Best Night Ever...The Aftermath

*Teaser* - Fighting

'How did I get here?' I looked at the clock on the nightstand as I blinked the sleep away. God, it's after 6; is that AM or PM? I had been awake for nearly three days straight so I knew I would crash hard. I surveyed the nightstand in disgust. Empty alcohol bottles and the remanence of the last lines I did. How many did I do; three, four? It's all a blur. I ran my hands over my face trying to think. I just remember passing out after we had sex and that was at 2AM. So I've been out for close to sixteen hours. Jesus, how did I get here?

Present Day

Ever feel like you're fighting a losing battle, but you still keep giving it everything you have? That's how I feel in my relationship. The past two weeks have probably been the worse we've had as a couple. After my royal fuck up of missing our dinner date, I've done everything I can to get my relationship back to good. If I had just pissed him off, he would have been mad and moved on. But I hurt him and I hurt him deep. It took days for him to even want to sleep in the same bed as me again. I spent two nights in my apartment just to give him some space. I was making sure to get home from work early every day and not working on weekends. I cooked dinner every night, though most nights I ate alone. Hell, my neck and jaws hurt so bad from all the blowjobs I've given the last two weeks, but none of it even mattered. It didn't matter what I did, what I cooked, what I said, what I wore, what I didn't wear, I was losing him. But he wouldn't breakup with me so I figured the love had to still be there. So I fought.
I wrapped up a staff meeting and strolled into my office to chill before my next meeting, surprised when my phone signaled Bruno was calling. I picked up with an unenthused "hello". "Hey listen, we're going to have company tonight, just wanted to give you a heads up", he said. "Umm, ok. Like who? Do I need to pick up anything?" I questioned. "Nah, it's cool, we'll order pizza or something. I'll see you at home", he said quickly and hung up. I threw my phone down and sighed. Tears stung my eyes, but I held them back. "Hey boss", I heard, never noticing the door open. "You have a visitor", my assistant said. "What? Who is it?" I asked, really not in the mood for anyone and was surprised when Ashely just moved out of the way to let my guest walk in because she knew better. "What the hell are you doing here?" I said when Tiana strolled into my office. I got up to hug her as my assistant quietly shut the door behind her. "Surprise Lollipop! Man it's been so hard not to give myself away and say something", she squealed. "Yeah", I said quietly as tears spilled from my eyes. I guess seeing my best friend was the key to me finally breaking down about the stresses of my relationship. "I knew something was up; baby what's wrong", Tiana said, wrapping her arms around me tightly. "Shit! T, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I don't know where this is coming from. Shit is just real fucked up. I fucked up, I've been trying to fix it but I don't think I can", I cried. "Candy, calm down. Here", she said, handing me a tissue, "tell me what's going on". "I can't, not now, I've got a meeting in fifteen minutes, then I'm done until Monday", I said after checking my watch. "Ok, well I'll wait and we'll find a happy hour and you'll tell me everything", she said.

Tiana and I sat over drinks and appetizers and I told her everything that had happened between me and Bruno over the last couple of weeks and she bitched at me for not telling her the truth whenever we had talked. "So clearly you missing dinner was the tipping point for him", she said. "Clearly. We don't even talk anymore. I mean, I had no idea he had a show coming up. I had no idea he had his band in town to record with him. I mean he knew you were going to be here and didn't even tell me", I bitched. "Ok, to be fair, I asked him not to tell you I was coming with Kameron. But we're staying with you guys while we are out here and he should have told you that. I mean, it's crazy. To hear him talk, you would think there is nothing wrong at all", she said. "T, I don't know what to do anymore. I feel like I should just pack my shit and leave", I said. "Is that what you want?" she asked simply. "No! I want him, I want us. But I don't if I'm the only one left in this relationship", I said, tears once again falling from my face. "Ok, you need to drink more. I swear I'm not used to you being a crier; it's fucking weird", she said and made me laugh. I ordered another round of shots, determined not to cry anymore; I was sick of crying and she was right; typically, I wasn't a crier. "Alright here", I said pushing the shot glass toward her, "a toast to my sister being here for the weekend and loving me enough to listen to my shit!" I said. We took our shots and slammed the empty glasses on the table and I almost choked looking at her hand when she sat her glass down. "Tiana what the fuck is this!" I said excitedly grabbing her hand and examining the bling on a certain finger. "He asked me this morning", she said, doing a happy dance in her chair and wiggling her fingers showing off the flashy engagement ring that suited her perfectly. "Tiana, oh my fucking God! Are you serious!" I squealed and we continued drinking celebrating her engagement. I called one of Bruno's regular drivers and was lucky he was available to pick us up. "Oh my God Lollipop, we could've just taken a taxi or Uber", she slurred on the drive. "Do you think I'm gonna pull up at that man's house in a taxi or with a crazy Uber driver", I slurred back. "Don't you live there too?" she said. "Still his shit, not mine", I said simply. We drunkenly walked into the house where Bruno and his boys were in full party mode. "Hey", I said to the room at large and proceeded to my bedroom where I intended to stay for the remainder of the night.

