New Title 1 (32 page)

“
That's not true Kenzie. I love mommy, and I will always love you...but me and mommy just can't be a couple anymore.”

She looked confused.

“
But why not?”

Julez chose his words wisely as Noelle eavesdropped. He wanted so bad to respond 'cause ya mother's a hoe.'

“
Sometimes Kenzie, grown-ups...they stop...making each other happy. Sometimes couples break up because they just aren't right together anymore.”

There was a long pause as McKenzie seemed to take that answer, for now.

“
I love you daddy. Please don't forget me.” She gave him a warm hug and Julez closed his eyes feeling some type of emotion. He hugged her back tight and kissed her on the top of her head.

“
I'll never forget you, baby girl. I'm always gonna be here for you, you hear me?”

She nodded and Julez gave her another kiss. He stood up and handed Marta a white envelope stuffed with bills and her eyes lit up. Those were the moments when he was always reminded that Noelle had come from her, the moments when money turned her green.

“
Thank you, Julez!”

“
That's for Kenzie's camp and for the bills. And also it's enough to grab some groceries, make sure your daughter eat how she supposed to.”

Until the baby came and it was time for a blood test, Julez would continue to care for Noelle's well being, because it was also the well being of his potential child. As he was finishing up his sentence, his phone rang.

“
Hello,” he picked up anxiously, recognizing Jordin's number. Normally he would have waited to call her back, but he wasn't sure if she would even answer. He knew she was probably feeling weird about what had gone down between them; he figured he'd take her call while he had the chance to talk to her.

“
Hey...Julez. It's me...it's Jordin.”

Julez walked off to the hallway for some privacy with a smile on his face that he wasn't conscious of.

“
I know. What's up? I've been waiting to hear from you.” He still spoke low out of respect for Marta's house, but Noelle being an investigator, heard loud and clear and could tell by his tone and body language that it was a woman on the other end. She was livid at the thought of him talking to another female so soon. She continued to observe the conversation.

On the other side of the phone, Jordin beamed as her heart raced. It was so good to hear his sexy voice.

“
Well, I've just been doing a lot of ….thinking.... you know? About well, what happened between us. It was just so...crazy.”

Julez grinned.

“
It was good tho'. It was real good.”

Jordin laughed nervously and cheesed a wide grin herself.

“
Yeah...yeah it was.” She took a deep breath. “I just wasn't sure if we should-” Screaming that came from his side of the call cut off her words.

“
Look nigga we are still married! How the fuck you gonna come over here to see
me,
and be talking to some other bitch on the phone! You are married! You hear that you whore...home-wrecker! He is
married
!”

“
Yo Noelle, get the fuck outta here!” Julez barked back, irate as hell and on the verge of smacking the shit out of her bubble headed ass.

Noelle was letting her jealousy get the best of her as she reached for his phone.

“
Who the fuck is that whore, Julez? Do she know you married, huh?”

Julez shoved her away hard and stormed to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Jordin shook her head on the other side, feeling cheap. No matter what the circumstances were, Julez was still married. And married to her former best friend at that. Two wrongs didn't make a right, and she was very much in the wrong right now.

She felt stupid for calling him. What was she thinking? At a time like this she didn't need to jump into some other form of a triangle drama mess. She needed to keep her distance from them and focus on herself. Besides, what was he doing with Noelle? In Jordin's insecure mind she figured they were talking about what happened, maybe Julez was hearing Noelle out. After all, she
was
pregnant with his potential child. And she did overhear Noelle say he had come to see her. After Slim's deception she knew better than to trust a man.

“
Look, my bad about that ma-” Julez started but Jordin intervened.

“
No, don't worry it's...it's nothing. Look, I was just calling to say... that...whatever...whatever went down...it shouldn't have. I appreciate you being there for me Julez, but I just...I just need some time alone. It was...it was too much. It was the liquor, and everything that had happened...we just...we were weak. It wasn't a good thing. All of that was too fast.
”

Huh?
Julez was thrown.

“
Nah look, it aint even what you thinking Jordin...” He knew the sudden change in her demeanor probably had to do with Noelle's outburst.

“
No, Julez,” she stated more firmly. “Just...just take care of yourself alright? I'm gonna go away for a few weeks. I need to get myself together. I don't need no other bullshit on my mind right now. Please understand that.”

Julez took a deep breath before he responded, and when he finally went to say something, she bid him farewell.

“
Bye Julez.”

Jordin disconnected the call.

Julez knew that what she said was not the intended purpose of the call, or was it? He understood where she was coming from somewhat, she wanted time. Understandable for what she'd been through. But the shit about them being a mistake, blaming it on liquor and other stupid bullshit that he, and she, knew wasn't true, Julez wasn't buying it.

