Laila Rose POV:
'8:00pm Natalie's House'
"Damn, Lai you knew we was going to Vette's house why you just now getting in the shower," I hear Natalie yell, as she walks into the restroom.
I knew I should've locked the door.
I wipe the steam off the shower glass to give her a mug.
She looks at me through the mirror giving me a quick smile as she applies some mascara on her eyelashes.
I continue to sud myself up with my washcloth at a quicker pace now so I don't have to hear Nat nag at me.
Right when I'm about rinse the soap off Natalie yanks the shower door open letting the cold air hit my exposed body.
My body shivers as a reaction to the change in temperature.
"Hurry up," she demands.
"Come on Nat damn, close the door its cold I'm finna get out now," I say, poking my lip out in a pout.
"No, get out now," she tosses me my big towel "we already 2 hours late."
I groan as I wrap the towel around my body stepping out the shower bubbles drip all over the floor.
"Hurry up and dress I'll be in the car," she says.
"Ima drive my car cause I gotta make a stop after we leave Vette's," I reply.
She gives me a big grin before she replies
"Where you going hoe?"
I don't say anything and her smiles turns into a frown.
"You going to see Jay?" She questions.
She doesn't sound upset which is a good sign so I decided to be honest.
"Yeah just to check on him," I tell her.
"Alright cool," is all she says before bringing me into a strong embrace.
Natalie then leaves out of the room.
I throw on some black tights and one of Jay's hoodies I grabbed from the house.
I put on some lip gloss and mascara then run out of Nat's bedroom.
I wave bye to Kevin who's in the living room playing the game and motion for Natalie who's sitting in his lap to come on.
"I thought you was gone be in your car," I say, as we walk out the door together.
" I was, but you interrupted me and Kevin's cuddle time earlier soooooo," she drags, putting air quotes around "cuddle time."
"Ewwww, y'all is not cute," I yell, out walking towards my car.
We both hop in our cars.
I know it's going to take her a minute before we start driving, because this girl will not drive unless her music is on.
I take this time check my messages.
I see I have 20 messages from Jay and I roll my eyes I click on his name just to see what he said.
Baby 😍💦:im at memorial
Baby 😍💦: doctor says I MIGHT live . If you care
Baby 😍💦: BABYYYYYYY!!!???😩
Baby 😍💦: I'm sorry Laila I'll do whatever it takes to make this up to you ! I promise
Baby 😍💦: can you at least respond. I know I fucked up Lai . Please you know I don't have anybody out here in Houston . Just you . I really need you right now.
I stop reading the messages when I see Natalie's face pop up on my screen.
I slide the answer button.
"Yeeeeeeeeerrrrrrp," I shout.
"Race me hoe," I hear her say through the car speakers.
She immediately hangs up and skrts out of the drive away.
I quickly put my car into drive trailing right after her.
Ever since her and Kevin bought matching corvette's the bitch thinks that she's sonic.
Both Natalie and Kevin work at the hospital. They're in training so I don't understand how they afford this big ass house and two corvettes, they're not even real doctors yet.
Meanwhile, my ass is still trying to figure out how to pay for my student loans.
We make it to Yvette's place in 15 mins.
Even though she lives 35 mins away from Natalie's house.
She beat me.
Obviously my Honda Civic just wasn't in the mood today.
...
'8:45pm Yvette's condo'
"Yooooooo," we all yell as we walk in.
Kennedy and Rubi are already here both sitting in Yvette's living room on the long couch.
Yvette is in the kitchen fixing her a plate of what looks like steak and potatoes.
"Glad y'all decided to finally show up," Yvette says, rolling her eyes. "y'all know I work in the morning I'm not finna be up all night."
"Bitch you a drug dealer you can go to work whenever you please," I say, smacking my lips.
"Actually, bitch I got to pick up a drop at 4am," Yvette says matter of factly.
"Then you gone come back home and sleep," I retort in the same tone she used.
We all laugh and she just shrugs knowing I'm right.
I fix me and Natalie a plate and we all go to sit in the living room. I assume Rubi and Kennedy have already eaten since they didn't get up to fix their plates.
"What y'all want to watch," Kennedy asks, while flipping through Netflix.
"Wait, where's Ivy?" Natalie questions, just now noticing she isn't here.
Everyone shrugs
"I'll call her real quick," Rubi offers, standing up to go to another room.
...
Rubi POV:
I go into Yvette's guest room plopping down on the edge of the bed.
I pull my phone out and dial up Ivy.
