Chapter 6
Celeste
The sound of Al Green’s “Love and Happiness” stirred me from my slumber.
When my lids fluttered open, realization set in that it was a new day.
Right now, all I wanted to do was wallow in self-pity.
I didn’t know what I was thinking when I’d agreed to stay here last night, but going home was the last thing I wanted to do.
For the second time, Allen had successfully publicly humiliated me.
At this moment, I was more than grateful I didn’t have a phone.
Bad news spread like wildfire and I was sure my name had been on thousands of people’s tongues over the last several hours.
Seeing pictures of Allen and Serenity at the club turned me into a madwoman.
Not because it confirmed my suspicions of him still cheating, but because he refused to let me go.
I never once thought Allen had stopped dealing with Serenity, but why did he go through great lengths to keep me around?
It’d be more understanding if I were fighting for our relationship.
The way I saw it, Allen could let me go and we’d all live happily ever after.
Closing my eyes, I let out a frustrated sigh and sent up a quiet prayer for guidance.
I was truly being tested and didn’t know what to do.
Luxe Addiction had come to life because of my hard work and dedication to see it through.
With everything I was going through with Allen, I couldn’t help but think maybe this wasn’t what the Lord had in store for me.
Luxe Addiction was mine, yet Allen was in control.
Letting it go was heavy on my mind, but I couldn’t do that.
Letting Allen have the building would open another can of worms I couldn’t even fathom right now. Reasons that ran deeper than money.
My mother came to mind, causing me to sit up from the bed and toss the comforter off.
Most mornings, I called her to make sure her day started on a good note.
I had no idea what time it was, but I needed to call her.
If I didn’t, she’d get worried and call Allen.
Standing from the bed, I stretched before walking into the ensuite bathroom.
Last night, Miss Lynn gave me a new toothbrush and plenty of towels to hold me over.
She was so kind. To my surprise, she didn’t ask any questions like I assumed.
Instead of being irritated and having an attitude that a stranger was in her home at that time of morning, she had been welcoming and calm.
The house felt peaceful from the moment I walked in, and if I could’ve slept the day away, I would have.
After handling my hygiene and cleaning up behind myself, I left the room.
Shane stood at the kitchen island with a coffee mug in his large hand.
The white tank top he wore allowed me to take in all of him.
His wide muscles were defined even in his relaxed state and he wore a natural mean mug.
The black durag on his head only enhanced his sexiness.
“Good morning,” I said lowly.
With the mug to his lips, Shane peered at me with so much intensity I had to look away. Every time I was in his presence, it felt like he’d stared into my soul. In reality, he was just trying to read me. I liked that he found me interesting and the feeling was mutual.
“Oh, good morning, sweetie. I’m sorry if I woke you up with all the noise. I’m an early bird,” Miss Lynn stated when she turned from the stove.
“No, it’s okay. I’m not a late sleeper myself. Thank you for letting me stay here last night. I really appreciate it.”
“Any friend of my son is welcome. I hope you eat pancakes.”
“Yes, ma’am. I do.”
“Please, Lynn or Momma Lynn is fine. Shane, set up the table for me.”
Doing as his mother asked, Shane set the mug down and dug around the cabinets.
“Come sit down,” Shane commanded.
His raspy voice caught me off guard, causing me to jump slightly.
My heart thumped and the cool temperature had me pulling my arms together.
It felt like I was walking on ice every time my feet hit the cold tile.
Without speaking, I sat in the chair Shane hovered over and came face to face with a hot mug.
“You drink hot tea?” he asked, lowering his head to look at me.
“Yes.”
“My mom makes infused tea. Is that good with you?”
When I turned my head in Miss Lynn direction, she was already looking at me with a smile.
“Is that what you’re drinking?”
“Yes,” he answered.
“I’ll have a cup, please.”
My eyes stayed on Shane as he picked up the silver kettle from the back eye on the stove.
After pouring a decent amount, he set the kettle back on the eye and moved toward the cabinet over the sink, grabbing honey.
Moments later, Shane set the mug in front of me.
I was just about to ask for a spoon when he placed one next to the mug.
“Thank you.”
