Claiming My Best Friend (Solae & Crown)

Chapter one Solae Diamond Santiago

“Hey handsome.”

A warm smile spread across my matte red lips. Sashaying over to Marcus’s side of the table, I wrapped my arms around him lovingly, happy to greet my man.

This restaurant was by far our favorite Italian spot. The food was always on point, the drinks were strong just like I liked them, and most of our best date nights had happened somewhere between these dim lights and white tablecloths that eventually led to silk sheets.

As I melted into the seat across from him, I let out a sigh of relief. Working as a hairstylist in a salon that I owned was kicking my ass and had my feet sore as hell. Not to mention the mental exhaustion that came with it.

“I apologize for taking so damn long, babe. Mrs. Esther’s ass always wants the last appointment slot of the day. You know Dior always gives it to her too.”

Popping my lips, I set my purse in the chair next to me, smoothing my hands over my pink dress as I spoke. I made a mental note to talk to Dior about scheduling those last-minute appointments. If doctor’s offices avoided late slots, then so would my calendar.

“Putting them damn rollers in Mrs. Esther’s almost bald-headed silver hair got my fingers hurting, bae.”

Poking my bottom lip out, I searched his eyes, checking to see if he was buying my little drama queen act. Being extra, I leaned forward and showed him my fingertips, knowing damn well there wasn’t a thing wrong with them.

“What’s the occasion, Marcus?” I asked, leaning back, with curiosity in my tone.

His cold-ass demeanor was about to piss me off.

Clearing my throat, I decided to keep my hands busy.

Taking the piece of lemon, I squeezed it into my water, then looked up at him with a soft smile, wondering why he was taking so long to tell me why we were here.

Usually, Marcus couldn’t hold water when he was excited about something. It had been four long years.

Shit, this better be a damn proposal at this point.

“Bae, you locked in the Reliable Truckers deal, huh? Is that what this is all about?”

Thinking I had it all figured out, I shifted in my seat with a big smile plastered on my face.

His face still held that same dry-ass look on it, and I wasn’t feeling it.

I had to give Marcus his flowers, though. He had been working his ass off trying to expand his trucking business, and like a good woman, I was right by his side, pouring into him every chance I got. Even when he didn’t ask me to invest, I did.

If I believed in anything, I believed in us.

I believed in him when he didn’t believe in himself.

Placing the empty lemon peel in a plate, I crossed my arms over my chest. Out of the years I had known Marcus, I could always sense when some bullshit was coming.

“Marcus…” The sharp whisper left my lips before I could stop it.

“Nah, it ain’t that, Solae.” His eyes darted from side to side like somebody was watching us.

My brows pulled together.

“Um… since when you start calling me by my first name, Marcus?”

“Shh,” he hissed. “You being loud and ghetto. We in public.”

I stood so fast my chair crashed to the floor.

The sound drew attention throughout the restaurant, causing every head around us to turn. My hands landed on my hips as the stares from nearby patrons bounced off us like judgment, making it feel like we were live on an episode of Jerry Springer or some shit.

“Who the fuck you calling ghetto, Marcus?”

He slowly stood, and for a second it felt like we were in a standoff, like I was one breath away from popping him in his fucking face.

My mind raced through the last few days, searching for what I missed. We had been fine… or at least I thought we were.

“I just can’t do this shit anymore, Solae.”

My heart skipped like I was on a roller coaster.

“Do what exactly, Marcus?”

“Us.” He pointed between the two of us, and my mouth dropped open as disbelief washed over me.

This was the man I had built a life with.

The man I bought a house with, believing we both carried the intention of building stability and the kind of strong foundation my parents had.

The man I had manifested my whole fucking future with.

Hearing him say those words made my head spin so fast I thought I might pass out. It felt like all the air had been sucked clean out of my lungs.

I grabbed the glass of red wine closest to me on the luxurious white cloth, took a big-ass gulp, hoping it would somehow dissolve the lump stuck in my throat.

If anything, the burn only made the moment hurt worse.

Then the shock gave way to anger, spreading through me so fast I could barely think straight.

Before I could stop myself, I launched the rest of the wine right in his sneaky-ass face.

