Page 123 of Love's Most Wanted
Initially, when Kabrina told me Sharon wanted to talk to me, I was hesitant and leaning more toward turning the shit down. But my mama convinced me, explaining, as his wife, she deserved to know all the bullshit Devante deprived her of knowing. And since I agreed, and it would make my lady happy, I came through.
“How y’all doing?” I asked the room which consisted of Kabrina’s aunt Bell and her best friend Sharon.
“Just fine.” Aunt Bell smiled up at me. We’d been best of friends since I took her and her sister along with Kabrina to Maestros and let them eat their fucking weight in expensive food and cocktails.
Sharon just nodded sullenly at me as Kabrina and I took a seat on the couch.
“First off, I wanna tell you what happened at the barbecue and the church had nothing to do with you, but I understand you and yo’ kids were collateral damage of the shit.” I sighed.
“Thanks.” Sharon nodded, taking a sip from a mug containing either tea or coffee as she sat in the La-Z-Boy across from me. “I asked to speak with you because I want to know everything. Between Kyle yelling, the church in mayhem, and your brothers being there, I couldn’t truly grasp everything and its timeline.”
Exhaling, I responded, “I mean, it’s simple. He and my mama got married while still in high school because she got pregnant with my oldest brother. Grandparents were religious so they made ’em do the shit. They went on to have five more, me being the youngest, and when I was around seven, my mother caught him with his co-pastor.
“She ain’t give mealldetails ’cause a nigga was only seven years old, but I can confirm it was a sexual act. She divorced him. Then the co-pastor exposed him for whatever reason and ruined his preaching career even further. He was in and out of our lives, more out than in. After that he eventually just changed his identity, his phone number, cut off his parents, and made a whole new life with you. The first time I’ve seen him was at the barbecue.” Running my hand down my face, I added, “My older brothers know more if that ain’t enough detail for you—especially Khari.”
“Do you need some kind of proof, Sharon?” Aunt Bell asked.
Keeping her eyes on me, Sharon shook her head and said, “Nope. He has the same eye shape as Kyle and my kids. Just different color eyes.” She gulped more of her hot drink like she needed it to stay sane, and she probably did need it. “The co-pastor was a um… man?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “Can’t be sure if he still doing that, but as Khari explained, a few years ago my brother Shakur got a PI, and he had proof that he was up to no good then.”
“Shakur,” she whispered. “I remember he came to the church once with his wife and kids. Kyle was acting strangely.” She stared at the carpet as she talked, recalling the moment. “When I asked him about it, he just said Shakur had bad energy, and he got an evil vibe from him. Oh my gosh.” She set the mug down then covered her face in angst, and I felt bad as fuck. For a split second, I wished we’d left that nigga Devante alone.
“He is a liar and a fraud, Sharon. You need to leave him.” Aunt Bell got up to console her friend, sitting on the arm of the La-Z-Boy while caressing Sharon’s back.
“I don’t even work. I’m forty-nine years old. Who the hell is going to hire me? And even if they do, it won’t be enough to take care of three children.” She cried.
“His mother was in the same place but with six kids,” Kabrina chimed in.
“Yeah, but she was much younger from the sound of things.” She sniffled in response. “It’s going to be hard and almost impossible for me to rebuild my life as a single mother. I don’t know if I can do it.” She sobbed.
Unable to find any fucking words of comfort because there were none, I simply nodded when she caught my eyes, to say I understood.
That was Devante Compton, though, fucking up everyone around him, all so he could have the life he wanted or the life he wanted people to think he wanted.
YOU’RE CORDIALLY INVITED…
Today I would be attendingAsif and Anastazia’s wedding with Unique, and I was already excited.
They’d rented out the entire Welmington Hotel in Beverly Hills, so we got to choose whatever room we wanted to stay in overnight for free. Of course, everyone chose the presidential suites offered, the biggest one being left to the soon-to-be married couple since it had extra rooms and space.
The wedding would be taking place in the beautiful outdoor space in the back of the hotel. I could see it from the living room window of our suite, and it was already decorated so beautifully with the couple’s color scheme of chocolate, gold, and cream, just like the elaborate invitations. It was obvious no expense had been spared on the occasion.
I wished I’d known Anastazia before as I do now, because I would’ve been able to do her makeup for such a special event. Brides were always my favorite clients.
“Damn. Look at you,” I commented when Unique came from the back room dressed up in his tuxedo. He, along with Lequay and Bashar were in the wedding while the other brothers would just be in attendance.
Unique explained that because it was so many of them and they were all close, they used a hat system. The groom would pick three names out of a hat, and whomever was chosen would be groomsmen. I thought that was a dope idea, mainly because it proved how close the boys were and how they didn’t harbor favoritism or jealousy at all. It was quite obvious in person too.
“I know.” Unique winked, tugging on his chocolate brown suit jacket.
The suit fit his six-foot-four frame so perfectly, and the color was something I’d never seen before but loved.
“Whatever.”
“You look beautiful though, baby.” He pulled me into him. “We should have a redo.”
“You think so?”
