Black Butterfly (18 page)

             
I tried to clear my mind as I left the bathroom to make my way back to my seat. The MC’s voice let us know that for once black people were actually starting on time. I was disgusted with my past with Maurice. He’d pretended to have no intentions of hurting me. After the shock of my life he explained that Seandra could never know about us.

             
“It just happened,” he said. We’d met the next day at a low key location where there would be no paparazzi lurking around.

             
“How could you do this to me?” I asked in tears. “We grew up in the spotlight. You had to know she was my sister. Even if you’d never seen the two of us together the last name Beauvois is not that damn common.”

             
“Think about it Nell. You hate the spotlight and you never introduced me to your family. Shit, you never even mentioned your sisters. Remember. You broke it off with me.” He said it as if he had no regard for my feelings.

             
“You sorry asshole! I though you loved me and you’ve been fucking my sister all this time!”

             
“I didn’t know,” he said sticking to his story.

             
“You knew the last time you had sex with me.” I felt wounded as I stood there drowning in my tears.

             
“Nell, I do love you, but Seandra can never know about us.”

             
“Why not? She is my sister. She needs to know that you’re a cold hearted snake in the grass! We come from a very high profile family. You had to know. How could you?” I walked away from him that night with a heavy heart that was full of pain. Despite the fact that he was openly in a relationship with my sister, I continued to have sex with him. I don’t know how we kept our sneaking around under the radar, but we did. When I realized that the love I felt for Maurice would never be reciprocated I decided to cut him off completely. I couldn’t take all of the lies and empty promises to leave Seandra for me. That was over two years ago. He’d hurt me and I was devastated by the heartbreak. Ricky had come along and healed my wounds. As if on cue, he reached over and held my hand. The MC was telling a joke and everybody was laughing except me as a tear slid down my cheek.

*         *        *

Seantay

             
“I had a really good time with Dean last night…but…”

             
“But what?” Reba asked impatiently. We were chilling at her condo having a little girl talk.

              “It’s just not there,” I whined in frustration. I wanted to want Dean way more than I wanted him.

             
“That’s because you have unfinished business with Raheem. Whether you know it or not, I know you. You really want to be with Raheem. You probably love him, but you will not admit that shit.” She grabbed a handful of microwave popcorn and stuffed it in her mouth.

             
“If that’s what you think,” I said rolling my eyes as I retrieved a bag of purple haze and a blunt from my Gucci bag. I had joint papers, but I wanted to smoke a blunt. “You know how to roll a blunt?”

             
Laughing Reba looked at me like I was crazy. “What the fuck? What the hell your Newmexis living ass know about blunts?”

             
I flipped her the bird. “I may be from Newmexis, but I know what the hell a blunt is.”

             
“What kind of blunt did you get?” She asked taking it from me. “A white owl?”

             
“I just asked for a blunt.”

             
“I can roll it, but next time ask for a Swisher. Who put you on to smoking blunts anyway?” She asked. “Does Dean smoke weed?”

             
“No, he doesn’t smoke and Reco was the first one to turn me on to smoking blunts. I smoke joints at home because blunts are too strong. You already know I be on that loud. I don’t have time for that dirty midget,” I said sounding like Raheem. Damn, I missed him.

             
“You are too hood to be worth half a billion dollars chica.” Reba laughed at my street lingo as she broke the weed up. I watched her roll the blunt like a pro. “I never thought you’d smoke a blunt. That’s why I never tried to smoke one with you.”

             
Frowning up my face at my best friend I said, “I don’t see why you think I’m some uptight rich girl. My own best friend should know better.”

             
“C’mon Tay. You know I don’t feel that way about you.” She lit the blunt. “Mmm, this shit tastes good.”

             
“I got it from Matthew. He doesn’t live too far from me. You would not believe how many rich motherfuckers sell drugs. You can get whatever you want right there in Newmexis. Who says you have to go to the hood to get high?”

Reba passed me the blunt. “What time is it?” She asked.

              “A little after nine. Why? You have a hot date tonight?”

             
“Nosey heifer. I just asked. I don’t have a date. Well, no one has called to ask me out, unfortunately.”

             
“Why don’t you call one of your friends and tell him to bring a friend over,” I suggested. I was determined to get Raheem out of my system somehow.

             
“I never thought I’d say this to you, but you need to slow your roll. You already have enough stallions in the stable. Reco, Raheem, Dean, Zeek, Nafis…”

             
“Stop right there. Excuse me, but scratch Zeek, Reco and Nafis from the list. Oh, and I know you are not talking.”

             
“I’m just saying though Tay. Fucking somebody else is not going to erase how you feel about Raheem. Been there done that and it does not work. We both know that.”

             
She was right. “You make me sick Reba. You don’t even practice what you preach.”

             
Reba just shook her head at me. “You need a drink. You’re way too sensitive right now.” She got up and went into the kitchen. About ten minutes later she returned with two glasses full of Grey Goose and cranberry juice. She gave me one of the glasses and I took it graciously.

             
“Raheem is kind of getting to me Reb. I never thought I’d ever feel this way.”

