Page 77 of Love's Most Wanted
“Hey. Before you get all happy, I need to talk with you.” I hugged her, then sat down on the same couch she’d had since I was in high school.
“I hope it has nothing to do with my money. It’s been getting smaller and smaller, Kabrina.” She sat beside me.
“I know, and I told you I had lost my career because of the stuff with AJ, so you shouldn’t have been expecting anything.” I shook my head. Only reason I still gave her a little bit, even though she didn’t help me, was because if I didn’t have her when my mama drank herself to death, I would’ve probably gone to foster care.
My other aunt Rosette had made it clear to the state that she couldn’t afford to take me in, but Aunt Bell refused to let me get thrown into the system despite the fact that she didn’t make much money to care for herself, let alone an extra person. She was also always there when my mother was too inebriated to take care of me sometimes for a week straight.
That was something I could never thank her enough for, so even when she came off stingy or unhelpful, I still did what I could for her. She was greedy and had questionable morals sometimes, but she loved me. That was a fact that I could never deny.
“I don’t expect it, Kabrina, I just…” She couldn’t find the words, so she just smiled at me sheepishly as I rolled my eyes. “But I thought you were bringing in clients again, just normal folk.”
“Yeah, well, that’s not working out for me too well. I’m tired of debating and arguing about what I charge, people canceling same day, and all kinds of shit. Celebrities, shockingly, were much easier. They paid what I asked for, never canceled, because theyneededtheir makeup done, and the appointments were more often.”
“I understand.” She nodded.
“So I won’t be able to continue to help you much at all anymore, Bell.” I sighed, taking her in as she nodded sadly, making me feel like shit. “I just wish I never met AJ because I wouldn’t be going through this.”
“Just take him back.” She waved me off, making me whip my head in her direction.
“I am not going to take him back, Bell. Plus, the main reason why my career has fallen off is because he fucked up my reputation by making me into a side chick unwillingly. Not only that, the nigga hacked my accounts knowing I mainly use it for business and changed my passwords, so I couldn’t book a client if I tried. These people don’t use websites like they should,” I ranted, irritated as hell by her comment.
“Well, I met him, Kabrina, and I can tell that he loves you.” She turned to me a bit as I laughed mirthlessly. “Men are like children sometimes and need to be steered in the right direction.”
“I don’t want a man who needs to be steered, Bell, because then he isn’t a damn man at all.” I frowned, looking at her like the fool that she was. “And you’re only taking up for him because he has money and he gave you a little bit of it occasionally.”
“That is a lie.” Her brows dipped as she jerked back a bit. “I just know a good man when I see one. He loves you, but it sounds like he got into a situation before he met you and couldn’t get out of it.”
“You don’t know a good man when you see one, just like your damn sister,” I said, referring to my own mother. “That’s why she’s in a fucking grave now, and you’re still getting dogged out by the same nigga from twenty plus years ago!” When I saw my aunt blink and her eyes water, I felt like shit. “I’m sorry. That was wrong to say,” I stated honestly, though it was the truth.
For as long as I could remember, Elijah had been in and out of Aunt Bell’s life. And for just as long, she’d been complaining about women he’d cheated with. The nigga even got married when I was around fourteen, and though Aunt Bell pretended she was done, he was back in her bed months after. Now, he was divorced with four kids, but he still came around whenever he felt like it, to sleep with her. He reminded me a lot of my father.
Seeing what she and my mother went through had me wondering if that was the life I would be dealt as well. And when the AJ shit transpired, I panicked, thinking God was confirming that women in my family were only good for one thing.
I had never witnessed a woman being treated correctly. Because even my other aunt had her fair share of men problems, only her bedroom door was a revolving one. She never got played by the same nigga twice—she wasn’t even worth that apparently.
I guess that was why shit with Unique felt so good. I could feel how much he cared about me and not in the way most niggas cared about a pretty girl. It was genuine.
He asked if I’d eaten, if I needed anything, what I liked to do. He paid for and took care of me when aborting another man’s child. If he didn’t talk to me for too many days, he would worry. When I didn’t answer the phone, he popped up. And though some of those things were simple as hell, I loved that.
I just hated that he was attached back then because it somehow proved my theory about the women in my lineage, but now that he was single, I started to see the light at the end of this cursed tunnel.
“No, maybe you’re right.” She fidgeted. “Me and your mother aren’t that different. I was just smart enough not to get pregnant or not to keep the pregnancy.” She finally lifted her eyes from her skinny, somewhat aged hands.
“When was this?”
She scoffed, trying to lighten the mood as she waved me off. “A very long time ago. You were a toddler still.”
I nodded. “I’m glad you didn’t keep it. We gotta stop having children for men who don’t give a damn about us—if we can help it.”
“That’s the truth.” She kept fidgeting, staring down at her hands.
“I love you, Aunt Bell, but I don’t want relationship advice from you or anybody else, honestly.” I kissed her cheek when she nodded. “If things change, I will let you know, but for now, the well is dry.” I rose to my feet.
“Okay. You’re not staying? I cooked.” She stared up at me as I ventured to the door.
“No. I need to figure some stuff out and be alone while I do it, but I will be back in a few days so we can hang out.” I smirked, and she returned the gesture.
Leaving out, I could only shake my head. I hated the hand that some of the women in my family had been dealt, but some of the shit, they’d brought onto themselves.
