Love Me Now: Antonias & Bianca

PROLOGUE

BIANCA BELL

Something like the devastation of a hurricane’s winds and the power of a tornado’s unstoppable spiral swiftly overtook me while watching this man bend a knee in… proposal. A proposal that wasn’t to me!

Antonias Diamante Suarez wore a soft smile as he looked up at his girlfriend, Katrelle. She looked down at her man, shock written all over her porcelain face.

And here I sat, shocked, mortified, seething, and dying inside at the sight of them.

This could’ve all been avoided.

Oh! Shut the hell up, I told myself. Antonias had been bringing Katrelle around since Quilo’s graduation party this past summer. In my mind, I thought Katrelle was like the rest of the women Antonias flaunted around. Then again, I should’ve known better.

Katrelle High was beautiful, educated, and powerful in her own right. She was the CEO of Niceville Shores News Station and Paper Company. Her family had owned the network for decades, and she was responsible for taking the station to even newer heights.

My stomach rolled as Katrelle shrieked with joy after shouting, “Yes!” The crowd, gathered inside of Seas and Shores Steakhouse, clapped for the newly engaged couple while I wanted to dash across this room and demand that Antonias take back his proposal.

Why?

Because… Because… He belongs to me!

My mind and heart roared with what was before me. Tears that I didn’t know I possessed for this man welled up in my eyes. Quickly, I blinked them away and joined everyone else in clapping for the couple.

Then, Antonias’s eyes collided with mine and held fast. Although a smile rode his handsome toasted brown face, his eyes said something totally different. He was disappointed. Breaking eye contact, I needed something else to do.

“You okay?” Heir asked me.

Feeling like I was about to regurgitate, I fled and practically ran to the bar.

At the bar, I let the noise of everyone congratulating Antonias and Katrelle drown out the voices in my head telling me to flip all this shit over.

“What can I get you, mama?” the bartender asked. He was so fine, my lips parted in awe. I didn’t recall seeing him the last time I came over here for a drink.

“Something fruity. I don’t want to taste the alcohol,” I stated.

“Aight.” He quickly and efficiently made my drink, then held it just out of reach. “Before I give this to you, I’ma need you to bless me with that gorgeous ass smile I peeped a lil’ while ago.”

Although I wasn’t in a smiling mood, I needed this drink, so I gave him one.

“Naw, now. That’s fake.” He chuckled. “Gimme a smile you would give ya man.”

I bit my bottom lip and surveyed the way his large fingers held the glass I so desperately needed.

“Seeing as I don’t have a man, I can’t give you a smile I would hypothetically give him.”

His eyebrows lifted as he handed me the drink. He dried his hands as I took a sip of the concoction.

“This is pretty good,” I praised.

He stuck his hand out to me. “Torro. It’s nice to meet you…”

“Bianca,” I replied.

“Bianca, there’s no way I can leave here without giving you my number. Is that cool?”

It was on the tip of my tongue to say no, it wasn’t cool. Then, I heard Katrelle’s laughter seemingly mocking me.

“Sure,” I stated.

He rattled off his number, then said, “Repeat it back to me.”

It took me two times to get it right.

“Aight, Bianca. I’ll be waiting for ya call,” he informed me as one of Katrelle’s friends appeared at the bar.

Feeling like I could choke someone, I had to get away from this girl. “Okay. I’ll call you.” I smiled a little as I walked away.

Unintentionally, my eyes strayed to Antonias’s table.

Caught off guard by him staring at me, my eyes widened.

Katrelle whispered something in his ear, then she stood and left their table.

After she disappeared, I boldly headed to Antonias’s table.

I didn’t care that everyone’s gazes seemed to follow me.

If anyone was smart, they’d leave me the hell alone after Antonias pulled this stunt.

As I sat in the chair Katrelle previously occupied, I stared at Antonias.

“What the hell was that?”

“No congratulations?” he asked instead.

“So, you’re really about to marry her? Nine months ago, you were begging me to give you a chance.”

“And nine months ago, you told me to fuck off,” he bit back, then covered the harshness with a smile as to not draw any attention to us.

“Be serious right now, Antonias.”