             
“Call him,” she said like it was so simple.

             
“No,” I said taking a gulp of my drink. It was cold and felt good going down my throat. The blunt was kind of strong and made my throat feel scratchy.
I also had a bad case of cotton mouth.

             
“You’re so selfish. I wasn’t going to say anything at first. I wanted to just stay out of your mess with Raheem.”

             
I sat up anxious to hear what she was going to say. I could tell by the look in her eyes that it was major. “What girl?” I asked sucking on a piece of ice.

             
“Raheem called me last night. Don’t you dare say a word until I am finished.”

             
I closed my mouth and nodded for her to continue.

             
“He told me that he wants to see you so that he can explain everything to you. Seantay the man is lost without you. He said that he loves you. No, he’s
in
love with you. You need to hear him out Tay. I told him that I didn’t want to be caught in the middle and that he had to talk to you himself. Now I see that you’re a mess just like him. You need to just go ahead and talk to the man.”

             
Rolling my eyes defiantly I said, “I don’t
need
to do anything.”

             
“Get over yourself Seantay Beauvois. All of the money in your father’s Swiss bank account can’t change the fact that you’ve fallen in love. You can hide behind the designer clothes and expensive shoes for everyone else, but not for me. You try so hard to not fall in love and now you’re knee deep in that shit. You can’t control it. You love Raheem and you always have. Just admit it.”

             
“I can’t tell him that,” I said forgetting all about the blunt that had gone out in the ashtray.

             
“You two are tripping. If you don’t tell him how you feel I will. Raheem’s crazy about you Tay. He couldn’t fake that shit if he wanted to.”

             
“Did you forget about his drama Reb, because I haven’t. I don’t have time for that shit.”

             
“Forget her girl. She’s just after… I’ll just let Raheem tell you. It’s not my place. Just give him a call, please.”

             
“Why the fuck is this so important to you?” I asked.

             
“Because I have never seen you like this over anybody,” she laughed. “I don’t need the grief from you letting your soul mate slip away.”

             
I smiled. “The grief? How many times have I nursed your broken hearts?”

             
Reba agreed. “True.”

             
My smile faded. “If only it was so easy. I could never take Raheem home to meet my parents. I could hardly have you as a best friend in peace.”

             
“Amen to that. Your dad’s cool, but your mom’s a real bitch.” We shared a laugh.

             
“At least give him a chance to talk Tay.”

             
She sounded sincere in her concern. I trusted my best friend. “Okay. I will call him.”

Chapter 13

Seantay

Against my will I called Raheem and told him to meet me at the Front Page Café. As I sipped on an iced mocha I saw him. Part of me was anxious to hear what he had to say. I placed my drink on the table and looked up as he approached the table. He looked like he was tired, but he was still sexy in a pair of dark blue
jeans, and a gray and navy blue tee. 

“How are you baby?
”He asked and sat down.

“I’m good and you?” I asked like I could care less. The truth was my heart
was about to explode out of my chest.

             
Making eye contact with me was easy for him at the moment, but not for me. He held my gaze. “I’ve been missing you.” He licked his lips and I had to look away.

             
“I’m not hungry, so I just ordered something to drink. Do you want me to call the waitress over?” I asked.

             
“No. I just want to talk to you. That’s all. I’m just glad you agreed to meet me.”

             
“Thanks to Reba,” I reminded him.

             
He looked hurt, but quickly recovered. “I know that you don’t want to deal with my shit Seantay, but you could at least hear me out. If I had known shawty was pregnant I would’ve told you from the jump. It wouldn’t have been a surprise. I really don’t think the baby is mine to be honest. Like I said before the broad fucked my boy. I didn’t fuck with her without a condom, and that’s my good word. She’s after my inheritance. That’s what I need to talk to you about,” he explained in a whisper.

             
I was confused. I’d always known for Raheem to be a hustler. He didn’t flaunt it in my face, but I knew it. “Your inheritance?  What are you talking about Rah?”

             
The waitress walked over. “Would you like to order sir?”

             
“Just bring me a glass of water.”

             
“Will that be all?” She asked.

             
“Yes, thanks,” he dismissed her impatiently. “Have you ever heard of Brandon Maddock Jr.?”

             
“Yeah, he was a Chemistry Professor at the University of Miami. Didn’t he pass away about a year ago?”

             
“Yeah, he did a lot of work on developing new treatments for sickle cell anemia. He was very brilliant,” Raheem said with an intense interest.

             
I wasn’t following him, so I asked, “What does he have to do with anything?
              “My mother worked in his office. She was his mistress. I’m his only son. He has a younger daughter named Kimberly. I could never tell anyone about my dad, until now. He wrote me into his will a few years before he died. I believe Darrick told Jamia this information. She wants money. I know it.” He balled up his fists and his jaw twitched with anger.

             
“So, you know for sure that Dr. Maddock was your father?”

             
“My mother had a DNA test when I was sixteen. She knew all along, but agreed to do it for legal reasons. I will get the money when I’m twenty one. I only have a few months. Darrick is the only person other than my mom who knows that.”