NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
BRADLEY HUGHES ,
Bradley's eyes hawked over Rashad as he wheeled his suitcase out in front of him. Since their heated discussion, they hadn't spoken a word to each other. Neither knew what to say or do. As of right now, they both thought it would've best to keep it that way. Emotions were still up in the air so the last thing either needed was to say something unforgiving.
As Rashad made his way towards the door of their bedroom, he halted in his tracks. "New York wasn't supposed to be a solo trip, I already had your ticket booked," He informed Bradley.
She was aware. Alex wanted his entire family in attendance for his big night, however Bradley wasn't sure how she could stomach being the ideal couple at the moment when things were in shambles. Bradley cleared her throat in hopes of her voice not sounding cracked and broken since she had been crying for longer than she ever wanted to. "I don't think I can," She shakes her head.
Rashad's shoulders sulked downwards as he let out a sigh. "I think we can put our differences aside just for a night. I can make arrangements so we won't have to be in each other's space if needed,"
"I'm sorry but we can't fake what's not there," Bradley refused. "No one will even notice I'm not there,"
Rashad sighs. "They will. Let's just keep up the image for the night then you can fly back home,"
"We're not Kimora and Jerome. As much as you think it's a good idea, we both know that we won't be able to do it. We're genuine people who do genuine things. We won't be able to keep up an image," Bradley explained to him through a drained voice. She couldn't fault Rashad not wanting any speculations around them no longer being together, but they were going to have to face it sooner or later. She would much rather people to speculate rather than go to a high demand event and look forced.
"Bradley I'm not ready for the speculations or the questions. This shit came from left field, can you really blame me?" Rashad attempted to bargain with her. Although he was extremely upset, he hadn't reached the stage of acceptance yet. It still felt a bit surreal so he didn't want to deal with the media with their questions and conspiracy theories.
Bradley stressfully raked her fingers through her hair. "Okay," She agreed. "I'll meet you in New York I guess," She shrugs her shoulders.
Rashad nods. "Alright, see you in New York," He says to her before proceeded out of the door.
It felt odd saying goodbye to each other in this way. Usually their goodbyes would require Rashad prying Bradley off of him or an abundance amount of kisses and I love you's. Things were different now.
Rashad met Alex downstairs since they planned on going to the airport together. Not too far behind, Bradley descended down the stairs catching sight of Alex playing around with the twins. "Next time you see unc he's gonna be in the NBA," Alex boasted with a triumphant laugh.
A light smile goes across Bradley's face as she made her way over to Alex so Blake and Jace wouldn't have him stay any longer than he should—they had that affect on people. "I'm proud of you Alex," Bradley tells him as he smoothly handed Jace over to her.
"Preciate it Brad," He pulled her into a side hug. "I'll see you in New York right?" He eyed his sister in law. No one knew what state Rashad and Bradley's relationship was in. Rashad didn't really tell anyone about Bradley kissing Sincere back. That was something he was going to keep between him and Bradley. As far as Alex was concerned, the two was just having one of their silly disagreements that would blow over in no time.
Bradley glanced over at Rashad who had his golden brown eyes set on her already. He was giving her the look of confirmation which led her to nod her head. "Of course Lex, I wouldn't miss it,"
Alex smile spread across his face widely. "Bet,"
Rashad shifted his orbs down to the watch that crannied his wrist, checking the time. "We should head out, traffic might be crazy," He says as he maneuvered away from the door so he could say his goodbyes to the twins. He took Jace from Bradley's arms before picking Blake up from the standing position she was in on the couch.
As always, he gave them the usual kisses which caused laughter to erupt from them. He eventually handed the twins back over to Bradley. Usually, this was when he would tell her goodbye for the time they were going to be apart. He seemed hesitant to say anything to her, but Bradley masked her face with a fake smile since she caught on to the fact that Alex was oblivious to their issues. "Call me when you land," She tells him just like she always would whenever he went to catch a flight.
Rashad sighed lightly. "No doubt," He agreed while pulling her into a hug. They could feel the lack of comfort in each other as they shared the forced hug, however to Alex, everything seemed normal.
"I love you," Rashad tells Bradley. Even though she knew he would much rather leave without saying anything to her and they were putting on a facade, something about the way he told her he loved her still felt so natural and organic. He still loved her and was still madly in love with her, he just had a lot of forgiving to do, as did Bradley.
"I love you too baby," She lets out with the same sincerity and realness he had. He craned down, kissing her lips swiftly before heading back towards the door where Alex was awaiting him.
She watched them leave, having the twins wave goodbye to them. As soon as the door shut behind them a heavy breath drifted out of her. Faking something that use to be such a normal thing to her was extremely hard. All she could think about was how much Rashad wanted to be away from her at the moment, but for his sake, she was going to act as though he hadn't just admitted that he killed Israel and he was going to act as though she hadn't kissed Sincere.
