Page 29 of A Trial of the Heart

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

Rashad:

Shiloh and I lay sprawled out naked on my living room floor as our labored breathing gradually returned to normal. I wasn’t sure what was up with Shiloh, but she obviously needed me in the moment, so I fulfilled her desires. Sitting up, I looked over at her. Shiloh’s expression was emotionless.

“I’m gonna grab a water. You want one?”

“Uh… No, thank you. I should get going.” She never looked my way as she slowly grabbed her clothes and started getting dressed.

Instinctively, I chuckled. It didn’t bother me that she wanted to leave as she was grown, I was bothered because I was feeling her, yet she seemed to want to play games.

“Cool. This a one-time thing or you dropping by at random times when you need to be fucked?” She’d ended things but obviously couldn’t get over what I delivered in sex.

Standing, Shiloh wiggled her thick frame into her jeans, turning my way once they were on.

“I had a moment. This doesn’t change things between us, and I won’t be back. I do appreciate you for making me forget things, even if for a short time.”

Shiloh was out in the streets acting like a childish male that didn’t want to commit, and I was her latest victim.

“Yeah, I’d appreciate that.” My response may not have been the best, but I wasn’t in the business of being toyed with at my age.

“Thank you,” she muttered just as she passed me, heading for the front door.

Turning, I slipped on my pajama pants and prepared to still be a gentleman and walk her to the door. Shiloh doubled back, walking slowly to a box that sat off to the side.

“Something wrong?”

“How do you know her?”

“Who?”

“Her.” Shiloh pointed. She lifted a frame from the box.

“How do you know her?” she asked again, handing me the frame.

“That’s Lauryn. She and I used to date.”

The picture she was referring to was one Lauryn and I had taken at a black and white party. That frame and a few other things were packed in the box that Lauryn was supposed to retrieve long ago.

“How long ago?”

“Not anytime that I was fucking with you.” I had to clarify it since it seemed she was implying I’d wronged her.

With a sigh and look of confusion, Shiloh lifted her hand to her forehead in distress. “This is Arthur’s daughter.”

I didn’t get her point, and I damn sure didn’t know who Arthur was. “Am I supposed to know what’s up?”

Low mumbles came from Shiloh while she walked to the couch, continuing to stare at the picture of Lauryn and me. “This doesn’t make sense.”

Since I was confused, I stood there waiting for her to say why she was shocked and mentioning people I didn’t know.

She looked up from the frame. “You dated this girl?”

Was this a damn interrogation? I had already confirmed I had dated Lauryn, so her continuing to ask was annoying. “Not my proudest relationship, but yes.”

“This girl is the daughter of Arthur Whitlock. It’s his office that I work for… the same office that brought the charges against you. The connection is there, but why?”

Shiloh was rambling almost like I wasn’t there, and she was communicating with her own self.

“How did the breakup go?”

“Wasn’t the best.”

“Oh my gosh.” Shiloh cupped her hand over her mouth. “You’re innocent.” She stood.

Every single day, I woke up knowing I was innocent. My reputation was on the line, so I was moving silently, waiting for others to know the truth.

“Of course, I am. But how’d you come to that solution?”

“They set you up in retaliation for you breaking up with her. They set you up,” she repeated, seeming to come to the realization of what she’d said.

How would she even know or think that was the reason for the charges? Did Shiloh know more than she had said?

“I have to go.” She hurried to the door still holding the picture. “Can I borrow this?” She was damn near out the door when she asked that.

“You can do what you want with it. It’s trash.”

Since Lauryn hadn’t come and gotten her things even after the reconnection, I assumed she didn’t want it. The box was going to trash later in the week.

“Okay, I gotta go. I will explain later.” Shiloh rushed out my place. The door was still open behind her.

I stood there confused and excited. Confused on how she came to such conclusion.

Excited because if what she said was true, could this nightmare I’d been fighting lately disappear?

I wasn’t sure about either. I just knew I wanted this shit over with.

I needed to get back to living life how it once was.