24. Stoney
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
STONEY
THE FOLLOWING MORNING
T he sun peeked over the ocean and woke me from my slumber. I stretched with a huge grin on my face, remembering what happened the night before. I turned over, and Schizo was gone. There wasn’t a trace of him ever being there with me except for the empty D’USSé bottle resting in the sand and the white blanket that lay over my naked frame.
My eyes searched the beach. There were a couple people jogging along the ocean. Some others were pitching a white tent on the other end of the beach where the wedding was supposed to take place. The events that happened the night before, I didn’t feel like there was going to be a wedding. The only way that I’d know is if I got my ass up and went to it.
Wrapping the blanket ’round me, I grabbed my clothes off the ground and exited the tent. I strolled toward the resort and found one of my heels lying on the ground. I had been drinking so much the night before that I hadn’t the slightest clue as to where my other shoe was located.
I entered the resort and got a few stares from strangers as I made my way to the elevator. It probably would have been smarter to stop somewhere outside and get dressed, but since I was now sober, I couldn’t risk anyone seeing my naked body.
I rushed onto the elevator and went up to my suite. Since it was still early, I figured that Doll would still be sleeping and I wouldn’t have to do the walk of shame. Entering the dark suite, I hurried to my room and shut the door behind me. I pressed my back against the door and released a sigh.
After my shower, I went into the kitchen to make me and Doll some breakfast. We had been here so long that I picked up a few things from the grocery store. I was tired of eating what they had on the menu at the restaurant.
By the time I was done cooking, Doll emerged from her bedroom with a guy in tow behind her. My brow raised as she politely walked him to the door and shut it behind him.
“Who the fuck is that?” I questioned her.
“Someone I met at the club last night.” She eased onto the barstool in front of the island, and I placed a plate down in front of her.
“What happened with the guy who took you shopping?”
Doll frowned and asked, “Are you talking ’bout the bitch?”
“Why you called that man that?”
“He really stood there and watched Scar manhandle me. He’s a bitch in my opinion.”
“So to get over Scar, you’re just gon’ keep bedding different men? You’re starting to act like yo’ mama.”
“Don’t ever compare me to that bitch.”
“I’m just saying…” I shrugged and tooted my lips.
“Where the hell were you last night? When I came in, you weren’t here.”
I nipped the corner of my lower lip and debated if I wanted to let Doll in on my affairs from the night before. She of all people wouldn’t judge me for what I did.
“To make a long story short, I pretended to be a stripper at Schizo’s bachelor party then fucked him on the beach.”
Doll shook her head with wide eyes and asked, “You what!”
“Yeah. You heard me right.”
“Oh my god, how come you didn’t tell me you were doing that? I wish I was there to see it.” She erupted in laughter.
“I didn’t get a chance to go through with the dancing ’cause he stopped me and covered me up.”
“You’re wild as fuck for that. This trip is really changing you ’cause I never would have thought you’d do something like that.”
“I tried to go after what I really want.”
“And how did that turn out for you?”
My eyes lowered, and I traced the marble on the countertop with the tip of my index finger. “I don’t know. When I woke up this morning, I was alone.”
“Maybe he just went to talk to Kaylan.”
“I don’t know. I thought ’bout calling him but didn’t want to seem desperate.”
“So we still going to the wedding?”
“I guess that’s the only way that I’m gon’ know where he and I stand.”
“’Kay.”
I had been dressed for the last hour, pacing my room. The wedding was starting in twenty minutes. I was too terrified to even go to it.
Knock!
I damn near jumped out of my skin.
“You ready? I wanna get a good seat!” Doll yelled from the other side.
Shaking my hands, I exhaled and grabbed my clutch off the dresser. I opened the door and Doll stood there in this beautiful ass brown, sweetheart neckline, flounce-sleeve bodycon dress. It matched her skin tone impeccably. I, on the other hand, had on this apricot, crisscross, backless cami dress that had a split on the right side.
“You look good.” Doll took me by the hand and dragged me out the room. “Let’s go get yo’ fucking man.”
The closer we got to the beach, the more vomit seeped up my throat. Mostly everyone was already there and had taken their seats. Doll and I ended up sitting toward the back on Kaylan’s side. Soon as our asses touched the chairs, Schizo stepped to the front.
My eyes wandered his frame. He looked damn good standing up there in his Barbie pink slacks, white button down, and Barbie pink blazer. His hair was no longer touching the center of his back. He’d been to the barber since I last saw him and cut it into a curly taper. It was sexy as fuck on him, but I still liked him with longer hair.
Jagged Edge’s “Promise” began to play and I thought it was a lil cliché for their wedding, but hey, who was I to judge. If they liked it, I loved it. Everyone stood to their feet and the wedding party strolled down the pink carpet. Everyone was dressed beautifully in their all white.
The flower girls tossed white and pink rose petals on the carpet as they skipped down the aisle. Kaylan stepped to the carpet and she was dressed in this pink dress, looking like a princess. My eyes connected with Schizo. Water filled his. It was then that I knew that despite what happened between us last night, he was going through with the wedding and I couldn’t stick ’round and watch this shit.
I rushed out into the aisle, running past Kaylan. People whispered, but I didn’t give a damn. I needed to get the fuck out of there. “Stoney!” Doll called out my name behind me, but I didn’t stop running ’til I made it into the resort. She gripped me by the wrist and spun me to face her. “How come you didn’t say anything to him?”
“For what?” I sniffled and ran my palm up my nose. “He made his decision. I just want to get the hell outta here.”
“Are you sure?”
“Very much. Get me out of here.”