Resplendent (2 page)

Would I really be able to fit in with this new family? We’d known each other our whole lives, our moms had been best friends when they were little—but spending time with someone on weekends and holidays versus living with them day in and day out were two different things.

Still, I couldn’t help but smile at Carmin’s endearment.

“I thought you didn’t want a sister,” I said with a soft smile.

It was only meant as a tease but when Carmin lowered her eyes, I felt guilty instead.

I had just remembered a conversation where Carmin told me she didn’t want siblings so she wouldn’t have to share. We had both laughed and agreed that we were lucky to be only children. But that had been years ago. I probably shouldn’t have said that.

I took her hand in mine and squeezed. “Sisters forever.”

Carmin smiled back and leaned in to hug me. A drunk driver might have taken my parents away from me, but I’d gained a sister I never thought I’d have.

I slid a few dollar bills across the white acrylic glass and walked with our drinks back to the VIP table. I enjoyed coming to Flame. It opened about three months ago, in February, and was one of the trendiest spots in town.

A pink hue was cast on the white leather sofas, thanks to the long meteor lights that hung from the ceiling and black china spandex-covered cocktail tables. On Saturday they played a mix of dance and hip-hop, so tonight there was a really good crowd. This also meant it was overpriced, but that’s what you get in downtown Miami. Normally, I didn’t like tight crowds. It set off my anxiety for people to be in my personal space. I preferred hanging out with a small group of friends, having a couple drinks, and playing some poker over dancing in a huge club packed on a Saturday night. But sometimes, it was just nice to blend in with people, to get lost and not have to worry about a thing.

As I made my way across the bodies that were grinding against each other, my mind drifted off to the past week. I was proud to be the owner of my own home remodeling business, but fuck, it was rough sometimes. I exhaled. Not only did I handle back-to-back appointments for ten hours a day, but I also dealt with a newly married couple that couldn’t seem to agree on anything, like what backsplash they wanted—terracotta Spanish tiles or a mural design of tile and glass. Oh yeah, and the jerk that kept stalling on the final payment he owed me.
“I’ll be out of town for the next two weeks, but as soon as I get back, Mr. Rivera.”

Asshole.

How do I escape the monotony of my everyday life?
Right now, Flame seemed like a good choice.

Luckily, the spot I picked gave me just enough room to socialize without colliding with a hundred sweaty strangers.

“Mind if I smoke?” Jessica asked over the sound of the music. I shook my head and placed her drink on the black satin fabric that covered the round table. When I sat down next to her, the white leather felt cold against my back, which was a little damp with sweat since we’d just been dancing. I watched as she wiggled out a cigarette from the Cancer Pack. It amazed me that a small white cylinder made of paper could cause so much disease, heartache, and sickness.

“Not at all,” I lied. I didn’t smoke for my own reasons and hated when I kissed someone who tasted like the bottom of an ashtray. This wouldn’t be a problem, though. It just meant I’d have to kiss her elsewhere.

“I know you do,” she countered and gazed over at me.

Then why the fuck ask me?
I swear women were complicated. I didn’t want to have a conversation about this, so I just shrugged.

“Do whatever you want.” I swirled the drink in my hand. It wasn’t my job to convince a grown ass woman into changing her lifestyle.

She placed the cigarette between her lips and lit up. I liked Jessica well enough. She was Puerto Rican with dark curly hair that hung just past her shoulders, brown eyes hidden by green contacts, and a pretty smile. The best part about Jessica was that she was a good lay that never asked me for much in return. I’ve had my share of action between the sheets, but I wasn’t
that
guy. I looked for someone who didn’t want strings attached and would be around for a while. At least until they wanted to be with someone else—that was fine too. Having to get myself tested was a royal pain in my ass, so I liked these women to stick around. I raised the shot glass to my mouth and finished it off, twirling the rim with my thumb, as Jessica swung her leg over mine and ran her fingers down my shirt. Her legs were long, but not as long as Savannah’s, and thinner too. I leaned my head back and gave her more room.

“Want to dance?” I asked her and tugged on one of her curls. Her eyes were full of mischief and her lips slightly curled into a seductive smile. She was in the mood to play.
It looks like she’s starting early tonight
. Maybe I’d take her in the restroom like I did a few weeks ago.

She answered me by licking a small area on my neck and cupping my crotch with her palm. I instantly grew hard as she purred against my ear, “like that, do you?”

I put my glass down and moved her, so she was straddling me. “You know what I like.” I let my hands travel over the soft black cotton and reached behind to grab her ass when she leaned down to kiss me. On the lips.
Hell, no. Not with that smoky mouth
. I turned my head so her lips would land on my cheek, and that’s when I saw her over Jessica’s shoulder.

Peach.
My
Peach.
What was she doing here?

I gently pushed Jessica off of me.

“Hey!” she said angrily.

I got up and barely glanced back. “I’ll be right back.”

Thanks to Savannah’s height, I could see that she was headed to the bar. When I caught up to her, I lightly tugged on her arm so she’d turn around.

“Savannah? What are you doing in Miami?”

When she saw me, her big brown eyes widened in surprise. Her brow was furrowed, and
I leaned down so she could hear me over the loud music. This place was way too loud for a conversation. I was both cursing the current location we were in and thanking the heavens that she was here right now.

“Peach, are you okay? What’s wrong?” I gave her a once over, hoping she wasn’t hurt, but she looked fine as I glanced from her head to her pink top that showed every bit of her shoulders. My eyes continued traveling over her tight jeans that hugged every curve of her body and long legs. Yeah, she looked
really
fine.

“Andres...” She glanced around, as if purposely avoiding me and started fidgeting with her fingers. Finally, she brushed a strand of hair out of her face and shrugged. “It’s nothing, just had a fight.”

