14. Lisa
CHAPTER 14
LISA
I couldn’t take the way my parents, Gwen, and Malik were all staring at me. They were shocked to find out Sintonio was the one that pulled the trigger that took a child’s life. He turned himself in, and now they were all looking at me like they’d swallowed rocks.
“Is this why you and he weren’t seeing eye to eye?” my father questioned, and I simply nodded.
“Oh my God,” my mother whispered with her hand flat on her chest. “This is terrible.”
“This makes what he was out here doing even worse,” Malik scowled. “So, not only is he the reason that an innocent child was taken from her parents, but when you were pregnant and missing, this man was out in bars like he didn’t have a care in the world.”
“The information is new to you all, but it’s old to me. I honestly don’t even want to relive it. Sintonio is far from my favorite person, but I know he didn’t do what he did on purpose. It was careless and irresponsible but not intentional. Yes, he could have handled the after very differently, but it won’t bring that little girl back. I’m actually glad he turned himself in. Accident or not, her parents deserve the same justice I’d want for my child.” Although something was telling me that Sin being in jail wasn’t the justice that Capri had in mind for him.
I still had things in the house when it was set on fire, and we had homeowner’s insurance, so I was just waiting on a check to be reimbursed for my things. I had already started looking at some condos and townhouses to get an idea of where I might want to live. My savings was nowhere near what it was when I started planning my wedding that didn’t happen, but I had been working my ass off, and I could definitely afford to move out in the next two or three paychecks.
My parents were just the beginning. I knew anybody that knew of my affiliation with Sintonio would be looking at me crazy behind what he’d done, and I wasn’t looking forward to it. All the twelve hour shifts I’d been working had me mentally and physically exhausted. When I got off work, I showered, ate, and got right in the bed. I hadn’t even been going to any bars or lounges, but I damn sure needed a drink in this moment. Diamond Cove had numerous bars to choose from, and I could go to any of them. I didn’t have to go to Sage’s lounge. Even though I enjoyed getting dick from Capri immensely, I didn’t want to run into him either.
“I have a lash appointment to get to,” I stated as I stood up.
I had a new lash tech, but she worked out of the same building as Robin. I couldn’t even drive there and walk in without thinking about her. I had an up close and somewhat personal view of Capri’s grieving, but I often thought of Robin too. When I walked in and saw her, it felt as if a rock was lodged in my throat, but I managed a smile.
“Hey. I didn’t know you were back at work.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I have bills to pay. There’s a lot going on right now, and I can’t afford to not be at work.”
“I completely understand. It’s nice seeing you. I’ve been thinking about you.” Sintonio had been scrubbed from all of my social media pages. Robin was my lash tech, but I wouldn’t call her my friend. I had no clue if she would ever be able to link me to Sintonio or not but if she did, I’d feel horrible. Shit, I’d feel horrible if she ever found out I had sex with Capri. I felt fake and phony as hell standing in her face.
“Thank you. And I completely understand if you want Wendi to keep doing your lashes but if you do want to book with me again, my site is back up. I just found out I have ovarian cancer, and I start chemo soon, but I’m going to work as much as I can.”
“Oh my God, Robin, I’m so sorry.” My knees buckled. She was being put through the ringer. All the times I sat back and felt sorry for myself and wondered if God hated me. I could now see that everybody went through shit. Some went through worse things than others, but none of us were exempt from hard times and turmoil.
She waved my comment off. “It’s life, right? I’ll be okay.” She gave me a small smile, and I admired her strength.
“Hey boo,” Wendi walked out of her suite and greeted me. “I’m ready for you.”
“Okay. It was nice seeing you, Robin. I’m praying for you,” I told her, and I was. I had prayed for Robin and Capri since I found out what happened to their child.
