Page 5 of Mister Musician

ChapterFour

Saint

There was no point in Saint trying to hide the scowl that covered his face as he left his attorney’s office. With flaring nostrils and eyes that were cold and hard, Saint tried to breathe deeply as his body flushed with heat.

Saint wasn’t sure why he’d even gone to meet with his lawyer to begin with. That wasn’t the first time they’d discussed the contracts he’d signed with Tristan over the years, and Saint was sure it wouldn’t be the last. Losing and hurting Whitney had Saint wanting to risk it all just to be free of Tristan. Though his attorney stressed the importance of Saint reconsidering divorce, Saint didn’t know what other options he had.

If he stayed with Tristan, Saint would never be truly happy or at peace. If he divorced her, he would lose literally everything—his older homes, cars, and his masters. Material things would be easy to replace. All of Saint’s money wasn’t tied to his music. There were sponsorships, brand deals, and even a few acting gigs he’d done over the years that paid him well.

What bothered him most was the clause in his contract that said he couldn’t drop any new music or ghostwrite for profit for ten years or start his own label if they divorced and he left the label. The worst decision Saint ever made was trusting Tristan years ago and allowing her to handle his legal affairs. Now, he paid for it every day of his life.

Hopping into his black-on-black Aston Martin Victor, Saint thought over his next move. It was a rare occasion where he had a few days off between shows. While a part of him wanted to stay in Los Angeles and rest, Saint feared his anger with Tristan would lead to him doing something reckless. Going home to Memphis was an option, but that would make him want to pull up on Whitney, and he promised to leave her alone.

Needing a change of scenery, Saint called his assistant, Elizabeth, and told her to make travel arrangements for him in Saint Lucia for the next few days. While he’d never put his hands on Tristan and didn’t plan to start now, she had a bad habit of pushing every one of his buttons to get a reaction out of him. After dealing with the toxicity of their relationship for almost two decades, Saint was simply… tired.

The entire time he drove home, he tried to weigh the pros and cons of staying married to Tristan. True enough, she didn’t expect him to be faithful, and there was clearly no love between them, but the situation with Whitney was proof of what happened when boundaries and commitment weren’t in place. When needs weren’t being met… when there was a lack of care, consideration, and respect.

Saint pulled into his long, winding driveway, wishing there was a wife and children there waiting for him. But with the lot he’d been casted in life, Saint feared that would never be the case. Out of his thirty-five years of living, there was only one woman he’d considered going half on a baby with. Now, that woman was ignoring his calls because she didn’t want to have anything to do with him at all.

In no rush to go inside the massive mansion and have his ears drowned with silence, Saint called his sister, Cartier. Meeting her at their father’s funeral fifteen years ago made a bittersweet moment beautiful. Saint had never met his mom or dad. His grandparents raised him. That in itself created concrete around his heart, but meeting Cartier… Meeting Cartier was the balm his bruised heart and ego needed. Meeting Cartier was like meeting himself. For the first time, he felt like he was no longer alone in the world. She wasn’t just his sister; she was a human being who understood and shared the same pain. Together, they healed each other with their sibling love, and there wasn’t anything Saint wouldn’t do for his younger sister.

“Hey, big bro,” Cartier answered, and Saint could hear the smile in her voice.

“What’s up, baby? What you doin’?”

“I’m chilling right now, but I might go down to the lounge and work a shift if I get too bored. Zay is going out with the guys tonight, so you know how that goes.”

Saint chuckled and nodded his head. When the crew got together, they stayed out for hours. Hosea probably wouldn’t make it back home until two or three o’clock in the morning unless Cartier had something to offer to bait him back in.

“I hear that. Wish I was there. I need a good night out at this point.”

“What’s going on?”

Saint didn’t want to go into too much detail, but there wasn’t anything he didn’t share with his sister. He didn’t, however, want Cartier to know he was considering divorce. If she did, she’d get happy and expect him to go through with it, and Saint hadn’t fully made up his mind yet. None of his friends and family liked Tristan. Back in the day, they approved of her as a friend, but according to his grandmother, there had always been something about Tristan that was… off. Mae didn’t believe Tristan was pure or held the best intentions when it came down to her grandson, but her actions said the opposite, so that was what Saint believed.

Their bond had never been a romantic one when they were young. More than anything, Tristan was Saint’s best friend. She believed in him and supported his music. She helped him in school when he struggled with things no one else was aware of. Saint gave Tristan a place in his life that was built on unconditional love. A love that transcended romantic feelings. Her place in his life was above everyone… even God, but because he didn’t offer his heart… that wasn’t enough.

“I just left my attorney’s office. I’m not saying it’s happening anytime soon, but I’ve been looking into my options if me and Tristan get a divorce.”

Cartier’s yelp was so loud Saint had to lower the volume in the car. He had the call on Bluetooth and should have known she’d get excited. As he laughed, Saint rested his head against the headrest. A lazy smile kept the corners of his mouth lifted as Cartier thanked God.

“Don’t get too excited, now. I haven’t made up my mind yet, Car.”

“Just the fact that you’re even considering it lets me know it’s going to happen. Is this about what happened with Whitney?”

“Yeah.” His chest, his heart, ached. Saint’s tone was flat as he said, “I can’t get her tears… her cries… out my head, sis. That shit broke some’ inside of me.”

Cartier sighed. “I know that messed with you, but it wasn’t just on you. Whitney knew you were married, and you didn’t know Tristan was out here raw dogging it with strangers. We both know if you did, you wouldn’t have had sex with her. And even if you did, you would have strapped up.”

“Fa sho. I didn’t just put Whit at risk, I risked my own health and life too. You know that ain’t how I move.”

“I know that, and she does too. More than anything, I think she’s just hurt right now. It’s easy to ignore a person’s cheating or sleeping with someone else until you have physical proof. And whether that proof is an STD or a baby, it reminds you of the fact that you’re not the only one. Are you going to try and fix things with Whitney?”

Saint thought over that question long and hard. Some days, his mind told him to leave her be. Other days, his heart told him to go after her. Either way, he wasn’t prepared to do anything until he had a clean bill of health and was free of Tristan.

“I’m thinkin’ about it. I told her I would let her go. I know she deserves better.”

“I agree, but she can get that better from you when you divorce Tristan’s crazy ass. Do what’s best for you, Saint.”

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