AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Xolani, who was seated beside him, didn’t even wait for him to finish the sentence. “You’re a damn liar. I know it was you.”
“I swear, it wasn’t.” Camryn vehemently insisted, “I swear on Pawpaw.”
“You’re foul for that.” Xolani tutted and shook her head slowly. “Swearing on your dead grandpa while you lie your ass off. Mm mm mm. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
Camryn’s voice rose. “It wasn’t me. It really wasn’t me.”
Xolani scoffed. “A bald faced lie.”
“It was me.” A murmur came from the backseat. But both siblings heard it. Xolani’s head whipped around to find the source of that murmur while Camryn used the rearview mirror.
“Anika?” Xolani gasped. “Nooo. It can’t be you.”
“Sorry.” Anika winced apologetically. “It was me. I’m Judas.”
Of the three girlfriends, she was the most reserved, and it showed with how she carried herself. The thirty-year-old Indian-American woman’s voice was always just a few notches above a murmur, like she was trying not to be too loud.
In public, she always managed to sit or stand behind everyone else. It was as if she was determined to keep from standing out. Even her clothes were designed to make her fade into the background. They were dull-colored and covered every inch of any part of her body that one might consider sexy.
Justine, on the other hand, was the definition of outgoing. The thirty-year-old, black woman was jovial and flirty. If adventure called, she was the one who always answered first. Often, she went looking for that adventure herself. Her outfit choices were just as out there as her lifestyle.If she had her way, she’d be in crop tops and short shorts every day. As a compromise, she was often in the most risqué outfit that the situation allowed.
Anika and Justine’s differences made them perfect friends. With her fiery temper, Xolani needed someone to tell her to take a step back, and Anika was that person. Justine was the person who got her to loosen up and have some fun. Together, Justine and Anika made life colorful, and Xolani was grateful to have them in her life.
“You probably didn’t mean to do it,” Xolani defended Anika. “My parents harassed you, didn’t they? They made you give up the date, right?”
Anika nodded.
“So that’s how it is?” Camryn complained bitterly. “I get the ‘you a damn liar’ treatment, and Niks gets that ‘poor little you’ script?”
Xolani was unrepentant. “Yes, that’s how it is.”
“That’s messed up!”
“You’re messed up!” Xolani retorted before turning back to Anika. “You should’ve told me if they were harassing you. I would’ve made them stop.”
“They weren’t that bad,” Anika said.
But Xolani didn’t believe her. Her parents could be very pushy and doggedly determined when they wanted information. Even the best-trained spies would’ve cracked under their interrogation. Poor Anika didn’t have snowflake’s chance in hell against them.
The quartet chatted over a range of topics on their way to Warren. Once they got there, they all headed to Xolani’s apartment. Camryn had been house-sitting for Xolani while she was away, so it wasn’t strange for him to go to her house. Anika and Justine had their own homes, but they wanted to spend the night with Xolani.
“Okay, okay, okay, show us what you got us from Paris.” Justine rubbed her hands in anticipation once the three girlfriends were alone in Xolani’s room. “Make it good.”
“You’re going to love me so much.” Xolani opened up her biggest suitcase to reveal her friends’ gifts. “For Anika, we have… A black YSL sac de jour and perfume from Lancôme.”
“Oh my! Saint Laurent?” Anika cupped her mouth with her hands as she stared at the purse. “Aren’t those bags like two thousand euros or something?”
Xolani hedged, “Or something.”
“It’s too much,” Anika protested, but still snatched the purse from Xolani’s hand. “I love it. I love it so much. I love you, Xo.”
Xolani grinned. “I told you you’d love me.”
“Me, me, me.” Justine bounced on the bed excitedly. “My turn.”
“For our naughty Justine, we have white YSL of her own and… drum rolls please…” Xolani drew out the moment as she pulled a box from the annals of her suitcase. “A Frenchie’s Petite Eiffel vibrator.”
“Oh la la.” Justine went straight for the vibrator first. “Why do you know me so well? And how did you know that I needed a new mixer for my cookie?”
