Page 48 of Only if You Catch Me
“I can agree with that. I can’t predict the future. I just know that whatever is meant to be will be. Excuse me. I want to refill my cup.” I could feel Kastian staring at me, and I needed to get some alcohol if I was going to be dealing with him.
The door opened as I was pouring chaser into my cup, and my heart fell into my behind. I was afraid to look up, but Tesha spoke, and I was relieved it was her.
“I almost didn’t invite him, but he really is a good friend. I hope you’re not uncomfortable.”
Hell yes I was uncomfortable with fine ass Kastian standing only a few feet away staring at me. “It’s fine. As long as he doesn’t bother me, I won’t bother him. He doesn’t have anything to say to me anyway,” I forced a smile before taking a sip of my drink. “And on that note, I have to pee.”
I went to the bathroom and relieved my bladder. When I went back into the kitchen, Tesha was gone, and Kastian was pouring himself a drink. Tesha had an array of liquor present. There were at least seven different kinds of alcohol to choose from. I attempted to walk really fast by Kastian, but his deep voice stopped me in my tracks.
“We can’t even speak to each other now?”
I gave him a forced smile. “Hello.”
I reached for the doorknob, and he stopped me again. That aggravated me, and I stepped back with a frown.
“Damn, it’s like that.”
“Like what?” My scowl deepened. “The last time I saw you was a month ago in Miami. You haven’t cared to pick up thephone and say one word to me but now, we’re supposed to be on some fake buddy buddy shit? Please go to hell.” I reached for the doorknob again, and he stopped me for the third time.
“Tesha doesn’t want it to be weird. I don’t want it to be weird. We’re here to celebrate her accomplishment. I don’t want her regretting the fact that she invited both of us. I’m sorry for how I acted in Miami. It was childish. Can we just move past that and at least treat one another like associates and not enemies?”
The fact that he wasn’t even trying to rekindle what we had was like a punch to the gut. He looked me in my face and said we should be associates. I wished I hadn’t come. I should have stayed home. Swallowing down a lump that felt the size of a golf ball, I blinked back tears.
“You got it, Kastian.”
That time he let me walk outside. I took a large sip of tequila. I was going to give it another hour. I couldn’t fake it much longer than that. I wanted to support Tesha, but my heart was hurting, and it was hurting bad. By the time the cup was empty, I was drunk and feeling a little better. Despite the fact that one of Tesha’s cousins was even drunker, and she wouldn’t get out of Kastian’s face. The flirting was teetering on sexual assault. My face burned, and my chest felt tight. If that was how he felt knowing that I was still talking to Omar, I could see why he acted the way he did. Kastian wasn’t my man, but I was insanely jealous. It didn’t feel good at all, and I just wanted to leave.
When the food was ready, I focused on that. I didn’t even really have an appetite, but I had drunk a lot, and I didn’t want to be sick. The more Brian drank, the more he wouldn’t stay out of my face. Kind of like Tesha’s cousin with Kastian.
“The food good?” he asked sitting beside me.
“The food is amazing,” I stated truthfully. Brian could throw down, and out of all the food that I had piled on my plateeverything was delicious. I ate three deviled eggs in less than a minute and wanted more, but I didn’t want to appear greedy.
“Brian, what up G?” a familiar voice made goosebumps prickle my arms.
“What up, Kastian? I haven’t seen you in a minute.”
“Just out here working hard. How is Yolanda? Y’all still together?”
I looked over at Mr. Single As A Dollar Bill with raised brows. The way his mouth fell open in shock had me stifling a laugh. He couldn’t believe that Kastian had ratted him out. Kastian wasn’t even the snitching type. If he was bothered that meant that let’s be associates line he used was a crock of bull.
“Yeah, we’re still together,” Brian mumbled so low that I could barely hear him.
“Tell her I said hello.”
With that, I stood up to go inside and throw my plate away. I felt I had done good, and I was ready to go. Tesha had already opened her gifts, and I’d been there for more than two hours. “Where you going?” Kastian grabbed my arm.
“You have a bad habit of touching me when I don’t want to be touched,” I pointed out.
“Can I just talk to you in private for a minute? Why you gotta be so difficult?”
“Difficult?” I repeated the word appalled. “You have a lot of nerve, Kastian.”
“Can we just go into the front yard or sit in my car and talk for two seconds?”
I rolled my eyes, but I didn’t say no. He let me go, and I sauntered into the house. I didn’t want to leave without telling Tesha bye, but I was mentally drained on top of being drunk and full. I just wanted a shower and my bed. After throwing the plate and my cup in the trash, I walked toward the living room, through the foyer, and out of the door.
Less than a minute later, Kastian joined me on the porch.
