Sincere Deception Read online

  “No, he’s not. I don’t know when he’ll be back, but feel free to stay if you want.”

  I peeked further inside the home. Sitting on the living room sofa were two young ladies, and two young men. They looked like they were roughly my age—twenty-four, or twenty-five. One of the men sat there rolling a blunt, while the others were enjoying music videos from BET.

  “I appreciate you offering me to stay. But you look like you’re occupied at the moment. I don’t want to disturb you. When John gets here, though, will you tell him I stopped by, and to call me when he gets a chance?”

  “Yes, I’ll tell him for you. But you really don’t have to go.” Disregarding my decline, she snatched my hand and led me to the living room area. “Guys, I want you to meet my friend, Ava. Ava, these are my crazy ass friends.” One-by-one, she named them off and pointed her finger at them as she did so. She then ordered me to have a seat and relax.

  “Here… take a swig of this Patron. Take a hit of this blunt, too.” She held both drugs in front of my face.

  “No thank you, I said. I won’t be here long. I’ll have to drive back home in a few.”

  Apparently not listening to a word I said, Jalisa laughed aloud and waved her hand into the air. “Child, you need to loosen up and chill. Why you actin’ so shy?” She took my hand and placed the shot glass and blunt inside it. I didn’t know how the hell to react. For a few seconds, I just stared at her with an odd expression. I then glanced at everyone else—they were already watching me. I looked at the blunt again, inserted it between my lips, and took a few hits. After exhaling, I threw back the small portion of Patron, swallowed, and passed the blunt to the pretty chick sitting beside me.

  “Now that’s more like it!” Jalisa shouted and rejoiced. “Ain’t nothin’ wrong with loosening up a bit. Sometimes you gotta take that edge off, relax, and have some fun.” She poured me another shot and placed it in front of me. I ended up consuming five glasses, and by that point, I was intoxicated. Jalisa had me right where she wanted me. Loose, loud, and unaware of my foolish actions.

  Suddenly, John came inside the house. “Are you drunk?” he asked me.

  “Somewhat,” I mumbled, followed by an awkward giggle.

  Without hesitation, he grabbed my hand, then guided me to his room. He closed the door behind him, locked it, and lied me on his bed. Afterwards, he removed his shoes and lied in the bed also.

  “What are you doing here? I thought you were spending the day with Lee?”

  “I did spend some time with Lee. Just not the whole day,” I said, sloppy. “You know I had to see you.”

  With a smirk, he said, “You just couldn’t stay away from me, huh?”

  Smiling, I replied. “You know I couldn’t.”

  In response, he laughed, but did not say anything. Leaning over me, he placed a soft kiss upon my lips, separated my legs, and inserted his manhood deep inside me.

  * * *

  CHAPTER 12

  THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME

  Money, cars, clothes, luxury hotels, and small vacations—I was livin’ the life. For four months, I had been juggling two guys, and for four months, I didn’t have to worry about a damn thing. I got the life of pleasure, and incredibly good sex on a daily bases. Every other week I was ridin’ in a newly rented car; every other day I was flexin’ a new pair of shoes, outfit, or hairstyle. I could not ask for more and as far as I was concerned, as long as Lee never found out about me sleeping with his best friend, there would be no need to stress about anything.

  Jalisa and I were like two peas in a pot. If I wasn’t fuckin’ the hommies, working, or in class, I was with her. Tiana, Lamina, and I had gotten close also. Every now and then, we would head out for dinner. Other times, we would simply get together at Lamina’s home. One child, a husband of four years, and a multi-family home, Lamina was a blessed woman. Not only was she blessed, she was one of the nicest women I had ever met. Always offering to be an assistance, and always willing to give advice to others when needed. Tiana was beautiful by heart as well, but she didn’t come around as often. Being a newlywed, having to juggle between a career, and a new baby, she didn’t have as much time on her hands as the rest of us.