Bradley took a seat with Jace and Blake on either side of her. Blake grabbed ahold of Bradley's hand where she would usually toy with Bradley's engagement ring. Since the heated argument earlier today, she had yet to put it back. In the midst of all the crazy emotions she had gone through today, she honestly misplaced it. "My finger is empty now mama," She sighed as Blake pulled on her ring finger.
Blake screwed her face up as she looked up at her mother. Bradley laughs at the reaction of Blake no longer having the ring to keep her entertained. "Things are changing," Bradley tells Blake and Jace. "However mommy and daddy will still be the best parents ever," She assured while kissing both of their cheeks.
Although the thought of never getting back together with Rashad plagued her mind terribly, she knew she would never have to worry about him as a father. They were set to curate the perfect system and routine with the kids best interest and that's all that really mattered. They both had the same goal which was to give Blake and Jace what they never had.
Not wanting to turn the night in early, Bradley fought hard to keep the twins entertained so they could stay up and offer her company, but then they got fussy so she gave up.
She carried them to their cribs one at a time before returning to the front room where she reclaimed her seat on the couch, this time with a glass of wine. All the other unfortunate breakups she's been through in her lifetime, all she did was cry day and night. However now, she couldn't find it within herself to cry more than she's already has. Maybe because she felt like she was to blame.
It felt suffocating not having anyone to talk to about it. Evidently, Rashad wasn't ready to open up about it so she had to respect his decision. She was left to just drown in her thoughts and blame herself day in and day out.
Once she downed her first glass of wine, she sat in silence. Throughout the day, things had managed to register in her head bit by bit, however things still weren't adding up. Bradley knew the last thing Rashad did was prey on her before they met. He was oblivious to who she was. They met by chance and fate not because he had killed her ex two years before. However it had her thinking, was this why Sincere always felt some sort of way about Rashad? Was it because he knew what role Rashad played in this whole big mess he created? Did Sway and Drake know of this? If they did, why didn't anyone tell her. She felt like this was pertinent information that needed to be known before she established this entire life with Rashad.
Things definitely would have gone differently if she knew this ahead of time. However she couldn't help but to feel like God set her life up in this specific way for a reason. Israel wasn't the best for her, in fact he was toxic and manipulating. Bradley was sure that if Israel was still alive, he would have found a way to keep her around as long as he possibly could which would have led to one hell of an unhappy life for Bradley. Israel passing opened up a whole knew chapter in her life. Rashad stepped up and loved her how he was supposed to with no complaints. She was happier with Rashad, she just hated that Israel's demise played a role in it.
Sulking in her thoughts, she had completely lost track of time. Reaching for her phone, she checked the time realizing that it was 12 AM. A deep sigh drifted out of her as she ascended up from the couch. She cleaned up her mess which consisted of her empty wine glass and the platter of veggies and hummus she made to hold her over.
Bradley headed to bed, groaning at how odd it felt not speaking to Rashad. By now, she was sure he had landed in LA and instead of calling like he always did, he went about his night. It saddened her, but this was something she was going to have to get use to if they couldn't work it out.
She checked on the twins before resorting to her bedroom where she crawled underneath the warm comforter. Her almond shaped eyes looked straight up at the raised ceiling in their bedroom feeling an emptiness rush through her heart. Instead of breaking down into tears like she wanted, she prayed.
She prayed for peace, understanding, and patience. These were all things she was going to need to help her through this. Just as she wrapped up her prayer, she felt a vibration against her wrist. Her orbs immediately gazed at the matching bracelet she and Rashad had. They always managed to forget about the bracelets and their use until Rashad had a business trip, this time was no different.
Rashad was furious, however he still cared and loved Bradley. As much as he wanted to go without communicating with her, he just couldn't. Rashad knew that she was probably wasn't at her best right now and neither was he.
A light smile crooned on her face as she tapped it, sending a vibration over to his. She wished this was just one of their petty arguments. The one where they would just seamlessly start a conversation with each other and make back up. The one where they would just laugh at the hostility they had for each other and forget everything that had been said or done. It wasn't though.
It took a while, but eventually Bradley did end up falling asleep. Her restless hours were spent admiring Blake and Jace as they slept peacefully. When morning came, she was lucky enough not to feel too tired. While she was making breakfast for herself and the kids, Rashad sent her the flight information she needed so she could get to New York the next day. She had to catch the flight at 11 PM so she could make it to New York early morning. She was still skeptical about attending Alex's big night, but she couldn't let him down. Alex had been the sweetest and most comforting to her since Rashad introduced her to his family. Not going would be a huge let down.
"Good morning my beautiful babies," She cooed out to the twins in an animated voice as she carried them at her sides.
The twins weren't morning people at all so they remained quiet for the most part while Bradley tried to cheer them up for a day. Realizing that they weren't gonna match her energy, she let out a disappointed sigh. "How come when daddy wakes you guys up, the energy is always to the moon?" She scoffed. "That is so fake," She shakes her head as she eased them down into their high chairs.
