Page 126 of Tainted

“It’s all good. I’m not paying that any mind.”

“I wish I had that talent,” she chuckled before rambling. “I just don’t get her sometimes.”

I didn’t have time to explain that she was the cause of her problems with Sydney. I strolled about, peeping my head in every room, reaching her old bedroom.

“It still looks the same,” I announced, letting myself in.

Sydney sucked her teeth, “Get out! I’m not in the mood for a trip down memory lane.”

“You didn’t have a problem with it for your Dad’s campaign, but not your favorite person.”

“Ex-favorite person.”

My hand hit my chest with a smirk, “Ouch.”

“Get out, Kenyon. I’m not in the mood.”

I wasn’t new to Sydney’s tantrums. In fact, I was an expert. Much like Zara, she was emotion-driven, and right now, Syd was just a girl in the world without her security blanket.

“This can’t be about some pussy. So wassup?”

She turned around abruptly, trembling, “Are you really this stupid?” Sydney yelled, and I thought about cutting in with a joke to lighten the mood, but she was screaming before I could. “You’re all that I have, Kenyon. The one person in my life I know without a doubt has my back, and you picked someone else over me!”

Tears replaced the animation on her face. There were no words I could say to make her feel better. Even if they did exist, I didn’t know where to find them, so I didn’t try. Instead, I gave her a shoulder to cry on.

“My feelings for her don’t change how I feel about you, Syd.”

A laugh managed to squeeze out as she pushed away from me.

“For you to know so much about women in the bedroom, you don’t know shit outside of it.” Sydney wiped her tears, studying my brown face before rolling her eyes, “And I’ve seen you around her. You’re not giving that up, especially not for me, so get out!”

“You feel slighted, so you’re letting him play with you like a puppet?”

“My dad isn’t playing me. We talked and came to an understanding,” Sydney explained, crossing her arms and standing her ground.

I couldn’t help the laugh that slipped out. “An understanding?” I repeated, shaking my head in disbelief. “So he’s added gay rights to his campaign platform, then?”

Her jaw tightened, but I wasn’t about to back down. We both knew John was as old-school as they came. The man could barely tolerate the idea of Sydney being bisexual, let alone embrace it.

“Fuck you!” She spat.

“Whatever Syd. Just understand my baby isn’t a fuckin’ prop to be played with for votes.”

“Your baby! I didn’t think you cared anymore. You’ve moved on and started a new life. Why can’t I?” She shot back, her voice laced with anger.

I grabbed her face, my fingers digging into her jaw. Our eyes locked while she squirmed, her mouth opened like a fish.

“You can do what the fuck you want. Just don’t play with my baby.”

Sydney shoved me in the chest as I let her go because, despite my actions, I wasn’t trying to hurt her. But if she kept testing me, I would.

“I carried her! So, I can do what I want when I want. I’m no longer your concern.”

“The things I don’t play about I don’t allow to be played with Syd. You should know that better than anybody.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” she asked but glowered and left the room for her to figure it out.

I reached the living room, where John laughed and smiled with friends. He wanted our head on a platter, as if his hands weren’t as dirty as ours.

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