Always Us (Always and Forever 2)

Hearing Gwen moving back toward us, I remove myself from Trey and move behind him. He stays facing the large windows, while I make sure she leaves. Just as she is about to open the door, it swings open and my brother’s huge frame takes up the doorway. Kingston eyes us all, taking in the scene, then moving aside when he sees her bags. Shopping bags filled with expensive things I am sure Trey funded. Ugh, that cow.

“Move,” Gwen snaps. Kingston steps inside, Lana appearing behind him. Grabbing her arm, gently, he pulls her into his strong ones, her front to his back, while Gwen takes one last look toward Trey and me.

“You will regret this.” With that she leaves, a trail of dust following behind her.

When she clears the doorway, Kingston reaches his long arm out, still keeping Lana tucked into him, to slam the door.

My eyes don’t leave the door, they stay fixated on it for a few more seconds, as if she may come right back. I mean she is really good at coming and going.

“Wow, what the fuck happened?” Kingston breaks through the silence.

I look up to Trey; he wipes his eyes and sniffs, covering his emotion with a mask. I go to speak, but Trey moves faster than I do, halting me. I watch him round the couch, grab his leather jacket and keys.

“I lost my mother—again.” With that he leaves, the door slamming. My feet are stuck in place, not sure what just happened. We all look at each other. I about go after Trey, but can’t will my feet to move. Even if my feet would set in motion, I am not sure what I would even say to him.

“No, really, what the fuck?” Lana asks, rushing toward me. I start to cry, breaking apart for Trey.

“Are

we ever going to be happy? Is Trey ever going to be happy?” I sob, dropping to the couch.

“Oh, baby, he is happy. You both are happy.” Lana wraps me in her arms, sitting to the left of me; Kingston comes to sit in front of us on the coffee table.

Her words are heard, but they aren’t that easy to believe right now. “I know we’re in love and I know I’m happy that we’re a couple, but he’s broken, I’m broken. God, I just let him walk out to be alone with all this…this shit!” I yell, putting my face in my hands and crying harder. We can never seem to have a moment that is good without something happening to sabotage it all.

“Shay, baby. Please stop crying. I know it’s hard right now, but our boy needed it. He needed the space. You know how he gets,” Kingston speaks, placing his hand on my knee, squeezing gently. I start to shake, the sobs racking my body mixed with my adrenaline crash has me shivering. I feel cold. Kingston must feel it, because he moves to the couch, switching positions, so I am cradled in his lap. It happened fast, but his warm body shields me from the air. The strength of his big arms bringing my body temperature back to normal.

“I need to call him and make sure he’s okay.” I peer up at Lana, just to the side of Kings. She nods and reaches into her pocket to grab her phone, I have no idea where mine is.

“Here, I’ll dial.” She dials then hits speaker, the ringing echoing in the apartment.

It’s about to go to voicemail when his gravely voice comes through the line.

“Lana, I need some time, I can’t talk about it right now.”

“Trey, baby, it’s me…” I answer.

He’s silent for a brief moment. “Yeah, baby?” I can tell he’s still crying, I can hear it in his voice, he isn’t doing anything to hide it.

“Trey, baby, come home. Come home to me and we can work this out, I don’t want you to be alone.” My voice cracks, I swallow hard, the acid burning my throat with its thickness.

“I can’t, Shayla, I need to clear my head. I’ll come home soon.”

“Trey… Please, I know you need the space, but I don’t want you to be alone. I’m scared that you’re gonna get hurt, you aren’t in the right mind.” Kingston starts to rub my arm. He bends to kiss my forehead and I close my eyes to cry. I feel so hopeless; like I can’t do anything for the man I love.

“I’ll be fine, Shayla. I’ll be home soon, don’t worry about me…okay?” he asks, but it sounds more like a plea than anything. I hesitate to answer, not sure what else to say, formulating the right words to convince him to come home seems impossible.

“Okay…yeah…” He releases a breath.

“Hey, baby?”

“Yeah?” I sit up, leaning into the phone as if it were him and he were right here.

“I love you, I promise I’ll come home to you, okay?” One single tear is falling, my eyes are clenched shut, and I nod. Not sure what else I can do, but let him be, let him have his time.

“I love you, too, baby. I really do love you,” I confess to him over and over like a prayer.

About to hang up, Kingston speaks up, Lana and I both looking to him when he talks. “Hey, I’m sorry. I love you, dude. Come back home to her, she needs you like you need her.” I have never heard my brother say ‘I love you’ to Trey like that before. Sure he says it, but usually it’s after a joke or when he’s finished busting his balls. I look over to Lana and she’s staring at Kingston with a soft smile. That is the same look I give Trey, like he’s the keeper of the universe.