Wendi was making conversation as she did my lashes, but I couldn’t fully concentrate on what she was saying when my heart was bleeding for Robin. Life could be cruel and unfair. The shit wasn’t even funny. When Wendi was done with my lashes, I went to a bar not too far from the shop but on the opposite side of town as Sage’s lounge. Gemini’s invitation to Tennessee crossed my mind, and I started to think that maybe I could use a little get away. As long as Sage and I had different rooms, it wouldn’t bother me that he was there. He had shown his interest in me, but he wasn’t overbearing or a creep with it. With all the doubles I’d been working, I knew me taking a few days off wouldn’t be an issue at all. As much as I wanted to grind and stack my money back up, I had to admit that my body needed a break. I’d been going full throttle, and my black ass was tired.
I knew Gemini would be elated when I let her know that I had changed my mind and was coming to the cabin with her and Scott.
I was happy that Gemini, Scott, and I arrived at the cabin before Sage. I was able to choose the room that I wanted, and it was away from the other rooms. I didn’t plan on being anti-social but when I was ready to be alone, that was what I wanted to be. I had my own bathroom, and the cabin was nice. Gemini had also invited her sister, Lori, and I was glad that another man wasn’t coming. Lori made it an uneven number of people, and that made it feel less like a couple’s trip. She arrived thirty minutes after we did, and Gemini started fixing drinks while Scott and I played pool. Music was going, and we were all laughing and having a good time, and then Sage came.
The mood shifted almost instantly, but it was in an amusing way. Lori began flirting with Sage before he even put his bags down. It was as if she was calling dibs, and I didn’t mind at all. She was a pretty woman with light skin and big round eyes framed by naturally long lashes. Lori was slim, thick and looked good in the tight jeans she was rocking. The bob that she wore gave her a classy look. Her and Sage could have some fun in the cabin, and I wasn’t hating one bit. I didn’t want her to feel like she had competition so aside from speaking to Sage when he first walked in, I attempted to ignore him.
Until Scott and I finished playing pool, and Sage requested a game. I didn’t mind going another round, but I almost declined. After some persuasion from Sage, I decided to play. Shit, I wasn’t throwing myself at him, and he wasn’t Lori’s. If she had a problem with us playing pool, she’d have to deal with it. Sage sucked at pool, and I beat him. The entire time we played, Lori flirted and did the most to try and get his attention. At one point, it seemed like Sage was ignoring her. I even caught Gemini giving her sister looks because she was being too thirsty. If she was doing the most because I was present, that wasn’t even necessary. She talked to me too, and she didn’t have a stank attitude, but the way she was acting over Sage was cringe.
When the game was over, I decided to take a shower and go to bed because it had been a long day. I had just settled into bed when my phone vibrated. Upon seeing that Capri was calling, my heart slammed into my ribcage, and I wasn’t even sure why. I cleared my throat and answered.
“Did I catch you at a bad time?” That low deep rumble made my kitty ache.
“Um, no. I just got in bed. I’m in Tennessee. It’s been a long day.”
“Yeah, the cabin trip with Sage and his homie, right?”
I frowned. “What do you and him do? Compare notes?”
“Compare notes?” Capri repeated sounding slightly offended. “Nah, I don’t compare shit. Especially with another man. He mentioned the trip. I’ve been to the cabins a few times. It’s his first time going.”
“Oh okay. It’s not just the three of us. My friend’s sister is here too.” I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to share that piece of information.
“Word? Y’all having fun?”
My brows hiked. Not even when I was in his presence was Capri ever the chatty type. He never had given the impression that he cared about trivial things like how my day was or what I ate for lunch. Maybe he was just trying to see if I’d answer for him when Sage was around.
“Yeah, it’s cool so far. I played pool for a bit. I think they’re in the hot tub. I couldn’t hang. I’ve been working way too much. It’s finally catching up to me. Maybe I’ll be up for adventures tomorrow.”
“Have fun. You deserve it.”
I was once again stunned. Capri was actually being nice but not in a nonemotionally passive way. The times he’d been nice to me in the past, there weren’t many kind words involved. He was more of an action kind of person. Again, maybe he was in a good mood and if that was the case, I loved that for him. I knew I’d never fully recover from losing my baby, and I never even got a chance to be his mother while he was outside my womb. I couldn’t imagine losing a child that I had raised for almost three years. My pain ran deep but I could admit that Capri’s probably ran just a tad bit deeper. I was pretty certain that good days and good moods were few and far between for him. I was happy that he thought of me and happy that he called.
