Love Survives (BWWM)

Tupac and Thigh High Heels

*Edited*

"There's been a change of plans," Kendra announced. "Darnel is going to get Deja and Cameron from the airport. They'll be back in Pennsylvania tonight."

While the news was a relief to hear, I didn't appreciate Kendra barging into the store yelling out personal information. No costumers were present, but I still didn't like it.

She was wearing her favorite faux fur coat that made her feel "extra" (her words not mine), and her hair was done up all pretty. And even though the jacket was nice, the fur got everywhere.

"Kendra, can you take off the coat?"

She shook her head looking rebellious. "No can do, honey. But I have good news for you."

Somehow I knew the good news wasn't going to be all that good.

She hopped onto the counter and twisted so her legs came down on the other side. In the process, she whacked me in the face with her coat, but she didn't seem to care.

"Okay, thanks for hitting me in the face," I muttered. "What's the good news?"

She grinned that mischievous grin that I normally saw on Deja's face. "Aaron invited you and I to one of his shows tonight, and you can't say no."

As fun as that sounded, I had plans for the night, and they included doing anything other than that. If I told her that, she'd not only ignore me, but she'd force me to go.

In the past, I'd been able to get away with shutting myself off from the outside world because Deja was smaller than me. Kendra, however, was bigger and stronger than me. She'd grab me by the weave and make me have a good time.

"Why can't I say no?" I asked cautiously as her eyes narrowed.

"I warned him that you might not show," she started, "and I promised him you'd be there. He wants you to be there, Kyra!"

Her eyes lit up in a way that told me I was going to Aaron's show whether I wanted to or not.

"Kendra, don't—"

The scowl on her face was enough to shut me up. "Don't what? I talked to him myself, Kyra. He really wants you to be there."

Even if I did go and have a good time, I knew she had something up her sleeve. She was definitely plotting with Aaron.

It was my turn to narrow my eyes at her in an attempt to read her. That mischievous glint was still in her eyes, so I had my answer. She was a conniving little—

Kendra hopped off the counter and grabbed me by the shoulders. The mischief was gone, telling me that she was serious now.

"What are you scared of? Aaron is a great guy. Darnel knows him, and so does Cameron. Deja and I wouldn't let you near a guy who didn't have their approval," she lectured. "So, what gives?"

The fear of getting hurt held me back. The idea of losing him if it didn't work out had crossed my mind a few times too. I'd never been in love. I'd had my fair share of infatuation and lust, but that didn't come close to what I felt when Aaron was around.

It was so different and new. I had to protect myself from anything that could lead to heartbreak.

Aaron didn't seem like the heartbreaker type, and not just because he had daughters. He seemed seriously interested, and I was clueless about how a proper relationship was supposed to work.

Kendra continued to stare at me expectantly. I couldn't tell her all that shit. I knew how messed up my way of thinking was so I came up with another excuse.