The door bell sounded off catching their attention. Bradley furrowed her brows down at the twins as they looked up at her with blank expressions. Bradley jogged out out of the kitchen and to the front door. Through the stained glass of the door, she could make out Georgia's curly hair that was toppled in a huge bun. Bradley opened the door for her, she looked as though she was in distress. "I know I shouldn't show up unannounced, but something told me that something was wrong," Georgia entered the home before spinning around to pull Bradley in a deep and long embrace.
How could she possible keep anything from Georgia?
"Something?" Bradley furrowed her brows.
Georgia shrugs. "My spirit. I couldn't sleep all night. Plus I kept having this weird dream with these doves who refused to fly together despite them being bonded to each other with rope," Georgia explained in a flustered manner. Even though her gift of awareness and intuition was great, it really overwhelmed her at times. Especially if the thoughts and heavy feelings were nonstop and weighed down on her constantly.
Bradley pursed her lips together. "Maybe it was for someone else?" She asked trying her best to deflect the fact that she and Rashad were having deep issues.
Georgia waved her off. "I got in my car this morning with no destination and I landed here," She enlightens Bradley. "I don't think I'll be here if this was about someone else,"
Bradley sighs defeatedly. "You hungry?"
Georgia turned up her face. "Is it vegan?" She asked.
Bradley smacked her lips while shaking her head. "Starve then Georgia," She shrugs.
"I'll take some fruit, you and Rashad always have fruit," Georgia followed Bradley towards the kitchen.
Bradley laughs. "Help yourself,"
Upon entrance into the kitchen, Georgia's face lit up at the sight of Blake and Jace. "Hey my babies. I've missed you guys so much," She cooed down at the twins who immediately perked up at the sight of her. Blake eventually swooned Georgia to take her out of her high chair so she could sit on her lap. Georgia indulged in her fruit while keeping Blake still on her lap. Bradley sheepishly whisked around the kitchen, stalling out on talking to Georgia.
"Y'know you don't have to tell me anything. I'm not being invasive, I was just worried," Georgia assured Bradley with a genuine tone.
Bradley let out a sigh as she began wiping down the counters. "I know Gia, but I want advice. The only other person I could get legitimate advice from is Rashad's mom and she would probably kill me if she ever found out what I did," Bradley's sigh hitched to full blown groan which caused the twins to shoot her questioning looks.
"Brad, it can't be that bad," Georgia waved her off.
Perching her hand on her hip, Bradley scoffs. "Sincere and I kissed," She outwardly let out, proving that what she had done was more than just bad—it was horrible!
Completely caught off guard by Bradley's confession, Georgia began to cough and heave since she almost choked on her fruit. "Bradley you did what?!" She shouted, startling the twins.
Bradley immediately swooped in, lifting Jace from his high chair so she could comfort him from being startled by Georgia. "Really Georgia?" Bradley complained.
"I'm sorry," Georgia apologized as she soothingly rested Blake's head on her shoulder so she could console her from being startled as well. "That was just a lot to take in. Did you tell Shad yet?"
Britain pursed her lips in disappointment as she sauntered her head low. "Yeah, I have. We had this big argument and now—" She sighs heavily as she lifted up her now empty hand that no longer was dolled up by her gorgeous engagement ring.
Georgia gasped. "He took the ring?!"
Bradley shakes her head. "No, I took it off, however he did call off the engagement and considered this the end of us," She enlightened Georgia.
"Wow," Her eyes widened in response to what Bradley had just unpacked onto her. "This is a lot to take in,"
"Imagine how I feel. I literally just broke my own heart," Bradley tells Georgia in a somber tone.
Georgia sighed deeply. "Bradley why would you do that? Did you think it through?" Georgia asked stroll trying to make sense of it all.
Shamefully, Bradley shakes her head. "I didn't. I was being selfish. I didn't think about him, the twins, or anyone. I'm so fucking stupid," She groaned out in frustration.
Georgia sighed. She knew that it wouldn't be right to make Bradley feel worse than she already was. She needed comfort and needed to vent. "Be honest Brad, what were your motives when you did it?"
Bradley's shoulders sulked downwards. "Teenage Bradley," She admits causing Georgia to nod her head. Georgia was familiar with that phrase and she was actually the one who created. Bradley went through her teenage years without so much, that whenever she caught the notion that she was losing the slightest bit of whatever she had left, she clung onto it. In this case, it was Sincere's attention to her.
She was never going to give him a chance, however the inner little girl in herself enjoyed the fact that he dawned over her. Stupidly, that inner little girl had won the battle between now mother and soon to be married Bradley.
"Do you see Sincere in that type of way?" Georgia questioned.
"I use to, when I was with Israel. Whenever me and him would get into it, Sincere was the one I would talk to and he'll cheer my up. But it was never like I actually wanted him to be my significant other. I always just thought like, why couldn't Israel treat me the way Sincere does?" Bradley explained to Georgia. She was glad that she was able to vent to her friend who wouldn't judge her, but still hold her accountable in the same breath.