“I’m very serious. I haven’t been on you since the summer. So, the fact that you’re confronting me about proposing to my lady is crazy. I’m ready for a wife, kids, and a nigga ain’t getting any younger.”

Out of everything he said, my brain picked up—“Your lady?” I chuckled indignantly. This whole situation felt like I was in a horror flick. Sure, he brought Katrelle around often. Having her on his arm was one thing. Claiming her was another. He’d never called a woman his lady before.

“Everything looks good on you, Bianca. Except jealousy, of course. Take care of that shit.” He stood and left the table, leaving me sitting there with my mouth open in embarrassment.

Glancing around, I placed a forced smile on my face and headed back to my table. Coco intercepted me. The look on her face told me that she had a few words for me.

“Not now,” I said to her. She was always team Antonias and now… Now, I’d ruined everything.

“How you just gon’ let that man marry someone else?” she hissed discreetly.

“Not now,” I reiterated and tried to walk away. Coco yanked me back and glared at me. “Alright, alright! I thought he was playing, okay. How was I supposed to know that he was serious about being with me?”

Coco’s head tilted back on her shoulders. “Uhm, your brother is Adir Bell. You really thought he was gon’ let Antonias play with you?”

Pouting a little, I shrugged. “Antonias is not scared of Adir’s crazy ass.” Shit. Antonias was about as crazy as my brother.

“Still,” Coco said. “Antonias respects Adir. And honestly, that is just one reason why they get along so well.”

“Fuck,” I whined, realizing my mistake in mishandling Antonias. My chest was in my ass. “What am I gon’ do?”

“I don’t know, sis.” Coco’s eyes trained on something behind me, and I knew it was them. “You better do something quick.”

Feeling like I was suffocating, I left Coco and rushed to find the nearest exit. The place was on lockdown with security, but they had to give me a minute to reset my mental state.

“You can’t be out here,” security said.

“I can… I’m wit’ her,” a familiar said. Surprised to see Torro following me outside, I stopped and smiled at him. He walked up to me, and the back of his knuckles grazed my cheek.

“This smile here is much better,” he stated. “I don’t have to tell you how fuckin’ beautiful I think you are. I’m sure muhfuckas tell you that all the time.”

My smile grew a little more. “Thank you. Whatever you’re wearing smells good.”

His bright teeth flashed me briefly. “If you wanna know what I wear, you gotta call a nigga and get to know me. I’m not easy.”

I laughed with him. “Neither am I,” I replied.

“Good to know. So, when can I take you out to dinner, Miss Bianca?”

My smile faltered a little. Torro caught it and simply chuckled.

“How long you been in love wit’ that nigga?” he asked.

I couldn’t hide the shock on my face in time. There was no denying that I felt some type of way about Antonias proposing to that wench.

“Come on, baby. It’s obvious as hell. It’s aight, though. I’ma make you forget that nigga even exists.”

Leaning back, I said, “You sound mighty confident.”

“I am. It would be a travesty if you didn’t get to know me.”

“Well…” Now that my life was in shambles, getting to know another man wouldn’t have been so bad. Only, it was bad. Antonias was potentially the man of my dreams, and I just let him slip away.

One minute I was wishing this night would just be over.

In the next minute, something hot knocked the wind out of me and knocked me off my feet.

Before I hit the floor, I felt that same devastating punch and heat again.

A split second later, I registered the sound of gunshots breaking through the roar of my heart and the thump of the music spilling from Seas & Shores Restaurant and Grill.

Someone crashed on top of me. Torro’s lifeless eyes were even worse than the gaping wound through his forehead. Just as I opened my mouth to scream, he was snatched off me. Tyrese, one of the security guards, appeared and lifted me off the ground.

“Bianca’s been hit!” he barked.

My body cried with pain. The instant fatigue that washed over me was impossible to fight.

As my eyes closed, I couldn’t even register the pain anymore.

It was then that I knew I was dying. Adir would never forgive me.

My mother would be angry for the rest of her life.

What was sadder, was that I had yet to truly taste Antonias’s lips.

Leaving this world bereft of the taste of him grieved me heavily.