Thy Neighbor II: Lovin' The Crew

Chapter One

Mahalia knew this day was coming.

"Even though I know you're upset, I do need deets. Was it good?"

Ciara looks up at Mahalia in disgust. Ciara thought she had things under control, satiating her own desires to keep her from asking Trevante to do it for her. But when he caught an attitude after she turned down a midday office phone sex session, she felt she had no choice but to give in. She wanted to have sex with Trevante anyway, she reasoned with herself. She cried when she got back into her apartment that morning. Not because the sex was so good.

"He's okay."

"Just okay?! What?! O-K?!"

"I mean, he did his thing. Nothing I'd write home about, you know what I mean?"

"So you broke your rule for some mediocre dick? I'm outraged for you."

Mahalia pulls Ciara's close to her, caressing her head through her jumbo braids. She could tell that Ciara felt terrible for going all the way with Trevante especially since he didn't deserve it. At least that's how Mahalia feels. She was so angry when Ciara told her about how Trevante came through for her after she saw Y'lan at the Proverbs event. She quickly thought of Trevante's move to be "manipulative trash" and that he couldn't be trusted. She'd say slick words to Trevante whenever they'd all hang out at Ngosi. She even told Ciara that she rather see her back with Y'lan than deal with Trevante. That's how much she was over him.

"If I cared to be there, I think it would have been better."

"Don't make excuses for him, please. He's wack."

Ciara needs that second of laughter to erupt from within her in this moment.

"You know just what to say, Sis."

"Are you okay, Ciara? Seriously. I know how much this celibacy thing means to you."

"To be honest, I'm pretty numb right now. I knew it was going to happen. But I thought it'd be different than this. I thought I'd at least get an orgasm out of it."

"Wait. A. Damn. Minute. Trevante ain't make you..."

"Nah..."

"You got wine in this house, right?"

Mahalia grabs two wine glasses with urgency. They need to drink this all the way off.

"I can't believe I gave him 'obligation box', Mahalia. I thought I was done with that mess."

"You did. But you don't have to anymore. You've been talking about ending things with Trevante for a minute."

"Yeah, true. Only because..."

Ciara looks down at her phone to see a text from Trevante.

Can't wait to get home to you...

Mahalia already knows the deal as Ciara types back...

Can't wait to see you, love...