"Why won't you just come and talk to me?"
"Because I don't want to! I've told you a million times, I don't want to talk to you anymore, you got it? Not ever!" Chione's hushed voice said as she paced to and fro in a guest bedroom of Justin's.
"I just don't get why you are acting like this! You minute you love me, the next you don't want to talk to me!" JC screamed over the phone.
Chione sighed loudly, glancing back at the closed door to make sure the she hadn't woken Justin, "You are looking entirely too much into this relationship. Okay, we fucked a few times but I've told you, I'm not interested in a relationship with you! I just... needed a friend."
"If I find out that you've been fuckin' around with Justin I'm gonna-"
"Wait a minute!" Chione said loudly, letting her hushed tone be thrown to the wind, "Don't tell me what you are gonna do, you don't own me! I can do whatever the fuck I want. Stay the hell away from me, you got it!" She said, slamming her phone shut.
She sighed again, running her fingers through her long hair. Deciding to return to bed with Justin, she turned around only to find him standing behind her, "Was that JC?" Justin asked, crossing his arms.
"Yes, but I got it handled."
"Why is he still bothering you?"
"I don't know, I guess he got his signals crossed and thinks that we have something going on. But... let's not talk about it, okay?" She said, walking over to him and placing her arms around his waist.
She felt him relax almost immediately and smiled as he returned her embrace, "Last night was amazing." She whispered, looking up into his baby blues.
"It was, wasn't it?" He smiled back, kissing her on the nose, "But, I think we need to talk about some things."
"What kind of things?"
He chuckled from deep in his chest, "Just things. Now lets eat before Dionne wakes up."
The rest of their day was a quiet one. A few hours later, Justin, Chione and Dionne found themselves at Lynn and Paul's house. It was just like old times. Trace and Justin in the living room watching cartoons, Chione and Lynn in the kitchen, chopping vegetables and spreading gossip and Paul, outside grilling the steak for dinner.
"That was so good girls, nice job." Trace said, finally pushing his plate away and rubbing his belly.
"Don't give us all of the credit, Paul's steak is what made the whole dinner." Lynn said, rubbing her husband on the back.
"Hey mama, you think you could watch Dionne while Chione and I go for a walk?" Justin asked, switching Dionne from his left leg to his right.
"I'll take her with me, I have to go pick up my sister from the airport." Trace said, holding out his hands to the little girl.
"Thanks man. You ready Chione?"
Chione nodded and stood up from the table, adjusting her clothes as she walked over to Justin. The two intertwined their hands, said goodbye to the others and made their way out of the back door and down towards the lake. They walked in silence as the sun began to fall from the sky, Justin's thumb running slow circles over the top of her hand.
"Last night was beautiful." Justin said softly, breaking their silence.
"I know it was, baby, I was there." She giggled.
"I know but, you don't know how much it means to me. I was so lost, so... just absent from reality," he said as the emotion began to creep up in his throat, "I just want you to know that even though I was so nasty and down right mean to you, I've never stopped loving you. You have single handedly brought me back and I thank you for being so patient with me."
Chione stopped and turned toward him, emotion wetting her eyes as he spoke. When she saw the solid tear roll down his face, she cupped his cheek in her hand and wiped it away, wishing that she could rid him of all of his pain and hurt, "Everyone deserves a second chance Jay, you have to remember that."
"I know but I just don't want you to get hurt anymore. I mean, I'm trying my best to stay away from that shit but it's Chione. And I want you to promise me that you'll get yourself and Dionne away from me if I start using again."
"You won't start using again Justin, you are doing so good." Chione said, gripping his hand with hers.
"We can't see the future Chi. I'd like to say that I'm 100% cured and free of this but I'm not. I don't know what's going to happen but until I'm over this, I don't want you getting your hopes up in me." He said, more tears sleeping from his eyes.
"I completely trust you Justin."
"No, you see? This is what I don't want," Justin said, dropping his hand from hers and throwing his head back, "I love you so much that if I have to walk away for you to be happy and safe, I would do that. I love you more than I love the idea of us being together and I don't want to hurt you any more. I don't want you to trust me, not yet anyway. Tell me you understand what I'm saying."
Chione looked down at her feet and then back up at him, "I understand but I want you to understand something. I'll always be here for you Jay, I won't let you mess up again. I love you."
"And I love you but I think we should take things slow and build up to a full blown relationship. That's the responsible thing to do for all of us."
Chione grabbed his hands again with her small ones and sniffled, looking up at him again, "Does that mean we can't spend the night together anymore?" She said, biting her lip and pushing up against him.
Justin smiled widely, looking off into the distance and then back at her, "Well, only in emergency situations."
"Does breaking my nail qualify as an emergency?"
"It does in my book baby."
Chione stood on her tip toes to capture his lips with hers. His kiss shook her straight down to her core but she knew he was right. They had a child now and they had to put her above everything else; even above their own relationship. The couple continued to hold hands as they walked aimlessly around the large pool of water, talking quietly and watching the sun go down.
