“If he’s different like you say he is, he’ll agree with whatever is best for you. I’m not saying be alone for years, but if something were to happen between you and Shane right now, could you handle the heartache in your current state?”
The question was valid, but I had no words. I understood exactly what my mother was saying, but I wouldn’t leave Shane alone. I couldn’t.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that he wants the best for me. He’s everything, Momma. He thinks about me to the point where it’s a little scary. If I called him right now and told him I needed him, he’d drop everything,” I admitted.
“So that means I need to meet him. If my baby is saying a man loves her like she’s the only girl in the world, I need to know who this man is.”
“I’m sure that won’t be a problem. I’ll talk to him about it the next time we speak.”
“Are you going to the townhouse tonight or back to Allen’s?”
My mother had always known about my townhouse. I told her I used it for extra office space. It wasn’t until tonight that I told her the real reason I had my place. She was so understanding about everything that it made me regret not confiding in her sooner. When the night nurse knocked on the door, she informed me that visiting hours were up. Disappointment filled my spirit at the thought of leaving my mother’s side. I hadn’t felt this validated in so long that I didn’t want to leave. Before leaving, I tucked my mother in and watched as the nurse made sure her oxygen tank was at the right number. Now I was in my car heading in the direction of my townhouse.
As I drove through the city, my thoughts drifted to Shane. I hadn’t heard much from him today, but he informed me that he’d be in the studio most of the day. He told me I could always call, but I didn’t want to bother him. I’d kept it together all day and now I had to hear his voice. He texted me every now and then, but that wasn’t enough.
“What’s up, baby? I was wondering when you’d call,” he said after the second ring.
“I was trying not to bother you. I knew you were working, so I wasn’t trying to be a bug,” I admitted.
“You can bug me anytime. Hell, I’ll bug you whenever I feel like it. The only time it’s a problem is when the feelings aren’t mutual. It’s an honor for you to want to live in my skin,” he stated, making me laugh.
“Living in your skin would be too much of an ego stroke for you.”
“It would be, but I’m cool with it. What you up to though? It sounds like you’re in the car.”
“I am. I just left from visiting my mom. I talked to her about everything and it went much better than expected. I can breathe again now that she knows the full truth.”
“It be like that sometimes. I’m the same way with my dad. I be having shit I’m going through, but I don’t wanna bother him with the extra stress. He has enough going on with his current situation. But when I eventually tell him, he gives the best advice. Parents are parents, no matter the circumstance. Just remember that.”
“That’s true. It’s just a lot when it comes to my mother. Speaking of…she wants to meet you. I told her I could make that happen soon.”
“Just tell me a time and place and I’m there. I need to thank her for birthing my wife anyway.”
“Oh, you wanna marry me?”
“I’ll be marrying your fine ass one day. We can put money on that, sweetheart. Are you on your way home? I know you said that nigga comes back today, but I don’t want you under that roof.”
“I’m going home. I was at his house, trying to play my part, but I couldn’t. We ended up having words and I left to see my mom,” I expressed.
“What happened?”
“There were pictures of him and Serenity at some club. When he told me he was going to Dallas, he made it seem like it wasfor his own business. He never mentioned it was with her. I didn’t care one way or another, but I used that for supporting evidence of why we’d never get back together. He basically told me if it wasn’t for her debut album going number one, I wouldn’t be living as good as I do. That shit sent me to hell and back. I couldn’t fake it after that. I had to leave and I won’t be going back. I’m praying he doesn’t pull the plug on Luxe Addiction, but at this point, I don’t even care anymore.”
When the line was quiet for more than a few seconds, I glanced at the screen to make sure the call was still connected then called out to make sure Shane was still on the line.
"I’m here, Celeste. I was just trying to process the shit that nigga said to you. Listen, I know I said I’ll let the two of you handle whatever needs to be handled so y’all can wrap shit up, but Celeste, I can’t promise you I won’t put my hands on him if he tries you again. That was one time too many. I’m not trying to blow your spot up, but I’m not hiding shit from him. I haven’t run into him in a minute and I hope it stays like that for his sake.”
“I feel the same way. I feel like a ticking time bomb. I’m sure the timer has already started after tonight.”
“What if that nigga pulls a bitch move with your mom and the store? We need to come up with a game plan. My game plan is to beat his ass and make him hand over the keys, but I’m trying to reframe.”
“I learned my lesson from the last time. I keep inventory at my place, but I also keep small amounts in a small storage space. I hardly use it, but I keep it for insurance. If Allen takes the building, I’ll have to focus on promoting the online store until my other location is up and running. With my mother, I have enough saved to pay for a few months of care at the facility, but she should be home with me before then. I have a plan, but I’m hoping I don’t have to put it into motion.”
Letting out a frustrated breath, I turned into my community and the gate attendant let me through. I’d had a long day on and off the phone, figuring things out. I was ready for a hot shower and bed. Thankfully, Erick would be opening the store tomorrow because I didn’t have the mental capacity to be up that early after today.
“Sounds good. Just know I’m right here with you, baby. I’m about to leave the studio in an hour. I’m wrapping up right now. I’ll be on my way to you when I leave here. Do you need me to grab you anything before I get there?”
“I’m good. Just be ready to lay in my bed and relax. I never watch TV, but I wanna watch something mindless.”
