CHAPTER FIVE

I spent the rest of the week packing, then unpacking, then repacking aging trying to make sure I would look my very best the whole weekend. We were still in the winter months and the weather anywhere was always unpredictable, so finding the right clothes was hard enough.

Our plane was leaving out Thursday night, so as soon as my class ended I raced home, doing well over the speed limit and spent my time showering, changing, and attempting to look my very best. I left my hair down, letting my natural curls spill down my back and around my shoulders, but quickly changed my mind at the view and pulled out my straightening iron painstakingly straightening every curl of my thick hair. I glanced in the mirror sighing once again at the hopeless image and clipped it in a loose bun, strands of hair dangling around my face, as the door bell rang and Morgan’s voice quickly followed.

“Come on Rilyn we mustn’t be late.”

I dashed thru the house and grabbed my suitcase heading out the door.

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I leaned against the window feeling the cold against my forehead and stared out into the night watching Morgan from the corner of my eye as she passed L.A.X, her phone in hand becoming more irritated as she dialed one number after the other not getting a response. Justin and Lonnie were supposed to be picking us up and she was quite irritated when we reached the designated area only to find no Justin, no Lonnie, or for that matter no one at all. I stood to attention as a beam lit across her face suddenly and I looked around knowing she must have spotted him.

Sometimes when Morgan looked at Justin I could see the old her and how much she used to really love him, but as the look fell from her face and I saw her left jaw clench I knew that old Morgan was long gone. I turned following her gaze and smiled as I spotted Justin coming down the walkway his jeans tight and slightly faded and his black button down clung to him and opened just enough to reveal the chiseled chest that hid beneath it. His blue eyes glowed and his hair was just beginning to grow back revealing a few beginnings of curls. I allowed my eyes t leave him for a brief moment spotting the large black man trailing behind him, eyes trained to every movement that occurred and glanced to his right spotting the reasons for Morgan’s shift in mood. Lynn Harless.

I was always around Lynn more growing up than I was Justin for the fact that Lynn and Morgan’s mom were friends and Morgan’s mom and my mom were best friends so the three of them became buddies. Lynn was always great to me and when my parents were killed by a drunk driver she was right there for me and my brother letting us know if we needed anything to just call on her. Morgan on the other hand had never been a fan of Lynn’s and I believe that had a lot to do with Lynn catching Morgan and Justin in bed together when they were mere teenagers. From that moment on Lynn stayed in there business. But whatever the reasons their love hate relationship blossomed and I love watching Lynn give her hell.

“Justin your late and we have been waiting here for 30 minutes. What was the problem?”

Her jaws were still clenched, smoke was spewing from her ears, and Justin gave her a warm smile trying to hug her and calm her before the fire erupted.

“Fans baby. Don’t know how they knew I was going to be here, but they are all over the place. You look great…….how was the flight….I got a lot planned……”

I knew Justin enough by now to know he was rambling to keep Morgan calm before she would make a big scene. God knows she loved a scene and that was the last thing any of us wanted.

I watched as he grabbed her carry on bag from her shoulder and her suitcase from the floor and motioned with a jerk of his head for us to follow. Lonnie took my suitcase from me, falling into step behind the happy couple and I sighed falling into step with Lynn behind him. Her arm slid around my shoulders and she squeezed me against her with a gentle hug and sighed on her own, eyeing Morgan as she continued to complain.

“So glad to see you come along. Justin needs all the support he can get. I’m surprised Morgan even bothered to show.”

I was completely confused as to what she was talking about, but before I could open my mouth to question her Morgan glared at me over her shoulder and snarled.

“Come on Rilyn you are holding us up.”

Lynn squeezed me tighter to her and with a look from the corner of her eye gave me a reassuring smile as we headed to the car.

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“Damn it Morgan you knew this was a big weekend for me and you were supposed to be here to support me, not blow me off for business.”

The argument had started out small on the way to the house, but escalated as the night wore on. Justin had known the moment he saw me that Morgan had no intentions of spending anytime with him and he blew his own gasket. Turns out the boys tour was almost over and Justin was taking this little vacation to tell the guys he wanted to try something on his own, but he was nervous and called for Morgan and his mom for support. Morgan however was concerned with her own self and had no desire to support him in anyway.

“Get over yourself Justin, just because your not the fucking center of attention every waking moment you whine like some spoiled little brat. It’s not always about you.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle on that comment and quickly tried to regain myself as I looked across from me seeing a smile play at the corners of Lynn’s mouth. She had been standing at the large island in the kitchen putting together a pecan pie since we arrived at the house and I sat silently across from her watching her as Justin and Morgan continued on with their fight. Neither one of us had spoken to the other and were content, straining at times, to listen to the argument.

The house we were staying in was stunning and I had learned from the fight that it was one that Justin way thinking about buying and the relater was allowing him to rent it out for the week so he could test it out. Morgan on the other hand wasn’t thrilled with the house and was totally against him getting it. Oh what a bitch we weave. If Justin shitted her gold bricks she still wouldn’t be satisfied.

“All I am asking is just once, ONCE in your busy little schedule you find the time to be there for ME when I really need you and not pawn me off on your damn friends.”

His words echoed so loud that even Lynn stopped in her tracks and glanced up at me, a look of pitty almost showing on her face, I turned my eyes from her, hurt, and stood from the bar stool quietly moving thru the house and up the stairs to the room I was sharing with Lynn closing the door behind me and letting the tears quietly steam down my face. The last time we were together I was sure Justin was going to tell me he loved me and I longed for the opportunity to hear him say it, but now I felt lower than dirt and if he only thought of me as nothing more than an occasion then maybe it was time for me to cut my loses and move on.

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