After the sun had set and wind began to chill, Justin and Chione made their way back to the house, where Trace was walking back into the house with a sleeping Dionne.
"Where is your sister?" Chione asked, rubbing Dionne's back as she lay in Trace's arms.
"She was pretty tired so I dropped her off at my place."
Just as Trace was throwing his keys on the kitchen table, the doorbell rang through the large house. Chione jogged to the door , threw it open and sighed loudly at the man that stood before her, "What are you doing here?" She asked him.
"I just wanted to come and see you."
"JC, this is starting to get crazy, you know that right? I told you already that I don't-"
"Who is it babe?" Justin's voice rang from behind her as he peeked around the corner.
Chione tried to shut the door before he could see the night visitor but it was too late. She could feel his tense body as he brushed past her and stood in front of her, "What do you keep messing with her for JC?" he asked lowly.
"Back off man, I just want to talk to her for a minute." JC said, never taking his eyes off of Justin.
"She doesn't want to talk to you so I think you should turn around, get back in your car and drive home." Justin said, crossing his arms over his chest like a lion would defend his family.
"Chione, please, okay? You cannot just fall right back into his game again, he'll only hurt you." JC said, glancing at her around Justin's shoulder.
JC tried to sidestep Justin but Justin was quick to counter his move. JC tried again, but again, he was blocked from the small woman behind Justin, "You are a piece of work Justin, you know that? After everything you've done to her?"
"You don't know shit about me and her. I told you to fucking stay away from her asshole."
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I sure did stay away from her when I was fucking her every night while you were out shooting up." JC laughed sarcastically.
His laugh was cut short however when Justin pushed JC violently off of the porch of the house. JC stumbled down the brick steps but didn't loose his balance completely. Justin followed quickly behind him, his anger blinding him of Trace, Paul, Lynn and Chione who screamed at him from behind.
Within minutes it was a full blown brawl in the middle of the driveway. The two men pushed and punched at each other violently, screaming profanities at one another as Trace and Paul tried to keep them apart.
"You don't deserve her and you know it, you punk ass bitch!" JC screamed as tried as hard as he could to get out of Paul's grasp.
"I don't deserve her? I don't deserve her? Okay big man, why don't you tell everyone here what you had done to her. Why don't we talk about that shit."
The words that fell from Justin's mouth enraged JC even more, causing him to break free of Paul to rush at Justin, "You shut the fuck up, you hear me? Shut up!"
"Fuck you! You act all high and mighty like you've never done anything wrong!" Justin screamed, pushing Trace away from him and turning his attention to the stunned Chione, "You remember like a year or two ago when I was in New York and you were still in school? You remember that baby?"
"I... I think so." She said, desperately searching his eyes for answers.
"That night when you were walking back to your car from the store, when you were mugged?" Chione shook her head to urge him to keep talking, "That prick, right there, fucking set you up. He hired those guys to mug you."
"Fuck you! Fuck you, you fucking coke fiend! Don't listen to him Chione, don't!" JC howled, trying desperately to get to Justin.
Justin walked up to Chione, taking her face in his hands, "I wouldn't lie to you baby. He hired them to mug you, he hired them baby."
Chione shook her head as her eyes began to glass over with tears, "I don't understand Justin, why would he do that?"
"Because he knew I was out of town! He was always fucking jealous of us Chione. He never thought that we should be together and that you should be with him. He thought that if something happened to you while I was gone, you would go to him for comfort and he could steal you away from me."
Chione had all but curled into a fetal position at that point. She had crossed her arms over her chest as the words crashed against her ear drums. Justin's mouth had continued to move but she was no longer listening. As he stood in front of her, she stared right through him to JC, who was still trying his best to fight off Paul and Trace.
Justin watched as she suddenly sidestepped him, walking straight over to JC. He tried to pull her back but she pulled her arm free from him and continued to walk over to him. JC was visibly upset; the anger was now making his body shake harshly, his hands balled into fists.
"Did you do that to me?"
"Chione, just listen-"
"Answer me! Did you fucking hire those guys to mug me so you could get into my pants?"
"It wasn't like that! I swear to you!"
The slap that Chione landed on JC's cheek filled the night air like a gunshot. JC grabbed his cheek as he felt his blood rushing toward the now stinging spot. He looked back over at the woman who had held his attention since the first moment he met her. He had loved her from afar for years but he knew that he had lost her. He lost her the minute he placed the envelope full of cash in those guys hands.
"I'm sorry, " he whispered, trying to reach out to her, "I just wanted a little of your attention. Justin was never right for you baby."
"You stay away from me and my daughter, you got it? I don't ever want to see your fucking face again or I'm calling the police. No more phone calls, no more visits, no more anything."
And with that said, she turned around and walked back into the house.
Author's Chapter Notes:
i keep apologizing because I suck, I know, lol. but here is the next part, hope you enjoy.
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