Chapter 21
Twenty-One
“Where are you going?” Bello asked, his head hanging as he sat on the couch.
“I’m leaving to clear my head and then once I’ve got it together I’m going to find my friend,” I told him.
I’d changed into something more comfortable. Something that suited my current mood. The black graphic tee and leggings would have to work for now. Anything else and I wouldn’t be able to function or think straight.
“You tried that once. That shit is not happening, again.”
“Bello, I probably just lost my best friend. Right now, I don't care about anything but getting her back.”
“If you walk out of that door, Brisk, you’re going to lose me, too,” he finalized, looking up and in my direction.
“Right now? Are we doing this right now, Bello?”
“Doing what? Being adults about this shit? Yes, we’re doing this right now. It was your idea to keep this a secret. I’ve wanted to scream to the rooftops that I found the girl that I want to love for the rest of my life. It’s been you who has wanted to creep around when there was no need for it. Melonie is no saint, Brisk. My little partners and shit that was up under me, they’ve seen parts of her that I never wanted anyone around me to see because she’s my fucking niece.
“The young nigga that she was crying on your shoulder about the other night, Corey, he used to work for me. Why the fuck do you think she called me after you wouldn’t answer for her? Not because I’m her uncle, but because I know the nigga and she wanted me to put some fire under his ass. Just like she doesn’t know every detail of your life, you don’t know every detail of hers. She’s no one to judge you for your actions. You did that for her. Now, she’s somewhere heartbroken over our bullshit when it didn’t have to be this way.”
“But, it is, Bello. And, now, I have to fix it.”
“Not today, Brisk. It doesn’t work like that. I know Melonie. The best thing you can do right now is give her space. She needs it.”
“She needs me, Bello! She just doesn’t know it, yet.”
“She does and so do I.”
“Well, I need to go find her!” I stomped, the emotional turmoil of it all finally hitting me like a ton of bricks.
“Do whatever you want, Brisk, but if it includes leaving out of that door then don’t come back.” He shrugged before standing.
I watched in silence as he went over to the bar and poured a half glass of brown liquor. He opened the balcony door in the kitchen and stepped out onto it. I watched as he walked the length of it, ending near the bedroom where the bed was freshly made and our clothes were tucked away. He disguised his sadness poorly. It was all over him, even in the way that he paced the balcony.
Deciding to stay rather than to leave wasn’t the easiest decision I’d made, but it was a quick one. I dropped my purse on the counter and headed out of the door to be with him. When I stepped out, I stayed a distance away from the sulking giant and looked over into the hills.
“I’m just so used to being alone. It’s become a requirement of mine to process all things. And, until I am, I won’t be able to function properly - mentally, physically, or emotionally,” I admitted, still staring ahead of me.
Clearing his throat, Bello responded with a simple enough answer that pulled at my heart’s strings. “Then, I’ll go.”
Nothing more was said between us two. I didn’t have the strength to watch as he re-entered his home, packed a few belongings, and left. It wasn’t until I heard the front door close that I finally closed my eyes. The tears that I’d been keeping at bay fell freely over the edge of the balcony where I was bent over the railing. My heart ached, not only for Melonie but for Bello, too. I’d come into his world and it had been a mess ever since.
Nightfall took forever to come as the sunlight refused to fade away. But, as it did, I watched the decline of the sun’s light through the windows of the bedroom where I’d been since Bello had left. I was drained. Emotionally exhausted and mentally gutted.
I fell back onto the sheets and allowed the cover beneath me to soak up my tears. I’d been crying for hours. My voice was hoarse, my throat was sore, and it pained me to even blink. Though I hadn’t looked in the mirror, I could feel the puffiness of my eyes.
Sleep was my only option at this point. Melonie hadn’t responded to either of the six texts I’d sent her and rejected the three calls I’d placed. For now, I was just relieved that she hadn’t blocked my contact, yet. It gave me a bit of hope to hang onto.
Calculating today’s losses in my head, I closed my eyes and prayed that sleep found me soon. My mind was on overload and my heart was heavy. I wanted nothing more than to wake up and it all be better. Because as of now, everything was too much.
Clink.
The sound of glass hitting a foreign object startled me, causing a stir in my sleep. My eyes batted, adjusting to the low light of the loft that I hadn’t turned on. The familiar scent of sandalwood graced the air. All of a sudden, my sleep wasn’t so hard to break. I lifted from the bed, my eyes darting across the room and toward the chaise in the corner. Bello’s dark eyes stared back at me.
“Hi,” I cried, immediately, feeling a bulk of the weight lift from my chest.
“Hi,” Bello returned before standing.
He made his way over to the bed, shedding his clothes in the process. I watched with tearful eyes, wishing the space between us didn’t exist. I needed him… now .
When he finally reached me, he climbed in bed beside me. There weren’t any words shared as he ushered me to the pillow and laid down behind me. I curled in his arms, fitting perfectly because it was exactly where I belonged.
“Why’d you come back?”
“Because my heart told me to.”
“What is it telling you right now?” I wondered.
“To practice patience with you. We’re both still learning.”
“Thank you.”
“There’s no need, Brisk. We’re in this shit together and we’re just going to have to navigate this thing until we figure it out.”
“I just feel so awful. I can’t get the look on her face out of my head. It breaks my heart every time it reappears.”
“Mine, too. Melonie’s a big girl and besides keeping this from her longer than necessary, we’ve done nothing wrong. When the time comes, she will come around to it.”
“I know.”
“So, let’s get some rest, Brisk. It’s been a wild few days for us both.”
“Bello,” I added.
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too,” he responded, kissing the back of my braids before going silent.
His light snoring lulled me to sleep shortly after he’d fallen.