Page 24 of Mister Artist

“Y’all need to get along again. I miss being able to party with my sister and best friend. I know I’m the reason shit is how it is between y’all, and I need to make that change. What has to happen for y’all to be able to be in the same room and not be weird?”

Neither of us spoke. He rolled his eyes and huffed, causing me to smile and her to laugh.

“Aight, let me ask it another way,” he continued. “Mal, do you want to be with Neko?”

“I’m never going to say or do anything to come between you and any of your friends. He’s off limits, and I understand that now.”

I knew that, but something about hearing her choose him over me stung more than it should have at this point. We hadn’t fucked with each other for two years, but the wound of her words felt like I had her in my bed and heart just hours ago. I wasn’t expecting her rejection to affect me this way, but I meant it when I said I loved her, so I shouldn’t have been surprised.

“Neko, do you want to be with Mal?”

“She just made it clear that will never happen.”

“But do you want to—”

“No.”

Her eyes closed and she gritted her teeth. I watched as her nostrils flared. She had no reason to feel some type of way after what she’d just said.

“Aight, so that’s settled. There’s nothing romantic between the two of y’all, so let’s try to be friends again. I appreciate the sacrifice y’all made for me, and I want the both of you happy and in healthy relationships, even if it can’t be with each other.” He paused. “Just promise me if something pops off between the two of you again—”

“It won’t,” she said.

“But if it does, just promise me that you’ll tell me. Don’t keep me in the dark, and please don’t do anything to hurt each other. If you can’t commit to one another and treat each other right, stay the fuck away from each other. Mal, this is my brother. Don’t use him and don’t devalue him. Neko, this is my sister. Don’t disrespect her and don’t cheat on her. I guess this is kind of my way of giving y’all my blessing though it seems damage has been done. Just please don’t fuck with each other unless y’all serious about making it work.”

He walked away and left us there alone.

Avoiding my eyes she said, “I’m not willing to do anything to have issues with him again. It took a year for him to talk to either of us again. So regardless of what he says, I think it’s best if we just… stay away from each other.”

Before I could say anything either way, she was walking away. I guess that was for the best since I didn’t have anything to say anyway. Even if I was willing to give us a chance it was clear she wasn’t, and I couldn’t blame her. I might have gone a year without my friend, but she’d gone a year without her brother. I couldn’t imagine that pain. It hurt to know we’d never have a chance to be together, especially now that he seemed to be okaywith it, but if that was what Malorie wanted… that’s what she would have.

19

Malorie

Four Years Later

I knockedon the door then took a few steps back. Malik had no idea I was coming over, and I was so excited to be able to surprise him. The last four years had been a whirlwind. While I was still prioritizing myself, I started dating and used those experiences to learn what I wanted and didn’t want—who I wanted and didn’t want. I also started therapy to work on grieving my father properly. It took some time and effort, but I started building the community I’d always wanted, and it included not just friends from school but social clubs as well. The only thing missing was my man… and there was only one man I wanted—Neko Peterson.

The night Malik gave us his blessing to date, I turned it down. In that moment, I was too triggered from losing him to evenconsidertrying to date Neko. Even though I knew in my heart we wouldn’t do anything to intentionally hurt each other, I wasn’t willing to risk it. Now, I was hoping, if we both were single, that we could actually try to be in a relationship.

Because the truth was, out of the last four years of me dating several different kinds of men, one thing was made clear—my heart ached for Neko. I tried to convince myself for a while that it was because he got away but that wasn’t the truth. I didn’t want him because I couldn’t have him; I wanted him because he was truly the one for me.

As the door unlocked, I held my breath. It felt like it had been forever since I’d seen my brother. When I first started graduate school, we talked and saw each other regularly. Surprising us all, Malik found a woman that tamed him. Karma demanded justice, though, and he got his heart broken. He fell in love with Stacy and wanted a serious relationship, and she played the hell out of my brother. All it took was one heartbreak for Malik to get his shit together.

After Stacy, he stopped cheating. If he got that urge, he broke up with a woman to be single. Two years ago, he fell in love again. This time with a woman who returned the sentiment. They were married after eight months, and he had a set of twins that I couldn’t wait to love on regularly. Honestly, they were the biggest reason why I’d come back to Rose Valley Hills. I wanted to be there for them. They deserved to have as much family around as possible.

When Malik opened the door and saw me, his eyes widened and mouth dropped. Swooping me into his arms, he twirled me around as I giggled.

“Damn. I’m so fucking happy to see you, Sis!”

“I missed you! Where my babies at?”

“In there sleep.Pleasedon’t wake them up.”

I laughed as he set me down. “They’ve been driving you crazy, huh?”

His head shook as he sighed and rubbed his stomach. “Man, say. I ain’t even gon’ hold ya. They been wearing my ass out. PlusLydia ain’t here and I’ve been with them all day. I wouldn’t trade time with them for anything in the world though.”

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