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“
Why don't you just sign the papers Noelle?”

There was a long pause as Noelle swallowed hard wondering where that came from. Her heart began to race and sadness overcame her. This had started as a good day but now was taking a turn.

“
I don't want to talk about it.” Noelle reached for a banana and began to peel it. After another long pause, she spoke. “Why...why did you even bring that up?”

Jordin finally looked her in the eyes and she was no longer smiling, no longer cordial. She looked fed up, on the verge of something, on the brink of an epiphany perhaps. She sighed.

“
Noelle, just....just sign the papers!” Jordin seemed so emotional as she spoke. “It's over, Noe. That's all he wants from you obviously...he hasn't even called. You should just...sign them. At least give him that.”

Jordin picked up a slicing knife and took a few strawberries from the fruit bowl. She began to slice them for her cereal. Before she realized it, drops of water were falling onto the counter. That's when she knew that she was crying.

“
I can't do this shit!” Jordin threw down the knife and looked up at Noelle with teary eyes. The pregnancy had brought on so many emotions that she had to fight, but this was one that she didn't want to. Not anymore. She swallowed hard before speaking.

“
I forgave you, Noe. I...I really did. And I'm happy for you, you know...you know I love Kenzie with
all
of my heart. Deep down inside...I even love you too.” Her emotions began to run wild as the next words poured out of her mouth. “Noelle... I'm going to be with Julez. I know this may be tough for you to hear, but...I...I
love
him.” With Jordin being pregnant, her feelings were a little easier to express so she figured that this was why it came out so easily. Or it could have been the fact that she had been in dire agony without him, and she had just recently come to the realization that she was in true blue love with the man. She stared at Noelle who wore the hurt on her face just as well as her fine MAC cosmetics, but Jordin couldn't stop her tears from flowing and her heart from pouring out. “Do you understand? I love him, Noe.”

Noelle's face turned sour as she soaked it all in. Just when life was getting back to decent, just when she was coping with Julez and Jordin's affair, and just when she had convinced herself that it had only been a one time, revenge type of thing that had happened between them, Jordin had to come with this. Noelle chuckled.

“
So you're telling me... that you're going to be with
my
husband...” She pointed obnoxiously at the ring that she still wore while holding up her left hand. “You're going to be with him, and raise that bastard baby...huh? That's the plan, Jordin? And you think he'll have you? You think he wants you...or
that
?” Noelle motioned to Jordin's belly with a scowl on her face.

Jordin licked the tears that had fallen to her lips and shook her head. She was done with Noelle. She had so many words for her but she didn't even want to waste the energy on her by saying them. She wanted to save it for the things she had to say to Julez first.

“
Goodbye Noelle...and good luck. Kiss Kenzie for me.”

Jordin went to walk by her and Noelle snapped from the finality of the situation. She had a sudden rush of fear, and anger, and desperation. Her eyes scanned the counter and it was almost an outer body experience when she reached out and grabbed the knife that Jordin had been using. Jordin turned quickly at Noelle's brash movement and before she could get out the word 'what', she felt the four inch blade ram deeply into her stomach.

“
Ohhhhhhhh!” She cried out in pain as blood began to gradually soak her nightgown. Noelle stood there and watched in shock as Jordin continued to bleed, her mouth agape in a silent scream. She reached out and held onto Noelle's wrist in necessary support, and that's when Noelle snapped out of it.

“
Did you hear me, Noe? I said... I love him. Do you understand?”

Noelle looked up at Jordin as if hearing her for the first time as Jordin gently held her wrist. The knife was still there on the counter, the red liquid on it was only juice from the strawberries, no blood. Jordin was still standing there giving her declaration of independence, and her belly, much to no avail, was still in tact. It had all been a day dream. A wicked one. “I'm sorry, Noe...”

There was a long silence.

“
I mean, what do you want me to say, Jordin?” Noelle asked solemnly, the heartbreak all in her voice.

Jordin looked at her, truly feeling bad for her but ready to put herself first for once. She shrugged and shook her head.

“
I don't know. There's really nothing left to say. Just...just sign the papers Noe.” Jordin sighed, and then she began walking away. She turned and then added. “Goodbye.”

And this time, against her will to follow through with her vision, Noelle did nothing. She just let her go.

***

“
The Mansini's won't budge Mr. Payne, they want to keep their property intact. They don't even care if they have to take it to the courts to do so...”

Julez sat deep in thought at the head of the board table, his emotions written all over his face. He was dapper in his usual Armani double breast suit and he rhythmically tapped his pen. His VP continued, ready to take his orders. “Did you want to proceed with the court filings, Mr. Payne?”

“
No,” Julez interrupted hastily. He'd fold before he got the law involved too much in his business. The last thing he needed was the courts digging too deep into his company, following his paper trail. He looked up at him. “I'll come up with something. Thank you Sam.”

