It All Started With a Diary

retaliation|part 3

Ha, I thought. Speak for your own damn self.

I froze. Susie had something to do with our move? So, they'd known each other before we got here, I just couldn't connect how. But, Kade had reminded me that we were connected so perhaps they were as well.

They all continued to talk while I attempted to rush time. It was a failing act so far. My head began to spin as we moved to the loud kitchen. 

The room was crowded, even though it was one of the largest spaces here. It took everyone a second to notice our presence, but when they did, I suddenly felt tiny in the formal attire I wore.

Susie's sister, who I remembered as Shannon, smiled as she saw us. "Well, why are you guys just standing there?"

My dad smiled at her, before turning towards a smiling Teresa. "Ready, dear?"

I bit back a snarky remark as she nodded. Just as a treacherous thought passed, another pounding to the head mentally broke me down. As quickly as possible, I stumbled to a vacant chair.

The table was full of different pastries and treats. My face almost fell smack into an arm as it placed my plate down. I looked up to thank the person, then realized I recognized them as a stranger.

He was an African-American man, caramel-skinned, with dreads done in a bun behind his head. His light-browned eyes were warm, and his smile was so contagious, I found one growing on my lips.

His eyes crinkled with a kind smile. "Nice to meet you," he said to me, offering a hand out.

Slowly, I placed my hand in his. "You too..." I trailed off my sentence for the stranger's name.

"Louise, and what is yours?" I added his name to my head mentally, before answering him, "Kimberly."

"Oh, I'm sorry, how rude of me!" Susie appeared, smiling at us both before placing a hand on Louise's back. "Kimberly, this is my business partner, who I also title as one of my close friends."

"After all these years?" Louise made a silly expression, side-glancing Susie. "Come on, Su, at least give me a 'best friend' title."

"Oh," Susie chuckled, her face flushing under his gaze, which looked magically drawn to her. "We'll see of an upgrade if our next deal goes through successfully."

"I'll hold you to it."

I nodded, biting back a knowing smile. By the close contact, the slight glances the two shared with one another, and the invisible string of attraction, I knew that they were more than they let on. Far more.

I was happy for Susie though, in all honesty. It seemed that she couldn't catch a break in life, and now things were slightly turning around for her in the relationship department. I could only hope it would turn out the same way with her son.

Speaking of him, he was nowhere to be found. In a way, I knew that this was beneficial to me, but damn it if my heart didn't say otherwise.

"Where's your boy, Susie?" a man of very dark baby-blues, and a rounded gut asked. I recognized him from their last get together, but I never spoke to him directly.

Susie frowned, with a sigh to follow. "He should be down in a minute, you know how he is." I didn't miss the side-glance her and his aunt—who I remembered as Caylee—shared.

Time stretched on painfully slowly. Through this time, I mentally made check of who was who.

I had already met his aunts, one of his uncles, and one of his cousins. But, the rest of the people in here were strangers.