Page 31 of Are You Going to Love Me

“You can hold a grudge tighter than you can hold a man. That is something that should be studied. Preferably on that lady’s couch.”

“Coming from the woman who hasn’t had a man in how long? We both might need to be on that couch.”

Eden stopped donning the boots to count on both hands. “Since I left Waynesville State University. Yusef Randle. He told me I was dumb and would never be anything for dropping him. He was going to be a senator.”

Staysha snorted in laughter. “Going to be and being one are two different things. I swear he’s like a community leader or something. At least that’s what his social media says.”

“He’s a liar, is what he is. That man is the janitor at the Community Center. Granted, it’s his janitorial company, but it’s not a senator.”

“Well, why the hell isn’t he a senator?”

Eden shrugged. “I heard he got kicked out for fuckin’ the dean’s daughter, impregnating her, and playing like it wasn’t his baby.”

“Her daddy wasn’t playing.”

“And wasn’t. And if men are as horrible as Yusef and Rayshawn, the single life is just where I’ll settle.”

“You don’t be wanting no penetration?”

“They make things for that.”

Staysha frowned. “Rubber ain’t a warm body.”

“Rubber can’t break my heart like a warm body, so a win is a win.” Eden finished getting dressed, and per the usual, Staysha snapped photos of her and posted them. “Let’s go. In and out, I got reality shows to watch and misery to wallow in.”

Staysha rolled her eyes and pranced out of the apartment behind her. From Eden’s apartment in Midtown to Cashmere Lakes, the ride was relatively quiet. Staysha was scrolling through her phone, lost in her revolving thoughts, and Eden was peering out of the window. Both sisters had one thought on their minds.

“You think we deserve the soft life? Like love and shit. Having someone who's going to ride without conditions?” Staysha asked, making Eden shrug.

“To be honest, I don’t know. I never thought about what I deserved or didn’t. I’ve just been trying to get through life with the least battle scars as possible. But for what it’s worth, I love you without condition. I know that’s not what you meant, butI’m okay with knowing that if I don’t ever have anyone, I have you.” Eden reached out for Staysha’s hand. Upon receiving it, she interlocked their fingers. “But if love is what you want, like that shit in movies and on tv and in books, then put that out there. With available men, not the married ones. They’re never leaving their wives, no matter how many times they say it or how much money they throw at you. I mean, look at Anzel. A whole company from blackmail, but no man in sight.”

“Almost like we were destined to follow in her footsteps.”

“I’ll be damned. That’s why something needs to shake because I won’t be anything like that woman.”

Minutes later, they were arriving at a modest-sized lakefront home. Whoever owned this knew their way around a few dollars and wasn’t too showy. The outside of the home held whitewashed bricks, black trim – gutters, shutters, roofing – the yard could’ve used some landscaping, but it was cute. A few luxury cars sat in the crescent-shaped driveway, but nothing too outrageous to indicate whose house this was.

Eden, with Staysha’s hand in hers, started toward the front door with trepidation swirling in her gut. “Stay, this isn’t some bullshit, right?”

“No. I’ll have you know I planned the whole thing. Come on,” Staysha insisted, dragging Eden the rest of the way and ringing the doorbell.

“This isn’t the house of some man you’re playing with, is it?” Eden grumbled before the door opened.

Keon looked down at the pair, keeping his expression neutral between the two. “Staysha, what’s up?”

“Keon,” Staysha commented, her body tensing under his glare, and Eden felt the sexual tension between the two could be cut with a knife.

Eden bounced her eyes between them.

Staysha straightened, cleared her throat, tucked her hair, and slightly leaned into Eden. “This is my sister, Eden.”

Keon nodded, a slack smile formed over his face. “Eden, what’s going on? Y’all come on in, everyone is all over doing whatever it is y’all do. There’s a bunch of cameras and lives and shit. Make yourselves comfortable.”

She stepped in behind her sister and took in the beauty of the house without any real décor. Just like outside, the walls were white, trimmed by black crown molding and dark hardwood floors. There was a modern touch to the house she could appreciate, but it was missing the welcoming vibe. Maybe that was the intention. Eden didn’t know. What she knew was that Staysha, at some point, had let her hand go to check on her hard work.

Eden roamed through the handful of people, the looks on their faces, and what she expected. The whispers and the lowkey pointing at her. One influencer, Sydette Shanee, who went by the handle of @SassySydNee approached her and plainly asked, “did you really fuck Rico and how big was it for real?”

Eden’s lip curled, seeing the recording phone in her hand. “I didn’t, and I’m assuming it was as small as your brain. Fuck out my face.”

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