“My goodness, Treasure, you ain’t got no chill.”
“But you love me anyway!”
“And do,” I cosigned her. “I don’t know though, Tre. I wanna take it there with him, but I don’t want to rush, I’m scarred. I read my lab results every day, making sure they didn’t miss anything. And I’m still so mad at Tara and Damien. And paparazzi are everywhere, and some girl keep popping up! It’s all too much.”
“Woah, slow down bestie, one thing at a time. Let’s start backwards. What girl?”
“When we went to the studio the other day, and he kicked everyone out, a woman stayed behind. Well, I don’t even know if she was there prior or popped up. But she was there.”
“And what happened?”
“That’s just it. Nothing. But the point was, she stuck around long enough for him to notice her. Their interaction felt like, like I don’t know.”
“Well, did you ask him who she was?”
“No, I don’t feel like I have the right to.”
“Um.” Treasure took a sip of her drink as I did. “Did anything else happen?”
“Nope. But she was at the listening party last night. I saw him hug her, but at the same time he hugged everyone, you know? So, girl, I don’t know. The fact that I even paid so much attention to it bothers me too.”
“Well, I understand not wanting to ask him about her. But you need to figure something out because you will start to overthink.”
I gasped. “Tre, that’s the same thing he said! Not about that but just in general.”
“Well, it’s clear he pays attention. When you don’t say much, I know you’re in your head. And you only do that when you care.”
I said nothing because she was right. Treasure took the pitcher and poured us more of the slushie. We then took our cups with us and sat on the edge of the pool, letting our feet sink under the water.
“What about the paparazzi, you mentioned them too?”
“Nothing really, they just make me feel naked. Like all eyes are on me.”
“Because they are, Sibley, for many reasons. You are literally dating Kier Stone girl!” She laughed, nudging my shoulder. “But all jokes aside, Kier is not in the media like that. So, since he is out and about, that’s starting lots of conversations. And the fact that he is being seen with a woman is huge. I know how these bloggers think. They want the story so they can get paid.”
“That’s crazy.” I chimed in, sipping my drink. “I didn’t ask for any of that. And if it’s unsettling for me, I wonder how it feels for him.”
“And let me say this, they don’t care what bones they dig up. They don’t care who they hurt; hell, they don’t even care about the truth. It’s all about engagement and money. So, fuck the paparazzi, Sibley. And fuck Damien and Tara too.
“Ugh.” I scoffed, forgetting and regretting I even brought them up. “I’m so mad at Tara. She calls me every single day. She even sent some long-ass email that I refuse to read. Hell, I don’t need closure that bad, have you spoken to her?”
“Yeah, she’s been calling me, but I’m keeping it short.”
“Tre, you don’t have to ignore her on my behalf. Y’all have a friendship too.”
“I love Tara, I do.” Treasure replied. “But trust is important to me and knowing she did you so dirty, whew, I just, I’m in shock. I can’t fuck with her right now. But forget all that, what are you gonna do about Stone?”
“I’m going with the flow. I’m going to let things happen as naturally as possible. I’m enjoying him, and I’m not planning to hold back anymore.”
Treasure and I continued sipping on our drinks. The sun sat high, warming my skin while the water lapped around our legs in slow, steady waves.
Treasure leaned back on her hands, tilting her face toward the sun. “I’m not even gonna lie,” she said. “I like this for you.”
I glanced over at her. “You like the house and perks, or you like him?”
She grinned. “Both. But mostly, I love a less stressful bestie! So, keep it going, no stress, okay?”
I let out a small breath, looking back out toward the water. “I’m trying not to.”
