Book Two - It Should Have Been Us

Chapter Nine Page Two

{James' POV}

He saw the poster for the Halloween party. Thought it’d be fun for all of us to spend Nadine’s birthday in costume; some sort of a first costume party for Nadine and Reese together. But he didn’t notice it says “kiddie costume party”. Yassi explained.

A long pause followed after that. All four of us lost in our own thoughts until Nadine finally broke the silence.

You wanna talk about it?

Yeah. I didn’t think I’d want to know anymore. But why Q?

You thought wrong, you know. Yassi told me you punched him. There wasn’t any reason for you to hit him.

Yeah? Didn’t seem that way back then.

Yeah. I can imagine what you must have thought about the pictures which circulated. But Q has always been a friend and nothing more. It’s no different from Andre and Yassi being there with us.

He liked you. You must have known that. He liked you far too much. I held my tongue from saying it wasn’t just the pictures that told me there’s more to them. That I saw it for myself.

Actually, no. You may not believe me on this James but I never felt any malice with him. Not until he actually told me himself that he’s fallen in love with me.

He did what?! I was fuming. That son of a-

Stop! He respected you. He respected us so he waited to tell me. He wanted to make sure we’re no longer together before telling me what he felt for me. Made sure you’ve moved on – we’ve both moved on.

Of course we’re still together. We never broke up. You just up and left. And don’t try to justify what he did. We were friends for years. Way long before you were in my life.

But we’re not. She responded quietly. Her voice too low I could have missed it if I wasn’t looking right at her.

What?

We’re not together anymore then, James. You’ve moved on. You were already dating Nath by the time Q told me he has feelings for me.

That can’t be right. No…no you were…he was hitting on you way before that. I know it. The memory of him kissing Nadine at the park appearing in my head.

What do you mean you know? Who told you?

No one. Just… I just know. You were already dating when you were still pregnant. He was even by your side when you gave birth.

No, man. We were there too. When she gave birth. She and Q? Nothing was there back then. I think it was a few months after that we suspected something, right Yass?

Yass just bit her lip. I looked at Nadine for confirmation.

It was a few months after you started going out with Nath. Reese was probably around 5 or 6 months old then.

I looked back at Yassi. My eyes probably mirroring the confusion I was feeling. I punched Q way before that. Yassi just answered with a curt nod. Shit. I couldn’t find the words to say. Just then, the sound of Reese’ soft sobs and his calling out for me rang out.

Sorry, I’ll just- I couldn’t finish the sentence; at a loss for words. Nadine just nodded and I turned to walk towards my son.