Chapter 13
thirteen
. . .
When we landed in Houston, my entire mood changed.
It was loud, much louder than the solitude I experienced in the few weeks we were in Scottsdale.
My anxiety was at an all-time high as we drove to the place we’d be staying.
There was traffic, cars darting in and out, tall buildings, and humidity.
It was all overwhelming. Kier didn’t say much on the way over.
He greeted our driver, then met me in the back seat.
I rested on his chest as we drove along the route.
“Is this a rental or your home?” I asked as we pulled into the driveway.
“It’s mine.”
“I love it.”
“Thanks, baby, come see the rest.”
Kier helped me out of the car, and we walked hand in hand to the door.
When I stepped in slowly, my eyes traveled across the room, taking it in piece by piece.
The details said more than anything else.
This place was lived in for sure, and it was good to get a different glimpse of Kier’s personality.
“Babe, did you decorate yourself?”
“Nah, I had an interior decorator. I picked out that art piece right there and told her to build the room around it.”
I nodded lightly, walking around at my own pace. My fingers brushed the back of one of the chairs as I passed. Kier came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing me on my neck. “You want to take a quick shower before we head out?”
“I’m not gonna lie,” I said, turning toward him, “I haven’t really been feeling that great today.”
“What’s wrong? You pregnant?”
“Ha ha ha,” I replied sarcastically. “Very funny, Kier. It’s nothing serious, I just feel off. Maybe jet lag or something, I don’t know.”
He studied me for a second, probably determining how far to push, then nodded once. “Okay, I need to go to the studio. It’s going to be late when I get back. I’m assuming you want to stay here and rest?”
I considered it, then exhaled softly. “Yeah, babe. I’ll sit this one out.”
“Alright. It’s food in there.” He stated, gesturing toward the kitchen.
“But I’m going to drop something in your account just in case you decide you want to order out.
I’m going to grab something while I’m out.
” He reached for his keys and pulled me into a kiss.
We held each other for a moment, until he placed a final kiss on my forehead. “I’ll see you later.”
Protesting him putting money in my account was like beating a dead horse. So instead, I nodded. “Thank You. And please, be careful baby.”
Kier left, and I went back into the living room, easing down onto the couch, letting myself sink into it.
The silence stretched around me, making me uncomfortable.
I knew he’d come back, but this was truly the first time we’d been apart in well over a month.
I pulled my phone out, dialing Treasure, desperate to fill the quietness.
“Hey,” I said when she picked up.
“Don’t ‘hey’ me,” Treasure shot back. “You made it to Houston and didn’t say anything?”
I smiled faintly, leaning my head back against the cushion. “I literally just got here.”
“Mm-hmm. So, what’s the plan? Are you going to this album release party in a few days?”
“I don’t know yet,” I said honestly. “Are you coming?”
“Not this time, Sibley. I mean, Kaori is cool and all, but writing about her won’t get many website clicks.”
“Oh, you then got too big for your britches, huh?” We both laughed. “What you say, sis? Today’s prices are not yesterday’s prices?”
“And in that order.” Treasure cosigned with a laugh.
“I hear you, Tre, but everyone has to start somewhere, hell even you. Any exposure you could give Kaori would be good for your site, her sales, and it’s good exposure for the label too.”
“Is this my best friend, or the representative for Stone Records?”
“Both, Babygirl. Gotta look out for my boo.”
“Yesss, Sibley, I love to see it! So, I’m assuming it’s going well?”
“Probably too well. This is messing with my mind, Tre. I shouldn’t have strong feelings this soon, right?
“Why not, Sibley? Celebrities are getting married after getting to know each other for five minutes. Y’all been kicking it all summer, and daily at that, with no breaks!”
“I’m not a celebrity, and this isn’t a PR stunt to me. I got real feelings for him. He makes me laugh, we have so much in common, and I feel safe with him emotionally. Again, too strong of feelings to have so soon. I don’t want to get hurt.”
“If you’re really invested, a heartbreak at two months will feel the same as a heartbreak at one year. Do not start tweaking, doing things to avoid something that you don’t even know is going to happen. Enjoy that man, and let your heart make the decisions, not that crazy brain of yours!”
“See, that’s why I called you. I knew you would get me together.”
“And will! Where is he anyway?”
“Studio.”
“And you didn’t go?”
“No ma’am. I need a reset from the reset in Arizona.”