I was quickly getting used to him not responding when I spoke, so I wasn’t surprised when I got a nod instead of spoken words.
The aroma from the tea relaxed me already.
I stirred it until I was satisfied and took my first sip.
Thankfully, the tea had cooled enough for me to take a full sip without burning my tongue.
I wasn’t sure what to expect since Miss Lynn made this tea, but I was pleasantly surprised at how refreshing it was.
Shane and I sat at the table in a comfortable silence while his mother continued to make breakfast.
“How you feel?”
“Good. I love the tea,” I answered.
It didn’t take me long to realize the infused part of the drink was starting to kick in. I’d smoked a time or two with Jade and Allen, but the effects never felt like this. I felt at ease, like I was on cloud nine.
“May I use your phone? I just wanna call my momma before she starts worrying,” I asked Shane.
When I came into the kitchen, the time on the microwave was much earlier than I thought.
From how bright the sun shone, I assumed it was past nine o’clock.
It was only seven forty-five and I knew my mother hadn’t even had her morning shower yet.
Shane pulled his phone from his pocket and pecked at the screen before handing it to me.
I knew my mother’s number by heart and began dialing before I stood to leave the kitchen.
“Hello?” she answered curiously.
“Hey, Ma, it’s me. How you feeling this morning?”
Closing the door to the guest room I’d occupied, I sat on the bed and stared out the window.
A little girl who looked to be around four years old ran around with a stick in the air.
When I saw bubbles, it took me to a time in my life I’d never forget.
The house next door was close enough for me to see the neighbors clearly, but there was still enough yard space for both homes.
“Celeste? Whose number is this? Did you get a new phone?”
“No, Ma. I’m using a friend’s phone. My phone broke last night, but I wanted to call you to let you know. I’ll be getting another phone at some point, but yeah,” I explained, only willing to give a half truth.
“Oh okay, sweetheart. How is your morning starting and who is this friend letting you use their phone? I only know of one friend.”
“My morning is good, Momma. My friend’s name is Shane. I’ve never mentioned him to you. He’s a new friend.”
There was a pause that lingered longer than expected, causing me to call my mother’s name.
She wouldn’t get too many details out of my dealings with Shane, especially while I sat in his mother’s house.
It may have been a stretch to call him my friend, but more questions would’ve surely followed if I hadn’t.
“I’m here, Celeste. I’m just thinking.”
“About what?”
“Nothing much, little girl. It’s good to hear your voice though. Nurse Nicki just came in to help me shower, so I’ll let you go. Make sure you give me a call when you get the new phone.”
“Okay, Momma. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Once I ended the call, I debated on calling Jade to check in.
I hadn’t talked to her since before everything went down last night.
I was sure she’d been blowing my phone up if she saw social media today.
Luxe Addiction wasn’t open yet, but I wouldn’t be going in today.
This would be the first day in years I didn’t go in and I felt uneasy about that.
My brain needed a break and I needed to think long and hard about the mess my life had become.
Before I could make a final decision, my fingers were already tapping at the screen to call Jade.
I wouldn’t go into details over the phone, but I wanted her to know I was fine.
Like my mother, Jade would worry if she didn’t hear from me.
The only difference was, Jade would show up to Allen’s house.
The call with Jade was so quick I barely let her say hello before ending it.
I’d been out of Shane’s sight for a few minutes now and wasn’t trying to be rude in his mother’s home.
Curiosity got the best of me before leaving the bedroom.
The phone hadn’t locked yet, so I quickly went to his text messages and scrolled.
I wasn’t even sure why I did it, but I wanted to know how many women he was dealing with.
Most of the threads had a contact name, but there were a few unsaved numbers.
Nothing caught my eye from what I was able to see in the previews.
I was starting to think Shane had more than one phone.
There was no way a man as masculine and fine as him was completely single. Everybody had somebody.
When I returned to the kitchen, Shane was at the stove with a plate in one hand and a pair of tongs in the other. Miss Lynn was now at the table with a mug of her own, reading the morning paper.
“I put a lil bit of everything on a plate for you. It’s on the table,” Shane said, tilting his head in that direction.