"Nia." Her name softly fell from his lips and she soaked in his sweet breath like a pancake to syrup. Her eyes were low and she was watching his chest rise and fall. She couldn't look at him just yet. She was frozen in place.
With just this brazen...
Nia woke up the next morning feeling extremely out of sorts, even more so than the night before, but there was one thing that she was certain of - her relationship with Colin had to end. Though the realization was somewhat devastating, she went through the motions of her typical Saturday nonetheless. She had sent the text just before arriving at Go2Cycle, shoving her phone in her locker once she saw Colin's reply. At that moment, in her world, her schedule was the only sensical thing that was anchoring her from shaving her head and checking herself in.
Up until last night, she had been able to rationalize every decision that she made pertaining to loving Malcolm and dating Colin. But no matter what angle she looked at her actions last night from, they all seemed to show how madly in love she was with Malcolm in 4K. And dating someone else, anyone else, even the most perfect man on earth, had to be a sin once you realized that.
"Once you realize what he didn't do hurts more than what was done, pack it up, it's a wrap, that man has your heart." Raven said to Nia outside of Medina Supper Club last night as they waited for valet to bring her car around.
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Nia crossed her arms to protect her chest from the chill of the night, and to also soothe her wounds; comforting the space where her heart used to be.
"He did call her name, though." Sarina defended.
"He should be out here, though. He should have come after Nia instead of retreating back to his ménage à trois. Where are his priorities right now?" Jonelle's voice carried a serious edge.
"Let's give him some grace... Maybe he's heartbroken and confused?" Sarina asked.
"Or maybe he's trash like 90% of the men in the city are." Nia tuned into their conversation. "Maybe this is exactly what I was trying to avoid and why I shouldn't take any man seriously. Ever." Nia turned to face Sarina. "Riri, I think it's time that you and I both face it - Mac has run out of excuses. And quite frankly, I'm tired of making them up for him."
The fog from last night had carried through to the day and it was like she was beside herself – watching herself do and say everything but not feeling like she was physically present. The numbness of loss had spread through her body and she didn't know how to process it.
Blowing Nia off for a week to go party with friends hurt. But giving her the cold shoulder and asking for space when they'd never been apart before felt like a cruel and unusual punishment for a crime she didn't even commit.
It didn't make sense.
But the one thing Nia knew for certain since last night, the one thing that she had no doubts about in her mind after seeing Malcolm at that bar, surrounded by all those women, was that she wasn't in love with Colin.
