Leave it up to her to lighten my mood. Rhea had to rain on my parade not even knowing that I was already nervous about spending time with this man so much. I’d started catching feelings and was keeping it a secret. I thought I’d get the time to break it to my girls that I was seeing Rayzor. So much for that plan.
Later that evening
The house was quiet. I was laid on the couch watching a movie.
Chime.
My messages went off.
Rhea: I told you you’re not ready for a nigga like him. All these niggas are the same.
My heart dropped.
It was a blog’s post of Rayzor from different angles with some woman. Hand around her waist, and she was smiling with shopping bags. He wore a hoodie, his signature, but he was present with her, wearing a smirk too.
“What the hell?”
My ears burned, and Suki must’ve felt me when my phone blared in my hand.
“These niggas for everybody, friend. You alright?” she asked, concerned.
I put the phone on speaker then dropped it on my chest.
“I’m good, Suk,” I lied because that picture was imprinted in my mind.
“It’s me, E, not Rhea.”
I sighed.
“We ain’t together.”
“But he feeding you steak and around the kids. Y’all might not be official, but that’s some together shit.”
The line went quiet.
“I’m single.”
“You don’t have to be strong for me, E. I know this shit hurts.”
“He’s a celebrity, right?” I paused. “I was on my way to sleep, I’ll call you back.”
I ended the call before she responded.
Picking up my phone again, the damn blog was still up. I couldn’t put into words what I felt, but I knew calling Rayzor and cursing him the hell out was the right decision.
Going to his contact, I hovered over his icon before hitting call.
Every ring was worse than the last.
One turned into four before the answering service came on.
“Fuck you too then,” I murmured and hung up.
The TV was background noise as I went deep inside my mind. I was angry, hurt and confused on why I was feeling all things when we’ve only been kicking it. When he’s with me, he’s about me, the kids, the peace and us. But, Rhea was right, we’re from two different worlds. I had to shake him.
“I thought I wouldn’t get to see you again. It’s been a good minute,” Michael, one of the guys that I dated frequently, said as he politely placed his arm around my neck.
Rhea’s words led me to taking him up on an offer for a date that I’ve been declining. Before Rayzor, we’d go out occasionally. I enjoyed his company whenever we were together.
