Page 10 of Cause When You Love Someone

Ishmael

S ame Time

“Aww, hell nah!” Durk’s gold grill sank into his bottom lip as he rushed to his feet. “This is your last game. You can’t play no more!”

I laughed. “See, that’s why you’re losing. Poker is about strategy and patience. Your temperamental ass always shows your hand on your face.”

“Don’t study me, nigga. Run that shit back!”

Today, the Sons of Eshu were hosting a casino-themed party for one of our high-ranking members, and from the moment I sat down, I had been whupping ass and taking Durk’s money.

Before the dealer had the chance to start a new game, I checked my phone and saw I had two missed calls from Isabella.

“Hey. Y’all can play this one without me. I’ll be back for the next.”

“You damn right,” Loso exclaimed. “You’re going to give me the chance to win my money back.”

“That’s my money now, meathead.”

As the losers complained, I walked away and found an empty table amongst the partygoers.

“What’s good, little one? What do you need?” I quizzed once Isabella answered the phone.

“Ugh. Don’t make it sound like I’m always begging.”

I tilted my head from side to side. “I mean . . . ”

“Whatever. Can you send me some food? I only have cash, and the place I want to order from won’t let me pay once the food gets here. I don’t want to use my debit card.”

“Spoiled ass,” I muttered. “Are you home alone?”

“Yeah. Why?”

Annoyance tightened my jaw. “I’ll have one of the ladies that hangs out at the clubhouse drop your food off. I don’t want some weirdo delivering anything to you. What do you have a taste for?”

While Isabella ran down her order, I massaged my forehead to keep from spazzing. It was pointless to question my sister about Mariah’s whereabouts. I was sure she left without saying a word. Still, it pissed me off to know Mariah hit the streets before she made sure her kid was taken care of.

“Izzy, text me what you want, and I’ll pass it along.”

“Appreciate you!”

Though good vibes and deep pockets packed the clubhouse, I checked my watch to see if it was too early to leave.

The black-tie birthday party was invite-only, yet the guest list included close to eighty people.

Most were members of the Sons of Eshu, and the rest were big names from Silk Hills.

After watching Church heal from gunshot wounds, then watching him enjoy life despite losing part of his hearing, my brother’s life was worth celebrating.

Next to Durk and Shiloh, the professional clean-up man was who I called when I had to get my hands dirty.

Right as my phone went off with Isabella’s food order, Essen sang my name. I grinned, admiring how good she looked in a fitted sleeveless gown made of lace.

“Why are you over here looking like you lost your best friend?”

“I’ll tell you about it later.” I sighed. “You look pretty. You plan on taking somebody home tonight?”

She frowned. “Not anybody in here. I just came to celebrate my brother. I still can’t believe he let Blaze throw him a party. She said SiR is performing in a few hours too!”

“Let?” I chuckled. “You know Blaze better than that. If she could, her ass would buy your brother the world, even if he didn’t want it.”

“They have a different type of love, but it’s theirs. Who are we to judge?”

Before I could mention a few instances when Church and Blaze deserved to be scrutinized, my phone went off. I checked my notifications, assuming it was my sister. However, it was a message from my favorite reality star.

Clarke: Superman?

I waited a few minutes before texting her back, asking what she needed.

Clarke: What are you doing ?

That’s not how this works , was my simple reply.

Clarke: I don’t like the sound of that. Are you on a date?

I placed my phone on the table face down.

Since the last time we were together, she had stayed on my mind.

I wanted to place kisses down her back after she asked me to unzip her top.

The fruity scent of her hair and the way her skin inherited goosebumps when I touched her made me feel obligated to warm her up.

“What the hell are you smiling about?” Essen asked, poking the top of my phone. “Who was that?”

“Get back,” I teased. “Clarke texted me.”

“The reality diva herself?” she asked with a hint of aloofness in her delivery.

“She’s not that bad.”

“Not that bad? Have you seen the articles the blogs post about her? That girl is crazy.”

“Like I said, she’s not that bad.”

My eyes fled to the dance floor when the heat from Essen’s hazel glare swept over me.

“Nah. Don’t do that, Ishmael. What’s up with you two?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “She’s cool. She’s not as funny as she thinks, which makes her funnier. She’s more grounded than I thought she was three weeks ago.”

Essen’s hands rushed to her mouth. “Oh my God. You like her.”

“I like things about her.” I pulled at the velvet handkerchief in my jacket pocket. “She has someone she swears she’s done with, but I don’t know. The shit is messy. Her mama is messy. Her life is messy.”