Georgia let out a deep sigh as she unloaded everything Bradley was telling her. "Do you still think like that now that you're with Rashad,"
Instantly Bradley shakes her head no. "Rashad is everything I wanted when I was with Israel,"
"Bradley I have to be honest with you here," Georgia reaches over the counter cupping her hand over Bradley's. "To me, it sounds as though you've grown content and comfortable with the thought of Rashad and you just made a selfish mistake. You've given him kids, he got you this house, and you're planning this beautiful wedding, it's just so much to just easily walk away from and you know that. You let an immature mentality shift your entire world and even though you're in deep pain right now, deep down inside you know that he's going to forgive you and things will return to how it once was," Georgia could tel just by the screwed up look in Bradley's face that she wasn't telling her what she wanted to her. Once Bradley's face softened, Georgia could see that she had finally accepted it as the truth.
"Am I that much of a fucked up person to take advantage of him like that?" Bradley rose her brows in utter shock as her eyes began to glisten with tears.
Georgia let's put a breath. "Brad only he can determine whether or not you've taken advantage of him. However I feel like the next time you talk to him, don't just instantly try to plead your case. Let him tell you how he feels then you navigate through that. It's going to take a while for him to forgive you, but you know that already,"
What Georgia was saying was absolutely right. The kiss with Sincere may have been a spur in the moment type the moment, but the recovery from Bradley's awful decision has always crossed her mind. She and Rashad were too in love, too invested to every part ways without a hell of a fight.
After a much needed hour of venting and gaining insight from Georgia, she decided to leave. "Call me if you need anything, food, drinks, babysitting—anything. I'm serious Bradley," Georgia pulled her into a hug.
Bradley sniffled from the crying she had just stopped. "I do need a facial soon," She laughed lightly through her somber tone.
Georgia laughs. "I got you mama. Take care,"
"Wait Georgia," Bradley called after her. Georgia turned around to face her. "Don't tell anyone about this. Not even Posh,"
Georgia nods her head. "Of course Brad," She asserted.
Bradley waved her goodbye before shutting the door. She really had no energy to do much of anything. Luckily for her, she had an empty schedule for today and wasn't needed at any of her shops. With the help of Georgia the twins were cleaned up from their messy breakfast and were playing together on their play mats Bradley had set up in the living room.
She took a seat on the couch, keeping a close eye on them since they had a habit of always ending their playtime with fights. Her phone sounded off with a phone call which caused her to sigh since she didn't want to speak to anyone. Grabbing her phone from the coffee table, she was shocked to see that it was a FaceTime call from Rashad. His contact name, Husband 💙 flashed across the screen.
She exalted a deep breath preparing herself for any attitude of lack of interest towards her. She slid her finger across the screen, answering the call. His handsome face took over the phone. "What's up," He says to her. His tone lacked any excitement as Bradley expected.
She sighed. "Nothing. How's LA?"
Rashad shrugged. "Busy like any other time," He responds vaguely. "Where's Blake and Jace?" He asked. Bradley was sure that the twins were the main reason he called, but since he had to get through her to speak to them, he was playing nice.
Instead of replying to him verbally, She simply flipped the phone so he could see the twins playing with their various sensory toys. "Hey!" Rashad called for their attention. At the sound of their father's voice, Blake and Jace dropped their attention from their toys and began to quickly crawl towards the phone.
Bradley laughed at their excitement and his as well. Even though she would want him to have the same excitement for her as well, it was cute to see how happy he and twins were to see each other.
Rashad kept them entertained for a while just as they kept him laughing with their animated facial expressions. Eventually the twins went off to play with their toys leaving Rashad hanging.
Bradley flipped the phone so she could be on the screen. "That's it?" Bradley asked wondering if he had anything else to say before the call ended.
Rashad pursed his lips as he nodded his head. "You alright?" He asked.
Bradley shrugged. "I would be better if we could have more of a conversation," She admits.
She watched as Rashad navigated elsewhere, she assumed that he wanted some privacy from whoever was around at the moment. "You really want to talk about this over FaceTime?"
"When else are we going to talk about it before I get to New York? Day of, you left and the day after you took your flight to LA," She recounted to him.
Rashad knew that he had a bit of an avoidance problem but in his defense he was hurt. Talking about it only made him more upset. "We'll be in New York for two days, we'll talk then," He offered.
Figuring that the ball was in his court since she was the one that wronged him, Bradley agreed. "Can you you answer this question then?"
He drew out a breath before agreeing to answer to the question. "Yeah,"
"Are we over? Is everything just over?" Bradley asked. She wanted a clear answer so she knew how to navigate through this entire change.
"I think we should postpone the wedding. I don't know if we can go through with it in this state," He tells her in hushed tones
"Rashad, I don't care about the wedding," She tells him in a light voice. "I just want to know are we over,"
Rashad ran a hand down his face. "Do you feel like it's fair to pose a question like that, especially right now. I haven't been through my process of accepting them trying to forgive. It's only been two days Bradley," He tells her hoping that she could take his process into consideration.
