Beauty In Paradise

Chapter 7

Love and Sickness

     "Hey baby." I step back, almost stumble over my own feet as I stutter the words "Wha - Wha - What are you doing here?" Tears still falling, he comes closer, wipes my face and says "Come here" in this soft and gentle whispered tone. I wrap my arms around him, plant my face in his chest. As he strokes my curls and says "Have you been eating?" When I dont answer him he lifts my head up to were we are looking at each other and says "Have you been eating?" Before I could answer, my bestfriend walks through the door sayn "I've got the icecream." All my lights are still completely turned off when she walks to my living room and sees me and D wrapped in each other's arms and says "Am I interrupting something?" I step back and say "Val, meet D'vontez. D'vontez this is my bestfriend Valaría." He holds out his hand to shake hers and says "Nice to meet you." Val looks at me as she takes his hand "The pleasures all mine." D looks at me and says "You still haven't answered my question. Have you been eating?" "Yes, I have - why dont we have a seat and talk." Again he wipes my freshly fallen tears, as my bestfriend stands and watches, and says "I never meant to put you through all this. I didnt know that hearing from me was so important. I'm sorry." More tears start running as I say "I thought I lost you." He wraps his arms around me, kisses my forehead, and says "Never." My bestfriend looks down at the icecream still in her hands and says "So, Jay, do you still want the icecream?" Not realizing she just called me Jay I let out a teary laugh and say "I would love some." When Val walks away D asks "Why did she just call you Jay? Is there something you need to tell me? Cuz your mom even called you Jay. Come to think of it when call first called he----" I cut him off "I get it. Yes there is something I need to tell you." Val walks in with the icecream and u lift a finger to her and say "Gibe us a minute." She walks away again. I look at D and say "My name isn't Beauty, its Jaloni Mah'Kari Wynnes." I put my head down as he says "Why'd you lie to me? What else have you lied to me about?" I look up to him and say "With all honesty, nothing." I grab his hand and say "Listen, when we first met I didnt know you. I didnt know I'd fall in love with in love with you. I thought you were just another guy who only wanted one thing." He pulls his hand away from me and says "So you can just make up a lie like that?" "No I didnt just come up with that name from anywhere. I had a shop called Beauty In Paradise. So tjay kind stuck with me." "How do I know you're not lying to me now?" I take a deep breath and scream "Val, come here!" He looks confused. She comes in without the icecream and says "Did I do something wrong?" She looks at my leg shaking and his fist clenched and I say "No. Val, I just need you to do me a favor." I look at D and say "Ask he whatever you want. I wont say anything." He repositions hisself to look directly at her, my heart drops when he says "Did you know about her lying to me?" She looks at me confused and says "About?" He looks at me and I drop my head feeling like a child who just got caught doing something wrong when he says "Her name." Tears start falling when Val says "No, I didn't know anything about this or else I wouldn't have called her Jay. Anything else you need to know?" He clears his throat "So where did she get the name Beauty from?" "Some kids." "Where did they get it from?" "Her shop." Val keeps throwing it back at him just as fast as he asks them. "Where is her shop?" "She sold it to go to school." He stops asking questions, looks at me and says "Can I trust you to tell me the truth?" I take a deep breath "Yes." He grabs my hand and says "I told you never and I meant that. I love you." I look up to him with tears in my eyes and say "I love you too." Before we could say anything else Val jumps on top of both of us and says "Are we done yet?" Like a big ass kid. We both laugh at her then I tickle her and say "If there's icecream involved." She gets up and walks away again.  He looks at me, leans in and kisses me long, hard, and passionately. Val walks in with the bowls of icecream while we're kissing and says "Icecreams ready." With a smile, then says "But it looks like you've already had your dessert." We smile then look at each other as she sits down. As we start eating our icecream D says "So you're gonna start going back to school now right?" I swallow and respond "Yes." Val looks up to the ceiling and says "Thank God." I playfully hit her and say "Thanks for everything." She turns to me, wraps her arms around my neck, kisses my cheek with icecream all over her mouth and says "No problem." D looks at his watch and says "Its getting late. Do you mind if I stay here til the morning? I've gotta get back home." "Of course I dont mind." He get up, "Cool, I'll just make myself comfortable and le8you ladies to your icecreams." He kisses my forehead and walks down the hall towards my bedroom.