“We discussed that shit Amaya. We agreed not to take that route,” he said, looking at me likeIbetrayed him.Shewas the one trying to ruin his life, butIwas wrong?
“Wedidn’t agree to shit! I told you from the jump that this was the best route, and that if it even looked like we might lose, I was bringing it out.”
“Without even consulting me? This is what you do?”
“Are you mad that I brought it up, or mad that I didn’t consult with you first?” I wanted to ask if he was mad that I exposed his precious Chanel, but I played it cool and kept my mouth shut.
“Both! You didn’t say shit to me because youknewI would have turned that down! I already told you that I didn’t want to air her out like that! She’s fucked up for this, but she’s sick!”
“I don’t give a fuck how sick she is! She’s trying to ruin your life, Chase! What part of that are you not getting?”
“The part wherewehad an agreement!Wedecided not to take that route, butyou’reso fuckin’ stubborn and hell bent on ‘winning’ that you have no loyalty!”
I had never seen him so angry—not even when he punched his deadbeat ass daddy in the face. This was different, it was a silent fire that literally had his body vibrating with rage. Even still, I didn’t feel the least bit threatened, further proving that Chanel’s allegations were all bogus. So, the fact thatIwas deserving of all this when she could do whatever she wanted because she was “sick” blew my fucking mind.
“I’munloyal? Fuck you Chase! I didn’t do any of this so I would win! I did it soyouwouldn’t lose everything you worked your ass off for! But, clearly she means more to you than yourself, your legacy, all this other shit you were trying to build? Got it!” I yelled. His eyes snapped to mine, immediately catching what I really meant. His fire extinguished instantly, but the damage was done. We both knew what I wasn’t saying.
She means more to you than I do.
“No, Amaya, she doesn’t, but you have to understand…” As his voice died off, I looked around at the silent room at everyone’s wide eyed stares locked on us like we were prime time TV. Who could blame them? We were having a fucking lover’s quarrel in a room full of people. I immediately shut my mouth.
“That’s fine. You don’t like my tactics—I’m done. Let Justin finish it out. Unless you do some more really dumb shit again, it should be in the bag.” I ranted as I gathered up my stuff. “Screamin’ in my face over a fuckin’ crackhead who gotyoufucked up! Nigga, fuck you!”
“You’re done?” He frowned. “Done, like how?”
“In every way that matters!” I said, looking him dead in his eyes to get my point across. “Goodbye, and good luck!” I snapped before turning around, grabbing my bag, and walking out, not even waiting to see if Joce was behind me. By the time I got to the car, she was running to catch up and calling my name.
“Amaya… Girl, what thefuckwas that?”
“I-I don’t fucking know!” I rocked on my heels and tried to fight the tears forming in my eyes.
“Come on.” She grabbed the keys from me and ushered me into our car without another word. She never once asked me what happened, not when I went to the house and packed my shit, or when I booked a flight home. She just sat beside me every step of the way as we traveled back to New Dawn early the next morning.
“Lewis, what are you doing here?”
My eyes blinked slowly as I retreated from my own thoughts, clearing my throat and taking a beat before I spoke again.
“I’m recusing myself from the Andrew’s case,” I said, barely above a whisper as I stood in front of Oliver with my hands clasped together. So much had happened recently that I’d forgotten all about the bullshit phone call, but standing in frontof him, it all came back. I did my best to control my body trembles as fought tears and the urge to cuss him smooth out and slap the fuck out of him. I tucked it all away for the greater good.
“What? Why would you do that?!” he demanded.
“Everything is done. All that’s left is closing statements, and Mr. Harper is more than capable of handling that. Per our contract, I completed over 90% of the trial, so there shouldn’t be any loss of compensation. I had to come back home for personal reasons.” He looked at me like he wanted to call me every name in the book, and if he did, if he even slipped up once, I swore to God and all my ancestors that I was putting hands on his ass. Then the frown melted from his face, as he seemingly had some sort of epiphany.
“I hope you’re aware that this coulddrasticallyaffect your chance at making partner,” he said with a wickedly pleased smile on his face, like this was what he wanted all along.
“That’s fine,” I said with a blank stare. “If there’s nothing else, I need to take personal leave for the rest of the day.” When he didn’t answer, I simply turned and walked out, holding my breath until I had retrieved my purse and made it to the elevator. I needed my best friend.
An hour later, I sat in Mona’s pink ass living room as she cried about some huge fight she had with Tahmir. I let her vent, but knew that man loved her way too much to let their story end like that. If there was no hope for them, there was really no hope for anyone, because they were damn near perfect together. I tried to keep my straight face on and be supportive, but the moment she was able to calm herself down was whenIlost my shit, scaring the hell out of her when I burst out into tears.
“May… What happened?” she asked with concern as she stared into my tear-filled eyes.
“I fucked up!” I cried, words coming out in uncontrollable hiccups as my tears got the best of me.
“Tell me what happened,” she urged softly. I held my pinkyup and she instantly looped hers through it, swearing herself to secrecy.
“Chanel is on drugs. She was actually the abusive one in their relationship. When he finally had enough and left her for good, she orchestrated this whole case to try to ruin him.”
“How do you know this?”