What they had shared had been special, he knew it. They both had been wanting it for a long time and in Julez's mind, it was bound to happen, given present circumstances or not. He would give her space if she wanted, but he would not give up on her.

He was feeling her too much.

Julez had been waiting since the last time he saw her to hear her sweet voice. She hadn't returned his calls and he was feeling like a real clown, like a pussy whipped stalker every time he dialed her and it rang out. He told himself that it was no big deal and she would reach out when she wanted to speak to him, but he still carried his phone with him anticipating her call. He asked Kira repeatedly if he had messages when he walked through the door, and he even checked with the hotel to make sure she hadn't checked out. He had it something awful.

He opened the door and stepped outside to check Noelle for her out of line ranting and he hoped that Jordin decided soon that she'd had enough time to herself. And that she was feeling the same way that he was and was ready to make a move.

***

Jordin sat feeling stupid for even dialing Julez's number. She thought about what Slim had said and she figured there was some truth to it. All she could ever get from Julez was some sex, what else? What did she expect, for him to pry the six karat stunner off of Noelle's finger and transfer it to hers? Not a chance in hell.

She probably couldn't even give him babies, and Noelle could possibly be fulfilling that wish of his. Jordin knew that if that baby turned out to be Julez's she could kiss their love affair goodbye. That baby would form a bond that would renew their love and everything that happened would be ancient history.

She wanted to save herself the heartbreak if that happened to occur. This time around, she would not be the one left in the dark and hurt. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Jordin made up her mind and shook her head at her prior naïve thinking and her original reason for calling. Why would he even care about my piece being printed in the magazine? He's probably got a million other things on his mind.

Noelle sat fuming after taking the verbal lashing that Julez had just given her. She watched as he stood, preparing to leave and she wanted to jump up and smack him for some of the shit he'd said, and then she wanted to drop to her knees and beg for him to take her back. Instead that prided diva in her watched him prepare to walk back out of her life.

“
Have Marta call me if ya'll need anything. I found the facility for the blood test so I'll set the date.” He had already told her he would look out for them until he knew if the child she was carrying was his. McKenzie would always have him but if that was Slim's baby, Noelle would be cut off. She said a silent prayer hoping that the lord was on her side, she needed her life back.

Before he reached the door, he reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled something out. He walked back over to Noelle slowly with a half smirk on his face.

“
Oh, I almost forgot. Thought you would find this interesting.”

He dropped it on the coffee table and headed back toward the door.

“
Page 56,” he added and then he made his way out, closing the door behind him.

Noelle looked down at the issue of Caramel magazine and stared for a few moments before curiosity got the best of her. She knew Jordin wrote for that magazine and she had no idea that Jordin was the chick on the phone with her husband, so she really had no reason to feel any ill will toward her. She was actually interested in seeing if she was mentioned in this issue.

She went straight to page 56 like Julez had said and she couldn't believe her eyes. Not only was Jordin mentioned, but on page 56 she had a full page article with her name, Jordin Spears, in bold lettering at the top. Noelle read the headline and a lump formed in her throat.

“
Ladies Beware of The Envious Friend...”

Noelle's heart began to race so fast and her breathing quickened out of anger, she had to skim the article for key sections in hopes that her name wasn't mentioned, she didn't have time to read it through. Her stomach turned the entire time.

“
...You may be eying her new Prada bag saying 'ooh I am going to borrow that!' Meanwhile, she's eying your man thinking the same exact thing...”

Noelle sighed and rolled her eyes, and then continued to skim.

“
...She will build you up to tear you down. For every 'you would look nice in that dress' just know that a 'I just wish we could find it in your size' will follow...”

Noelle frowned as she remembered saying that once. What was so wrong with that?

“
....It may seem as if she has it all, but deep down she is empty and insecure, and she envies something, even if it's just one little thing about you that she knows she will never possess, because it can't be bought with her money or charmed with her looks. It belongs to you and that makes her want it even more. If you didn't have it, she probably wouldn't look twice at it...”

Noelle felt a shot to the heart, that was a cheap shot. But she wondered if there was truth to the last part. Had a part of her wanted Slim because he belonged to Jordin? She shook her head no, convinced that her feelings for him were too real to be so shallow based. But she couldn't help the feeling of knowing how her interest in him had declined once he had left Jordin.

Noelle shut the magazine quickly not wanting to read anymore, it made her feel worse than she ever had through this whole ordeal. Empty...insecure...envious...these words continued to play on Noelle's mind as she stared ahead blankly. She felt a cry coming on but this was a different type. This was the type that came when one had a sad realization about the type of person that they are when faced with the harsh truth from others.

Jordin's article had acted as a mirror for Noelle and did nothing but reflect back to her how unhappy she was with herself and how pathetic she truly was. The tears fell from her eyes and she felt really cold and lonely at that moment, so cold and lonely. And all she could do was cry.