  I communicated with my brother often. We talked on the phone several times a week, but because he worked a lot and lived all the way on the other side of town in our parent’s old home, face-to-face interaction was slim to none. As far as Autumn and I were concerned, we talked, but not as much as we once did. We spoke on Christmas, New Year’s Day, and just a few days in between that. According to her, I wasn’t the sibling she once knew. Conceited, ruthless, unbearable—that’s what she called me. I suppose Summer saw me the same way, because she would only communicate with me briefly when Autumn was around. We never had much of a close relationship anyway. Kelis and I? Well, we still had not spoken since the incident at the restaurant. I would only see her during school hours, and even that was sometimes too much to handle.

  On the 21st day of March, however, none of the animosity between friends and family mattered. It was my father’s 53rd birthday and we were all invited to celebrate during a dinner at his home. Hesitant about going, I finally got dressed and hopped into my ride. When I arrived, the house was already packed. I mean, it was so crowded on the block, I had to park my car on the opposite street.

  After positioning my 2011 Ford Escape in a suitable space, I got out of the car, grabbed my father’s gift, my purse, and headed nearly one block towards the home. Once there, I rang the doorbell. Diane answered immediately and greeted me with a tight squeeze. She then invited me in, and led me towards the living room with the rest of the guests. Multiple people were scattered everywhere so I decided to cram myself near familiar faces. As soon as Autumn saw me, she got up and reached in for a hug. I then greeted Summer, Summer’s fiancée’, Hakeem, and Autumn’s husband, Roger. After that, I maneuvered my way to the kitchen where the drinks and refreshments were. It was there where I spotted my dad. As usual, he stood there laughing, giggling, and mingling with everyone in sight, so I had to steal my moment of chitchat as soon as I could.

  “Happy Birthday, Dad.” I extended my arms to embrace him, followed by a kiss on his cheek. I handed him his gift, which was placed inside a fancy bag.

  “Oh, thank you, baby girl,” he said, smiling. He opened the bag and peeked inside, but since his gift was wrapped, and the kitchen was so crowded, he simply put the gift aside and gave me a hug as a gesture of his appreciation. “I am so glad you could make it. I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show up.”

  “Of course I was gonna make it. I couldn’t miss your birthday gathering.” I smiled, then kissed him on his cheek once more. “Well, I can see that you have many guests to occupy. I just wanted to sneak my way over to give you your gift and wish you a happy birthday. I will talk to you later, Dad.” I walked back towards the refreshments and grabbed a few things to eat. I also grabbed a drink prior to returning to the living room with my sisters. As I sat there stuffing my mouth with cheese, crackers, and pepperoni’s, Autumn glanced at me and smirked.

  “So, how have you been?” she asked me.

  “I’ve been good. How about you?”

  “I’ve been great. No reason to complain. Work is going great; Roger is doing well, too. In a few months, we were hoping to move closer this way. The city is just becoming too busy for our lifestyle.”

  By the dull look on her face as she chatted, I could tell there was something particular she wanted to ask me. It seemed as though she was fishing around the topic she really wanted to discuss, so instead, she just sat there asking me dumb ass questions that really had nothing to do with anything.

  “What do you want, Autumn?” I finally asked. “I know you have something on your mind. What is it?”

  “You’re right, I do. But right now is not the right time to discuss it. I will talk to you about it later. For now, though... let’s try to keep the conversation light, okay?”

  Ju
st as I was swallowing my food and drinking the last portion of my drink, I looked up and noticed Kelis walking towards us. As if this night could not get any worse, I thought. Slightly rolling her eyes at me, she continued pass me, acknowledged Autumn and Summer with a hug, spoke to Hakeem and Roger, and then took her seat. For a moment, the six of us sat there in silence. But the more I watched her cut her eyes at me, I decided enough was enough. I was not gonna sit in my father’s home being disrespected by a chick I once called my friend.

  “I understand that you are pissed at me,” I said without warning. “But don’t you think you’re a bit too grown to be sitting here rolling your eyes at me? We’re not toddlers, Kelis. It’s about time you stop acting like a child and grow the fuck up.”

