Chapter 19
W aking up this morning had me in a funk I couldn’t shake.
The media was relentless, using my past with Lorenzo and Sloane being my mother to justify their claims about our relationship.
They weren’t entirely wrong, but it was draining to be the constant topic of conversation, especially when his campaign forced me on the front lines.
Treason didn’t care. None of it made him look at me differently. Maybe because he knew the truth about Lorenzo and all the bullshit I’d been through with my mom. According to him, it was just Victor and Winston doing their job to discredit him, but it felt personal as fuck to me.
Now, everybody was talking about a client list that an anonymous source claimed to have access to. It was filled with big names that had reputations to protect, and since Sloane was my mother and nowhere in sight, I was taking the hit for it.
Lucky me.
It was impossible to be down around Rylo because every five seconds, something crazy flew out of his mouth. It was the perfect distraction, allowing me to shop in peace. I even grabbed a few things for Treason because I was tired of his vinyls being in a crate.
“If you hit my finger with this hammer,” I warned.
“Oh, so because I take dick better than you, I don’t know what to do with a hammer?”
“You’re holding it like you don’t know what to do. Better yet, give me the hammer.”
“Here, Miss Strong Independent Woman.”
“Fuck you.”
“I know your man is gone and all, but are you cooking tonight?”
“Probably. I’ve been craving Spaghetti.”
“Umm, my favorite.”
“Everything is your favorite,” I laughed, hitting the nail into the wall.
“Not everything. I don’t fuck with that swine.”
“I don’t know why the hell not. You like dick, don’t you?”
“Love it actually, but dark meat only. I don’t do that pink meat,” Rylo shivered in disgust. “You ever been with a white man?”
I smirked, “Once.”
“ Once ! Bitch, I’m disappointed.”
“I was young,” I shrugged, leaving out how Sloane needed leverage on Kevin’s dad and used me to get it.
“What was it like?”
“It’s all the same when the lights go off.”
“Oh, so he fucked you like Tre fucks you?”
“ Nobody’s fucked me like Tre fucks me,” I admitted.
“That’s why my ass is in here hanging floating shelves.”
“You said he needs someone to look out for him. He works hard and doesn’t have time to do it himself.”
“If you’re going to be a politician’s wife, word of advice. Get lazy! Y’all got money. Next time, hire somebody to do this shit.”
“I want to do it, and if you want dinner, less lip.”
“Fine, but when y’all get married, I’m the man of honor. So tell your other friends I can fight and don’t mind defending my title.”
“First of all, nobody is getting married. Secondly, my sister might have something to say about that.”
“Damn,” Rylo snapped, chewing on his lap. “Y’all got the same mama and daddy?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Gauging my competition.”
“Same mom and different dads, but ain’t no half-siblings over here. That’s my baby. We don’t play like that.”
“Fine, call my lil sis. We need to settle this now.”
“Did I miss something?” Ward asked, peeking into the office.
He was bored as hell because Tre tasked him with keeping me company while he was out of town, like I couldn’t manage three days by myself. I didn’t complain too much because I liked Ward.
“We need to talk,” Fallon said, walking around Ward inside Tre’s office, “In private.”
“Don’t walk in here dismissing my guest. I’m busy.”
Fallon’s tone made me regret cooking dinner for her and Lish. We survived the night, but it didn’t change anything. She still thought I worked for her and could talk to me any way she wanted. Then I had to remind her to watch who the fuck she’s talking to.
“It’s about the campaign.”
“And?”
Annoyed, she stormed out, likely digging for her phone because Treason wasn’t here to referee.
“What the fuck is wrong with her?” Rylo asked.
I shrugged, stepping back to see how I wanted to order the vinyls. “Bitch needs her pussy eaten or something.”
“Now wait a minute!” Rylo exclaimed.
Then my phone rang, and I didn’t need to see his nickname light up my screen to know Fallon snitched.
“Hey, Stink.”
“Don’t ‘Hey stink’ me. What’s the problem today?”
I frowned at the phone like he could see my face.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“I’m tired and trying to do my job, Blue. I need you to do yours.”
“I don’t have a problem doing my job, but she’s not walking in my shit, talking to me crazy when you both need me.”
“Your shit, huh?” he asked, his tone much lighter, no longer giving a fuck about Fallon’s complaint. Tre heard what he wanted to hear, and the conversation switched gears.
“You know what I mean.”
“Nah, I don’t. Tell me.”
“Nope.”
“Since I have to work to pay the bills in your shit , talk to Fallon.”
“Did you tell her to talk like she has some sense?”
