Chapter Twenty-Two
MONIQUE
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Meka had already admitted that she loved Cas. Monique was just waiting for her friend to answer her last question. Was Meka truly willing to give up on Cas after all they'd been through? Meka was hesitant to answer. Fear shone in her brown eyes.
Monique placed her hand on her friend's knee. "I know you're nervous. I know all of this is scary. And in the end, you're a grown-ass woman, and the decision is up to you. As your friend, I only want the best for you. I want you to be happy. I want you to be safe. I want you to love and be loved. And I'm about to end this conversation because I don't want to stress you out. But the last thing I want to do is remind you that Cas fought for you, Meka. He fought to find you and save you. He did that because he loves you. Now, it's your turn to fight for him. You said he hates this lifestyle but can't let it go. Right?"
Eyes closed, Meka nodded.
"Then help him. Help him let go of that life. Help him break free. Fight for him, Meka. And if you lose, if he refuses to leave that life behind, then at least you can say you gave it your all. At least you can say you fought for your love, but your love didn't fight back. At least you won't have any regrets. I plan to fight for Raz. If I fail, I'll at least know I tried. Real love is worth fighting for. Is Cas's love worth fighting for?"
Meka slowly opened her eyes. "Yes," she whispered. "Caspari Cattaneo is worth fighting for. He's good, Monique. His heart is pure. But that life is going to destroy him."
Monique blinked back tears. "Then fight for him. And just know that we've got your back. We'll help you and Cas fight."
Toya sniffled. "Hell, we can kidnap him too if you want us to. We may have to kidnap Leo too, you know, just because."
Just because? Yeah, right. Monique had peeped the chemistry between Leo and Toya.
"Just say you like the guy," Monique told her.
"Lies," Toya drawled. "He is not my type."
The smile on Toya's face said otherwise.
"Stop looking at me like that," Toya insisted. "If you can kidnap Raz, and Meka can kidnap Cas, then I can kidnap Leo. Shit."
Meka and Monique burst out laughing.
"Are you all really going to kidnap Raz?" Meka asked, wiping her cheeks.
Monique and Toya nodded.
"I have to," Monique told her. "He's hiding behind fear, and I'm tired of playing hide and seek. I need to show him once and for all that I can handle whatever his lifestyle throws at us. However, I can't do that if he's hiding from me. I have to kidnap him. I know you think I'm crazy. But I really don't know what else to do."
Meka sighed. "Alright. I guess I need to call Caspari Cattaneo to see if he'll help us."
"Us?" Monique said. "You're going to join us?"
Meka nodded. "I mean, I can't have you two wearing orange jumpsuits without me."
Toya frowned. "Why would we wear orange jumpsuits?"
"Because our crazy asses are more than likely going to get locked up for this," Meka pointed out.
"Ohhh, right, right. I thought you wanted us to do the kidnapping in orange. I was going to veto that suggestion. I'll choose our kidnapping attire. It'll be black and sexy but still loose enough for us to run and jump," Toya told us.
"Girl, I'm not about to be jumping and shit," Meka countered. "My knees ain't capable of all that anymore. After all that's happened, I maybe got one more run and jump in me, and that's it. It's walking from here on out."
"Bitch, you better start working out because we may have to jump at least three more times during the kidnapping. We'll definitely have to run," Toya told her.
"Not if we knock Raz out," Meka explained. "Then we'll only have to drag him as we walk to the car. No running or jumping required."
"Hey!" Monique chimed in. "There will be no knocking him out. And if he has to be knocked out, I'll be the one to do it."
"You just want to get a jab in on him for breaking up with you," Toya drawled.
"Damn right," Monique agreed just as Meka's phone rang.
Meka grabbed her phone from the table and whispered, "It's him. It's Cas."
"Answer it," Toya rushed her.
Meka simply stared down at the phone as it rang again.
"Girl, answer it," Toya insisted.
Meka nodded. She took a few deep breaths.
"Hurry before he hangs up, Meka!" Toya said.
Meka answered the call and put it on speakerphone. "Hello."
Meka's voice shook a little, nearly breaking Monique's heart. A few seconds of silence ticked by, causing Monique to believe Cas had already hung up. But then he spoke.
"Damn," his deep voice came across the line. "I thought I'd never hear your sweet voice again. I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. I'm not dreaming, am I? I can't really tell these days. I hear the echo of your voice in my dreams. I even hear it while I'm awake. But this time, it's real, right? Please tell me this is real."
