“Yeah. So the bottom line is, you can trust him. He has an… unorthodox way of handling things and people. But there is definitely more to him.”
“Sooo… did you and him ever—” She knew what I was getting at, and she simpered cutely before shaking her head.
“Nah. The phrase ‘just friends’ was built for us. He was my man’s ace. I could never do that to Haze or his memory. And… maybe you should do a little self-analyzation there. You told Kara that nothing was going on with you two, but those kind of questions say otherwise.” She winked after slinging her bag over her shoulder. She began pushing the rack toward the door.“Have a good night, Harbor. It was nice meeting you. I’m sure we will see one another again.”
Once she was gone, I slipped into my shoes and stood in front of the mirror. I was getting more eager by the second. It was show time. I grabbed the black, diamond-studded clutch that I was carrying and marched to the door. The halls of the home seemed much bigger as I made my way to the main entrance. I could hear voices from the top of the staircase.
“Damn, that defensive shit is alarming, bro. Maybe you should get back to therapy.” I could hear Karmine teasing.
“Fuck you. And do me and yourself a favor, don’t mention this shit to Kut or Karrin. If they hear anything, I know it’s from you, Mine.” Frequency warned.
“A’ight, damn. You wound pretty tight there. You sure ain’t shit else going on?” Karmine questioned.
“Same shit I want to know.” The sound of Ledge’s voice really had me on high alert.
That nigga was impulsive and off the rails on an average day. I had spent enough time around him in the last year to know this. When Frequency left on trips, Ledge always showed up. He had threatened me more than once. I got the feeling he wanted to kill me from the first day. Frequency stepping in was what had saved me. He was going against his best friend, and I couldn’t quite understand it. I reached the bottom of the staircase and took a deep breath while gripping the railing so tight my knuckles were poking through my hands.Get it together, Harbor.Part of me wanted to turn around and go right back to my bed and remain there for the night. This person wasn’t me. I was fronting, heavy. My hands trembled as I sucked in a deep breath.
“Harbor?” Celine’s soft voice frazzled me. She must’ve read the panic in my eyes because she stared empathetically back at me. “Are you okay?”
“Am I crazy?” I asked, voice shaking.
“Oh, honey… a psychiatrist I am not,” she responded with a light laugh.
“This dress, the hair, and makeup. This isn’t me,” I confessed, staring down at myself all dolled up. “I’ve never worn so many expensive pieces in my life.”
“Maybe it’s time that you start,” she suggested, her eyes sparkling when she flashed a smile on me that lit up the room. “You look amazing. And… don’t you deserve it? What makes you so certain that you aren’t worthy?”
Before I could answer, a hair-raising chill went up my bare back. The dress was made like that, leaving me exposed. The dip right above my round ass was defined, and for some reason, it made me super self-conscious. The Maison Christian Dior cologne played with my senses, and suddenly my sex was pumping between my legs. That bitch had a pulse that didn’t match mine. When I turned, feeling a set of eyes all over me, I came face-to-face with Frequency. He stopped abruptly, first looking at my feet and then letting his gaze drift up the rest of me until he got to my face. My breath hitched a little. Piercing scrutiny hit his eyes first, holding me hostage. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes told me something different.
“Is this… too much? Julani suggested it.” I was anxiety ridden.
My voice was shaky as shit, and I smoothed down some of my hair in the front as he continued to cruise my figure.
“Nah,” he said, clearing his throat. “It’s… just right.” His penetrating orbs probed my face.
Suddenly, I relaxed. If he approved, then I was good. Angering him wasn’t something I wanted to do.
“Well, you all better take off now before you’re late,” Celine urged.
I forced a tight smile on my lips as Knowledge and Karmine emerged from the living room together. Karmine was practically drooling over me, and although he would never admit it, I could see Ledge admiring me from afar. The other part of him was mugging me heavy. The only reason he tolerated me was because of Frequency. But he damned sure didn’t like me being around.
“Are we ready?” A woman’s voice walked up on us.
“Yes. Chevelle, this is Harbor. Harbor, this is Ledge’s woman, Chevelle.” Frequency introduced us.
Lifting both brows, I couldn’t hide my surprise. She was very pretty with brown skin so smooth and creamy. Her eyes were bright, but she kept a resting bitch face when they landed on me.
“Nice to meet you,” I replied, but she didn’t return the gesture.
She looked me up and down in my dress. “Hmm, yeah.” She turned to Ledge. “I need a drink. Can we go?”
“Yeah.” He grabbed her hand and led her to the door.
Frequency and I had a stare off. He must have sensed my uneasiness. This was the first time I’d been to any kind of event in over a year. I’d never done anything like this before though. Was I going to be believable? Or would they see through my youthful appearance and call me out? All of those things bounced around my head.
“You look like you could use a drink.” He observed.
“Do I?” I said, laughing nervously. “I feel like if I try to take a step, I’m going to fall on my face.”