“I gotta go. Hold it down, Pippen . I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Ward smiled wider than ever, listening to me recite those four words from the doorway.
“What are you looking at?”
He quickly surrendered as Fallon returned.
“Can we talk now?”
“I’ll call you later, boo. Save my plate,” Rylo volunteered.
“I got you,” I replied, sounding too much like Tre.
Rylo grabbed his phone, waiting until he passed Fallon, winding up his fist, making me laugh.
“He’ll appreciate this,” she spoke, softer than her previous tone. “You really like him?”
“What do you want?”
Fallon chuckled as if she couldn’t believe I was being rude to her, then got straight to the point.
“This looming list has people on pins and needles. Morris included. We can’t afford to lose him.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“An interview would shut down questions about Sloane’s past and pictures with Lorenzo to connect you to it.”
“I’m not talking about him, and trust me, discussing Sloane will only cause more issues. Ignore it and let it die.”
Fallon belted out a laugh. “That’s not how this works. That list is someone’s golden ticket. When they use it, we’re all fucked, Tre included. I thought you loved him.”
“ If there’s even a list,” I countered.
“Unless Sloane can tell us otherwise, we have to believe there is one. It would help to show people you’re not a carbon copy of her. That means dispelling rumors about you and Lorenzo. Tre said we need to find another way, but unfortunately, there isn’t one.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because I think you’re full of shit and hiding something. Tre refuses to entertain the idea, but I’m not enamored by you like everybody else around here. I can see the bullshit for what it is.”
“Did it ever occur to you that maybe I’m not hiding shit from him . Not everything is campaign business, so if he said find another way, find one. Or do you need me to do that for you, too?”
Fallon’s hand rushed to her mouth to stifle her laugh. She’d even gone as far as to put her hand up, trying to compose herself to reply.
“I’m sorry, it’s just you made this sound like a real relationship. Let’s not lose sight of what this really is. A fuckin business arrangement that kept you from going to jail.”
“Call it what you want. He said find another way so do your job,” I replied dismissively.
“Noted.” Fallon stomped out of the room, irritation evident, but she wasn’t the only one.
It wasn’t lost on me how our relationship started- an arrangement that indeed kept me out of jail. It had only been a few months, but that night felt like ages ago. Meeting Treason. Getting caught. Treason, breaking into my apartment.
Was I insane for thinking this could be something? That I could have the life I secretly craved underneath the image I portrayed?
That question played over and over in my head.
The happier Treason and I became, the more my past haunted me.
Most of it wasn’t even my shit, and that made it worse.
Nothing silenced the overthinking from television to coloring, but turning on a playlist and dancing around the kitchen while I cooked helped.
After wrapping up Rylo’s plate, Ward and I sat at the table because eating on the couch wasn’t an option for him either.
“Preciate it. You didn’t have to cook.”
“I wanted spaghetti. The least I could do since your boy has you babysitting.”
“It’s not you that he doesn’t trust,” Ward explained.
“I know.” Tre worried as much as I did. He just concealed it better. “Speak of the devil.” I beamed as I answered his FaceTime call. “Hey, you.”
“Wassup, Blue. What you doing?”
“Eating. I made spaghetti for dinner.”
“Spaghetti lasts at least five days. Why the hell did you do that?”
“I wanted it, plus we had to eat.”
“ We ? That nigga is grown. He can feed his damn self.”
“It’s always your own people. Selfish motherfucka,” Ward replied, loud enough for Treason to hear him.
“You got this nigga sitting at the table like y’all are a happy family.”
“We are because you’re gone.”
Tre wasn’t laughing, his jaw squared, staring at me.
“Stop fuckin’ with me, Blue, for real. It’s been a long day.”
“I can tell. You look tired.”
“I am tired and hungry as fuck while you’re out here feeding Darren .”
“Gotta’ eat before we go elope,” Ward joked, damn near giving Tre a heart attack.
“Keep playin’ and I’ll give Caroline something to do next Sunday.”
“Soft ass. Can’t eat, sleep, or breathe without Blue .” Ward laughed as I got up from the table.
“I didn’t take you for the sensitive type,” I replied, shutting the bedroom door.
“You think this shit is funny?”
“About as funny as Fallon coming over screaming at me. I’m real close to letting her ass have it.”
“Somebody claims to have a list of Sloane’s clients. A bunch of wealthy powerful motherfucka’s like Judge Cromwell and Mark Jones that won’t take their business aired out lying down.
Pausing our call, I did a quick Google search, laughing at the two images that popped up.
“If those are the names on the list, somebody is lying.”
“How do you figure?”