Page 54 of Beyond The Stars

“I used to like girls too.” Candi pursed her lips, teasing the already flustered Siasia.

Qamar choked on his drink while Siasia plastered a fake smile on her face. Silk’s Meeting in My Bedroom started to play before they could dive deeper into Candi’s confession.

Jolene burst out the door with her arms in the air. “Aye!” She swayed her arms. “What y’all know ‘bout this shit?” she drunkenly asked while winding her hips in glee.

Jay pulled Candi into him further to sing in her ear. “You gotta sing to her, Qamar. That’s how I got my wife. They ain’t never had a singing ass, fine ass, paid ass nigga so you gotta show them why you the winning team.”

Candi giggled, loving when Jay’s non-singing self sung slow jams to her. It had been the catalyst of their relationship. The first time he did it, she fell hard. Now, she was spoiled with a nightly concert.

“Show her why us Geminis the got damn truth,” Jay spoke loudly over the music since Jolene had turned the music up.

Siasia loved his deep southern accent. It reminded her of her mother who had been born and raised in Alabama.

With a goofy smirk on his face, Qamar looked down at Siasia. Intertwining their fingers with just enough space between them for her to see his face. “You’re everything that I’ve been searching for. There’s no need for me to search no more.”

He pulled her hands from her face when she covered them to hide the extreme blushing he had her doing.

Candi playfully punched Jay. “Nigga, you didn’t sing to me like that.”

“I mean that nigga sister is one the best singers of this decade, you didn’t think the talent stopped with her did you?” Jay laughed. “Qamar, my nigga, you making me look bad.”

Qamar ignored them as he continued to serenade Siasia, who was just as shocked as they were. His voice was sexy, with a beautiful tone that seemed to wrap around her like a warm embrace. If he wanted to, she knew he could take the music industry by storm. His presence was magnetic, and he was fine as hell, so the women would go crazy even if he stood on stage saying nothing. The way he poured his soul into the song made her heart race, and she couldn't help but wonder what other hidden talents he possessed. As the melody flowed, she saw glimpses of a future where his name was on everyone's lips, and his music was the soundtrack of their lives. However, she knew soccer was his passion.

Qamar's eyes never left Siasia’s as he sang, making her feel like she was the only person in the world. His voice carried a raw emotion that spoke to her soul, and she felt a connection that was undeniable. Everyone around them faded into the background, and all she could see was him. His confidence was intoxicating, and she found herself drawn to him in a way she couldn’t explain.

It felt beautiful in a frightening type of way because the truth was, they weren’t the only two people in their world. No matter how nice it felt, Qamar came with a gang of others—kids, family, and baby mamas. It was a lot and just thinking about it stressed her out.

Her heart begged to differ.

“I don’t have all the answers, mama.” Qamar sighed, hoping his words conveyed the depth of his uncertainty and vulnerability. He looked at Siasia, searching her eyes for understanding. With furrowed brows, Qamar laid his forehead on top of hers.

Emotions flittered across her pretty face. “That’s what I don’t believe. You have more answers than you know. You’re just allowing others to dictate what you believe is right or wrong. It’s your life. You gotta live it for you and your kids, fuck what everyone else has to say.”

Her gentle touch eased his running mind. “You say that like you gone be beside me.”

Siasia pressed her lips into his. Everything in her wanted to be beside him for the next chapter in his life, but realistically, it wouldn’t work. Her life was far too complicated while his was chaotic—it wouldn’t work no matter how much she wanted it to. “In another life, maybe, but right now, I gotta get myself together.”

Her pushback made the caress of her finger felt like sandpaper against his skin.

“See, that’s where you wrong at. You gone be right beside me, floating into the stars on a ship made out of love. You ain’t leaving me, mama.” Mischievously, he smiled before snaking his tongue into her mouth.

A moan escaped her, mingling with the sounds of the music.

Candi cleared her throat, bringing them back down from wherever they had journeyed to.

That was the issue with dealing with men like Qamar. It was just too easy to forget your real life. A life where shit was all kinds of fucked-up. But as she looked into his eyes, she wondered if maybe, just maybe, they could find a way to make it work despite the chaos.

15

“And that’s the damn problem, you be so ready to baby him up like he’s not a grown ass man,” Solar fussed with Frenchy on her hip. He was a Velcro baby— attached to her hip.

French kissed his son on the cheek. “Your mama always trippin’ out on me. She don’t love me like you love your daddy.”

Frenchy laughed while still holding onto his mama for dear life. When it came to choosing a parent, his choice was biased. French was team Qamar and after the family call about the events that transpired twenty-four hours ago, he was clearly the only one. The women were ready to nail him to the cross while French understood his baby boy’s angle. For so long everyone did everything for Qamar and now that he’d made mistakes, they expected him to make perfect decisions the first time around—lesson to be learned as quick as the infraction had been made. It made no sense to French, so he was going to bat for his first love.

Kissing her teeth, she pushed French away. “I’m just saying that was some foul ass shit Qamar did to Janay and the other girl. If I was either one of them, I would still be on that nigga head.”

“You saying that like if one of them would’ve hit your baby you wasn’t going to try to kill one of them.”

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