She hadn't hit me up all day which is strange.
I call twice and both times she didn't pick up.
So, I decide to call her boyfriend Michael.
He picks up on the 2nd ring.
"Aye, I was just finna call you," he says, immediately.
"Why? Wassup Mike?" I ask.
This man knows we don't talk so why would he be about to call me I wonder.
"I was just tryna get in touch with Ivy. I called and she didn't pick up. How long y'all gone be at the damn mall," he laughs, but it sounded fake and I already know he's worried.
I don't say anything as I think of where Ivy could be since she left early claiming that he had picked her up from the mall.
"You there?" Michael asks, sounding concerned.
At this point I'm mad confused there is no place I could think of that she would be.
I begin to worry but also get a little upset.
"Rubi!" Michael yells through the phone.
"My bad yeah. We at Yvette's right now for movie night she just went to the restroom I'll tell her to call you when she gets out," I lie.
"Okay cool," he replies, "oh wait why'd you call?"
I start to panic now not knowing what I should say since I just lied.
"Umm oh I was letting you know she might stay the night here at Yvette's cause she's had a couple drinks," I lie again.
All this lying is not good for me I hate lying to people.
I hang up not wanting to be forced to answer anymore questions.
I try to call Ivy again.
This time it goes straight to voicemail.
"Fuck," I yell out walking out the bedroom and smacking the wall out of anger.
Where the hell could this woman be
"Where she at ?" Yvette asks, breaking me out of deep thought.
"Oh uh she did-" I got to say but I'm interrupted by the doorbell ringing "I got it"
When I open the door I see Ivy standing there with a bag of snacks and the same shopping bags from earlier.
Where has she been this whole time if she never went home
"Are you gone let me in Rubi?" she says.
Alcohol obviously apparent on her breath
"Oh yeah wassup," I say, while giving her a hug. My tone is kinda shaky because I'm still confused as to where she's been, and how she got here with no car since she rode with Yvette earlier.
She sets her bags down going to give the other girls hugs.
"Oooh it smell good asf in here," she says, her Puerto Rican accent heavy.
"Someone's lit," I here Kennedy say from the couch, "you and Michael must've had y'all a good time this afternoon."
Kennedy pretends to look at a imaginary watch on her wrist.
"Cause you, umm let me see almost 5 hours late," she continues.
"Yeah, sorry we had a couple drinks," she replies, her accent still strong and her balance obviously off a little as she walks towards the kitchen.
I feel myself getting upset.
Firstly, because she's lying and we usually never lie to each other.
The group is pretty close and we share almost everything with one another.
Secondly, because she's been out all fucking day God knows where and she came in here drunk.
Caught up in my thoughts I didn't even notice I was still standing near the door
"Yo, you good Ru," I hear Laila ask, with a worried look on her face.
"Yeah, of course I'm always good," I reply.
I need to relax with this lying shit cause now it feels like it's coming out too easily.
I walk to where Ivy is fixing her plate in the kitchen and watch her movements.
She almost falls twice and when she almost drops her plate I walk over to her catching it.
I place the plate on the counter and look into her eyes to make sure she focuses on what I'm about to say since she seems to have a hard time doing that right now.
"Can we talk real quick," I ask.
"Yeah, wassup Ru," she replies, as she tries to pick her plate back up.
I place it back down grabbing her hand leading us to Yvette's guest room "in private" I whisper.
When we get in the room I close the door behind us
When I turn around Ivy is standing right in front of me
She grabs my face bringing our lips together and I remove her hands pushing her back
"What's wrong baby?" She asks in a soft voice.
"Where you been Ivy," I ask, staying calm "I know you seen me blowing your phone up and don't say you was with Mike because I called him."
She eyes me for a second trying to think of another lie I presume.
She then walks closer to me again wrapping her arms around my neck as she kisses the side of my face.
"I was out with a couple of my friends baby relax," she whispers against my cheek.
I push her back again now feeling myself getting angry because I know she's lying.
"Why the fuck you lying Ivy," I say, my voice gettting a little bit louder and my tone becoming harsher "I know all yo damn friends you don't have that many. Most of them work today so lie again plus you smell like a nigga. So where you been"
She doesn't say anything.
I get more frustrated at the silence in the room.
She sits on the bed and just stares at me.
"Ivy," I scoffed.
I feel myself losing control so I turn around not wanting to look at her face.
As I try to calm down I feel her hands wrap around my abdomen and her head lay on my back.
"Just answer my question Ivy I'm not mad," I tell her.