“But you were blushing when she messaged you.”

“I’m not afraid of a little mess every now and then.”

“You’s a lie.” She snickered. “For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve despised it.”

Though a premature idea, I almost said Clarke was worth the chaos. To deny the vulnerable space we moved into seemed unfair since, initially, the quiet spells were packed with judgment.

“We’re going out of town next month. I may need Izzy to stay with you while I’m gone. It’s during her summer break, and she’s usually with me.”

“Yay! You know I love spending time with my baby.” Her eyes narrowed over her cocktail glass. “Things with your mom still on the rocks?”

“New day, same shit.”

“You are right about that. Look who’s walking over here with her homegirls.”

My stomach churned when my focus landed on my ex-girlfriend, Taylor. We hadn’t been in the same room in two years, and our last conversation was crammed with disrespect and confessions that solidified our end.

“Ishmael, I’m going to get another drink. I’ll be right back,” Essen declared once Taylor was within arm’s reach.

Taylor’s dark complexion sparkled under the high lights, and her curves were wrapped in a fitted black dress.

Her shoulder-length hair was slicked back, giving a clean view of her high cheekbones and the diamond studs in her ears.

Nothing about her appearance revealed the deceitful heartbreaker I knew her to be.

“Taylor Hedges,” I professed.

“Ishmael Harden.” She beamed when speaking my name. “It is good to see you. I see you’re still the flyest man in the club.”

I glanced down at my purple label tux and velvet slippers like I didn’t know what I had on. “When did you get in town?”

“I flew in this morning. One of my clients is hosting a pop-up shop downtown.”

“And you decided to come here?”

A flush of red touched her cheeks as she placed her hand on my thigh and blinked over to where her friends waited. “Don’t be like that, Ishmael. You don’t miss me?”

“Have I called you?”

“No. You didn’t respond to my messages either, but you’ve always been bullheaded.” She pointed to where Church and Blaze slow danced in between other couples. “I didn’t come here for you. I came to celebrate one of the head honchos. If I remember correctly, he introduced us.”

“That’s right. I also remember you hating this place. Now, you’re here with your homegirls. I do commend you on being bold enough to be in my face after I made it clear we don’t have shit to talk about.”

She scrunched her shoulder against her neck. “Well, I got married, embarrassed, and divorced in the matter of a year. I have to be bold, or I’ll drown in depression. Anyway, what’s new with you? Are you still changing hobbies like you change your underwear? I always loved that about you.”

I scoffed. “You still get a kick out of throwing that word around.”

“You still get a kick out of calling me out. I didn’t know how much I needed that in my corner until you weren’t there.”

“This isn’t the time or place to have that conversation. You look good, and I’m happy you’re doing well. Leave well enough alone.”

The connection between us was never something to rave about, but it was fulfilling until we both stepped out on each other. Her work life introduced her to a man she was willing to leave me for, and her distance challenged my confidence and self-control.

“All right. Before you shoo me away,”—she dug in her handbag and retrieved a key card—“if you’re not busy tonight, come see me.”

I stared at the plastic, then back at the desperate woman. There were a lot of mistakes I’d made twice, but fucking with Taylor wasn’t happening. The minute she left me for another man, I knew we were broken beyond repair.

As the heartbreaker strutted away, Essen returned and gave Taylor a nasty look as they passed each other.

“Yuck! I still can’t stand that bitch.” Essen groaned. “Are you good?”

“Of course. Taylor’s presence doesn’t shift my energy.” I motioned to the entrance of the club. “But shit like that breaks my fucking heart.”

There weren’t many things that rattled my composure, but spotting my drunk mama and her hobosexual stumbling into the club boiled my blood. I thought to slip out the back door as if I didn’t see them, yet the fear of them getting into trouble kept me stagnant.

“How the hell did she get in here?” I wondered aloud.

“I’m sure she told security she’s related to you.”

I deserted my seat. “That makes it even worse.”

Fire coursed through my legs as I eliminated the space between me and the woman who birthed me. So wrapped in her own world, she didn’t acknowledge my presence until I grabbed her arm.

“What the—Ishmael?” A drunken snarl spread over her face. “Why are you manhandling me?”

“Why are you in my spot with a bottle in your hand? You can barely stand up in those old ass kitten heels.”

“Boy, please. Get the stick out your ass. I look good! You act like I can’t turn up because I’m somebody’s mama.”