"Cas," Meka started, but Cas spoke again, silencing her.
"Before you curse me out and hang up on me, please know that I'm sorry and that I miss the fuck out of you, Meka. I... I love you, Meka. I need you to know that."
Meka gasped. Monique and Toya stared at their friend, who looked like she was about to fall apart. And then their friend burst into tears.
"I love you, Cas," Meka cried. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for avoiding you. I was just so scared that you'd do something crazy if anything happened to me. And I know you hate living like this, so I felt so bad for you, but I don't know how to help you," Meka rambled through the tears.
"I'm on my way over there," Cas told her. "Wait for me, love. I'll be there soon. Don't move. Just... stay right where you are."
The line went dead. Meka ended the call on her end and then wiped her eyes. They waited for her to speak. About thirty seconds ticked by with her just sitting there, staring blankly ahead.
"Uh, Meka..." Toya whispered. "Say something."
"He told me not to move. He told me to sit here until he gets here," Meka whispered, staring straight ahead.
Monique's gaze connected with Toya's. Toya started to laugh. Monique shook her head, trying to hold her laughter in.
"I sounded like a fool just now, didn't I?" Meka asked.
"No," Toya replied. "You sounded like a woman in love."
Meka started laughing. "I know I sounded crazy. I don't even know why I said that."
Monique smiled. Love made you do crazy things. Her friend had found love. True love. And Meka's true love was going to help Monique kidnap his brother. Soon, everyone would have their happy ending.
"He's on his way over here," Toya said.
"I know," Meka whispered with a slight smile on her face.
"Are you going to greet him looking like that?" Toya asked, frowning.
Meka's eyes widened, and her gaze jerked to the pajamas she was wearing. Then, her hand flew to her hair, which was hidden under a bonnet.
"Oh, no!" Meka whispered. "I look a mess. What am I going to do?"
Toya smiled. "Go shower while I look through your suitcase to find you something nice."
"Thank you, Toya."
"You're welcome."
"Don't choose anything trashy," Meka told Toya.
"Huh?" Toya said. "I can't hear you. You're breaking up."
Meka looked to Monique. "Don't let her choose me anything trashy."
"I won't," Monique promised. "Now go shower. And brush your teeth."
"And shave your unibrow," Toya told her.
"I don't look that bad, damn," Meka said as she jumped up from the couch. The bright smile on her face was the first one she'd worn in weeks. Monique chuckled as Meka raced from the room, nearly slipping down as she rounded the corner.
"Our baby is all grown up," Toya drawled. "I'm glad she's back to normal because I was about ready to fight her."
"Toya!"
"What? She was getting on my damn nerves. I swear she called me a hoe about five times today. You heard her."
Laughing, Monique asked, "Do you think they'll be okay?"
Toya shrugged. "At least they'll be together. At least they can say they tried to make it work. No regrets, remember?"
"That's right. No regrets. Now, go find Meka an outfit while I get the curling iron ready."
They both left to do their tasks. Meka showered and dressed in record time. By the time Monique's security camera dinged, letting them know a car had parked in front of the house, Meka was dressed and ready to face the man she loved.
"How do I look?" Meka asked, rubbing a hand over the black, skintight jeans she was wearing.
She'd paired them with a black shirt that showed off her girls. The shirt dipped low in the front, and the silver necklace Monique had given her stopped at the swell of her breasts. Meka's hair had been wrapped around her head underneath her bonnet.
So, her friend had just combed the wrap out and let her hair drop past her shoulders, no need for the curling iron. After dabbing perfume on her wrists and in the valley between her breasts, Meka was ready to face the man she loved.
Monique told Meka to wait until Cas knocked on the door before going outside. Her friend wasn't trying to hear that. Meka exited the house before Cas stepped out of the car. As soon as the door closed behind Meka, Monique and Toya pulled up the security app on Monique's phone so they could see and listen to their friend's entire conversation.
It was time for them to watch true love bloom! And it ended up being one of the sweetest reunions Monique had ever witnessed.
"We should've given her an earbud so she could stay connected to us in case we needed to talk her through this," Toya mused, eyes on the security camera.
"We're not spies, Toya. This is not some secret mission."
"Right, right," Toya drawled.
Standing on the porch, Meka shifted from one foot to the other.
"She looks so nervous," Toya pointed out. "She's acting as if he's her first crush or something, and we both know he's not."