“Thank you, Capri,” I said through a yawn.
“I won’t hold you. Call me when you get back if you’re up to it.”
“Okay. I will.”
After the call ended, I was actually smiling. Why? I wasn’t sure. Even if he had one good day, Capri had a lot of healing to do and so did I. Even though Sintonio turned into a different person and disappointed me greatly, I was still mourning our relationship and coming to terms with not being his wife and having my dream wedding. The way he switched up had me scared to ever love again and Lord knows if I ever did get pregnant again, I’d more than likely have the worst anxiety. I wasn’t in the mood to distract my pain by letting my guard down and trauma bonding. Capri and I were both fighting our own demons, and rushing into any kind of situation even a sexual one might prove to be a mistake. But I couldn’t deny that was one fine man, and his dick was divine.
I slept in and woke up feeling absolutely refreshed. By the time I showered and got dressed, the rest of the crew was in the kitchen eating scrambled eggs, French toast, sausage, bacon, fruit, and bagels. Gemini and Lori were drinking mimosas.
“There goes Sleeping Beauty.” Gemini smiled. “How did you sleep?”
“Man, amazing. My body really needed that rest. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help cook. I’ll definitely wash the dishes.”
“Girl, Scott and Sage cooked this. Me and Lori didn’t do anything either.”
My brows lifted as I looked on impressed. “Wow. Well, thank you Scott and Sage. I’m sure it tastes as good as it looks.” I tried to ignore Sage’s lingering gaze as they both said you’re welcome. When I fixed my plate and sat down at the table, his eyes were still on me. And I didn’t miss the fact that Lori was stealing glances. She had it bad for that man. Yes, he was handsome and had a body out of this world, but the thirst she was displaying was borderline sad. It made me wonder just how often the average man came across a woman that bold and persistent.
“What’s on the agenda for today?” Sage finally tore his gaze away from me and looked over at Scott.
“Shit, me and Gem love the cabin vibes and looking out at the snow, but we’re not too crazy about being out in it. If you all want to go so skiing tomorrow, or something else, we can definitely look into it. Today though, we were thinking just games and alcohol inside.”
“That works for me,” I spoke up. I wasn’t a big fan of the cold either.
Breakfast was delicious. Scott and Sage did their thing. I was stuffed and tipsy from the mimosas, but the ladies cleaned the kitchen while the men went to play pool. Lori was talking, but her mood seemed off. I was sure it had something to do with the fact that while Sage was being polite to her, it was apparent to anyone with eyes that she was irritating him just a tad. That was crazy to me because Lori was a very attractive woman.
When the kitchen was clean, the guys were still playing pool, so I curled up on the couch with a book. I’d read until the games started because on vacation, I wasn’t that person that had to be doing something every second of every day. I actually liked to relax. Gemini went into her bedroom and when the pool game wrapped, Scott went into their bedroom as well. I knew they were probably about to do what couples do, so I closed my book and decided to go upstairs. I was halfway up when I heard Lori’s voice.
“I mean it’s obvious that you like her, but she’s in a long-term relationship. She almost got married.”
“From my understanding she’s no longer in a relationship.”
“Yeah, because her fiancé killed a kid.”
“That doesn’t have anything to do with her.”
My blood began to boil as I ascended the remaining stairs. “Oh you got me fucked up,” I stated with a scowl surprising Lori. She looked at me with wide eyes as if I was the last person she expected to see.
“Prior to this trip I hadn’t seen you in at least a year. I’m Gemini’s friend. Not yours. So, the way you feel so comfortable speaking on my business while trying to throw salt on my name is crazy as hell. You can be thirsty as fuck and sexually harass Sage without mentioning me.” I was pissed.
Lori recoiled with a deep frown on her face. “Sexually harass? Nah now you got me fucked up. I don’t have to see you to know your business. It’s the talk of the city. And do you think my sister doesn’t talk to me?”