  Kelis, Autumn, and Summer looked as though they could not believe what had just flew out of my mouth. For a few seconds, no one replied. Then Kelis said, “I can roll my eyes whenever I want. I can do whatever I want. I can say whatever I want. Don’t get mad at me because I cut our friendship off.”

  “Who said I was mad at you for not claiming me as your friend? Do you really think I give a fuck about you and your friendship, Kelis? If you do, you are highly mistaken. I can care less about being your friend! I’m just saying… the next time you roll your eyes this way, I am going to knock ‘em outta your fucking head.”

  Remaining silent, she folded her arms, gazed at the floor, and swung her legs back and forth. As she did that, everyone else just stared at me.

  “One day, you are such a good-girl, and then the next, you’re a hoe. I just don’t understand how that could happen,” Kelis said to me, but still looking at the floor swinging her feet with her arms folded. “You’re spending your time worrying about people rolling their eyes at you, when what you really need to be doing is learning how to keep your damn legs closed.” After her statement, she looked at me, and then cleared her throat.

  Trying my hardest not to retaliate, I let off a gentle laugh as I waved my hand into the air. “Whatever you say, Kelis. You can say whatever you wanna say, but that is never gonna change the fact that you cannot find a man, and will probably never have one. Your baby’s father left you for a reason… don’t you ever forget that.”

  “Well, Eugene cheated and left you for a reason—twice. Don’t you ever forget that.”

  Feeling a rush of wrath unexpectedly, I leaped from the couch, and advanced towards her face. A small fraction of blood scattered upon her. I tried to pluck her eyes out too, but everyone snatched me away before I could do so. Roger and Hakeem pulled me out of the house, and as I continued to my car, Autumn trailed behind me.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?!” Autumn shouted, grabbing my arm and stopping me in my tracks.

  “Nothing is wrong with me! I was only telling her how I felt!”

  “I get that, Ava, but this is not you. Since when are you the type of person to degrade your best friend? Since when are you the type of person to neglect the people that care most about you? Since when do you punch people? What the hell is going on with you?”

  “Nothing is going on with me, and to be honest, I am really getting tired of people asking me that! Just because I have learned to live my life and have a mind of my own, doesn’t mean there is something wrong with me! It just means that for once in my life, I have learned to be myself! Why can’t you just accept that?”

  “You know what, Ava… I can accept a lot of things. I am not disregarding the fact that you desire to have your own ways of doing things in life. In fact, I think that’s the way you should be. But that’s not my concern with you right now. My concern is beyond that.” She took a moment to sigh. “I know you’ve been going through a lot. Especially since the passing of your mother and sister, and not only that, but since Eugene reentered your life. But regardless of what you may be going through, I want you to know that you can always come talk to me. I mean, I know we haven’t been seeing eye-to-eye, but no matter what you are still my sister, I care for you, and I love you.”

  I heard my sister, but the very last thing I wanted to do was stand in the middle of a sidewalk having a sentimental conversation. I simply wanted to get in my car and drive my ass home.

  “Look… I love you too. But right now, I just don’t have the time, nor the patience for people like Kelis. I don’t have time for anyone who doesn’t have time for me. And yeah, maybe you’re right… maybe I have changed. But there is nothing wrong with me. I am fine and I will continue to be.” I grabbed my keys out of my purse and began walking further to my car. As soon as I unlocked the door, Autumn looked at me like I was crazy.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you this for months now… where the hell are you getting these fancy cars from? I mean, every time I see you, you’re driving something different!”

  “I have my connects,” I said, mockingly.

  “Connects? And what kind of connects are you referring to? I hope you’re not getting all of these expensive things from that man you’ve been fooling around with.”

  “As-a-matter-of-fact, Autumn, I am. The cars, the clothes, the jewelry—it all came from him.”

  “Oh God, Ava, please leave this man alone! Nothing good can come from him, and I think Kelis is right. He may be buying you all of these nice things now, but it won’t last. He’s not going to do anything but leave you damaged, cheat on you, and leave you feeling the same way Eugene did.”

