Now that we know

Chapter 19 - Friends

Nijada looked at the tv as she watched the news reports on her mother's financial and personal life unravel by media. She was quiet and had been quiet ever since she lost Keegan. She loved her daughter very much, she just wished that she had been Keegan's daughter and she knew she would still have him now. The next item on the news talked about Keegan's bash, which would see, stars and state officials there. She felt sick.
"Turn that damn tv off!." Greta snapped as she sat with a 12 year old whiskey bottle in her hands. She laughed. "This bottle is worth more than my entire life right now." She said in her drunken stupor.

"Put a sock in it!." Nijada snapped.

Her mother looked at her. "Excuse me.. if you wouldn't have opened your legs to every Tom, Dick and Harry we wouldn't be in this mess... princess!." She snapped.

"Will you SHUT UP!.." she yelled suddenly. "I lost the man I love... and you don't give a damn because you don't love anyone.. not even dad... I should have opted to stay with him...

"He didn't want you there Nijada... you shamed him..

"You shamed him!." She snapped back.

"We can still abduct his babies... we can still do that..." Greta said. Nijada shook her head and took her jacket heading out.

—————

The guests were arriving at Keegan's place. He held these elite functions from time to time. He got through to the top of his game by hustling on the streets in the day, now he more or less sat back and just over saw the business deals and shipments. Worked with suppliers and invested his money. The people arriving were of huge financial Calibre.

"So that fine woman over there, who is she?."

Keegan looked over at what he was looking at. "Charisma, she is my girl." Keegan said to Gregory, who was a big investor and dealer in his underground arms business.

"I thought you were married to Greta and Alfie's daughter?."

"Yeah.. they had too much pinned on me to keep their livelihoods afloat. I don't need a sponger, I need an equal...

"Well. Word is Alfie's going alone.. he has a new woman too."

Keegan smirked. "Good luck to him.. Greta had no business mind.. but Alfie on the other hand he could probably make it..

Gregory stayed staring at Charisma. "She's a beautiful woman."

"Yes she is...

"Where did you meet her...

He smiled. " we've actually been together just over two years.. she was my girl from day one.. I gotta lot of making up to do with her..

——————

Lauren collected her coffee from the counter and sat in the far corner of the coffee shop. It didn't take long for Nijada to join her. Lauren looked at her. "How are you!."

"Lauren why do you care..

"Because I do care about all my friends.. all the lies needed to come out.. no one was ever going to be happy with all of those things hanging over you.. and Keegan's a good man he didn't deserve that..

"How's charisma?." Nijada asked.

"She's doing okay.. her and the twins are back in LA now and happy with Keegan.. have you spoken to him at all?"

"There is no need, we now have absolutely no reason to talk.. he's fast tracking the divorce papers.. he just wants me gone." She sighed.

"I hate how sad you are and I really wish that you and Charisma would talk. You are sisters.. and you were best friends.. what happened to the pair of you wasn't fair...but everything is back in line and how it should be and you will find some one for you.. it won't always be like this.."

"I feel too embarrassed, I let myself down.. I loved him you know.. it wasn't all for show like he probably thinks it is.. I just hurt right now.. I know I fucked up and made mistakes.. but I really love him."

Lauren touched her hand. "You'll find some one.. you just need to get away from your controlling mother.. and start living your life.... why don't you go and stay with your dad, he still has the house, the money.. he is still living the highlife up there..

"He got Chloe about to drop, with my new sister.. and god knows who he's boning up there.. do you know something both of my parents ain't shit.." she wiped the stray tears from her eyes before they dropped.

"Then get your own place and get your life back together.. they've taken too much from you already.. you and Alexis deserve happiness, you're 24 years old... you don't need to hang onto the apron strings anymore they always made you depend on them and they chose a direction for your life to go in... And even though you may have loved Keegan that relationship was imposed on you and him too... he loved Charisma and deep down you knew that.." Lauren told her. "Get in touch with your sister you two need each other, more than you know,"

——————-

Keegan walked up behind Charisma and kissed her shoulder, she turned to look at him with a smile on her face. "I'm done networking.. I just wanna curl up with you.."

"I'm not done networking" she said to him as she turned and kissed his lips. "I'm picking up some high end clients for my life skills classes."

"Mmm do you know what the best part about this is... being able to kiss you and hold you in public and let everyone know how much I fucking love you.. and I don't have to hide you away in a bedroom anymore." He said to her. "This right here, feels so good." He kissed her lips.

Lauren walked in and wrapped her arms around Ryan. "Where have you been." Ryan asked her.

" I went to see Nijada.. she is in a bad way and I just wanted to be there and reach out. It's not fair that she should lose absolutely everything when at the end of the day all of this was down to her fucked-up parents." She said.

Ryan brushed her hair back behind her ear and smiled at her. "You know what.. yo heart is too dam big.. but you can't solve every problem."

"I know." She sighed. "But at least I've managed to talk NI into meeting with Charisma.. no matter what anyone thinks those two need each other." She said.

" good luck convincing Keegan of that."

"It's not down to Keegan it's down to Charisma.. everyone needs to stop controlling their lives, they are sisters and all they really have is each other...."