My gaze landed back on Kiandra, and when I saw her stumble, all I could do was shake my head. She wasn’t a drinker, and something was telling me the situation wasn’t going to end well. I inched closer to her even though she was talking to a woman in a red gown.
“You good?” the woman implored, her brows dipped from concern.
“That’s a good question,” Kiandra giggled. “I haven’t really been good since my man of three years left me for no obvious reason. Then, less than a month of us being apart, he was already infatuated with someone else. Just tossed me to the side like yesterday’s trash.” Kiandra drained the champagne from the flute she was holding. “And he’s here tonight,” she swayed a bit and chuckled. “No matter how many times I’ve stood by his side, he still chose someone else over me. Now isn’t that something? Do you think I’m good?”
Kiandra eyed the woman who wore a confused expression on her face like she really needed an answer. Her lips parted, but no words left her mouth. I stood in front of Kiandra but smiled at the woman.
“I got her from here.”
She gave a slight nod and wasted no time getting away from Kiandra. “I think you need to let me take you home. How did you get here?”
“I drove. How do you think I got here? I saw you watching her. She’s here with another man, and you still can’t keep your eyes off her. What is it about her?” Kiandra’s face crumpled, and my jaw muscles flexed. Next time something told my ass to stay home, that was what I was going to do.
I didn’t answer, Kiandra, but when she reached for another glass of champagne, I gently grabbed her arm. “I think you’ve had enough.”
Clumsily, she snatched away from me. “You are not my father, and I’m no longer your concern,” she snapped before her face contorted. “Oh God, I think I’m going to be sick.” She rushed from the room, and I followed her to make sure she was good.
Kiandra ran into the bathroom, and I leaned against the wall to wait with drink in hand. When Breezy stepped out of the ballroom, my chest tightened. “Is she okay?” she walked briskly toward me bringing an alluring scent with her. My dick bricked up, and I hated that shit. Fuck, it had been too long since I had sex, and Breezy was looking like she needed me to fold her up and stroke her like a man possessed.
“Had a little too much to drink,” I mumbled.
Breezy’s throat bounced as she swallowed hard. “I didn’t expect to see either one of you here.”
“I’m not sure why she came. Honestly, I’m not sure why I came.”
Breezy stared at me with an expression that I couldn’t read. I braced myself for the words that were about to fall off her lips. After a brief but awkward silence, she spoke. “I’m glad to see that you’re okay.”
“Why didn’t you come in the hospital room that day?”
“Because you clearly had company.”
“Company that I didn’t ask for.”
“Yet, you and her always seem to end up together.” Something that looked like pain flickered in her orbs.
Before I could respond, the bathroom door opened. “I think I need to go home,” Kiandra whined with throw up in her hair. When she noticed Breezy, she snorted. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“Kiandra, you don’t need to drive,” I called out as she walked off.
Pivoting, she looked at me with tears in her eyes. “She’s who you want to be with. Her. So be with her, Lucciano. I don’t want to be your charity project anymore. I bow out gracefully.” She turned to walk away, and she tripped.
I knew Kiandra was already in her feelings and adding embarrassment to that wouldn’t make it any better. I rushed to her side, and she stormed away from me. “Just leave me alone, Lucci.”
I understood she was upset, but I refused to let her drive. With my drink still in hand, I followed Breezy to her car, took her keys from her as she sobbed, and got in the drivers’ seat. She leaned her head against the window and thankfully, before we were out of the parking lot good, she was asleep. Once again, Breezy had to witness me prioritize Kiandra over everything else. I was proving her point without even trying. Maybe that was simply my sign to leave well enough alone. Never would I have imagined that breaking away from Kiandra would be so hard to do.
When I pulled up in front of her house, I almost dreaded waking her up. “Kiandra.” She didn’t budge. Raising my voice a little louder, I shook her arm. “Kiandra, wake up! You’re home.”
“Ummmmmm.” She moaned but didn’t open her eyes.
Gritting my teeth in effort to remain calm, I turned the ignition off and went to open her door. I then walked back to the car and contemplated whether or not I wanted to pick her up knowing that it hadn’t been a full month since I had surgery. I didn’t want to risk it, so I very lightly smacked her cheek. “Kiandra, wake up, ma. You gotta walk in the house.”
Her eyes opened, and she looked around bewildered. When her gaze landed on me, she frowned. “I have to throw up again.”
Kiandra bolted from the car and into the house while I pulled my phone from my pocket to request a rideshare. There was one ten minutes away, so I sat on the porch to wait. I had done my due diligence and made sure she got home safely. She better be able to handle it from there because I was done. Being nice was what had my ass in the situation that I was in. While I waited on my ride, I also made the decision to get my car from valet when I got back and take my black ass home. My intentions were good with going to the gala, but I was over it already. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.
My mouth was watering for a blunt. When I made it back to the venue, the crowd was thinning out. I gave my stub to the valet attendant and waited on my car. Visions of Breezy in that dress made my dick brick up. When her date appeared in the visions, I gritted my molars together. Once I took the tux I was wearing off and changed clothes, it was a must that I head out and look for something to fuck. If I didn’t relieve some pressure soon, my head was going to pop off my shoulders.
At home, I removed the tux and put on some basketball shorts. When I was done smoking, I’d get dressed to go out. I just wanted to scoop something, get a hotel room, and fuck shorty’s brains out. It had been a lil’ minute since I got a haircut, so I ran my hand back and forth over my thick coils as I pulled from the blunt. The ringing of my doorbell made me frown. Tyler was no more, and Maino still wasn’t out and about. So, if it wasn’tmy mom or dad at my door, there was going to be a problem. Blowing weed smoke from my mouth, I checked to see who was on the other side of the door and almost choked on marijuana smoke when I saw Breezy.
