Page 35 of Kisses Behind the Spotlight

“Neither one of y’all have to come over here and sit on my couches. Like ever. I didn’t invite either of y’all here,” Khaleesi argued.

“Dang, somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Noah commented.

“She on her period,” I interjected.

“Xain! Get out!” She snapped at me.

“Dang, so this would be a bad time to ask if I could move in because my mom just told me she is moving her boyfriend in. I’m not with that, Khaleesi,” Noah blurted out.

“A very bad time, Noah!” Khaleesi screeched.

Noah blinked rapidly and squinted his eyes.

“I’m sorry for yelling. Y’all are overstimulating me,” she apologized.

Khaleesi guzzled down the rest of the wine and poured another glass. I decided to finally take off and let Khaleesi get back to her life. They had private family matters to discuss.

CHAPTER TEN

Q

A WEEK LATER

My phone was still on DND because I didn’t have shit to say to anybody. I was devastated. Gutted in a way I didn’t even know was possible. Since a jit, I’d loved Jameera, trusted her, supported her, only to be humiliated in return. While I was planning to propose, buy the crib of her dreams, and start the next chapter of my life with her, she was fucking around on me.

I spent the first twenty-four hours at the building I purchased. Outside of James, my accountant and realtor, nobody else knew about my future endeavors. It was a surprise I planned to share with everyone when the job was complete. The studio and office were the only sections of the building that were complete.

The first twelve hours were wasted planning a diss song that I never recorded. A response was what I knew the fans would be expecting. As a rapper who loved the craft, it was the next step in the game. However, I felt fucked up even thinking about giving up that side of my life for public consumption. Fuck a narrative, a nigga was heartbroken.

When I got tired of staring at the walls in the studio, I caught a flight to New York, and that’s where I’d been hiding out for the past week. Tech and Xain were the only people I’d been in contact with since leaving Amill and Jameera looking stupid in that hallway. If it weren’t for Tech’s skill set, I wouldn’t have talked to his ass either. The only way he’d agree to help was if I’d let him and Xain tag along, so there we were, sitting in the dark house.

Tech clicked around on his laptop. Fingers moving at least a hundred miles per hour. Whatever Tech was doing had his full attention, and every few seconds he would lean in closer to the screen to examine things.

“You fucked up, Q,” Tech interrupted the agonizing silence.

“What you mean?”

“The ladies went to see Jameera today⁠—”

“And I don’t give a fuck,” I spat.

“Just shut yo angry ass up and listen. I ain’t one of those peons that work for you,” Tech argued.

“Aye nigga, what you trying to say?” Xain piped up.

“Man, shut up. You know I’m not referring to yo muscle head ass,” Tech retorted.

“Like I was saying. I couldn’t believe Jameera would do some shit like that, so I took it upon myself to figure out the hotel and see if I could access their security footage. Jameera’s story hasn’t changed, and I fully believe her now. Look at this shit.” He spun the laptop screen around.

I stood from the recliner and leaned down to get a good look at the footage. Xain was standing over Tech’s shoulder watching the footage as well. Jameera went into the room as the security guard walked out. Another woman walked out less than sixty seconds later, and Jameera ran out with a scowl on her face a few minutes after that. With every passing second, my heart beat faster. Jameera lifted the can of mace in D3’s direction, and my blood ran cold. I was sickened with remorse, wondering why Jameera didn’t feel comfortable enough to tell me what happened before everything went to hell.

“How good you eat pussy?” Tech inquired

“What nigga?” I mugged him.

“I’m saying,” Tech shrugged. “You better slang good dick or eat pussy like a lesbian after the way you gave Jameera your ass to kiss for some shit she ain’t do. That girl has been so distraught that Khaleesi had to go to y’all crib to water her plants yesterday. You know those plants are Jameera’s kids. Hell, even Amill and Khaleesi been over there with their faces screwed up. They all on some fuck Q shit.”

“If Jameera was cheating, they would know about it. I thought they were all playing in my face,” I admitted.