Always the One (Always and Forever 1)

“LUCKY I DIDN’T DRINK too much to have a bad hangover,” I state, laying my back against the weight bench.

“Yeah, well, I did. So I’m not in the best state to lift, so I’ll spot your ass today.”

We drove back early this morning, once we were sober. Kings and I played hooky from the studio. I spent the day running errands and getting things done that I’ve let go the past couple of weeks.

Now Kings and I are at the gym, hitting weights, before I plan to surprise Shay with a romantic dinner. With all the recent dramatic dilemmas in our relationship, I want to have her to myself with no shit interrupting us.

“Where you taking my sister tonight? Better be a fucking steak dinner, she deserves it, damn it.” I about drop the bar on my head when he lashes out at me.

“Something like that, now pick the bar up, dick, you threw me off my game.”

“Oh, poor you. No really, where you going tonight, bro?” he asks, putting the bar in its place.

“I’m taking her down to the new steakhouse on sixth, they’re a bitch to get into but they had a canceled reservation so I took that shit.” I down half my water bottle, we’ve been here an hour already and I’m sweating like crazy.

“Dang, man, look at you being fancy and shit. So you’re surprising her?” I nod. “I’ll have to pick some flowers up or something for L then. She sees you being all romantic with Shay, it’ll make her all mushy and shit and she’ll be ‘awwing’ all over the place. So I’ll swoop in with flowers and maybe then she’ll fucking let me have her.”

“What, she’s still not willing to do the relationship thing?” I ask. Standing up, we make our way to the locker room.

“No, and even worse, dude, she hasn’t let me touch her since Park City. I’m fucking jerking it daily. I miss her,” he says, furrowing his brows and looking at his phone, a failed attempt to hide his frown. Kingston is all jokes and shit, but Lana’s the only one who’s been able to elicit any true deep emotions from the big goon. My heart hurts for him; I couldn’t imagine having Shay physically and her cutting me out emotionally, never fully giving herself to me. Talk about a knife to the fucking heart.

“Maybe just give her some time, some space. Play hard to get.” I pat his shoulder, watching the corners of his lips curve into an annoyed grin.

“I tried that, but, dude, I can’t. And as much as I want to, I’d rather only have a tiny part of her than nothing at all.” So damn true.

We pack up our bags and head to Kingston’s car. I don’t respond to that, I don’t feel I need to, that was some deep shit.

“I need to call L, have her get Shayla ready somehow without her knowing my plans.” We slide into Kings’s BMW and I dial Lana’s number. I put it on speaker and wait for her to answer.

“Hey, T!” Her voice comes through the phone, and I notice Kingston’s hand flex on the steering wheel and a smile splay across his face. Lovesick motherfucker.

“Hey, Lana, what’re you up to?” I ask as we roll up to the red light just before the freeway.

“Just sitting here watching a movie. You?” she asks suspiciously. I rarely call her so she knows I need something.

“Let me guess, Marilyn Monroe or something of that sort?”

“You caught me. What’s a single girl to do on a Friday night?” she huffs out on a long breath. Just her mention of being single pisses Kingston off. His knuckles turn white from the harsh grip on his steering wheel, peeling off and onto the freeway, hitting seventy in no time. I let it be and continue.

“You could take our boy Kings on a date.” I hope to amuse her but only get a sigh followed with a change of subject.

“Spill it. What do you want?”

“Can you tell a small lie for me?”

“I’ll bite. Who to?”

“I want to take Shayla out to dinner tonight, as a surprise. So can you just convince her you guys are gonna have some kind of girls’ night out thing and get her ready?” I ask, watching the passing city out the side window.

“What time? She isn’t home from work yet.”

“What, she should be home,” I tell her, a little confused. It’s rolling up on seven and the boutique closes at six. She shouldn’t be there this late.

“You’re right, wow the time got away with me. I can call her phone. She might be merchandising the store or going for a drive to help clear head. I don’t know, something like that.” Her words confuse me further.

“Why would she need to clear her head? Is everything okay?” I ask, looking over at Kingston, my mind not really functioning, I’m not sure what is going on.

“We told Evan today that we are no longer going through with the deal. Since she left the other day, like a bat out of hell, we didn’t sign the binding contract, so we backed out. By the way, thank you for telling Shay, we both don’t want to work for such a scumbag, I mean I don’t want dirty money on our boutique.” I thought I told her she didn’t have to do that, damn it. I didn’t want her to know for this purpose.