“Oh, you made it,” Yanieca spoke in a tone that was condescending at best. “Where’s Demarcus? I said plus one.”
Cyanna smiled that smile, attempting to oblige her out of respect for Karys. There wasn’t anything else to it. He knew that glint in her eyes. Cyanna couldn’t stand Yanieca but as long as she was the lady in his life, she’d stomach it. Just like he’d done Damari. The respect for one another was lent out to their partners. However, Karys was ready to say fuck respect.
“He’s out of town on business, so here I am, solo dolo. But I come baring gifts,” Cyanna politely hummed, holding up the self-wrapped box.
Yanieca curled her lip and grunted, almost embarrassed that she’d shown up with a cheaply wrapped gift. “Oh…a gift. He didn’t need anything. I’m all he needs, really.”
Cyanna pulled in a chuckle. “That’s good for you.”
“Pretty Princess,” Karys trilled, capturing the attention of both women but that nickname was only reserved for one. “You made it.”
The jealousy was now emblazoned in Yanieca’s eyes.
“I wouldn’t miss dirty thirty for anything,” Cyanna replied, handing him his gift. “Nothing huge. You have everything already.”
“Mm,” Karys grunted. “Not everything.”
“How about,” Yanieca spoke up, ending the almost not-so-subtle eye fucking her man was doing to another woman and linked her arm in Cyanna’s. “Let me introduce you to the girls. Get you a drink. Lord knows you can’t eat anything in that dress. Karys, go enjoyourparty. Leave the girl talk to us.”
To temper the jealousy and possession, Cyanna waved him off. It wasn’t a question if she could hold her own. It was a question of how far Yanieca was going to go. Cyanna walked off with the girlfriend who was treading on borrowed time. Her hair was curled in a style he’d sat impatiently and watched her do countless times. One that was worth every second he had to sit on her bedroom floor bouncing the ball between each foot. All that hair swiping over her midback, trailing his eyes down to the widespread hips she developed over the years. Beauty.
“Fuucckk,” he groaned to himself before roaming to the bar for another drink and to watch her move about the space he hadn’t fully settled in.
This beach house was the first project she designed. A passion project, fully funded by him. He didn’t move in; he didn’t sleep here. He spent his days off the road in a condo downtown. Yanieca wanted the party here so she could flex, not knowing that this was and would always be Cyanna’s. She’d picked out every slab of marble, every stroke of paint. She balanced herself between planning a wedding and creating this.
Cyanna barely drank but pretended to do so all so Yanieca wouldn’t throw a fit. She nibbled on the passed food, she laughed at the jokes, and coyly smiled at the men Yanieca introduced her to despite the ring on her finger.
He groaned, spotting it. Emerald cut on a plain band. She wanted a cushion cut double halo ring on a diamond band. Two sapphire bands to accompany the ring. She had it and didn’t know.
An hour into her arrival, Yanieca was saucy and in a silent battle with Cyanna’s quiet confidence.
“Come on, let’s sing happy birthday to my man,” she shouted over the crowd on the veranda. “Before we do, I just want to offer him a toast. To love, to filling up this big ass house with our babies – born by surrogate by the way, and to many years of happiness with me.”
Cyanna stood behind her, with Karys’ full attention from the other side of the table. She crossed her eyes at the toast, making him smile and nip the laughter bubbling inside. As Yanieca led a drunk rendition of happy birthday, Karys didn’t look away from Cyanna who mouthed the same song she had since meeting him.
“It’s your birthday. The best day in the world. Pray your year is brighter and your life is fuller. Happy birthday to the star of my world. Make your wish,” she mouthed the song her mother made for her and in turn, she sang to him every birthday. Although, the last two years it was sent via text.
Karys’ eyes drifted closed like he’d done the last twenty-three years they’d been friends. When he opened them, Yanieca was slinging herself around him, attempting to kiss him. He dodged it.
“Some water? Yeah?” he stated lowly, watching Cyanna walk off toward the far end of the property.
“I just want to kiss you,” Yanieca whined.
“Maybe sit down for a second until you level out,” he posed, making it seem like sitting down and chilling out was her idea. “You’ve been racing around here all day. Just relax.”
She drunkenly huffed. “You’re right. Wake me up when everyone leaves, okay?”
He didn’t offer her a reply, just watched as she staggered into the living room and plopped down. With Yanieca out of his way and instructions for the staff to carry her drunk ass back to her house when the partygoers left, he grabbed his gift. Cyanna’s scent of tiger lily, mango, and coconut pulled him down to the edge of the property.
“Pretty Princess,” he softly said, grabbing her attention. Cyanna looked over her shoulder and offered him a small smile. “What’d you get me?”
“Open it,” she encouraged.
“No one gets me gifts but you,” Karys said, undoing the wrap and opening the box. He found the beaded bracelet from that drunken college night. “You kept this.”
She turned around fully and nodded. “I did. Said I’d give it back if you had someone. It’s not mine to keep.”
Karys grunted and placed it back in the box. “I don’t have anyone, Cyanna.”