I had to turn and walk away out of respect for Gemini. And I was shocked that I was doing that since her sister had basically just told me that her sister was telling her my business. In order to keep my hands to myself and not ruin the trip, I needed to go to my room. I had known Gemini for a long time, and she’d never been messy or two faced. I didn’t want to confront her while angry and end up blowing up. My dumb ass should have just stayed at home. Lori’s slick comments made me wonder what people in the streets were really saying about me.
There was a knock on my door, and I just stared at it. I wasn’t in the mood to talk to Lori or Gemini. I needed to calm down first. When I didn’t say anything, the door slowly pushed open, and Sage peeked in. “I understand if you’re upset and want to be alone. I just wanted to check on you.”
“You can come in,” I replied quietly.
Sage walked inside the room and closed the door. He walked over and sat down on my bed. “Lori was out of line for those ignorant ass comments that she made, but don’t let that get you down. I’ve only ever heard Gemini speak very highly of you. I could be wrong, but I doubt she told your business in a malicious way.”
Sage’s voice was so deep and soothing, it was actually calming me down, and that shocked the hell out of me. I even managed to smile at him. “All this trouble is because of you. All you had to do was give the damn girl some attention.”
Sage tossed his head back and pushed out a deep rumble of laughter. “I guess it is my fault. I’ve been busy trying to dodge her ass when I should have just given her what she wanted,” he sighed.
“I appreciate the fact that even though you’re interested, you’ve never been that pushy, thirsty, or aggressive. Thank you so much.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. I do have this thing called pride. I can apply pressure, but there is a limit.”
“Indeed,” I grinned. “You are a very handsome guy. How long have you been single?”
“A long time,” Sage shook his head. “I’m a very focused person. When I want something, I don’t stop until it happens. Before I opened my lounge, I was actually an orthodontist. I had my own practice, and I started selling teeth whitening kits. It’s a very simple hustle, but I swear I made a million dollars off that shit in three years. I always knew I didn’t want to work hard until damn near seventy before I could retire. I was focused on making money, stacking most of it, and putting the rest into the lounge. I officially retired from being an orthodontist two months before the lounge opened. I said all that to say, I was so busy with work that I didn’t have time for a relationship.”
“That’s amazing. How old are you if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Of course, I don’t mind. I’m thirty-six. You around Gemini’s age?”
I nodded. “I just turned thirty-one.”
“Yes, I remember your birthday. I’m honored that you decided to celebrate in my establishment.”
“Well, it was more by force than choice, but I did have a good time,” I giggled. I was really enjoying Sage’s company. And while I still didn’t want to date him or be intimate with him, I decided that maybe if he remained as nice as he was, we could be friends and if something happened down the line, that’s what it was.
He had just parted his lips to speak when there was a knock on the door. I was pretty sure it was Gemini. “Come in.”
The moment our eyes connected, I could tell she was pissed. “Hey. Sorry to interrupt, but can I speak to you for a minute?”
“Sure.”
Sage stood up and left to give us some privacy. The moment he was gone, Gemini rushed over to the bed. “What happened with you and Lori?”
I recanted the details, and when I was done, Gemini’s nostrils were flaring. “Sis, you know I love you down. Lori was petty and childish for that shit. First of all, I’d never tell your business on some gossiping shit. You know my mother was excited for your baby, and I had to share what happened with the baby with her. I didn’t know about what Sintonio did. I found out from the news articles and gossip like everyone else. I damn sure didn’t approach her talking about it.” Gemini shook her head. “I’m so sorry. She’s pissed and packing her stuff to leave, and I don’t even care.”
My anti-depressants had to be the truth because not only was I no longer upset, but I was in a decent mood. “She doesn’t even have to leave. It’s not even that deep. If she doesn’t say shit to me, I won’t say shit to her.”
“If she decides not to go that’s what it is, but I’m not telling her to stay. Lori was wrong and she knows it. The way she’s throwing herself at Sage is sickening. She’s doing the most. I’ve never seen her be that thirsty behind a man. Especially one that’s clearly checking for someone else.”
“It is what it is. I refuse to let that bother me. I had my few moments of anger, but I’m good now. Let’s play games and drink.”
I had too much going on mentally to let an irrelevant person remain underneath my skin for too long. I went on the trip to have fun and get away, and that was what I was going to do.