“Damn, y’all was doing that much fuckin?!”
“Treasure, please…pleeeasssseee!” I laughed even though she wasn’t wrong. “What I mean is, Houston feels a little jarring after being in peace and solitude for so long.”
“Oh, okay that’s true. Well, look like I said I’m not coming out there, but I want you to continue to do you and be you. Call me if you need me.”
“I will. I’m about to find a show to binge and knock out. His house is so nice.”
“I bet it is. Bye bestie, love you.”
“Love you too!”
Before I knew it, I’d fallen asleep on the couch.
We’d gotten in so early that a nap was bound to happen.
When I woke up, I realized two hours had passed by, and my stomach was rumbling.
It was time to cook or order something. Maybe I’d cook because I didn’t know much about restaurants in Houston.
Standing, I stretched my hands over my head and walked into the kitchen.
I browsed his refrigerator and freezer, then decided on turkey burgers.
I also threw some fries into the air fryer.
All of that cooking in Scottsdale had me tired. I just wanted something quick.
After eating, I showered and put on biker shorts and a sports bra.
I ended up back on the couch, pulling my legs up, then opening social media.
I scrolled mindlessly. A mix of everything passed by—faces I recognized, things I didn’t care about, and noise I barely registered.
My thumb slowed when a clip caught my attention.
The page wasn’t anything reputable. And the caption was vague as well—Studio Session.
The video was quick, slightly grainy, and the angle was off, like it had been taken without permission.
Kier stood near the board, focused, headphones resting around his neck, one hand adjusting something as he spoke to someone off camera.
It looked normal, and I smiled watching him in his zone.
Then someone stepped into frame. I couldn’t see her face, only her body.
Her hand came up, brushing across his back, slow and casual. The video cut right after.
My thumb rested over the screen for a second before I tapped it again.
Same clip, same moment, same cut evoking unexplainable feelings from me.
I watched it once more, noticing the details I hadn’t paid attention to the first time.
He didn’t react, and I didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Hell, I didn’t know if it escalated off camera or not.
This is when my mind goes into overdrive.
Stop it, Sibley.
I locked my phone and set it down beside me.
But then I got curious. I picked my phone back up, opened the page again, and it was gone.
I tapped Legacee’s stories and saw nothing.
I refreshed once, then again and still saw nothing.
I shouldn’t be surprised since he never posted those kinds of things, only promo material. But was he with Kier? What if-
“Sibley, stop!” I literally had to speak out loud to stop my thoughts from taking over once again.
I exhaled slowly, pressing my lips together. He’s working. You’ve been with him. Only you. Ignore everything else. I let the thought settle then decided to call Treasure back to get my mind off of things. Treasure picked up on the second ring.
“Okay, now you’re calling me back. What happened?”
I let out a small breath. “Nothing happened.”
“Mmhmm,” she said, dragging it out. “We just spoke a couple hours ago. Something must be wrong.”
“I just—” I paused, leaning my head back and staring up at the ceiling. “I saw a video.”
“What kind of video?”
“A studio clip from one of those gossip pages.” I hesitated, choosing my words instead of reacting to them. “He was working, and this girl came up behind him… touched him. It cut right after.”
“Was it the woman you told me about before?”
“I couldn’t see her face.”
Treasure didn’t respond immediately, which told me she was actually listening and probably trying to find a way to comfort me.
“And?” She asked finally.
“And nothing,” I said. “It was quick. It could’ve been anything.”
“But you don’t think it was ‘anything,’ or you wouldn’t have called me.”
I exhaled through my nose, sitting up a little. “It just looked… familiar.”
“Familiar how?”
“Familiar like it probably was the woman for LA.”
“Did he react?”
“No.”
“Like he didn’t notice, or like it didn’t matter?”
I thought about it for a second. “I really can’t say.”
“Hmm.”
I rubbed my thumb against the edge of my phone. “I went back to the page. It’s gone.”
“Of course it is,” she said. “Those pages post and delete all day.”
“I know.”
“So, what are you about to do?” She asked softly.
“Nothing.”
“Okay.” Treasure let out a small breath in what felt like relief. “Just… don’t start making up a whole scenario in your head. We literally just talked about this.”
“I’m not, but I am paying attention.”
“By all means pay attention, but don’t let it have you acting differently, Sibley. Believe half of what you see. And if you can’t contain yourself, you need to just ask him straight-forward.”
“Okay.”