Page 65 of Cause When You Love Someone
“Mr. Henry, we always look forward to seeing you.” Laura smiled. “What song will you be playing for us?”
“You know better than that, baby. Just step back and catch the groove.”
Mr. Henry started his performance, and about a minute in, the audience began singing along to his rendition of “Ribbon in the Sky.” Smooth and experienced, he floated across theplatform, playing his instrument like it was an extension of his existence.
Though he delivered an even tempo melody, Mr. Henry’s act seemed to loosen everyone up. By the time Laura returned to the stage, I relaxed in my chair and stopped drumming my fingers against the table.
“Our next group is a community dance team straight out of Silk Hills.”
Oh shit!
“The girls range from ages six to sixteen, and they study everything from ballet to majorette dance. Put y’all hands together for YND!”
Unable to settle down, I twisted around in my seat and searched the audience. Regardless of our short time together, I remembered Ishmael’s sister mentioning her dance team.
Between squinted eyes, I scanned the crowd until my gaze landed on a row of memorable faces. Like a photographer in the company of her muse, I gagged over Ishmael’s side profile. His lips were oiled, and the sunlight sparkled against his brown complexion. Dressed down, Ishmael traded in his business wear for a Supreme graphic tee and denim shorts. A pair of buffs I had never seen outlined his eyes, and his diamond Eshu chain sat on his chest. His leer held tight to the stage, but his best friend stared a hole into me. When she moved to alert Ishmael of my presence, I shook my head before giving her my back.
Fuck!
We hadn’t spoken in three weeks, though I knew we needed to have a conversation. Ishmael swore I had some type of allegiance to Chaz, when the truth was, I wanted to keephimsafe. Ishmael already went to jail behind my shit. Deep down, I believed separation was the only way I could ensure that didn’t happen.
As expected, YND’s performance was amazing. Their transitions from majorette to jazz were beautiful, and when they stepped like a sorority, the crowd got hyped. I don’t know if my mind was playing tricks on me, but I could’ve sworn I heard Ishmael’s voice calling my name.
Another six performers, ranging from a magician to a praise dancer, hit the stage before we submitted our score cards. While I waited for the winners to be called, I decided to upload a few photos to my Instagram story. As soon as I opened the app, my screen was flooded with notifications. The images of me and Derrick’s embrace had already hit the internet.
“All right, everybody. We have a winner.” Laura’s spunky tone captured my attention. “First, I want to thank everyone who participated. You did an amazing job, and for being brave enough to get up here, Nike is hooking you up with a swag bag.”
I wasn’t surprised when she read the top three winners, and of course, Isabella’s team snagged first place.
Though I was ready to go once the trophies were handed out, Jerry and his crew announced they needed to get extra footage around the park.
I joined my mom, Sage, and the ladies, but when Isabella waved in my direction, I knew I couldn’t leave without speaking.
“I’ll be right back.”
“No, you won’t. There isn’t anything for you to talk to them about.” She pointed to my stomach. “You have a family with Chaz that you need to worry about. You need to get out of your feelings. You and Chaz can be cashing in on endorsements.”
“My pregnancy and my baby are not for sale.”
She waved me off. “Only because you don’t know how much they’re worth. That’s all right. That’s what your mama is here for.”
I may have been wrong for not telling my mom about the paternity of my baby, but I didn’t trust her with thatinformation. I thought it was obvious Superman and I were hunching. However, her sly remarks proved otherwise. Sadly, I believed she enjoyed the idea since Chaz would let her have her way, and Ishmael wasn’t going for it.
Regardless of my mom’s warning, I strolled over to Essen and Izzy near the stage. Ishmael was nowhere in sight, making me fearful that he would pop up at any moment.
“Hey, beautiful!” I greeted the talented teenager. “You and your team did a fabulous job, Isabella.”
She pressed her chin against her chest while twisting from side to side. “Thank you. You were a bomb dancer, so that means a lot coming from you. I even made Ish convert his garage into a dance area since I moved in.”
I went still. “Oh. You live with your brother now?”
“Yeah. I moved in last week,” she answered. “Are you dating Derrick Chambers?”
I snickered. “No. Where did you get that idea?”
“The internet. I saw my brother looking at a post on Instagram before he shooed me away.”
“Isabella, I’m not dating anyone,” I replied, hoping she would go back and share the message with her brother.
