Old Friends (Janet and Toni Fanfic)

Chapter 58

"I saw her call, and yes, I dismissed it while you were in the shower," I admitted before this could become any more painful. She sighed and looked around. "I'm sorry. I should have told you."

  "Why would you do that? I mean, you saw what happened. You know that we're hanging on by an invisible thread at this point." Her voice came across pained. I swallowed my food and wiped my hands off on a napkin.

  "And that's why I did it, Toni. I mean, we had such a beautiful night, and you were in high spirits when you woke up, and I knew we had to move all of that stuff out. I just didn't want you—what?"

She was nodding her head, looking down at her plate that she had yet to touch. I took a sip of my mimosa, instantly wishing that it was stronger.

  "Nothing, it's..." She chuckled. "Sounds pretty selfish to me."

  "Selfish?" I furrowed my eyebrows. "I call myself looking out for you, honey. How is it selfish? Please explain."

  "You liked the fact that I finally got over myself to give you some attention again, right? And you knew that if I had answered that phone, some shit would have went down, and you wouldn't be getting that anymore."

She was absolutely right. "No, that's not what I was thinking at all," I said. "I was thinking that maybe it was too soon—"

"And who should be the one to decide if it's too soon or not? You're not even in the top two list of people who should be calling that shot, by the way." She leaned back and crossed her arms. Even though her mad face was undoubtedly turning me on, I felt my nostrils flare in discontent.

"Let me recall back to four nights ago when that woman literally made you sick into a bathtub. Four nights, Toni. I think it's pretty unanimous that less than a week is not enough time to recover from something like that."

  "That woman? She's my mother, Janet. And I don't care if she disowned me five minutes ago. If she calls me, I want to know about it, and I want to have the option to answer. Why is this even a conversation?"

  "Maybe because I care about your wellbeing? And I watched you suffer for three days straight? And I know you like that back of my hand. That conversation would have been horrific. And guess who would be left to pick up all your broken pieces, Toni."

  She pushed her chair back and looked into her full mimosa glass, her tongue sticking the inside of her cheek. If she got up from this table, I would lose it. I hated when she got dismissive.

  "Well, Janet, I'm sorry I'm such a shit-show that you have to hold me together all the time. How bold of me to think you cared enough to get me through something like this with unwavering support." Her voice was low and distraught. I put my head in my hands.

"Toni Braxton, you know that is not what I'm saying at all. You know that. But put yourself in my shoes, huh? I stayed up all night, all day, in that bed with you while you grieved."

  "And I guess I was just picking roses, huh?"

I sighed. "Clearly, you're not gonna see this from my point of view, so—"

  "That's just it! This has nothing to do with your point of view! It doesn't concern you at all! This is about me and my mother—"

A flash of lightning lit up the room before the power was knocked out and thunder shook my entire residence. It made me jump and nearly fall out of my chair. "Shit," I mumbled.

  One of my staff members immediately flickered on a flash light, bringing an eery glow to the kitchen. My phone rang soon after.

  "Yes?"