SERENITY PAYTON
"Donte what did he say to you?" I asked, turning around to fully face him, feeling myself getting angry.
Donte shook his head and crossed his arms. "He keeps telling me to remember my place when it comes to you, when I didn't do anything. And the way he says it, it's like he's threatening me."
I rolled my eyes and ran my hands through my hair, trying to mentally tell myself to relax before I lost every ounce of home training that I was born with.
"I told him I didn't want him to start this shit today..." I said, slamming my hand down on the table.
"Rini, it's fine, okay?" he said, moving closer to me and placing his hand on my arm. "At the end of the day, he's gonna do what he wanna do..."
I shook my head. "No! It's not okay, Donte! I can't keep doing this...I don't want Landon to grow up seeing this or hearing this! I didn't want this for myself and I'm sick of this shit!"
"Rini...breathe," Donte told me. "I kind of understands how he feels, okay? I was in his shoes once too."
"And look where that landed us!" I shouted, stamping my foot.
Donte paused and just looked at me for a few moments like he was trying to understand what I had just said. He usually did this when he was attempting to figure me out; and like normal, I had suddenly become nervous underneath his gaze.
"Is this about you and him? Or me and you?" he asked.
I froze, realizing what he meant. "I...I don't know."
"Rini, is there something that you need to or want to tell me?" Donte asked, a small smirk growing on his face.
Yes. Yes there is...
Grinning, I shook my head and sighed. "N-No...I just...I'm gonna talk to him, okay?"
"It's not that serious, Rini..." Donte chuckled. "It really isn't because I'm not...I'm not threatened by him."
"Well I don't like how he treats you!" I said, crossing my arms.
Donte sighed and grinned. "Same old stubborn Serenity..."
Annoyed, I glared at him and crossed my arms while he just grinned at me. We did this for a few more moments before a smile crept onto my face and the both of us doubled over with laughter.
"Seriously, though," I said, pushing my hair behind my ear. "I'm gonna talk to him. Because...I genuinely don't like how he treats you. I don't think it's fair."
Donte shrugged. "Maybe it's my karma."
"You deserve nothing but good karma, Donte DiVincenzo," I told him, taking a step towards him and placing my hand on his chest. "You have a good heart."
My hand lingered on his chest as I felt his heartbeat speed up and smiled softly to myself. Donte looked down at me with a faint smile as our eyes met.
Just us standing here like this reminded me of the days when Donte and I's relationship was easier, less complicated and free. I missed those days and wished on every single star in the sky to get those days back.
Sure, it had only been a year since Donte and I ended things, but it felt like a million years. You know that feeling that you get where your heart knows that you belong with someone, but it also knows that it isn't the right time?
That's how it feels with Donte right now...
And it's killing me. But I also feel like we don't have long to go to find our way back, but there's a completely new complication in our lives: Jaren.
I didn't regret things with Jaren...but I just didn't understand why things had to be so hard with him, it's like instead of moving forward in life; I moved backwards partner wise.
I only say this because I didn't want to feel like I had to constantly watch my back or watch what I did because of my partner's jealousy...and here Jaren is: being the definition of jealous and angry.
I feel like I'd be happier with Jaren if things were easier. Different. If he wasn't always constantly bringing up Donte for comparison.
For someone who wants me to forget about him, he sure brings him up a lot...
Snapping back into reality, I quickly moved my hand from off of his chest and slipped my hands down to my slides and gave him an uneasy smile that he also returned.
"We should go back..." I mumbled. "We have to sing happy birthday to Landon..."
Hurt and confusion flashed across Donte's face before he quickly masked it with a smile and nodded his head. "Yeah...okay."
"Are you okay?" I asked him.
Donte smiled, but it didn't match his eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Liar.
"Donte—."
"Seriously, Rini," he said. "I'm fine. Ain't nothing I'm not already used to..."
I jerked my head back. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Donte let out a breath through his nose and shook his head. "Nothing. Forget it, let's just go out and celebrate our son, okay?"
"Okay..." I mumbled, suddenly feeling bad.
Donte walked out of the kitchen and back out into the party, while I stood there in the kitchen completely stuck.
I felt a pressure on my heart that I hadn't felt since the day Landon was born and Donte walked into that elevator. It was a pressure so strong that it would further split my heart into more pieces than it was already in.
Suddenly, I felt like I was gonna start crying and that's exactly what happened. And when I cried, my chest began hurting and it felt like I had been crying not only for what had just happened in this moment, but for every emotion I had been holding back since that day.
"Rini," Amour said, walking into the kitchen. "Why aren't you—...Oh shit. ASIA!"
A few moments later, Asia and Angel walked into the kitchen, their expressions first full of confusion, but once they saw me, their expressions morphed into sympathy and sadness as they quickly walked over to me.
"What's wrong? What happened?" Asia asked, handing me a tissue.
I shook my head and let out a small laugh. "I don't know what to do anymore...I can't handle this."
"Can't handle what?" Angel asked.
"The pressure of all this..." I sobbed. "I just don't understand how people do this shit!"
"Do what?" Amour asked.
"How do they just...not get conflicted..." I mumbled, wiping my face.
Asia sighed and sat down beside me. "This is about Donte, isn't it?"
"Yes and no..." I mumbled, running my hands down my face.
"It's about Jaren, too..." Amour said, putting two and two together.
