And you'd let me be a flawed woman

He wasn't wearing the same outfit he wore earlier, instead he looked way more casual in a pair of basketball shorts and a black Champion hoodie. But he still smelt good, like vanilla and sandalwood. A scent I could wrap myself in forever.

Forever.

What a scary little word.

Dave sat at the end of the lounger near my feet. He looked angry at me, the tension bulging in his cheeks as he clenched his jaw. I was just about to put another coat of white polish on my toes, when he looked down and took the brush and bottle from my hands to close them.

Then his stoic eyes travelled to the blunt sitting comfortably between my lips. I contemplated taking a long pull and blowing it back at him, but his fingers lightly snatched it from my lips. He briefly inspected it before flicking it off the balcony.

Damn, what if that landed on someone? I wasn't even done.

I looked at him with a blank expression, my mouth still formed as if it was still holding the blunt.

His face was turned away from me and he spoke calmly. A little to calm for my liking.

"When you start smoking that shit?"

"Hmm?", I said pretending not to hear him.

He narrowed his eyes at me, "You heard me"

"Long before I met you" I said simply.

I already envisioned how this argument would go. He'd ask me question after question, like I owed him any explanation and for every one he asked, I would answer with some sort of sarcasm.

He chuckled dryly, "Where you get it from? Was it that nigga that dropped you off?"

"Why would it matter Dave? And why you questioning me like I'm your child?"

"Maybe if you stop actin' like a kid, I wouldn't have to treat you like one!" he walked back inside.

I looked past him watching a bird fly past the building in slow motion. I'm high as fuck right now.

"Dave" I sighed, stumbling out of the lounger. I quickly clasped the sides of my robe and folded my hands over them to keep it closed. "You do realize that I lived here for three years... without you right? I don't need a babysitter or a bodyguard or whatever!"

"Did I ask if you needed one?"

He was irritating me now. Instead of asking how I felt or if I was ok, he was berating me.

Dave sat on the edge of my bed and leaned back on his elbows.

"And how did you know how I got here? You have people watching me now? I know for sure that you had a bunch of lil goons around the fucking city looking for me." I waved my hands in the air to be dramatic. "Why is my every move being monitored?"

He got up and sat straight. He looked bored with me and this conversation...that was pissing me off even more.

"You done?" He asked

"Huh? I'm a little gone right now so I'm not sure if I heard you correctly. What you say?"

He stood up and leaned against the wall with his arms folded to mirror mine.

"I asked if you was done. Cause you askin' all these questions and you ain't answering none of mine or letting me speak."

He began to walk towards me.

"You askin' why I'm treating you like a child, when you fo sure actin' like one bro. You answering a question with another question, like you got somethin to hide and I'm deadass about to get upset if you don't answer me." He said harshly.

"So one more time Allaya, where did you go and who was the nigga that dropped you the fuck off!" He hissed at me.

I had half the mind to tell him that Rashad was my side nigga and that I was at his house. But that would end badly.

"I had a really rough day and you aren't making it any better. If you think I was out there doing some foul shit then you don't know me at all. And you know what? Maybe we rushed into this..." I motioned my hand to point between me and him.

He laughed again and shook his head.

"Watchu sayin' Laya? You need some time apart...cause you scared? I honestly don't know how much more I gotta do to prove to you that I'm serious." He looked me up and down. "I get it now though. I thought it was me doing something wrong...but you got some fucked up trust issues that I'm tired of being the victim of."

Dave walked out the room and slammed the door, causing me to jump.

I probably should have just told him where I was.

/•/

I ruffled the mountain of papers around on my desk, becoming frustrated with the amount of work I had to do.

My future had been weighing heavily on my mind lately. Like where would I be ten years from now? Behind this desk...or maybe another? Would I be married with kids? Living the idealistic housewife life in the suburbs with a man who doesn't pay any attention to me.

I hoped to God not, because that sounded like my childhood.

Maybe I'd get my shit together and have enough money to travel the world, find myself through some bullshit meditation journey in Bali.

Or maybe, Dave and I could work out.

That seemed like a bit of a long shot considering how things went last week. We've been avoiding and ignoring each other ever since. I'm stuck between giving in and apologizing, and waiting for him to do the same.

At least now I could admit that for someone who claimed to be a grown woman, I definitely still had childish ways.

My phone began to vibrate obnoxiously on my desk and I swung around in my chair to answer it.

"Hi, who's this?"

"Good afternoon, I'm calling for a Ms. Allaya Deveaux.", a gentleman said with an accent that I was familiar with.

I was cautious to answer. No one called me by that surname anymore and I was a bit weary as to what this may be about.

