Chapter 21 Trouble In Paradise?
Malik’s POV
What the fuck just happened?
I stared around the gym, hoping that this was some prank and that Sloane would come back to explain what she just did.
I was met with silence as soon as I heard the door of her room downstairs shut.
I walked to the bench press, picked up my phone and made my way downstairs very quickly. Stopping in front of her room door, my fist was suspended in the air about to knock when a million and one thoughts hit me.
What exactly are you going to say to her?
Imagining the various ways the conversation could go in my head, I shook my head immediately.
Nope. Not doing it.
I headed straight to the kitchen, picked up my keys from the counter and headed out.
Being in the same environment as her was stifling, to say the least.
I headed straight for the garage, took the Toyota and off I went.
Where exactly was I going? Fuck if I knew.
I cruised through the estate, I looked around to see if there was anything in store for me.
It wasn’t until I found myself parked in front of a dive bar in the middle of nowhere that I knew what I truly wanted.
“More tequila, please.” I tossed my shot glass towards to bartender as the liquor hit the back of my throat.
My fourth this evening and there was no sign of stopping whatsoever.
Today was going to be the day that I finally let the alcohol kill me.
“Here you go, sir.” The bartender placed the shot glass right in front of me.
I raised the glass up, ready to knock the shit down when I felt a presence next to me.
“Trouble in paradise?” The voice asked.
I could be six feet underwater and I’d still be able to tell who it was.
Her signature oud and citrus scent awoke my senses.
“What do you want, Anita?” I asked.
I didn’t bother turning to look at her.
“So you still know who I am, wow.” She clapped. “One would think that she’s made you forget what’s yours.”
“Sorry?”
“Oh, don’t act the fool, Malik. We’ve seen the news. We know you got a new girl now that’s different or whatever. I don’t care for none of that shit. Why have you been ignoring my calls?”
Silence.
“You know damn well I can be pettier than you. Is it that you don’t want me anymore? She ticks all of your boxes?”
She pushed her stool closer to mine then got up.
Her hand found her way to my chest.
“Does she ride you the way I do? She lets you give her backshots all night long?”Anita teased.
Silence still.
“She let you put your dick in her mouth till…”
“Enough!”
“Oh, so someone can get sensitive? How protective you are of her. It’s surprising how that bore of a woman can get your attention. Malik, I don’t even think she knows your favorite sex position.”
“Don’t talk about my girlfriend like that.” I warned.
“Oh really. Do you know how weird that sounds coming from you? You and that term should not even be in the same statement. Come on, I know she’s not giving it to you the way you want it.”
She circled my back, walking to get to the other side of where I sat.
“I’m very satisfied with what she gives me, thank you.”
“Really?” She laughed out loud. “And you’re here in the middle of a dive bar trying to get wasted. A happy man does not come to the bar at 5:00 o’clock in the evening.”
“What? So I can’t come out for some alcohol again.”
“We know that’s a lie, boo. You’re not happy, but that’s why I’m here. You know I’ll always be the one you come back to.” She rubbed her hands on my arm.
She leaned over to look at me.
The neckline of her top dropped lower and I got to see her cleavage.
“I miss us, you know. Why did you have to fuck it up with her?”
“Anita, leave me the fuck alone.” I got up.
“You don’t have to tell me how rough you want it tonight. Tell me where you car is and we’ll go there. I can see you’re frustrated and I’m ready for you to use me tonight.”
“Anita….”
“Fuck, if your dick can’t wait, we can start here. I can suck you off. Make you feel good. Ease off some stress. It’s why I’m here, you know.” She winked.
I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat.
“You know I got a touch up on my BBL? It looks even better now. I can show you in the car.” She teased, biting her lower lip.
Fuck me, I was stressed. So stressed.
She reached for my shot glass that I had dropped back on the table and knocked the content down her throat.
Then, her ass landed on my lap.
“I know you wanna do it.” She bit her lip again, wrapping her hand around my neck as she whispered.
I hadn’t fucked any woman since I started this fake thing with Sloane.
Prior to meeting Anita here, I hadn’t thought about it which was so shocking because I never went a day without getting some action.
“Has she made you too pussy to take what you want?”
Fuck this.
I wrapped my hand around Anita’s neck like the possessive bastard that I was, pulling down so our faces were inches apart.
I mean, if I wanted, I could get her to stand right now, hike her flimsy skirt up and fuck the senses out of her while her arms were resting on the counter and she would be screaming my name.
She moved her face closer, our lips a hairsbreadth apart now.
Further movement and we would literally kiss.
I pushed her off of me immediately.
Fuck, I couldn’t do it.
Fucking Sloane!
It wasn’t like we were real or anything.
For all I knew, she could have been out having her own version of fun.
Why was I finding it so hard to do the things that brought me comfort?
“Did I do something?” Anita asked.
I grabbed my phone from the counter, tossed a couple of twenties at the bartender and got into my car.
I stared at the time on my smartwatch.
6:50 PM.
Hopefully, Sloane had fallen asleep or was doing something.
If I had to face her tonight again, I would literally die.
Sloane’s POV
Nervous was an understatement to describe how I was feeling.
I double tapped the screen of my phone.
6:59 PM.
I went straight to instagram, selecting the photo for our hard launch.
Choose a caption.
Fuck, I didn’t think about.
Social media and all it’s weird complexities.
My mind toggled between different caption options.
Me & Bae? God, no.
The couple that gyms together stays together? Absolutely not.
Mine? Hmmmm.
I could make this better.
Mine forever? Yes, locked in.
I hit post and the nerves almost took complete control of my body.
Turning off my phone, I placed it on the nightstand and decided to call it a day.
I couldn’t sleep.
Not when I cared too much about what the public’s reaction would be.
Picking up my phone from the nightstand, I powered it on and the strings of notifications I saw almost sent me back to bed.
Man up, Sloane.
Okay, I wasn’t going to be a little bitch about it.
I went straight to my account.
Five hundred thousand followers? In less than six hours?
Also, my account was now verified.
Fuck my life.
Curiosity got the best of me.
I scrolled through the comments smiling as I saw how people awwed over us.
It was really cute.
At some point, I found myself laughing out loud.
It wasn’t until…
My eyes landed on a particular comment that got a significant amount of likes.
The response to the caption was.
Is he really yours?
My eyelids flew wide open.
I clicked on the account that sent that comment.
@anitahoward