I had just finished changing into some yoga pants and a t-shirt when Bruno came into the bedroom. "You coming out?" he said. "Didn't plan on it." "Candice we have company over, come hang out", he said softly. "Why? So you can pretend we're happy go lucky and the perfect fucking couple? I don't think so", I said with a small laugh. "I don't want to do this shit tonight", he said. "Then don't", I said and we both turned to the knock on our door before Tiana busted in. "This house is too damn big! I got lost coming from our room to yours", she said laughing and I think we were both relieved to be interrupted. Bruno hugged and congratulated her before she dragged me out with everyone else. I socialized and played the role of happy host for a while and then snuck to the kitchen to refill something and catch my breath. "You doing alright Candy Rain", Phil said joining me, leaning on the counter. "It's all good", I lied and he just chuckled at me. "Come here", he said, pulling me into his arms. I laid my head on his chest and welcomed his embrace and willed the tears that were stinging my eyes not to fall. "Y'all will be ok", he said softly. Clearly Bruno had confided in his best friend about our problems. "I just wish he'd talk to me Phil", I sighed and turned when Bruno loudly cleared his throat but didn't step out of Philips arms. "Y'all comfortable?" Bruno bitched and Philip and I separated and stared at him. "Seriously?" I said watching Bruno give Philip a hard stare down. Quietly laughing, Phil said he was going to go and declined when I offered to walk him out but told Bruno he would see him tomorrow. "What was that about?" I asked Bruno. "You tell me", he answered, pulling beers out of the refrigerator. "Really; so I'm gonna fuck your best friend now", I bitched. "Not like you haven't before", he fired back. "Wow! Seriously, you wanna go there? That was how fucking long ago and you want to throw it in my fucking face like that", I yelled. "I would never do that and you know it. Not to mention I doubt he would do that to you. I mean would you do that to him", I finished. I honestly couldn't believe we were having this argument right now. Granted, he wasn't saying shit anymore. "Why do we still bother?" I said completely giving up and letting my tears fall. "Come here", Bruno sighed and picked me up and sat me in front of him on the counter. I covered my face with my hands. I was just tired, tired of all of it. Bruno watched me for a while before dropping his head in my lap. "Pete, do you even want to be with me anymore?" I questioned, scared of the answer. "Please tell me you still want me", I pleaded, running my hands through his hair, my entire body shaking. Suddenly the thought of being without him was killing me and I needed to know he was in this with me. "It's like you've completely given up on us. If you want me to go, I'll go", I said finally when he didn't answer me. He looked up at me with tears filling his eyes and I couldn't read them. I couldn't take his stare and my heart was breaking knowing it was over. I made to climb off the counter but he stopped me and bringing his hands to my face, pulled me in and brought his lips to mine. His kiss was searching. Perhaps wondering if the love was still there or if it was worth it. Mine was desperate. Desperate to know if we had a chance, if I was indeed fighting a losing battel. Was it a kiss goodbye?

Tiana and I cruised Rodeo as I treated her to an engagement shopping trip before we were going to watch the guys rehearse for a private gig they had coming up. It was hard to hide my good mood. Bruno and I had talked this morning, like really talked and I felt good about where we were as a couple. We both agreed to give our relationship another try and agreed to be honest with each other. We agreed that if we aren't happy we'd say so. If we want something else or someone else, we'd say so as not to drag the other person down. So yes, having a new outlook on my relationship did indeed put me in a good mood, plus I was shopping. "I'm just glad y'all got it together and made up. It was hard being happy when I knew my sister was miserable", Tiana said while we perused the shelves at Chanel. "I wasn't miserable but yes, it is nice to feel like I'm allowed to be happy again. And making up was so damn good", I said laughing. "Umm, yeah nasty ass, I know. Even in that big ass house he got I heard y'all asses making up all damn night", she said laughing. "My bad! It's just because your room is close to the pool and we can walk out there from our room", I said, still unable to control my laughter. "Pool my ass, Bruno was tearing that ass up", she said. "God it was like we were finally able to get back to being us. Like that was the first time we really made love in I don't know how long", I said. "Yeah, you couldn't tell at all", she said sarcastically. I felt like we were on the right path to our forever. I loved Bruno with all I had and I wanted nothing more than to be the light of his life again.