Page 19 of Divine II

“Oh good! It came. Happy early birthday, Lee Lee!” she sang.

“Divine, are you serious? I can’t accept a truck from you,” I protested.

“You can and you will. You deserve that and so much more.”

“You can’t buy me off with expensive gifts. I don’t want that shit. I told you what I wanted, and you thought it was too much to ask for. Have someone come get this truck, or I’m having it towed to your house.”

“Can you give me just a minute?”

Divine’s voice was muffled, so I assumed that she was talking to someone else. I held the phone to my ear listening to shuffling on the other end as I waited for her to come back on.

“Liam, you still there?”

“Yes, but there’s nothing left to talk about. Send somebody to get this damn truck, Divine.”

“Lee Lee, I know you don’t believe it, but you deserve the truck. I’m not trying to buy you or butter you up. I’m making up for the fact that we spent your last birthday together, and I didn’t even know it. I’m making up for the fact that I never even asked you when your birthday was, even though we discussed our signs. Consider it a gift for last year and this year. I’m not trying to buy you, baby. I could never put a price on what you bring to my life. All I wanted to do was show my love and appreciation. I put in the order before your stubborn Taurus ass threw me out of your parents’ house.”

“Technically, I threw you out of their yard,” I corrected her.

“Either way, I want you to keep it.”

“You know I can’t do that, D. What are people going to think if they know you bought me a truck? You’re trying to pretend that you’re in a relationship with another man, but you’re buying me trucks and shit.”

“They’re going to think that I have the best friend and bodyguard in the world, and I have enough sense to show him just how much he means to me.”

I sighed. Her logic was cute but flawed.

“You know that’s not what people are going to think.”

“Why do they need to think anything? No one has to know where the truck came from, Lee. I haven’t told anyone. It can stay between you and I.”

“Like our fling, huh?” I chuckled bitterly.

“Please, just drive the truck for a few days. If you decide you don’t like it, I’ll try to send it back.”

“How about I give you a few days to move it, or I’ll have it removed?”

“Liam, please. Why are you acting like this? I wanted to do something special for you, and you’re turning it into something else.”

The way her voice cracked made my chest hurt. I was disgusted at how easily she could manipulate me. I knew it was all part of the game of being a spoiled little rich girl, but I still had the urge to fold. I didn’t want to make her cry. Maybe she was right. I could let it sit there for a few days before I told her to come get it again.

Five

Divine

“Thunder rumbling, castles crumbling, I am trying to hold on! Lord knows that I tried seeing the bright side, but I’m not blind anymore!” I belted out Katy Perry’s “Wide Awake”lyrics at the top of my lungs as the scalding hot water cascaded down my body.

My sad bitch playlist was in full effect as I showered and got ready for my first date with Zane. It had been three days since I’d heard from Liam. I tried calling him on his actual birthday, but in true Liam fashion, my calls went ignored. At least that likely meant that he’d decided to keep the truck.

I finally stepped out of the shower knowing that my skin would be dry as hell from showering in all hot water. I usually liked to use lukewarm water to bathe since I’d read somewhere that it was better for your skin. I dried myself off and used a mixture of shea butter and coconut oil to moisturize my skin.

Once I was all oiled up, I walked out of the bathroom into my bedroom. I made a beeline to my dresser and picked up my phone. It was time to take the song blaring through myBluetooth speakers off repeat. I had been listening to it for the past hour. I opened my music streaming app and deselected the repeat button before hitting next. I almost fell to my knees as the next song began to play.

“Breakeven”by The Script made me cry even when I wasn’t going through anything, so now that my heart was shattered into a thousand pieces, hearing that song was threatening to finish me off.

“And what am I supposed to say when I’m all choked up and you’re okay? I’m falling to pieces, yeah!” I chimed in, offering some of my vocal expertise to the mix.

Ending my self-inflicted torture, I snatched my phone off the dresser and pressed pause. Instead of spiraling out listening to the saddest music known to man, I needed to be proactive. Tonight’s date was happening whether I liked it or not. There was no turning back. That didn’t mean I had to take it lying down. That damn sure didn’t mean I had to give up on true love.

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