Chapter 24
What if?
Ididn’t know whether to stop them or let them fight if it came to that. Neither man would want me to intervene. Pride and ego would make them even angrier if I stepped in between. My brother and dad were still here. They could stop Grey and Carter without them getting more furious, but then I feared questions would arise. I would need to explain that I’d been with both men. That their fight was about...well, I’m not sure what it was about. Maybe it was Grey who was mad that Carter wanted me to live with him, because he was jealous of our friendship. Or maybe...just maybe, I didn’t want to think about what made Grey run after Carter. Because at the end of the day, I knew undoubtedly that Grey had my back. And for some reason, he still didn’t trust Carter.
They continued to argue, but it didn’t seem to be escalating. It looked like Carter was defending himself, and Grey didn’t want to hear it. After a few more tense seconds, Carter abruptly ended the conversation and ran down the beach. Grey stared at his retreating form. When he headed back toward the condo, he must have felt me because he looked up, and we locked eyes. Instead of walking up the stairs, he turned around and sprinted in the opposite direction from Carter. My heart sank. He didn’t want to tell me what happened. My best friend had never run from me in all the years we’d known each other. He’d never been afraid to tell me the truth, even if it hurt me.
I debated whether to wait for either of them and decided it was best to ask questions later. Tomorrow was the big homecoming game. I wanted everything to be good between Carter and me, even if it was short-lived. Too much was riding on the line. We just decided to move in together. We met each other’s families, and tomorrow, our families will sit together as we cheer Carter on. I returned to my condo and rejoined my family, resolutely ignoring what I’d just seen. I didn’t need to chase the truth. It would be revealed sooner or later.
AFTER MY PARENTS ANDbrother left to return to the hotel, and my sister returned to her place, Chelsea, in a rare act of unselfishness, helped me finish cleaning the kitchen. She talked about my brother, whom she’d been crushing on since she met him when he drove up my freshman year to pick me up to drive me home. Although flattered by her obvious attraction, my brother was in a committed relationship with a woman who later became his wife. Tonight, he’d been friendly, not flirty with Chelsea, and seemed impressed with Carter.
“I swear he gets finer every time I see him. His wife is sooo lucky.” She grinned. “I need a man like that...who only has eyes for his woman. Unlike most of the negroes on campus.”
I wiped my wet hands on a dish towel. “I thought you weren’t looking for anything serious?”
“I’m not. But if someone like your brother came around, I would reconsider.” She picked up her glass, which still contained the margarita that Danielle had blended. “Seeing you andCarter makes me miss being in a relationship. Makes me miss Carmello.”
“Do you think you can ever forgive him? Maybe it's good he cheated now. Got it out of his system before you married him." I folded the hand towel and placed it on the sink.
Chelsea's shoulders drooped as she sipped on the alcohol. "That's dead. Just miss him sometimes, especially now. He would've been here tonight, or I would be going to see him right now. Having a boyfriend is fun until he's gone, and you're left trying to pick up the pieces of your heart."
Sometimes, I forget that she was in love for a long time and thought Carmello would be her husband. It'd only been six weeks for Carter and me, and I felt lost that he didn't want me to spend the night with him. I couldn't imagine how I would feel if we broke up because he cheated. "You seemed to be bouncing back. Sorry if I haven't been here for you."
"How could you know? You're too busy with Carter." She pouted as she leaned her butt against the counter.
"Yes, I've been busy, but don't act as if you've ever allowed me to be there for you when you hurt," I reminded her, refusing to take all the blame for not knowing her true feelings.
"Whatever, Darren. You haven't been here."
"And when you were with Carmello, I barely saw you."
"It was my idea for us to live together by the beach so we could see each other more," she retorted. "How was I supposed to know you would fall for the next-door neighbor?" She suddenly giggled. "It's kind of funny when you think about it. You wouldn't be with Carter if it weren't for me."
I slowly smiled. "Hadn't thought of it like that. Guess I owe you."
"Yep. You do. Big time. Like, see if Carter has any single friends."
"I'll ask. What about the men you've been hooking up with? Any prospects?” I took her glass and swallowed some of the drink before giving it back to her. “Like Grey?”
Her brow puckered, and her jaw tightened. The tension that barely drifted away returned. “Did Danielle say something?”
“She did. Thinks something is going on between you two.” I tried unsuccessfully to keep the accusatory tone out of my voice.
Chelsea stepped back with a slight roll of her neck. “Oh no, you can’t have both. It doesn’t concern you if anything is happening between Grey and me. Like at all.”
I argued, “It does. You are both my best friends. At least I need to know if you’re sleeping together.”
“Thought you didn’t want to know?” She placed her glass firmly on the counter.
“Well, now I do.”
Chelsea folded her arms and quirked a brow. “Why? Whether we’re fucking or not has nothing to do with you. I told you my intentions when we moved in, and you didn’t seem to mind back then.”
“I should’ve been honest. I never liked the idea of you and Grey.”
She glared. “Are you going to stop being my friend because of it? If you are, that’s fucked up because I didn’t keep my attraction a secret from you and...” Chelsea stepped in my face. “And last I heard, you have a man, and Grey is single.”
I wanted to yell that she couldn’t have him because I didn’t want anyone with him, but I couldn’t. I did have a man. A man who loved me and wanted a future. Grey still didn’t, no matter his deep feelings for me. Suddenly, I wrapped my arms around her until she returned the hug. “Sorry, Chels...I’m sorry. Just caught me off guard when my sister said she saw you together. If you want to be together or are just kicking it, it's not my business.”
