“Celeste, you said we could work it out. You said you’d give me a chance to make things right and you haven’t. I’m fuckin’ sorry, man. I don’t know what I was thinking when all that shit was happening. All I know is I love you and you’re who I wanna be with,” Allen stated in a serious tone.
His six-foot chocolate frame was now right in front of me. Allen was on the slimmer side and only had a few tattoos. The hair on top of his head was always kept in stitch braids, while the sides and back were perfectly faded. Allen’s chestnut-colored eyes were the first thing I’d fallen in love with. I always said if we had a baby, I would love for our baby to have his eye and skin color. He was truly a handsome man and it killed me that I no longer saw him in the same light.
“Don’t touch me.”
Putting his hands up in mock surrender, Allen took a few steps from me before he spoke again.
“All I’m asking is for a real second chance to show you I love you and I’m truly sorry. I’ve been trying to come home at more appropriate times and I’ve planned several dates you refuse to come on. You have a brand-new G-Wagon outside and you haven’t even looked inside it.”
“Good luck buying my love,” I stated before closing and locking the bedroom door.
Knowing Allen, he would sit at the door until he couldn’t take it anymore. It would take a few hours, but if I didn’t respond, he’d eventually give up. Sleep wasn’t even on my radar anymore as I lay awake in the cool bed. When I moved out, Allen left me alone for a good while. One day, Jade had shown up to Luxe Addiction before me and told me there was a padlock around the doors. Allen had bought the building in full, so I was confused about what was happening. I hadn’t violated any city rules and I damn sure didn’t owe anyone money.
Because of the situation and the building being in Allen’s name, I called him for the first time in three months. Thinking he’d be just as angry and confused as me, he was the opposite. He let me talk and get the whole story out before informing me it was him who’d had my store locked. Being the hard ass I was, I said fuck him and the store until I no longer could do it. Jade wasn’t hurting for money, but I knew she felt some type of way about being out of work unexpectedly. Not to mention, all of my inventory was kept in a back room inside the building. I couldn’t bring myself to order all new inventory, plus my online shop was suffering.
The locks were taken off when I agreed to move back home. Being here was the last place I wanted to be, but until I came up with enough money and a plan to open a different location, I was somewhat stuck. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to give Allen another chance. I loved him deeply and he had been my friend before anything; so of course I’d want that back. However, thebetrayal and embarrassment were things I couldn’t bring myself to forgive.
I wholeheartedly believed Allen loved me. But it was the way he looked at Serenity in that picture that told me the truth. If it wasn’t for me being in the picture, he wouldn’t have hesitated to give her a chance. I had nothing when Allen met me and Serenity came into his life with a promising career. Although I was no longer in that place, it didn’t lessen the blow. Serenity didn’t need him, and in a sense, I did.
More heavy thoughts circled in my head before I was so exhausted I had no choice but to close my eyes. Tears fell from my lids and all I could do was send up a prayer. I was tired in every sense of the word and couldn’t carry on like this.
“I love you, baby,” were the last words I heard from Allen before I finally went to sleep.
CHAPTER 3
Shane
Stepping out of my uncle’s truck, I closed the door and let out a frustrated sigh before I walked over to him. The appointment he asked me to sit in on was supposed to be Monday, but here we were on Saturday morning. I’d originally told my uncle I wouldn’t be able to make it since the date had changed,but I gave in when he told me it’d only take up about an hour of my time. It wasn’t made clear to me why the appointment was moved up, but here we were.
Whoever the client was had a mini mansion in North Gwendal. This part of town wasn’t somewhere I had any dealings, so I wasn’t too familiar with it. I’d been out this way a few times to take my mom shopping but that was it.
“You good, nephew?”
“I’m good. Whose house is this?”
His answer was cut off when the front door was opened before we reached the steps. My head tilted slightly when I saw Spinna standing there in a black tank top and black sweatpants. I was under the impression that my uncle didn’t extend his services to younger people, so I’d be asking questions once we left.
“What’s good, Dennis? I appreciate you comin’ through today. I’m leaving for Miami tonight on some last-minute shit and won’t be back until Tuesday,” Spinna explained as we stepped inside.
He was speaking like he and my uncle were old friends, so I knew he had to be a long-time client.
“It’s all good. I know you’re a busy man and I had the space today, so no trouble at all. Allen, this is my nephew, Shane,” my uncle introduced.
“I know you. You look familiar as fuck.”
“Yeah, at the studio,” I confirmed.
“Yeah, you a producer too, right? You did that track for Young Mylo and that bitch went platinum.”
“Yeah, that was me.”
“Good shit. Keep goin’ man. Shit gon’ get better,” Spinna offered as he shook my hand.
Spinna and I had only ever crossed paths a few times, but we’d never had a conversation. I stayed in my lane and out the way when it came to this industry shit and wasn’t lookin’ to make many friends. I respected Spinna and his hustle, but the level I was trying to reach was one he wasn’t even on yet. A big house with a bunch of cars in the driveway was cool, but I was grinding for more.
“Thanks, man.”
“No problem. Y’all can have a seat on the couch. I’m about to go grab my lady real quick.”
