What is Love? Complete

Episode 4: Is Love Living A Lie?

Ben felt a little silly by how excited he got when he saw Mya had DM'd him.

"Damn. She wants to link up already," he thinks to himself.

"Why you got that dumbass smile on your face...?" he hears a women's voice say in an almost disgusted tone.

"Mind your business lady," he spat back at her.

"Yo ass probably on Facebook. As usual. Talking to them T.H.O.T.'s..."

As the woman walks up to him, he quickly locks his phone.

"Shut up Shanika! Why you always starting shit!? I been working all day and I'm tired. You probably ain't cook or nothing."

Ben shook his head and sucked his teeth. He was tired of her stank attitude. All she did was nag him about being on social media. As if he didn't work a full-time job and take care of her lazy ass.

"I had a hair appointment today and then I went to the nail salon, so I didn't have time."

"What the Hell!?"

She holds her hands out to admire her nails, as if him being livid doesn't phase her in the least bit.

"You want me to look good don't you? Ain't that the reason you got wit me in the first place?"

Too mentally exhausted to even respond, he decides to retreat to the bedroom. He has other things on his mind to deal with.

"So you gonna just walk away like that? Yo ass coming in here acting like you big and bad, then runnin away..."

Her voice fades as he closes and locks the door to the bedroom. He back flops on the bed and whips his phone back out.

"I don't know if I can deal with this shit for another year," he thinks to himself.

He responds to Mya, letting her know he wants to meet up with her.

"She's fine as hell, but I still don't know about this open relationship shit," his mind continues to wander.

They agree to meet up that weekend at a nearby restaurant. Although he's excited to meet her, he doesn't know how honest he is ready to be with her. He doesn't want to tell her about sleeping with Tina, and he knows for sure he can't tell her about Shanika.

"Well if she want's an open relationship, shouldn't she be good with me messing with other women?" he thinks to himself.

He knows it was stupid to give Tina an ultimatum about telling Anthony. Especially since there's no way he would ever tell Anthony, and he's not going to stop sleeping with Tina. Ever.

"Let me get this shit over with," he thinks to himself as he picks up his phone to call Anthony. He thinks about if he is really going to believe he left those boxers there on "accident".

Anthony sits at his desk, in his home office. He loves being able to work from home, but it does get a bit boring. He scrolls through Instagram and Twitter to pass the time. Then his phone rings.

"What up my ni**a?" Ben says when Anthony answers the phone.

"Trying to work," Anthony responds in a sad and a bit annoyed tone.

Ben feels a twinge of guilt hearing how sad Anthony sounds. He can't let Anthony know he already knows about the boxers. He definitely wouldn't believe his story then.

"So how is everything?" Ben says trying to segue into asking Anthony about him and Tina.

"Could be better."

Ben is annoyed at Anthony being short with him but tries again.

"You sound a bit down. Want to talk about it?"

"Nope," Anthony responds, still not giving Ben anything to work with.

"This shit is ridiculous," Ben thinks to himself ready to give up.

"Tina has got me f***ed up in the head."

"Yes! Finally," Ben thinks to himself.

"I found some ni**a's boxers behind the bed and they sure as hell ain't mine."

"Oh shit!" Ben responds, the line he practiced saying when Anthony finally told him about the boxers, "those are mine man."

"Bull shit!" Anthony says not the least bit convinced, "I know she's your best friend, but you can't save her ass this time."

"Naw man...for real...I left those when I was housesitting for ya'll."

"Well I'm still gonna talk to her ass about it anyway. Cuz we already had issues with some other shit and I'm not sure how much more I can take of this."

"What else happened?" Ben asks, in a curious tone. Tina hasn't told him about anything else her and Anthony were dealing with.

"Did you know she has an OnlyFans page?"

Anthony's tone changes from pissed to a sad, almost tearful tone.

"Hell naw! I sure as hell didn't!" Ben says in a genuinely surprised tone. Now he had to have a talk with her as well. Pissed that she's keeping secrets from him, he is ready to end the call.

"Yeah, I was surprised too. Her sexy lingerie and that "I'm so sorry baby" ain't gonna work this time."

"Damn. Well I'm gonna let you go bruh. Seem like you got some shit to think about."

Ben, finally able to end the call, is torn between calling Tina or waiting to talk face-to-face. They've always had the type of relationship to deal with things face-to-face, but he isn't sure he can wait that long.

"What the f***? After all we been through, how can she keep this from me? What else is she keeping from me?" he thinks to himself, letting his mind wander off.