"I think it's sweet that she looks nervous. Oh, look..." Monique pointed at the screen. "Cas is getting out of the car."
Toya leaned closer to the screen. "He looks like he's lost weight."
"I know. Poor guy. I'm sad, too. Why haven't I lost any weight?"
Toya cocked her head to the side. "I don't know, Mo. Ask the pizzas you order every night."
"Shut up. I don't order pizza every night. Plus, pizza is my comfort food."
"Well, your comfort food has made me gain two pounds."
"You didn't have to eat it with me."
"Friends don't let friends be sad alone. You fight, I fight. You eat, I eat. That's what friends are for," Toya said, gaze returning to the screen. "Why is Cas dressed in a suit and tie?"
"He probably wanted to look nice for Meka. It shows that he takes this seriously. Look, he looks nervous too."
"These two are too fucking adorable," Toya whispered.
"Wait.... Is he... is he tearing up?" Monique asked, leaning so close to the screen that her head almost bumped Toya's.
Cas stopped on his way to the front porch. His gaze landed on Meka, and he just stood there, staring at her. The look in his eyes, paired with his facial expression, melted Monique's heart. He looked in awe of the vision that was Meka.
That was the look of a man deeply in love. That was the look of a man ready to risk it all for the woman before him. That was a look Meka deserved. Meka stared back at him.
Though they couldn't see her face, Monique was pretty sure Meka's expression mirrored Cas's. Neither Cas nor Meka moved. Neither of them spoke. Their gazes were locked onto each other.
They were caught in each other's orbit, and there would be no escaping this for either of them this time. Though no words had been uttered yet, their silence spoke volumes. Cas wiped his eyes and took a deep breath.
Meka brushed tears from her cheek, still rooted in the same place on the front porch. It was like they were afraid to move, like they thought this was a dream or something.
"Awww," Toya and Monique whispered as they watched Cas try to pull himself together.
He took a few deep breaths before turning his back to Meka. Though they couldn't see his face now, they could tell he was wiping his eyes. Some hated seeing a man cry. They considered men who shed tears to be weak.
That was toxic thinking. Men were human, just like women and children. Men had emotions. Men could get hurt like anyone else could. Men had vulnerable days just like everyone else. Cas's crying didn't make him weak. In Monique's eyes, it simply made him human.
"I feel so bad for him," Monique whispered.
"I do, too. Maybe we should help them flee the country so they can be alone and happy."
"There has to be a simpler way," Monique told Toya.
"What if there isn't?"
Monique sighed. "Does Meka have a passport?"
"Yes. I think so."
"If it comes to that, I guess we'll have to help them flee."
It was Toya's turn to sigh. "With Raz being in charge of their family now, maybe it won't come to that."
"That's if he hasn't changed," Monique muttered.
"Is that what you're worried about? You're worried Raz has changed?"
Monique nodded. "What if he's not the Raz I know anymore? What if this new responsibility has forced him to be like his father?"
What if he truly doesn't want me anymore? Monique kept that last thought to herself.
"I don't think that'll happen. We won't know until you talk to him face to face. If you think he's different and is no longer someone you want to spend your life with, you'll have to let him go."
After a brief hesitation, Monique mumbled, "I know."
"I'm serious, Mo."
Monique nodded.
"Don't nod. Promise me you won't try to keep a man who doesn't want to be kept. If he truly doesn't want you, if being with him hurts you, promise me you'll let him go," Toya insisted.
Monique knew Toya was only looking out for her. However, the thought of not being with Raz hurt so damn badly.
"Mo, you deserve the best. If Raz can no longer give you that, he's no longer the one for you. I refuse to let you go through another bad relationship on my watch. I ain't a killer, but don't push me, Monique Rose."
Monique chuckled. "Okay, Tupac."
"I'm serious."
"I know. If Raz is no longer the man I love, I promise I'll let him go. I'll never be a doormat again. Not even for Orazio Cattaneo. I love myself too much to go through that again. I won't accept anything less than the best. I promise."
"Good. But if he's still the man you know and love," Toya continued. "If he's still worth fighting for, I'll stand by you as you fight for your love. Okay?"
Monique nodded, but she was still worried that her reunion with Raz wouldn't be as sweet as Meka's reunion with Cas. She pushed that fear aside for now. Right now, it wasn't about her. It was about her friend and Raz's younger brother.