The Day He Came Back

“I’d better not regret it.”

Weldon shook his head. “Damn, you really have it bad for her ass, don’t you?”

“Don’t talk about her ass. Don’t talk about Raven period, if you know what’s good for you.”***Ten minutes into this date with Crystal, I was already bored. At least I didn’t want to blow my brains out—yet.

She had insisted on making an emergency stop at Sephora because she’d “lost her favorite tube of lipstick.” So, since we were across the bridge in West Palm anyway, we had lunch outside at City Place. While I wasn’t really enjoying myself, things were at least tolerable. City Place was always great for people-watching.

My mood changed when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye: a guy and a girl kissing.

No, wait. It was a girl and a girl kissing.

And holy shit. Not just any girl.

That girl. Marni—Raven’s friend.

Any doubt about whether it was her went out the window when I saw she was wearing the same vintage Def Leppard shirt she’d had on when she dropped Raven off at the comedy club.

The other girl left Marni alone in front of the Diesel store. Marni then began walking in my direction.

Shit.

Please don’t notice me.

Just as I’d whispered that to myself, her eyes landed right on me.

Fuck.

She gave me the death stare. Sweat dotted my forehead.

Marni pulled out her cell phone, still looking right at me, and I knew exactly who she was calling.

“Is everything okay?” Crystal asked.

Hell no, it isn’t.

My chair scraped against the ground as I got up. “You’ll have to excuse me. I’ll be right back.”

When Marni saw I was getting up to follow her, she raced away, talking on the phone.

I chased her down the street.

This was like a scene from a movie—one I wanted no part of.

I yelled after her, “Marni! Stop!”

She spoke into the phone, “Now he’s chasing me, because he got busted.”

Running close behind her, I shouted, “Is that Raven?”

She continued to ignore me.

“Let me talk to her.”

She turned around just long enough to say, “No!”

When I caught up to her and tried to grab the phone, she hung up and stuck it down her pants. Well, that’s one way to ensure I backed off.

Both out of breath, we faced each other.

“You’ve got some fucking nerve, you know that?” she spewed.

“It’s not what you think.”

“Don’t play me like that, you punk-ass bitch.”

Well, we’re definitely not in Palm Beach anymore. And honestly…I loved it. Even though this chick hated my guts, I admired how she was standing up for her friend.

I held up my palms. “You need to hear me out.”

“I don’t need to do shit. You kissed Raven the other night—she told me—and now you’re out with some ho. You’re a bastard. And I was so right about you.”

I had to think quickly.

“Shit, what’s that?” I pointed. When she looked behind her, I grabbed the keys that had been sticking out of her pocket.

I shook them at her. “You’re not getting these back until you let me talk.”

She crossed her arms and huffed, “Okay. You have my attention, asshole.”

“That girl you saw me with… She’s a beard.”

Her eyes went wide. “You’re gay?”

“No. But she’s a cover. It’s a long story. I agreed to go out with her as a favor to my brother. He wants me to make her mad so he can swoop in and capitalize on her hating me to make himself look better. Anyway, I had her meet me at my house so my mother could see me leave with her. The only reason I agreed to take her out was to throw my mother off, make her think I was no longer interested in Raven. I want her off my case so I can live my life in peace. I have no desire to be with that girl and nothing has happened, nor will it.”

After a few moments of silence, Marni said, “Why should I believe this?”

“Because it’s the damn truth.” I decided to turn the tables. “Who was that girl you were with? I saw you kiss her.”

Marni’s face turned white.

“None of your damn business.”

“You haven’t told Raven you’re gay. Why?”

She sighed and looked up at the sky. “I…I don’t want things to be weird between us.”

“Do you have feelings for Raven?”

“No! I mean, she’s hot—I guess—but I don’t see her that way. She’s like a sister to me. I plan to tell her. I really want to get it over with. I just haven’t been ready. My mother doesn’t even know.”

“Well, your secret’s safe with me. I won’t say anything. But you have to stop feeding Raven shit about me that’s not true, like telling her I’m gonna hurt her. That’s not my intention. I genuinely like her.”

As I stood here in the middle of the sidewalk, I thought about how ridiculous all of this was.