Page 23 of Owen's Heart

OWEN

A little after noon, Anson walks into the house and comes into the living room, where Lance and I are watching a football game. Anson takes a seat on the sofa beside Lance and gives me a serious look.

“Chantel is a problem, man,” he says.

“What are you saying, bro?” I ask.

Anson lets out a sigh. “I just left Mildred’s Café. I went there to get some breakfast.”

“Okay. What happened at Mildred’s?”

“I talked to Rania, and I think I convinced her of how messed up you were about your breakup,” Anson reveals.

“That’s good. I’ll take all the help I can get in helping Rania see how much I love and miss her. But why does it feel like there is something else you’re not telling me? And what is it about Chantel that makes you think she’s still a problem?” I ask, my anxiety level rising with each passing second.

“Because she is,” Anson insists.

“Well, stop being cryptic and spit it out, bro,” I urge him.

Anson leaned forward in his seat. “When Rania and I were done talking, Chantel came into the restaurant and walked right over to my table.”

I feel a major headache come on as soon as I hear that Chantel is in Prattville and has stopped by Mildred’s Café. “What is she doing in Prattville?”

“She says she’s here visiting friends, and she’s trying to get in touch with you. Her exact words were, ‘Where’s Owen? He’s dodging me.’ And—”

“Rania heard her,” I finish his statement.

Anson nods. “Yep. She was standing up to go into the kitchen when Chantel approached the table.”

“Shit! I’m fucked!”

“More like bullshit,” Lance speaks up. “We all know Chantel is not here visiting friends. I’d be willing to bet she saw those pictures Rania posted on social media—the ones where she was at the café, mentioning that she was in Prattville helping her aunt for a while. Seeing those pictures made Chantel drive down here just to get under Rania’s skin,” Anson surmises. “Some people can be petty like that.”

I can feel the blood coursing through my veins. “I bet you’re right. Chantel has always had it out for Rania. She’s just here to stir up trouble.”

“And after the display today, you gotta go big or go home with Rania. It’s going to take a lot to get her back now,” Anson advises me.

“Was it that bad, bro?” I ask.

“Put it like this, they didn’t stab each other only because there were no knives nearby,” Anson recalls.

“Fuck! I don’t know why Chantel would come to town, acting as if we still have something going on because we don’t.”

Lance looks down at his phone. “Shit, man, I have to take this call, but you should put your ass in gear and go get your woman, like right now. Don’t give her more time to sit around stewing about the way Chantel rolled up in Mildred’s Café to show off in front of Rania.”

I let out a slow breath. “I hear you, brother.”

“I wholeheartedly agree with Lance. You can’t let this ride for long,” Anson adds as he stands to his feet. “I’m about to grab a quick shower. I have a meeting in about an hour,” he announces.

“Okay, and Anson?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for talking to Rania for me.”

“Anytime, bro.”

Anson walks off to his corner of the house, leaving me to think about how Chantel showing up made Rania feel. I have to figure out a way to let Rania know that she’s the one for me—the only one.

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