Page 11 of Their End Game

“Oh, shut up.” Radiance tossed up her middle finger before finishing another bite of food.

“She’s just like you,” I noted again with a chuckle.

“Yeah, well, I am her mother.” Radiance spoke proudly.

Hearing the little burp and giggle from Ja’Lani, we both looked her way with laughter. “And it looks like I am her father.”My laughter never slowed, looking down at Ja’Lani. Her burping and laughter had been a childish trait of mine.

Radiance stopped her laughter, her smile slowly faded, and her eyes seemed to gloss with tears, though she did a good job keeping them from falling. “That you are.”

I looked to Ja’Lani, and on cue, she peered up at me with a mouthful of food, greasy face, and smile. It was like Ja’Lani knew who I was without needing the introduction, and she had been waiting since birth for moments like this. “You just kno…”

“This what the fuck we doing, Ja’vari?” Vanessa stood directly over me with her hands on her hips. “You really out with this chick and her daughter, not even bothering to hit me up after I left?”

There were many reasons Vanessa’s antics were out of line, the main being her making a scene in a public place, and the other being her calling Ja’Lani Radiance’s daughter while dismissing she was also mine. I looked to Radiance. “Radiance, this is Vanessa. Vanessa, this i—”

“I don’t give a fuck who she is. I just want to know is this what the fuck we doing, Ja’vari?”

“Umm, I’m gonna go.” Radiance spoke after clearing her throat.

“Nah, sit down.” I motioned her back into her chair once I saw her stand from my peripheral. My eyes never wavered from Vanessa’s. Still never looking Radiance’s way, I noticed she had sat back down as I’d instructed. “You need to calm the fuck down.” I never raised my voice, but my tone was firm.

Scoffing, Vanessa looked from me to Ja’Lani, then to Radiance, before her gaze finally settled back on me. I could see the anger dancing freely in her eyes. I didn’t speak, but my expression was telling her to just walk away. The second I saw her full lips separate, I knew she wasn’t walking away without a fight. “Ja’vari, tell me why you think it’s okay that you werebeating my guts in just last night to you smiling up in this bitch’s face as if I don’t mean nothing to you?”

My jaw tightened, hearing her call Radiance out of her name, along with the fact that most of the people in the restaurant were now staring in our direction. “Yeah, umm, on that note, I am going to head out.” Radiance once again stood, and this time, I didn’t bother stopping her because there was no way I’d expect her to stay after the disrespect. Leaning my way, she grasped Ja’Lani from my arms. “Y’all have a good night,” Radiance said sweetly. I couldn’t lie. She’d grown up for sure and not just with age because I remembered a time, half the people in this establishment and I would be doing everything to pry Radiance from Vanessa.

“Yeah, we will. Now carry yo’ ass,” Vanessa said as if she had actually done something. Radiance never reacted.

With my jaw still tight, I reached into my pocket, grabbing my wallet, before pulling out a crisp one-hundred-dollar bill and tossing it on the table. I knew our meals hadn’t cost that much, but the waiter could keep the change. I had to get the hell out of there before I spazzed. Standing, I didn’t even bother addressing Vanessa or responding to her continually calling my name. This shit was dead with her, and it was impossible to revive.

“Can we talk please?”Vanessa stood before me. She was barefoot, in biker shorts and a tank, her hair in a messy bun, and her face clear of makeup. Vanessa was jaw dropping beautiful with sun-kissed brown skin, slanted, light brown eyes, and a smile that displayed a small gap. She had deep dimples and a body that even a straight woman admired. She had an exotic yet distinguished look. She was bad, but her nasty attitude made ithard to like her. Funny enough, we only connected because, for a while, she and I were the only Americans in the office after Alan and Johnson had relocated.

Sitting up, I paused the TV that was playing highlights from the previous games played. “Shoot.”

Vanessa exhaled deeply, sitting beside me on the couch. “I’m sorry.”

I didn’t speak because I was expecting something else to come after, but when I realized nothing was following, I spoke. “You and I both know we don’t hold a title… We kick it, and it’s cool, but I was honest and upfront from the start on what it was. But even with no title, I have never disrespected you, and until tonight, you hadn’t either. I know finding out I fathered a child can fuck you up, but Vanessa, that was before you, and hell, I just found out, too, so could you imagine how I feel?”

The entire time I spoke, Vanessa avoided looking my way, but once I was done, she slowly turned her head, her gaze meeting mine. She shrugged. “I know it’s hard, but just think about it my way. How do you think I feel? Like, title or not, we been kicking it damn near as a couple for a minute now, so you gotta understand where my frustration comes in at.”

“Your feelings are valid, but your disrespect is not. Radiance never disrespected you. In fact, she didn’t even acknowledge you.”

“That in itself is disrespectful though. Like she see me, speak on it. How you say she hasn’t disrespected me and that’s disrespectful?”

I chuckled lowly. “You seeing things differently than I do on this situation, and because I can tell you still a little hostile, I am going to respectfully end this conversation again. Maybe we can try this shit later or something, but right now is not the time.” I respected all that respected me, but once those lines were crossed, all bets were off.

“Really, Ja’vari, over someone that didn’t even want to be with you because she was selfish and stayed back?”

Yeah, Vanessa had dead ass lost her mind. I’d had one too many pillow talks with her, and now she was tossing my words back in my face. Standing to my full height, I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Good night, Vanessa.” I walked out of the hotel room for the second time tonight with no plans on returning this time. Vanessa was losing it and fast.

12

Radiance:

“There go your man over there.” Santia smirked, and my eyes followed where she was looking. Ja’vari was headed our way. We were on the lounge chairs, poolside. We’d just had breakfast. I really wasn’t into the whole eating while sitting beside a pool, but it was Santia’s wishes, so I was supporting my girl.

Behind my oversized designer shades, I rolled my eyes but not before my eyes roamed Ja’vari. With slides on his feet, shorts, a tank top displaying his muscles, and shades on his face, as always, it was something so simple, yet he made it look good. “He is not my man,” I muttered as he neared us.

“Yet since you ran back into him, he has found a way to be in your space every day.”

---