Angel nodded, understanding what was now going on—or at least the bare minimum of it, at least. "So, you're feeling torn."
"I don't feel...torn...I know where my heart belongs and who it belongs to it's just..." I trailed off, shaking my head.
"It's not the right time yet..." Asia said. "But you can feel the pull, right?"
I nodded and turned to Asia. "Yeah, how do you know what that feels like...?"
Asia shrugged. "That's how it was with Juan for a while...trust me, I know the feeling, but you just have to allow yourself to get to whatever point needed until it is y'all time."
"And as for you and Jaren, I don't know what to tell you about that," Amour murmured. "When it comes down to you two...I can tell he's afraid of losing you and he's afraid that he's not enough for you."
Angel shrugged. "And let's face it, he's not."
"Angel!" Asia exclaimed in shock.
"What? She's right," Amour said. "But...he's right for her in this moment. This is a simple case of wrong person, right time. Donte and Rini are right person, wrong time."
"And how do you know this?" Asia asked, placing her hand on her hip.
Amour shrugged. "I'm an author...I write about shit like this."
"Okay, but not everything is a love story..." Angel pointed out.
Amour nodded. "You're right, but Rini and Donte...they're relationship technically could be."
Asia sighed and plucked Amour's forehead, then turned to me. "Look, Serenity...I know this is hard for you right now, but you're going to get past this.
You're a strong woman and an amazing mother. Right now, you just need to focus on the fact that today is Landon's day...even though he's one, you don't want him to see you like this because he feeds off of your emotions."
I nodded and wiped my face and attempted to shake off everything I was feeling and did what I did best.
Choke down the emotions...and put a smile on my face.
"Okay...okay...I got this..." I mumbled, more-so to myself than anyone else.
"You gonna be okay?" Angel asked.
I nodded. "Yeah...uhmm...do you know where the cake is?"
"Uh, in the fridge.." Amour said, but it came out as more of a question. "Where you last put it..."
I laughed and nodded. "Oh right..."
~
JORDAN POOLE
I knew something was wrong when I saw Asia, Amour and Angel go into there kitchen where Rini was.
I also knew something was wrong when Rini came back out with red swollen eyes and a wide smile on her face with the cake in her hands like nothing was wrong...when clearly it was something wrong with her.
I just didn't know what...
Landon was playing with Klay and Steph so, I decided to take the time out to talk to Jaren. I noticed something off between the two of them and I needed to get to the bottom of this.
Jaren is like a brother to me, but Serenity is my best friend. As her best friend, I try my hardest to protect her throughout everything ever since I saw her go into a terrible headspace after Landon was born.
I know that Jaren and Serenity got into a big fight the day after Landon was born that caused Donte to leave and caused a strain between Donte and Serenity. That strain...it affected her in the worst way possible.
She went into a...slump. And it was hard to get her out of it.
And now, I'm afraid that now, her relationship with Jaren is going to send her back into that mindset again, but if she lets it happen, I fear that it may be worse than it was the first time.
So I decided to take the time out to talk to him about whatever is going on between them before Rini could because judging by how things were earlier I didn't think that their personal discussion would be good.
"Jaren..."
Jaren looked up and smirked. "Wassup, JP?"
"We need to talk about you and Rini." I said, getting straight to the point.
Jaren shrugged. "What about us?"
"Do you realize that how you're acting is the same reason why her and Donte didn't work out in the beginning?" I said, crossing my arms.
Jaren sighed. "We really doing this right now, JP?"
"Yeah," I said firmly. "We are. Now listen. You may think that you're trying to protect your relationship, but that's not what you're doing. You're hurting her, and you're gonna eventually hurt Landon once he's old enough to catch onto this shit."
Jaren chuckled and nodded his head. "I get where you're coming from, but with all do respect, Imma need you to mind your business, ight?"
"Nigga Rini is my best friend," I snapped. "Which makes her my fucking business. If you had any goddamn sense you'd stop acting like an insecure dickhead and make shit right with her!"
Jaren rolled his eyes. "You try to act so hard when you not, nigga. Like I said, worry about your own relationship instead of mine."
I scoffed and shook my head. "Fuck this man. I'm not even gon try to help you. At this rate, you ain't gon have a relationship to worry about and this time I won't be there to help you beg for her back!"
"Man I don't need this shit from you," Jaren waved me off, rolling his eyes. "I'm here for my son, nigga!"
~
SERENITY PAYTON
"LANDON AIN'T YOUR SON, NIGGA!"
All of our heads turned—including Landon's—as we set the cake in front of him, seeing Jordan and Jaren in each others faces like they had just gotten into a heated argument that none of us noticed until now.
Please no...not today...I cannot take anymore drama
"Shut up, Jordan!" Jaren said through gritted teeth.
Jordan shook his head. "We all know this is what it's always been about. Your jealousy towards Donte has always been about Landon not being yours! Grow up, you're not his father!
Your dream of having a child with Rini died the moment...the very moment that Donte walked into her life. That's why you don't like him; that's why you try to be like him and compare yourself to him."
It had gone completely silent and I saw the look in Jordan's eyes that made me pick Landon up from out of his high chair and hand him to Klay.
Immediately, Klay took him inside just in time, because the moment that Klay stepped inside of the house with Landon...
Jaren threw the first punch.
~
END OF CH. 02
Drama already...I love it here 🤌🏼
What did y'all think??