That didn’t sound like nothing. I gritted my teeth and leaned forward. People were bumping us from every direction, so I placed my hand on the small of her back and moved us to a corner where we wouldn’t be bothered.

“A fight?”
What kind of fight?
I would beat the shit out of whoever it was. She shook her head, and I lifted my finger to her jaw, turning her head to look at me. The feel of her velvety skin brought back a lot of memories. Bittersweet memories. “With who?”

“My boyfriend, Sebastian.”

My hand instantly froze and I could feel the blood within me start to boil. I immediately hated him.

“Sebastian?” I repeated, as calmly as I could, trying to think of something to say other than who the fuck is Sebastian and when would she break up with him.

Savannah rolled her eyes and took a step back, resting her head against the wall.

“Yes, Dre. Sebastian, my boyfriend.”
There goes that word again
. The knob inside my chest was turning rapidly, making my blood hotter with each second that went by. I could feel it rush up to my face. My eyes fell on her full, rose-colored lips. Lips currently being enjoyed by dipshit
Sebastian
.

“I’ve just never heard of him, that’s all.” I tried to say passively, even though I really wanted to scream and go find this so-called boyfriend. Some feelings don’t change no matter how many years go by. She crossed her hands in front of her and shrugged.

“How would you have heard of him anyway? We didn’t have much time to talk at...” her voice trailed off, and she lowered her eyelids. I knew what she was going to say—
Abu’s funeral
. She’d shown up and it had felt like déjà-vu. I nodded, which told her I knew what she meant.

“You’re right. Let’s go over to the VIP section so we can sit down.” I grabbed her hand and turned around to see Jessica behind me.
Shit
,
I forgot all about her.

“Just how much longer was I supposed to wait, Andres?” Jessica asked and placed both fists on her hips.
Fuck.
I lowered my head and whispered in her ear, “I’m sorry, but something came up.”

I wouldn’t be able to hang out with her now, and I wasn’t sure if she was sober enough to drive. It was still early, but she’d had a few drinks already. I reached into my wallet and handed her a couple bills. I never drove to a chick’s house and picked them up. Picking up girls made it look and feel like an official date, so I knew Jessica’s car was here somewhere.

She looked at the money in her hand, disgusted. “What’s this? My payment for the night?” she hissed.

I pulled back and could feel Savannah tense up behind me.

“Of course not, you need to call a cab. You’ve been drinking.” What’s with her? I hadn’t been gone
that
long.

“So that’s it? I got dressed up and drove my ass here just to be sent on my happy little way an hour later?” she glared.

Peach tugged on the sleeve of my shirt. “Maybe I should leave.”

Fuck no she shouldn’t.

I held onto her hand, giving it a squeeze and focused on Jessica, who was now annoying the hell out of me with this fit.

“Like I said, something came up. Sorry.” I pulled my head back and looked at her. I wasn’t the least bit sorry. Couldn’t she see that Peach was upset? She had been there for me when I needed her most, and if she needed someone now,
I
was going to be the one to take care of her.

“Yeah, I see that. Well, fuck you and your new conquest.” She shoved the money against my chest and moved her head to look at Savannah. “Enjoy him while he lasts, honey.” She smirked and looked back at me. “I’ll be around.” With that, she strode off.

“Who was that?” Savannah asked behind me.

I just shrugged and moved her to sit with me on the sofa. “Nobody. Tell me about your fight.” I turned my body to face her. Our knees touched, and even through the denim of her jeans, I longed for her warmth. She was rummaging through her purse and I glanced at her face. Strands of loose hair fell over her cheek. Her lips were pursed and looked juicy in whatever lipstick she had on. I was itching to touch her skin. Instead, I waved a waitress over to get me another drink and one for Peach even though she said she didn’t want one. If she didn’t, I’d take both. I definitely needed drinks if I had to hear about her relationship issues. All I really wanted to know was where he lived so I could knock him the fuck out.

My restraint, or lack thereof, lasted about two minutes. I couldn’t help myself. When the waitress returned, I entwined strands of her thick hair in my fingers while I took a sip of my drink. She told me that her so-called Boston
boyfriend
wanted to take the next step and move down here with her. Something must have happened when I inhaled because I started to choke. Savannah patted my back while I regained my composure.

“You okay?” she asked, her eyes filled with concern.

“Wrong pipe,” I lied. There was no way in hell she was moving in with some random guy. I couldn’t believe this shit. I had avoided asking our mutual friends what was going on with her love life for the last four years and yet, it
still
pissed me off to hear about her with other men. Why should I care? She’d made her decision a long time ago. We stayed silent for a few seconds but then I had to speak up.

“Well, it sounds like it’s too soon.”

She glanced over at me and nodded.

“Right? That’s what I said! He has his career and a place up there and shouldn’t be giving that up. He got mad at me and told me that I wasn’t taking us seriously and that I should think about what I really want. Then he hung up on me!” She leaned her head back against the top of the sofa and closed her eyes. “I called Carmin and told her I had to get out of the house, I needed a distraction. She said she comes here all the time.”

At the mention of Carmin, I remembered something else.

“I asked Carmin about you after the funeral. She didn’t mention a guy. She didn’t mention you were visiting again either.” I ran the tips of my fingers under my chin slowly.
Why didn’t she tell me?

Savannah opened her eyes and turned her head in my direction, her expression unreadable. “So, you can talk to Carmin but you can’t talk to me?”

Was that a hint of jealousy in her voice? Over Carmin? It couldn’t be, there wouldn’t be a reason to feel that way. “You’re different.”

She sucked her teeth and gave me the side eye. “Don’t give me that bullshit excuse, Dre.”