"You're obviously mad baby," she says, her voice low and apologetic.
she lets me go and sits back on the bed before she begins to speak again. I turn around now facing her.
"I went out with my homegirl Morgan baby we had a couple of drinks at this bar it was kind of crowded so one the guys cologne must've rubbed on me."
"So you telling me a nigga brushed up against you and his cologne got on your fucking skin Ivy," I yell out.
I tried to control my anger but the shit she is telling me just doesn't make any sense and I hate being lied to.
"Calm down baby," she says, while standing up trying to comfort me.
"Don't fucking touch me Ivy," I yell out again.
This time I hear the girls in the living asking if everything is alright.
I hear footsteps get closer to the room we are in and Ivy runs to go lock the door.
"Rubi clam down seriously the girls will hear you. I'm not lying don't you trust me," she says, slurring her words.
This makes me even more mad because she is clearly drunk and lying to my face.
" I don't give no fucks about that right now Ivy," I yell, stepping closer to her "just tell me where you was and we can drop this."
I hear banging and someone trying to open the door.
"Aye what going on in there. Open the door," one of the girls yell through the door.
"Rubi," Ivy shouts, as I step closer to her again.
The door then flys open Yvette had a key I assume.
"Yo, what's going on y'all need to relax we heard yelling," Yvette says.
Kennedy, Laila, and Natalie are also standing at the doorway.
"Nothing, it's fine we're just talking," Ivy try's to convince them.
I never leave the spot from in front of her or turn to look at the girls.
"Rubi," Kennedy yells out.
I don't move I just continue to stare Ivy down.
"We good just give us a minute," Ivy pats my chest while telling the girls.
The tension in the room is thick.
I grab Ivy's wrist as soon as she try's to pull her hand back from patting my chest.
Our eyes lock and she knows I'm heated at this point, but she still doesn't make an effort to tell me the truth.
Kennedy then walks into the room getting in between me and Ivy prying my hand from Ivy's wrist.
" Yo, relax Ru. Alright. Listen to me whatever it is come with me and we can talk about it," Kennedy pled.
But my eyes never left Ivy's.
Out of all the girls I'd say me and Kennedy were the closest to each other like Natalie and Laila are.
Besides what me and Ivy have going on.
I hate lying to the other girls and basically everyone about me and Ivy but she says it's best for right now.
A year ago Michael had kicked her out of their apartment after a heated argument and she came to my place balling her eyes out.
I tried to comfort her as best I could and we ended up having sex. She stayed at my house for 2 weeks after that and we got closer each day.
She told me that she had caught feelings for me and I believed her. No one else had my attention like she did.
Ivy made me feel like a different person when we would be alone she supported and never judged me for my past.
She knows all my insecurities, fears, and flaws as well as all my plans, dreams, and wishes so it was hard not to feel the same.
After two weeks however she told me she was going back to Michael and it crushed me, but she said her feelings for me were still there.
Ivy some how got me to stick with her.
I'd never put myself in a situation where I felt like I was hurting others or I had to hide apart of my life but Ivy seems to always get me to do things I never thought I would do.
It's not healthy I know.
Yet, she has a hold on me and it's strong.
"Rubi, please," Kennedy begs.
I'm so angry that I feel tears start to form in my eyes but I refuse to let them fall.
"I got her," Yvette says from behind me.
She grabs my shoulder and I turn around fast grabbing her arm tightly.
"Dammmmmmmnn Rubi relax shit strong ass let me go," Yvette squeals.
I let her go and turn back to look at Ivy "Fuck you Ivy," I finally say.
She doesn't look too worried about what I just said to her she just stands there watching as I walk out the door bumping whoever's in the way.
I grab my stuff and go out to my car to leave.
Of course Kennedy's right behind me.
"Rubi, talk to me what's wrong," she asks, her voice sympathetic.
Kennedy and the other girls are basically all I have since both my parents died in a car crash and my little brother is strung out on drugs somewhere.
Kennedy is always there to pick me up when I need it.
I ignore her pulling my car door open.
She closes it immediately after I open it.
"Talk to me Rubi. You know I can't let you leave like this" she yelled.
I don't turn around and I feel my face get warm as it began to be stained with the tears rolling down my face.
She quickly turns me around bringing me into a tight hug rubbing down my back to soothe me.
As much as I tried to stop crying the tears just kept coming she walked me to the passenger side of my car helping me get in then ran around to the drivers seat.
She started the engine.
I had no idea where she was taking me, but I honestly didn't care as long as it was away from Ivy.
