Prove Your Love (Worth It: Book 2)

Chapter 11: I Got You

I was sitting quietly in the coffee shop typing away on my computer and sipping my warm tea, when a very upset woman stormed towards me. She slapped her hand down on the table in front of me. I looked up at her with a raised brow. It was Mena. I took a bite out of my muffin. "Ummm. Can I help you?"

"I called you three weeks ago. You didn't get my message?" She said annoyed.

"I did. You said that we needed to talk."

Mena stuck her neck out and shook her head. "Yeeeah. Why didn't you call me back?"

"We're not friends. I don't trust you."

"Aside from that," she huffed.

"We're not friends. I don't trust you," I repeated.

"Can I sit," she asked before sitting down in the chair in front of me. "I'd rather you not," I said dryly, but she remained seated anyway. "Look. I'm not here to start nothing. It's about Kevin."

"What about Kevin?"

"He's been looking to get his work into more galleries, but he's being blackballed by a lot of the galleries that could make his career."

"Because of the---"

"Recording. Yes," she interjected.

I was pissed.

"Look. I know you think I had something to do with it but this wasn't me, I swear."

"I believe you."

"I'm sorry. You what?"

"I said I believe you," I huffed. "I know your minion did this."

"My minon? Who are you talking about?"

"Amber."

"Oooh. Amber," she said slowly. She nodded her head. "Right. I can see that."

"Yeah. So what are you gonna do?"

"See that's the thing," she started. "My hands are tied. I've tried to convince the galleries to show his work, but everyone's minds are made up."

"What do you mean? You're his agent. You're supposed to be able to fix this."

Mena held up her hands. "I'm sorry, but I'm out of it now."

I cocked my head back. "Out of it liiiike?" I said moving my hands around in the air.

"Alyssa. I'm not his agent anymore. Kevin didn't tell you?"

"I'm sorry. What? Since when?"

"About a week after you kicked me out. I asked Kevin to meet me and I told him face to face that I would no longer be able to work with him."

"Damn. I knew something was off with him," I mumbled to myself. I sat up. "So he found out about all of this a few weeks ago?"

Mena winced. "Actually, no. He doesn't know."

"What? So why does he think you quit?"

"Because of you."

"Because of me?" I said with a raised brow.

"Yeah. I did what I had to do. My name attached to Kevin's is not good for business right now."

I was in complete disbelief. The nerve of this bitch.

"Look, I know you're mad, but it's totally believable that I would drop Kevin as a client because you and I don't get along. That makes sense to people. It was a smart business move."

"MmMm. No," I said shaking my head. I still wasn't convinced. "This heffa is triflin as hell," I thought to myself.

"Alyssa, I'm trying to build a brand. Decisions had to be made. It's nothing personal."

"Oh no bitch. It's personal now. You just kicked him to the curb and then turned around and blamed it on me? You don't think that's fucked up?" I stuffed my laptop in my bag and grabbed my belongings. "You ain't right for that." I stood up and brushed past her.

"Alyssa," she called out to me, but I just kept walking through the café, out the front door, and to my car. I couldn't stand to listen to another word. I was fuming.
..
"Kevin," I called out as soon as I got through the door. He appeared from the kitchen. "Yeah babe. What's up?"

"I just saw Mena at the café. Why didn't you tell me she dropped you as her client? Are you okay?"

"It wouldn't have changed anything. Would you have gone after her and begged her to come back?"

"No, but I might've dragged her triflin ass across a couple of parking lots for you."

Kevin shook his head. "Can you just please be serious for half a second?"

I huffed. "Kevin I still would have wanted you to tell me. Just like you would want me to tell you the real reason why Mena quit, not that lame excuse she gave you."

"What? She quit because you didn't like her working with me."

"Kevin, no. She quit because you've been blackballed by a lot of the galleries that you wanted to work with. They don't want to showcase your work, because of that recording. Mena decided that she would rather drop you as a client then fight for your right to have your work displayed in the best galleries."

Kevin looked defeated.

I continued. "You're a talented artist Kevin and we all know it. She's a fool for dropping you like that. But don't worry about it. If don't nobody gotchu, I do. Imma handle it."

Kevin sat down on the couch and put his head down. I walked over to him and moved his hand away from his face. "Baby," I said rubbing his back. He looked up at me with tears standing in his eyes and pulled me into his lap. I kissed the top of his head and wiped away the tears that were now beginning to fall.

"It really means a lot to hear you say that, because it's been really hard these past few weeks trynna figure out how imma make this work, but you've been really supportive without even trying and now this. I just---I don't know what to say." I smiled up at Kevin and gently wiped his face. "When I said that I'd do anything for you I really meant it. I gotchu baby." Kevin tilted his chin downward and pecked my lips. "Thank you baby." He pulled me softly into his chest and wrapped his arms around my frame. "I love you."

I smoothed Kevin's hair back with my hand. "I love you too baby."

After a few seconds I stood up from his lap. "I'm gonna make a few phone calls to Dominic and my dad and I'm gonna see what our options are."

"Nah Lys. I can't have your people know the specifics on why I'm being blackballed. I don't want them in my business. Shit's embarrassing."

"Hello. I'm in that recording too. Do you really think imma go into detail with them? Hell no."

"I said no Lys. Find another way," he snapped. "Damn."

Kevin's attitude caught me off guard. I took a step back. "Look, I get that you're upset and everything, but it doesn't give you the right to talk to me like I'm some random nigga off the street. Do that shit with Mena not with me," I said turning away.

Kevin stood up and caught me by my arm. "Aye. Lys. Baby," he said huskily. He turned my body towards him. "I'm sorry, okay. This really does mean a lot to me," he said closing the space between us.

My face softened. "I know," I said just as he surprised me with a kiss.

"Baby, you got me?" he mumbled against my lips.

I nodded my head and kissed him back. "I got you."