Hired To Love

Chapter Eighteen

Keon's statement reminded me that in just one month when I turned eighteen, he and I would be divorced and I would be on my own. I feared that part. I've never been alone and to be honest, even though I've plotted my escape back at the foster home plenty of times, I never carried them out because I didn't want to end up alone. I damn sure didn't want to end up alone now either. Keon promised me a place of my own, a car to get around in and plenty of money to live off of until I was stable enough to find work. Plus, my tuition for Spelman would be taken care of. I didn't want to be alone though. And despite the fact that Keon and I have gotten to know each other more, I didn't feel comfortable telling him this. I needed Brianna. She was my ear.

"Where you runnin' off to?"

I avoided looking at him so he wouldn't see the tears in my eyes. "Gotta make a phone call."

"Now you know damn well I don't know what you said...but I see your jaw moving a bit so I know you said something."

Shit.

I took a deep breath and instantly felt the tears in my eyes go away. I turned to him and signed this time as I spoke,

[Be back, phone call.]

He turned his head away and resumed drinking. I grabbed my kimono and cell phone and rushed back inside. As tears streamed down my face, I rushed through the large suite looking for a secluded area to cry and call Brianna. I didn't want to be caught by Zaire, our chef or Keon. I just wanted to cry and vent in peace. Was that so much to ask? On my way, I heard the chef say that lunch would be done soon. I yelled out an okay, making a note to make this phone call as quick as possible so no one would come looking for me.

I found the sauna room and decided this would be the place. The second I heard Brianna's sweet voice on the other end, I broke down crying. She released a soft gasp and asked me what was wrong. In the background, I could hear Kyle's mutter some things.

"No no it's fine...yeah go back to sleep..."

I hit my hand over my forehead, "Oh my God I woke you up I'm so sorry Bri. I'll call you later-"

"You really think I'm gonna let you hang up without telling me what's wrong? I told you to call me whenever Naiya. I don't care what time it is. Now tell me what's wrong?"

And I just poured everything out. I honestly thought she wouldn't be able to understand me with all the crying I was doing but she would respond here and there letting me know she was still keeping up with it me. By the time I was done, I was shaking a bit. Brianna managed to calm me down out of my finishing dramatic statement.

"He doesn't hate you Naiya."

"How do you know?"

"Because if he did he would tell you. You've been living with Keon for how long?"

"Almost two months..."

"And y'all have been hanging around each other for a while now. The things he's done for you, the things you've done for him? Learning sign language meant a lot to him and he won't tell you this but I will because Kyle and I can just look at him and tell. He doesn't hate you Naiya. And you won't be alone after all of this. You're still a part of this family even if you get that last name dropped. You'll still have me to call and hang out with. You won't be alone, cut all of that talk out you hear me?"

I nodded, wiping my eyes. "Yes."

"Okay, now wipe your face and go back out there. You're in St. Marten for God's sake Naiya! Have some fun and try not to think about this again okay?"

"I'll try."

"Good, bring me back a souvenir too."

"I will."

It's crazy how a different person came out of that room than the one who went in. I splashed some water into my eyes from the bathroom and gave myself a few minutes to recuperate before I followed the smell of food. In the dining room, Keon was already sitting. He was tapping away at the large screen of his cell phone with a focused look on his face. His shades were long gone but his hat remained. He looked up at me and then cut his eyes away to his phone again.

Sighing, I took a seat and did a little prayer in my head. The butler, whose name I seriously needed to get, came over and placed a brand new piña colada in front of me. Keon had settled on water with lemon. I began to eat, seeing as Keon already started to but may have paused to tend to his cell phone that was still in his hands with his fingers moving quickly across the screen. The tapping sounds of him texting was the only sound in the room aside from my fork hitting the plate as I picked at the crab cake and salad. Everything looked good but I just couldn't find it in myself to eat.

I looked away, feeling his eyes on me. It was nerve wrecking...this silence I mean. This was only the first day of our 'honeymoon' and already I was wishing that it was the last day. I wished that he and I didn't have that conversation outside because it ruined the happy mood we were in before it. I just hope he snaps out of his feelings in time for me to enjoy this vacation. I forced myself to eat.

After I finished majority of my food, I allowed the butler to remove my plate and glass before I got up to go into the master bedroom. I wanted to shower off the chlorine and head into town for some souvenirs. I could always wait but I really needed an excuse to get out of here for a little bit-

"You think I hate you Naiya?"