Vengeance

“Caprice, we can work on this. Things can change, but only if you want them to change.”

“Therein lies the five-million-dollar question. I’m not sure that I want to change. But there is this one guy.”

“Oh, yeah? What’s his name?”

“Jonovan Davis.”

“The mascot from your high school?” Marcella grinned. “You have feelings for him, don’t you?”

“I’m not so sure about feelings. More so some type of curiosity. He was a nice guy then, and he seems like a nice guy now. He’s caring for his father, who has Alzheimer’s.”

“He’s still in Atlanta?”

“Yes. He actually showed up at my place to interview me for his music-themed magazine.”

“He’s goal-oriented, he likes music, he showed compassion toward you before you became famous, and your voice changed the second you brought him up.”

I was stunned. “My voice didn’t change.”

“You’re not the one listening to you—I am—and a spark of happiness leaped into your tone when you mentioned him. It’s also written all over your face.”

I tried to wipe whatever expression she was reading off my face. “He’s taken.”

“He told you that?”

“Didn’t have to. I ran into him at one of Bianca’s events and he had a date with him. He did say it was casual, though.”

“You can’t expect a man to go without dating or intimacy before you even come into the picture. What were you doing at Bianca’s event, and what kind of event was she having?”

“She’s an interior designer and she had an event to thank her clients and also to show off Cherie’s clothing designs. Jonovan was there because he was covering some of the attendees. At first I thought he was there as a friend of theirs and that upset me.”

Marcella was about to say something when a light knock came at the front door. She got up to answer it and Kagiso entered.

“You guys must be getting impatient out there,” Marcella said with a chuckle.

Kagiso looked like a doe caught in a headlight. “Just checking on Wicket to make sure everything’s all right. This is going on for longer than usual.”

“I’ll be out in a few minutes,” I said. “Are you all really worried about me, or did the food run out and you want to go get something greasy?”

He laughed. “Antonio’s the grease king, but yeah, he’s out there rubbing his stomach.”

I shook my head and stood up. “We can get going.”

Marcella glanced over her shoulder at me. “Are you sure? We were talking about um . . . you know who. Did you want to take that further?”

I walked up to her. “It’s probably pointless, but I’ll consider taking it further.” She was referring to me pursuing Jonovan but didn’t want to come out and say it. I knew what she meant, though. “Maybe I’ll call you know who, and feel him out.”

Marcella actually hugged me and I started trembling. I’m sure she felt it. I was not big on human contact, only with hugging Daddy, or Hannah when she was still alive. I missed her so much. One day, I was going to have to let her truly go as well. Even though I had convinced myself that time heals all wounds, that was still an open cut on my heart.

“I’ll see you later,” she said, moving back and gazing into my eyes. “You can call me anytime, day or night. If I’m preoccupied, I’ll call you right back. I promise.”

I smiled at the concept that I might actually have a new friend. It had been so long. She knew about most of my crazy shit and was still willing to talk to me.

“That means a lot to me. Thank you.”

Kagiso cleared his throat. “Antonio might pass out in a minute if you don’t get him a fried chicken wing, or a taco, or something.”

All three of us chuckled as I followed Kagiso out.