"This is she. May I ask who's calling and what this pertains to?"

"I'm Thomas Cartwright calling from Cartwright & Associates in Providenciales. This is about your mother Lilo Esther Daniels and some assets she left to you in her will."

I sat there bewildered. My mother had been dead and buried for three years and I thought I had resolved all of this then.

"Um Mr. Cartwright please forgive me but I don't understand. I was told everything was sorted when she died. Most of her personal belongings went to me and the rest went to my brother. She had no other family in the territory."

"Yes that is true Ms. Deveux-"

"It's Daniels, Ms. Allaya Daniels"

" Right well Ms. Daniels there is the matter of your childhood home and the property that surrounds it. I'm well aware that the home was in your father's name but your mother owned the land that surrounded it and when your father divorced your mother he gave up all of his rights to the home and property."

My memory drifted back to the large colonial style house that I grew up in. We lived in a normal residential area, but our home was pushed way back from the rest with direct beach access. It was enclosed by about three mile of bush and foliage but I always thought that it was government land.

"Okay...what exactly are you trying to say"

"Well because you were the officiare of the will, she left the house and property to you. So upon you turning the legal age of 21, which was I see here was two years ago you are the owner of over four hundred acres of crown land, that's worth quite a bit of money actually." he said finally.

I let out a forced laugh and tried to shut my mouth before laughing even harder.

This isn't real life.

"Ms. Daniels I can hardly see how this is a laughing matter but..."

"No this is funny as hell. I have a question though, why did it take so long for this news to get to me. Like why am I just finding out about this? The whole thing seems rather unbelievable don't you think?"

"I do agree that it is a strange circumstance but it says here that someone tried to contest the will in court to try to gain ownership of the land but the case was thrown out only about a month ago." He went on. "Now, I can turnover the ownership papers to you or...you could sell to a foreign investor for quite a hefty sum I actually have a few buyers lined up."

I took a moment to repeat what he just told me in my head, before I asked a follow up question. However, I was interrupted by a knock on my door.

"Yeah I'm gonna have to think about that and get back to you." I replied while getting up to answer the door. "Mr. Cartwright since you seem to have all of my contact information why don't you send me an email with all of yours."

I smiled tightly at Zora as she walked nervously into my office and stood by the door. I hung up the phone and slipped it into my pocket.

"Hey, if you need something, you can just ask Eva about it."

I've seen her around the studio a lot this past week, since she was recording with her team. It was actually a bit weird that she was in here, since most artists didn't visit my office.

"Oh no! Everything is fine, I'm just taking a break from recording and I ...well I finally mustered hot myself together to come talk to you."

"Ah sure. Have a seat.", I gestured towards the sofa. "What do you need to talk about?" She had this sweet and innocent thing going on with her, but I wasn't too comfortable with the idea of us becoming friends.

"Dad and Amir told me everything...about you and what happened at the signing. I just wanted to check on you...you know? It must be so difficult to have to-"

"I'm fine.", I added quickly.

"Yes I can see that." I raised my eyebrow at her. "Ugh I didn't mean it like that, I just meant you look well....maybe I should just go", she got up swiftly and headed for the door.

Guilt and regret was gnawing at me for being rude. It wouldn't be right if I shunned her and acted nonchalantly. It wasn't her fault that my father slept with her mother and I was taking my aggression out on the wrong person.

"Zora wait. Please sit back down."

She complied and for the next hour we chatted a little bit about my father and Amir, and then we moved the conversation to discuss random things.

"I can't believe he did that.", I laughed at her recounting a story about Amir.

"Mir's always doing dumb shit" she rolled her eyes.

I was on my phone scrolling through Instagram when I passed a video of Dave from the party. After seeing it, I turned my phone off and tossed it on the table.

"Trouble in paradise?" She asked

"No...well yes but I'm not sure how to fix it."

"I'm usually good with relationship advice so spill..." she tried to convince me to open up more about my relationship.

"We're having some communication issues." I admitted without saying all the details.

"Dad always says actions speak louder than words, so that may be a great place to start. You guys are honestly such a cute couple. I'd hate to see you not work out."

I gave her a small smile.

"Anyway you have to come to dinner. I know things between you and dad are rocky but at least give it a try." she voiced. "My manager keeps messaging me, so I need to go. It was nice talking to you. I'll text you the address." Zora mentioned leaving my office.

I was now left alone with my thoughts again. I needed to figure out what I would do with that property.

Dave would probably know what to do, he was a successful businessman.

But I'd have to get him to talk to me first.

_________________

Vote & Comment✨

(Shame by Summer Walker)