Page 4 of Loyalty, Lust, Love
Lynx nodded, and they both went inside their respective homes. Later that night, when they should’ve been asleep, Fateema called Lynx. She was so glad her father had given in to her pleading and allowed her to have a cell phone. It was the first of many nights when they would stay up talking late into the night.
When they returned to school after their suspension, things were different. Everyone wanted to be their friend because they beat up the school bullies. Fateema thought it was cool that people finally wanted to talk to her, but she’d gotten used to being a loner. Besides, now she had Lynx and didn’t feel the need to be friends with the people who’d shunned her all year.
Lynx followed Fateema’s lead and wasn’t interested in being friends with fakes and phonies. Even though they’d just met, the fight and suspension brought them closer, and it was like they’d been friends for years.
Chapter 2
Present Day
“Ican’t believe you’re dating someone that’s not Lynx. I always thought you two would get married,” Meaghan said.
“Seriously, Fateema. Once y’all let us into your two-person crew, and I got to know you, I always thought you and Lynx would end up together,” Octavia commented.
It was Friday night, and it had been a few weeks since the ladies had gotten together. They decided to meet at Fateema’s apartment at the last minute, to eat pizza and popcorn, drink wine, and catch up.
“Y’all do know dating is just that… dating. I’ve dated my fair share of men.”
“Yeah, but it’s been a few months, and you haven’t talked about anyone but Cornell. This seems serious, and I can’t imagine you being serious about anyone but Lynx,” Octavia shared.
“Me and Lynx have never been serious,” Fateema told them.
“Have y’all tried though? Like, really, really tried?” Meaghan pressed.
Fateema shrugged. “As best we could while living hundreds of miles apart.”
“I disagree,” Octavia said, folding her arms across her chest.
“How can you disagree when I’m telling you we tried?”
“When was the last time you and Lynx lived in the same city?” she asked.
“You know it was before we left for college.”
“Exactly, and that was over ten years ago. Did you ever think your relationship didn’t work because of the distance?”
That was one of the reasons why it didn’t work, Fateema thought. They hadn’t lived in the same state since a few months after they crossed the line from friends to lovers.
“Why does it matter? Lynx will forever be my best friend, but we’ve both moved on.”
“He’s with someone too? Nobody told me that,” Meaghan complained.
“You think he’s in DC twiddling his thumbs?”
“Who is this skank?” Octavia questioned.
“Oh my God, Tay. Whoever he’s dating has done nothing to you. Why are you calling her or them a skank?”
“Because they’re messing around with your man.”
“Girl, Lynx is not my man. If I’m honest, he’s never really been my man. Even when we were doing whatever we were doing, we didn’t have a title.”
“If you say so,” Meaghan mumbled before sipping her wine.
“Just because y’all refused to put a title on it doesn’t mean he wasn’t yours and you weren’t his,” Octavia argued.
“I beg to differ. Can we change the subject?”
“No. What did he say when you told him about you and Cornell?” Octavia prodded.