"What about me Rashad?" Bradley asked him. "Don't act like you didn't drop a bomb in the middle of my life too," She reminds him.
"I did and I apologize for doing it the way I did. That's why I feel like we both need time before either of us could start answering those questions," Rashad explained to her. "I love you, but I know what I told you is still hurting you just as what you did is still hurting me. I think we both need some time apart from each other. Nothing should be set in stone until we're both back in a clear headspace,"
Bradley sighs. "But there's more than that to consider. What about the twins and our living arrangements? Are we going to let everyone know we're separate or not?" She questions him.
"That's not everyone's business. We're both mature enough to not let our personal business get in the way of how we treat each other. As for living arrangements I could just get a temporary place until we fix our issues. Parenting, we'll just do what we've been doing. Our schedules would be aligned and we can just go from there," Rashad tells her as if she should have had the idea in her mind.
"What about if people ask about updates on our wedding?" She continued to question him.
Rashad licked his lips as he shrugged dismissively. "Bradley you have common sense man," He lets out. "If shit isn't in order by the time of the wedding we let everyone know that we aren't having it. If it is, we continue with our plans. Stop trying to make it harder than it really is,"
"Fine," Bradley agreed. "I'll see you in New York,
Rashad realized that he was probably being a little to curt and abrasive with her, but it was a lot to take in and she wasn't really giving him much time to register anything. "I'll call you later Bradley," He says in a much softer tone with a soft look in his eyes to match.
"Got it," She says before ending the call.
Tossing the device to the left of her, she let out a deep sigh. "I deserved that," She tells herself. "He's still upset,"
In order to keep herself from giving up, Bradley was going to have to coach herself through it all. After all, Rashad was upset, he was liable to distance himself as much as he wanted to. He always respected her space so she should respect his.
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK
The wind was a bit sharp as Bradley exited the airport alongside Iris. The two had taken their flight tog were her which was a relief since they both weren't fans of being that high up in the air. While Iris was excited to join her boyfriend for this joyous moment of his career while Bradley was just cringing at the thought of putting on a facade with Rashad.
Folding her arms across her chest, Bradley hoped that would keep her warm. They were able to spot the car before making their way towards it. Rashad and Alex both waited for them, leaning against the vehicle. An open over enthused smile graced Iris' face as she scurried over to Alex with her suitcase trailing behind her.
Bradley took her slow precious time to Rashad, not knowing what to expect from him. Seeing that Bradley was being cautious of the way she approached him, he opened his arms up to her. Bradley pursed her lips in a light smile as she engaged in a hug with him. His strong arms wrapped around her as they rocked back and forth. "What's up?" He greeted her.
Bradley shrugs. "Kinda tired from the flight,"
Rashad applied a light kiss onto her forehead which shocked Bradley a bit. This is what confused her. How in the hell was she supposed to differentiate how he really felt towards her from the way he was being so affectionate and attentive now. Instead of drawing attention to it, Bradley did what Rashad expected her to do, just roll with it.
"We don't have much planned until later this evening, you're free to take a nap," He informed her as he took her bags, and put them in the car. He then opened the door for her, assisting her into the car.
Bradley thanked him before he shut the door for her. For the ride, Bradley and Rashad didn't share much words. They did end up speaking to each other when Bradley received a FaceTime call from Nana who just wanted to show them how cute the twins looked in the matching outfits she made for them.
"Now Nana, why do you have my kids dressed like it's Easter Sunday?" Bradley laughed at the plaid overalls Nana put them in
Rashad laughed alongside of Bradley agreeing with her. "That had to be the only fabric you had left cause you used a lot of it," Rashad added causing Bradley to laugh as well.
Nana laughed as she readjusted the matching hats she made for the twins. "Well if you guys are going to tease them about their cute outfits, we're gonna go,"
Rashad and Bradley laughed before agreeing to end the call. They said their goodbyes before the call ended. Just as before, Rashad and Bradley went back to not speaking and engulfed into their phones. Arriving to the hotel, Alex had valet parking the car as he and Rashad hauled Iris' and Bradley's bags out of the car. "So are we in separate rooms?" Bradley asked once Alex and Iris had a clear distance from them.
Rashad cleared his throat before shaking his head. "Nah. I think we'll survive,"Rashad tells her. They made their way up in the elevator, Rashad leading the way to the room.
"I hope these walls ain't thin cause Iris about to get some pro-baller di—" Iris hurriedly capped her hand over Alex's mouth before he could finish his unfiltered statement.
Rashad and Bradley laughed as they shook their heads. "You two have fun," Bradley says to them teasingly before she and Rashad entered their hotel room right next door.
Once the door shut behind them, the smiles on their faces were discarded and they entered a thick atmosphere of tension. "I knew this was a bad idea," Bradley mumbled out with a tired breath.