“What the fuck, Solae?!”

He stumbled back, shaking his hands as he tried to fling the red Merlot off his skin.

I folded my arms tightly over my chest.

My eyes drifted to the knives on the table, and for a brief second, my thoughts lingered there longer than they should have.

“Yo ass better be lucky I don’t carve you like a fucking steak, Marcus,” I hissed through my teeth.

“Solae…”

His voice was emotionless.

“I moved my shit out of the house while you was at work,” he said, red wine still dripping off his chin.

“Excuse me, Marcus?” I threw my hands in the air.

“Go be with your best friend Crown, because I’m done with your emotionally unavailable, selfish ass. Even Stevie Wonder can see the shit I’ve been trying to tell you.”

Marcus glared at me, and I glared right back at him.

What type of narcissistic bullshit was he on?

He was really standing here acting like my friendship with Crown had blindsided him, when Crown had never done a damn thing to disrespect him or our relationship. He had never crossed boundaries, never inserted himself where he didn’t belong, and never made Marcus feel less than.

Truth be told, Crown had never been the type to compete for attention. He never had to Then it hit me right then and there.

Every sideways comment Marcus had made about him.

The irritability whenever Crown’s name came up.

Every passive-aggressive remark I brushed off because I didn’t feel like arguing.

Marcus had been feeling a type of way this whole time.

This wasn’t sudden for him. This had been building over the years.

How could he be such a hater?

Intimidated by the next man.

“You jealous?” I asked, my voice calmer than I felt.

He glared at me.

“That’s what you got from this, Solae?”

“No, Marcus,” I snapped. “What I got is you waited until we were in public to address me about some shit instead of communicating like a grown-ass man.”

I rolled my neck.

His nostrils flared, and I could tell I hit him low, just as low as I felt right now. He took it there, and now I had no choice but to take it to hell.

“You never communicate, Solae.”

I let out a cold, dry, humorless laugh.

“Boy, fuck you.”

“I’m serious. You talk to your lil best friend more than your own man.”

“And, Marcus?”

His expression filled with frustration.

“You don’t let people in. You shut down. You push people away the second shit gets uncomfortable. And the only person you don’t do that with is Crown.”

The restaurant faded into background noise.

Plates clinked. People whispered loud enough that I could hear.

Somewhere, a waiter cleared his throat like he didn’t know whether to step in or mind his damn business.

All I could hear was my ears popping.

I hated how his words found places in my heart I kept buried.

I hated that part of me wanted to cuss his ass out for being wrong, while another part of me wondered if he was actually right.

He snatched his keys out of the puddle of wine.

“I’m done begging for you to let me in, Solae.”

That hit deeper than I wanted to admit.

He turned on his dirty-ass steel-toe boots like the conversation was over, and irritation flared through me all over again.

I should’ve known something was off the second I saw him in those dusty ass work clothes.

He didn’t even have the decency to break up with me the classy way.

Just steel-toe boots and audacity.

Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I lifted my chin and straightened my shoulders before walking out of that restaurant, leaving behind memories of our first date, date nights, and happy hours with friends.

The tears burned at the corners of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

Not here. Not over Marcus. Definitely not in front of strangers.

The second the cool night air hit my skin, my composure fell apart.

Pain pushed through my chest as my trembling hands dug through my Chanel bag for my phone.

There was only one person I needed right now.

The one person who always showed up when I called.

And that was Crown.

I hit his name and pressed the phone to my ear, silently begging him to answer.

The phone rang once. Then twice. Then three times.

“Come on,” I whispered. “Pick up.”

Voicemail.

My stomach dropped.

“No…”I pulled the phone away and stared at the screen with disgust.

I called again.

It rang twice before sending me straight to voicemail.

Crown never ignored my calls, and I was about to cuss his ass out for it.

Not today.Not when I needed him most.Not after I'd called him twice in a row.

A knot tightened in the pit of my stomach.

Before I could call a third time, my screen lit up with a text message from him.

Relief hit me first, but it didn’t last long.

Can’t talk right now, Lae.

I was so lost, sitting in my car crying, wondering how I had my shit in order but couldn’t seem to keep my love life together...