  “First of all, you need to mind your damn business. There can be no possibilities of him damaging me, cheating on me, or leaving me feeling the way Eugene did, because I am not with him. My heart is not with him, nor do I have any intentions on allowing it to be. I told you this already. I’m just in it for the fun.” Pausing for a moment, I took a breath. “And you know what… I’m fucking two men. Kelis was right. I am a hoe.”

  Stunned, Autumn did not respond, and I was convinced that even if she wanted to, she would not have known what to say. It was then when I decided I was over the entire conversation. It was time for me to take my conceited, ruthless, unbearable ass home. Nearly every aspect of my life revolved around what someone else decided for me. Well, no more of that. It was time for me to do what I wanted to do, how I wanted to do it, and anyone that had a problem with that could simply kiss my ass. I opened my door, hopped inside my car, and rushed off.

  As I pulled up in front of my apartment, I spotted Avery’s car parked on the far side of the street. At first I sat there wondering if it was actually him, but then when I saw him step out of the car, I knew it was. Immediately, I turned off my car, got out of it, and then walked towards him.

  “What are you doing here?” I said, leaning in to hug him.

  “I just got off work a few minutes ago. Since I was in the area I figured I’d stop by to see how my favorite little sister’s been doing.”

  “I’ve been doing fine. I just left Dad’s party, which was very interesting to say the least.” We proceeded inside the building and walked up the stairs. When we entered inside the apartment, we went into the living room and sat on the same couch.

  “So, what was so interesting about the party?”

  “I don’t even know where to begin. First, Kelis comes into the place with a stank ass attitude. Then, Autumn gets mad at me for calling her out on it. All I wanted to do was make an appearance for my father, but instead, all it did was remind me of why I stopped attending family gatherings in the first place.”

  “Why did you curse Kelis out? I mean, I know you two haven’t been talking, but is this really a situation that can’t be squashed?”

  “No. It isn’t. I can’t tell you how many time Kelis has acted this way. She always wants the world to be revolved around her, and when it’s not, she finds a way to make sure she has an attitude towards everyone around her. Well, frankly, I’m tired of it. If she refuses to fix her attitude, I will refuse to fix mines.”

  “I understand. But do you really think she wants to hurt you? Maybe she’s just concerned about you. I mean, she was once you
r best friend. Maybe she just doesn’t want these men out here to hurt you.”

  “What do you mean, Avery? What are you talking about? I didn’t mention anything about Kelis tryna keep me away from any men.” Once I realized just why my brother had really decided to drop by to see me, I let off a look of anger and disbelief. “Did Autumn call and tell you about our conversation today? Is that why you finally decided to get inside your car to come see me?”

  “Yes, Ava, she did. She called me and told me about the discussion you two had. I know you may not believe this, but the only reason I am here is because I care. I do not want to see anything bad happen to you, and I for damn sure don’t want no man coming into your life trying to—”

  Before he could even complete his sentence, I cut him off. “Avery, you know I love you, but I’m not gonna sit here and play this game with you. If you are gonna drive to my house to come see me, drive to my house to come see me because you want to… not because Autumn called you about some nonsense.”

  “Yes, Autumn called me. I will not sit here and deny that. But you cannot tell me that I am not sitting here speaking to you because I don’t want to. I got in my car and drove over here, because I wanted to talk to you personally about the things that are going on in your life. And no, none of it has anything to do with Autumn or Kelis. This is about you and you only.”

  Crossing my arms and poking my lips out, I sighed and shook my head disgracefully. “OK, well what, then? What is it that you came all the way over here to discuss with me?”

  “I’m not even going to beat around the bush. I wanted to know why you are out here fooling around with men you don’t know.”

  “Why is any of this your damn business?”

  “You are my sister. Anything that happens to you is my business.”

  “Look boy… you may be my big brother, but you are not my father. So don’t come inside my damn house telling me my business is your business as if I owe you an explanation.”