Rashad tracked his light brown orbs over her. He could sense and feel her discomfort, but right now wasn't about that. All they needed to do was play nice for two days, afterwards they could take all the space away from each other. "The separate rooms just wouldn't have worked out," Rashad tells her.
Bradley pursued her lips and accepted what Rashad told her. It was almost as if Rashad's entire demeanor shifted as soon as they got into their own room, away from anyone who could pass judgement on the rift within their engagement. He was cold, distance, and barely even glanced her way. The silence and tension was suffocating to Bradley. She wasn't sure how much longer she could withstand it.
"How are you not upset for what I did to Israel?" Rashad furrowed his brows as he finally graced his golden brown orbs up from his phone and onto her.
Bradley cleared her throat. At this point she felt numb to any pain that revolved Israel. Some would say she healed, but to her she felt as though she had done enough hurting over him. "I don't know," She shrugs her shoulders. "I definitely takes what I thought were in perspective out of perspective though. You brought me pain without even knowing me, Sincere knew me and knew how I felt toward Israel so who am I really to blame?" With Rashad not giving her much time to speak to him while he was away, she was left with the only option to think and revaluate the situation.
She knew if she ever sat down and explained everything to someone they would take her as if she were insane, but why would she be upset at Rashad who was only doing his job. If Rashad was sure of what he told her then Sincere is the one who brought paint to her and still managed to act oblivious. His role cut way deeper than Rashad's. He was supposed to be Israel's best friend.
"I never planned this, nor had any knowledge of this when we met. This is just as new to me as it is to you. I don't want you thinking I had a secret agenda because I didn't," Rashad continued to clarify. Bradley had been through about schemes an plots, she didn't need another. Everything Rashad ever did or has ever said to her was genuine and from the heart.
Bradley shrugs. "I figured," She states simply. "We wouldn't have had kids or gotten engaged if that was the case," Bradley knew what type of man Rashad was and anything out of his good character just couldn't be believed by her.
Rashad nodded, glad that she didn't think negatively if the person he had been to her. Rashad fell in live with Bradley by gate, not because he tied himself up with the demise of Israel.
Now that it was smoothed over, a silence rendered between them. Bradley that just because she wasn't fuming in anger for what he did, Rashad wasn't going to lay up on her. Her kissing Sincere complicated not only their relationship, but also stirred up questions about Sincere's motive of why he wanted Israel dead. Things just didn't make sense.
"I feel guilty that I'm more upset by what you did than you are upset by what I did," Rashad admits in shame. "I took a life away from you. All you fucking did was kiss some whack ass nigga,"
Bradley knew that his actions completely outweighed hers, however the circumstances were different. "You don't have to forgive me right now," Bradley disclaimed.
Rashad scoffed lightly. "I didn't plan on it," He confirmed causing Bradley's chest to tighten.
"So how do we move forward?" Bradley let's out in a low voice.
Rashad ran his hands over his face in a stressed out manner. He then locked eyes with Bradley. "Stop looking for me to have all the answers," He tells her with deep frustration. "You fucked up, you fix it,"
"It's a relationship, we both decided how to fix it," She countered.
Rashad smacked his lips. "Bradley you clearly weren't thinking if our relationship when you kissed him so why should I do you the favor of considering it now?" Bradley struggled with accountability and Rashad was fully aware of that. This time around, he didn't plan on walking her though everything like he always does. This was something she would have to do in her own, without his support. He had been hurt.
"Let's not forget that we both fucked up," Bradley reminded him growing upset since she felt like he was putting her wrongdoings in the forefront while his remained on the back burner.
Rashad agreed with her. "Yeah we both fucked up, however the difference between you and me is that I'm not looking for you to help me redeem myself from the pain I put you through," Rashad harshly states causing Bradley to disconnect her eye contact from him.
Bradley stubbornly folded her arms across her chest. "So that's it?" She asks him as he rose from his seat. It was evident that he was over the conversation and couldn't la at another second.
Rashad nods. "Figure it out Bradley," He advised her before exiting the hotel room.
THE NEXT DAY, Bradley's and Rashad's day started early. Luckily they had both gotten a good nights rest and Rashad wasn't upset enough to not lay in the same bed as Bradley.
Paige, Jerome and Victoria arrived in New York later than Bradley and Iris had but fortunately they made it safely. It was now later in the evening and they were all left with the difficult time of being on one accord while getting ready.
"How much time do we have?" Bradley popped her head out of the bathroom asking Rashad. She was in the middle of doing Iris' hair which was taking longer than she expected.
"We gotta be out of here in 20 minutes," He informed Bradley as he secured his watch around his wrist.
Bradley okayed him, figuring that they had more than enough time. She shut the door so she wouldn't have any distractions and she could finish the style on Iris. "You nervous?" Bradley asked Iris as she proceeded to curl the next section of hair.
Iris huffed out a deep breath. "Of course I am, but I can't be too nervous cause Alex really feeds off my energy," She admits with a light pour.
"Awe," Bradley cooed out. "You guys are the cutest,"
Iris rolls her eyes a bit with a laugh. "Hopefully it stays like this and he doesn't let this NBA shit get to his head like Jerome," She muttered out.