After Sam was seated, Julez proceeded.

“
Next, I want to get into the new buildings over in Midtown. Kira, did you call the city board about the permits?”

“
I did Mr. Payne,” she spoke sultrily. “I have been trying to get in contact with someone who can give me the proper feedback.”

“
Keep trying,” was his only response to her before addressing the board.

“
Listen y'all, this recession can be a gift and it can be a curse. A lot of people are not able to afford the places they've been owning for ten, twenty, thirty years. It can be a playground for us. But desperation also makes people greedy. And greed makes people move differently, so we have to make sure we cross all the T's...”

“
...And dot all the I's.” Everyone glanced around to see where the distant voice had originated from.

Julez looked up at the doorway and his heart sped up against his will. Six months since he'd seen her face and he'd almost forgotten the way she made him feel. She looked radiant in a red pea-coat for the Fall weather and her long hair was pulled back. Her face was glowing and it looked adorably round. She was still beautiful.

“
Uhm, yeah...damn. Everybody... give us a minute, please,” he muttered, not taking his eyes off of her.

The table began to stand and disperse as everyone took in Jordin and the effect she seemed to have over their boss. Kira was the last to leave the room, closing the door slowly behind her and Julez remained seated as he just stared...and stared...and stared in awe.

“
Hey,” he finally spoke, his voice low in his sexy baritone. She was
so
beautiful.

“
Hey,” Jordin said back to him, her voice cracking with emotion. After a few moments of straight eye contact, Jordin began to meticulously unbutton her coat. Her courage was dwindling, so she figured better show than tell. Reaching the bottom of her coat she finally unfastened the last button and pulled it open slowly, revealing her protruding belly covered in a cream sweater. She stared down at her bump and prayed that when she looked up, his eyes told her the story she wanted to see. She looked up and was overwhelmed.

Julez had watched her open her jacket, and when he finally saw her round stomach, the clear signs of his growing seed, his chest swelled with a feeling he had never felt before. He felt like someone had given him the greatest gift ever and at that moment he knew there had to be a God. What he felt, that moment, it was so divine. Julez stood up and began making his way over to her as she did the same, meeting him halfway.

“
I'm so sorry,” Jordin broke down as she began to cry like she never had before. Tears lined her cheeks.

As he let his hand roam from her precious belly to her hips, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Julez brought one hand up and wiped her face with tenderness. He stared at her and he felt so complete, he couldn't even explain it. He felt like she was made for him, like his life was starting from that moment forward, that's how real it was.

“
I love you Jordin.”

She brought her crying face close to his, foreheads pressed together. And she smiled, and laughed a happy, tearful laugh as he said those words. Jordin felt so happy, like she had no more worries, as long as she was here with him, nothing else mattered. Julez was the kind of man that would make her feel safe.

“
I love you,
so
much Julez. I love you...in a way...” She looked him in the eyes and cried hard as he continued to wipe the tears from her cheeks feeling a rush of emotion from her words. “I love you in a way...that nobody else ever could, Julez. I am
so
in love with you,” she admitted desperately, her voice shaking, terrified and relieved. Terrified of the strong love she felt for him. Relieved that he felt it too.

Julez was ecstatic. He was complete. Not having Jordin in his life had hurt more than losing Noelle. It was as if by having Noelle in his life, he had been able to have Jordin, so that was why he had never noticed how happy she made him. He just knew that he had been happy until all of this took place, and he had lost her. And then he was miserable.

He brought her into a nurturing, comforting, and strong embrace. One that made her feel beautiful and protected.

“
I didn't realize how much I needed you until right now,” he whispered deeply in her ear and then he began to kiss the side of her wet face as he stroked the back of her hair. “I love you so much.”

They finally brought their lips together after those touching words and shared a passionate and intense short kiss. And as it came to an end they looked each other in the eyes lovingly.

“
So,” Julez started with a grin. “That's where you been. You've been taking care of my little man in there? Little Julez...”

Jordin smirked at him.

“
Little
Julez
. Really? Who says it's a boy anyway,” she joked. He chuckled and she continued.

“
I didn't want to find out the sex. Plus... if it's a boy, who says I wanna call him Julez, huh?” She teased.

Julez smiled hard as he placed his hand on her stomach with pride.

“
Nah baby, I'm just fucking with you. If it's a boy...we'll call him... we'll call him Jordan.”

That made Jordin blush, hard. She used her hand to rub his handsome face as she stared into his magnetic eyes. She then replied back.

“
And if it's a girl...” She brought her lips to his and kissed him softly before she continued. And then she said with pride. “We'll call her Jewels.”

Season Finale... Epilogue

Everyone always asks, how do you end up with your best friend’s man? They say some things should just never happen. And I guess for it to be even considerable, there would have to be some excruciating circumstances. Some weird twists of fate or some ill plots of destiny would have had to occur. Well, this is how it happened...