at?”
Lesha exhaled a long, sad, knowing breath. “A Black man who just realized he can’t protect everything he loves.”
It wasdark now and most of the reporters were gone, though a few still lingered. They weren’t afraid of Ray’s old shotgun he threatened them with. Rena turned around and went back homewhen she saw the mess, telling Meadow she’d call her later to let her know if she would be returning.
Meadow knew Rena’s decision was more so about Zaire not being on the market, than the actual reporters. Still, she was too emotionally exhausted to argue with Rena right now.
Ray had been fussing all day and Magnolia was just confused. Lesha handled everything like the seasoned mom of a celebrity.
Meadow knew it was better to talk about the incident than just pretend nothing happened, so she ran across the yard in the rain to the guest room.
The moment Meadow stepped into the house, the walls felt wrong...too quiet…too tight…too small for the weight sitting on Zaire’s shoulders. He was standing by the tiny counter with both hands braced against it. His head was down, he seemed to be gasping for air like somebody cracked open the chest he spent years fortifying.
He was also staring at his phone as voices came over the speakerphone.
“This is exactly why I had to cut ties with Cooks,” Ertan lied, spreading his hands like he was the victim. “The kid’s talented, sure, but he’s reckless…impulsive…doesn’t know the first thing about money management.”
The reporter blinked. “You’re saying the situation with his…alleged girlfriend proves that?”
Ertan didn’t hesitate. “I warned him. I always warned him, but Zaire wants to play savior…wants to attach himself to people who drain him…people who don’t bring anything to the table but debt.”
Meadow’s stomach twisted.
Ertan kept going, voice dripping with superiority. “He’s always been hardheaded, but now the world sees it. He doesn’t make smart choices. He-”
Zaire threw his phone across the room. It shattered on impact.
Meadow jumped. “Zaire!”
He didn’t look up. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked.
Quiet Zaire was the dangerous Zaire.
“Tell you what?”
He finally lifted his head, eyes locked on her, grief and heat mixing in ways that made her stomach twist. “That your land…your family’s land, been in tax default for years. That the bank been circling it…that people online talking like I’m out here lettin’ you just fail…like I ain’t great with my money. Why you ain’t say somethin’?”
Meadow stiffened. “Because it wasn’t your business to fix.”
“Here we go with this bull shit again.”
“Yes, nigga! Here we go.” Meadow was all bite, no bark.
His voice rose. “Meadow, do you understand how this makes me look? I finally get a clean slate, I got sponsors paying attention again, people believing in me again, and now my fired agent out there on national TV talking like I ain’t got the sense the streets gave me when it comes to money because of you?”
Something in her eyes shifted, hurt disguised as fire. “So that’s what this is,” she whispered. “This isn’t about me losing my land. It’s not about what I’m dealing with. This is about yourprecious image?”