Bradley agreed with Iris. She was really hoping that Lex remained grounded and didn't let his status get to his head. "I think he's seen too many of Jerome's fuck ups to ever do the same,"
Iris laughs. "That and the fact that I whisper that I would kill him in his ear while he's asleep,"
Bradley looked down at Iris not being able to contain her laughter. "It's either you and Posh have been secretly hanging out or you guys are long lost sisters," Bradley says. Posh does the same to Duke. Although it sounded insane, Duke remained on the straight and narrow.
"See Posh knows what she's doing," Laughter continued to flow out of Iris. "You don't have to do it because Rashad's all by the book and what not,"
Bradley smacked her lips. "By the book my ass," She waved off. "There were times where I almost had to strangle him," Bradley was trying hard to deflect the fact that they were in rough times within their relationship. So far so good.
"He's bound to mess up, however he's sure if what he wants when it come to your relationship. He's never wasted your time," Iris pointed out to Bradley causing her to hit a point if realization. Iris was completely right. If Bradley let him go, that would be the biggest mistake she's ever made.
After finishing up Iris' hair, Rashad ordered everyone to meet downstairs at the awaiting Mercedes Sprinter.
Bradley looked herself over in the mirror to ensure that she looked perfect. Her beauty was amplified by her makeup that consisted of a mixture of dark brown hues and minimal shimmer of gold. The silk black dress she had on accentuated her curves perfectly. Her hair flowed down her back gracefully as the light curls cupped her gorgeous face. To complete the number, she had in a pair of Versace heels that were accented in gold. Around her neck was her diamond studded tennis necklace matching the diamond drench tennis bracelet around her wrist.
Although she looked gorgeous, Bradley couldn't help but to feel as though something was missing. She eyed herself for a few more moments before she was startled by Rashad's voice.
"Your ring," He says as he held his hand out to her. In his palm sat her engagement ring that she had grown accustomed to. She had went without it since Rashad considered their relationship at an end, however she still kept it close to her.
Averting her orbs from the mirror, Bradley turned around to face Rashad. "Thank you," She said through pursed lips, navigating through the awkwardness. She took the ring from his palm, gliding it back on her finger. Looking down at her hand, she couldn't help but to fawn over how beautiful the ring was.
Glancing up at her hand, she realized that Rashad had gotten his attention taken by the ring as well. His hands sunk in his pockets as he eyed him. "I won't take it off anymore," Bradley's light voice sounds out if her.
Rashad drifted his golden brown orbs from the ring and set them on Bradley's soft umber eyes. He eyed her for a moment before clearing his throat. "We should head out," Rashad tells her before making his way towards the exit of the hotel room.
Bradley grabbed her clutch, before following right behind him. The elevator ride down to the lobby was extremely quiet between the two. Bradley was assuming that he was preparing himself to act as though nothing was going on between them. As the elevator doors parted ways, Bradley and Rashad fused their hands together and trekked out of the elevator hand in hand.
Getting into the sprinter, Bradley was shocked to see that Rashad kept his hand in her's the entire car ride. He had gotten side tracked by various conversations being had in the car so she was sure that he probably didn't even notice.
Bradley had detached herself a bit. Her thoughts were consuming her and with her ring back on her finger, she didn't think she could stop them. Arriving, Rashad assisted her out of the sprinter. Her hand remained in his as they walked in the view of a multitude of cameras. Rashad cranes down near Bradley's ear to tell her something. "I'm hurt and still upset, but I still love you. I would never treat you any less," Bradley felt her heart fall into instant ease as a light breath filtrate out of her.
Rashad wasn't acting or just keeping up a facade. He was treating her like he's always has. It had become natural to him. "I love you too," Bradley responds in a light voice.
Rashad nodded his head. Together they continued on in. Rashad was actually hoping he could fully enjoy this evening with his family. When Jerome had gotten drafted he was visibly irritable and jealous of the fact that it wasn't him going pro. This time around with Alex, he was looking at his brother's accomplishment in another standpoint. It was business. Something that would not only be beneficial to Alex, but to him as well. He had molded his brother's career this far, now it was onto far bigger things.
After the multiples stops at different reporters for Alex, they had finally gotten seated. Aside from the quick chat with a few people, not many wanted in depth conversation with Rashad and Bradley and that was a relief. She wasn't sure how she was going to lie with cameras shoved in her face.
"This should be quick," Alex smirked as he leaned back in his seat causing his family to laugh. No one took it as him being boastful over the fact that he would be called in the first round. It was just Alex being Alex.
As projected, Alex was called immediately during round one. He came in as pick number two, and was assigned to the Lakers. Together they celebrated Alex with a round of applause as he held up his jersey. Rashad had given him the go ahead to honor Cedonni by adopting his jersey number. This was just a full circle moment for the Farewood family.
