Divine

XI

Vibes are essential. Universal. Tell you a lot about a person before they even have the chance to open their mouth. Elle looked at her blurred reflection and mulled this over as she prepared to meet Gift. She was tired of putting it off, having completely ghosted him the last time he was in town. They had a lot of baggage to unpack and she was fully prepared to close this chapter in her life. Be she just couldn't shake how good of a chameleon he was. How he could be loving her and someone else at the same time without missing a beat. How you could weave a web of lies and not think that it would eventually ensnarl you? It was beyond her comprehension but she was determined to get answers. Jill Scott played softly through her new apartment in Sherwood. Incense burned and a half drunken bottle of wine sat on her vanity. Liquid courage flowed through her veins. Tonight she felt unstoppable. After oiling her body she stepped into her YSL heels and pulled on the light blue cashmere sweater dress. Her hair lay in bouncy coils on her shoulders. She looked edible. She need to look her best in order to face him. Eric had encouraged this get together, he was having of his own with his baby's mother. They both needed to have closure before they could fully commit themselves to someone new.

"Lord give me strength" Elle sighs before grabbing her keys have to rush to Little Rock. She jumps on the highway successfully beating evening traffic.

***

The cigar lounge was dark and smoke, hushed conversation low R&B only made the ambiance that more cozy. Elle's heels clicked seductively against the wood floors. Her ass sat up high and proud drawing attention from most of the gentlemen in her immediate vicinity. Gift watched her from a far, still effect by her obvious beauty. His dicked jumped in his pants but he soothed it knowing that was not the time they were on.

Atleast not anymore.

Elle approached him, and to both of their surprised embraced him. He had once been a constant in her life. that familiarity just didn't go away over night. They ordered drinks than sat in an awkward silence, neither knowing what to say or how to say it. Gift knew he was in the wrong but there was something about the look on Ell's face that told him that he wasn't the only one keeping secrets. He'd been keeping track of her through Instagram and she seemed to be moving on, happy and thriving. He couldn't lie and say he didn't wish he was the one making her feel like that.

But he knew she'd never lower herself into being a side chick.

They both held an immense amount of love for each other, that much was evident. But too much had happened between them for them to ever go back to that place again.

They both would carry fond memories never the less.

Their  drinks arrived before Elle found the courage to ask about Gift's fiancé. And he smiled despite himself.

"I met him as a boy. We grew up together. He was my first. I thought that I was gay until I met you. I fell in love. I tried to fight what I was feeling for you but loving you became as natural as breathing. I couldn't choose, didn't want to choose and deprive myself of the two best and only loves I've ever experienced  in my life."

Elle sat back, sipping her Moscato, trying to blink back tears. She refused to let him know that his had elected such an emotional response.

"I know that loving two people is possible, but keeping us in the dark was wrong. Taking that choice from us was wrong. Nothing about this relationship that we had could have been real if you've been lying to me from the start. Whether you loved me or not you should have had enough respect and trust to tell me who you really were. I love you Gift, but now that I've experienced what a real stable equally beneficial relationship feels like I know I can never go back to what we had. I wish you nothing but the best and I forgive you for the pain your dishonesty cost me. And I want to admit that my current relationship might have occurred while ours was fizzling out. I want to lay all my cards on the table so that this new friendship will start on the right foot."