Bradley reclaimed her seat from the standing applause she had given Alex. Now that Alex was making his way off the stage with a proud smile, Bradley decided to check her phone just to see whether or not Nana had texted her with any updates of the twins. A light frown etched her face as she noticed that a text from Kimora settled on her screen instead of one from Nana.
To save her night and Alex's happy moment, she opted out from reading it. The ceremony came to an end after a few hours. Alex who felt on top of the world wanted to celebrate with dinner then the club if everyone was in for it.
It was almost as if as soon as her attention detached from Alex, Bradley's stomach began to churn in guilt now that she had to face her text from Kimora. She had turned her phone off for the rest of the evening in hopes of keeping her in high spirits for the sake of Alex.
Rashad noticed her instant tenseness as he sat beside her in the sprinter. "We don't have to go out tonight, you look sick," Rashad offered her as he placed caring hand on her thigh.
Bradley nods her head in agreement. "I don't feel good," She admits.
Rashad eyed her for a moment. Searching her eyes for a sign of anything, he came up empty. "What the matter?"
Bradley bit down on her bottom lip briefly before responding to him. "I just feel nauseous," She informs him.
Rashad simply nodded his head. He opted out of informing everyone of their plans of parting ways with the family so they could head back to the hotel. He simply texted Alex and asked him to keep it between them. Although he would have wanted Rashad and Bradley around to celebrate, he was appreciative of how selfless Bradley was being by not trying to ruin his night.
The sprinter emptied out after arriving to Alex's restaurant of choice. Rashad and Bradley stayed behind so they could endure the ride back to the hotel.
Rashad helped Bradley out of the car before they made their way into the lobby. The elevator ride was silent as Bradley rocked in her heels in hopes easing her nausea.
Unfortunately, as soon as Rashad opened up the room door, she rushed towards the bathroom. Kneeling down in her beautiful dress, Bradley hurled up all the contents she had ate for breakfast in the toilet. She could feel Rashad grasp her hair, holding it back from getting in the way of her throwing up. "Is it something you ate?" Rashad asked as he looked the other way so his weak stomach wouldn't bring him to his knees as well.
He could feel Bradley shake her head no as she continued to throw up. "Are you pregnant? You were just fine a couple of hours ago," Bradley could hear the stress and concern in Rashad's voice as he tried to figure out what was going on.
"I'm not pregnant Rashad!" She eased his worries while in between gags.
Relief washed over Rashad once she confirmed that she wasn't pregnant. However he still didn't understand what had her throwing up nonstop.
Bradley remained over the toilet for a few minutes. Once she was clear of any signs of throwing up again, Rashad helped her up and to the sink so she could clean herself up. With a sigh, he leaned against the wall watching as Bradley brushed her teeth from the foul taste that was left behind in her mouth. "You sure you aren't—" Before Rashad could finish his question Bradley snapped at him.
"No Rashad! I'm not fucking pregnant! If I was, I'm sure you wouldn't be onboard with keeping it anyway!" She jeered out at him in frustration.
Rashad pursed his lips before taking in a deep breath. "I'm gonna act like I didn't hear that come out of your fucking mouth," Rashad tells her before folding his arms across his chest. "I only asked because last time we had sex we didn't use a condom. Sorry for worrying about why you b-lined to the toilet to throw up randomly,"
Bradley realized how unappreciative she was being of him at the moment. Rashad really didn't have to give a damn if he didn't want to, but he did. He just wanted to make sure she was okay. Seeing that her face softened from her agitation, he handed her a towel to wipe mouth. She thanked him before exited the bathroom with him to follow.
Upon her rushed entrance she had tossed her clutch on the hotel bed sh she could scurry to the bathroom. Bradley grabbed her clutch, extracting her phone from it. Rashad eyed her as she turned the phone on only for it to blare with notifications. "No, not tonight. She could've waited for another day," Bradley frustratedly held her head in her hands.
"What are you talking about?" Rashad asked as he waltzed over to her. He picked her phone up, bypassing the lock. On the top of her screen were incoming notification from her different social media platforms.
"I got a text from Kimora while we were with Alex,"She explained. "I didn't look at it nor respond,"
"She took it to social media," Rashad mumbled out with a heavy breath. Rashad had taken a break from all social media so his phone went without the constant notifications. He was sure that he would have caught this mess beforehand.
Bradley's phone didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. Rashad clicked on one of the incoming notifications, navigating his way to the social media post blasting Bradley. A screenshot of Kimora's post caught his eye. She had sought out the attention of social media instead of keeping their business personal. She claimed Bradley betrayed her and back stabbed her. Kimora had fully publicized the fact that Bradley kissed Sincere despite being engaged to Rashad.
Unable to wrap his own head around the havoc Kimora had caused, Rashad took a seat next to Bradley. There business was no longer just their business. It had gotten out and now Bradley was put in the forefront of the world to be judged and shamed.
Rashad shut the phone off completely, stopping the constant singing and vibrating. He wrapped his arm around Bradley, pulling her close where she cried into his chest.