Page 12 of Intentional Foul (The Complexity of Love #2)

“You sensed the spark between us,” he said after breaking our kiss.

Coming back to myself, I managed to push him away, jump down from the table and run to the bedroom, shutting the door.

I sat in shock with my feet propped on the pillow with my California rolls.

Malcolm sat my food by the door and texted me to grab them.

I opened the door, snatched the food, and slammed it shut.

Anissa was going to kill me. With the power and influence she had, my career was done.

My phone vibrated with a message from Malcolm. I leaned my head backward.

Malcolm

Let me draw you a bath and massage your body.

Me

No. But you could draw me an annulment.

Malcolm

How about you accept the fact I love you? Stop hiding in your room and talk to me about our future.

Me

There is no future.

Malcolm

Right now, you’re dealing with shock and anger. I recognize your feelings, and I will not take your rejection personally.

I lifted my hands in the air and allowed them to drop hitting my thigh.

Tyrus

The record label wants an answer within forty-eight hours.

Me

What do you think about the deal?

It took my manager five minutes to respond as the three dots entered and exited.

Tyrus

I’m not a fan of this agreement. You shouldn’t have to fake a relationship.

Me

The answer is no.

Tyrus

They threatened to shelve your album and keep your masters. I have our lawyer looking into it.

“Why is this happening to me? Whyyyyyy,” I screamed.

Malcolm

Music Note, what’s wrong?

Malcolm

Unlock the door.

I threw air punches at Malcolm’s text message. He wasn’t taking any accountability or listening to me.

Before I could respond, Papers called, and relief flooded my body.

“Tell me you got something,” I said.

“Jhae, for the first time in my PI history, I don’t have anything to prove this marriage is a fraud.

Put it this way—if you wouldn’t have told me about the club, I wouldn’t have known you were there.

I can’t find you on any damn cameras from the time you left the stadium until you showed up at the hotel.

I hacked the GPS from the car, and it was wiped clean.

I found your marriage license, which led me to the chapel.

I hacked their cameras, and I couldn’t find the footage.

The officiant scheduled for the night disappeared.

He’s been gone for months. Chasity does show up on the club footage doing some questionable things. ”

“We were together,” I said.

“Not according to the video footage. The tape is fucking flawless. Shit! Your marriage license is gone. What the hell? Jhae, I’m not going to charge you because I don’t have anything to show you.

Someone went through a lot of trouble to make sure you couldn’t claim this as fraud.

I need the name of the computer hacker.”

“Thank you,” I said and hung up, but I dialed the last number I had for Chasity.

She was with me the entire night. Hell, we ordered shots together on her card.

“This number is no longer. . .” I hung up.

This slut changed her phone number. I covered my mouth, faced with one last ditch effort. Somehow, I had to get Marquise to see my side and do the right thing. Toggling over to his name, I called him.

“What’s good, Jhae. You and Malcolm cool?” he asked.

“Marquise, I’m asking you to help me. Your twin is living in a fantasy world. Please help me file for an annulment,” I begged.

A pause stood between us.

“He says he loves me. Help me, Marquise,” I continued.

“Jhae. He isn’t lying. Malcolm loves you. Women throw themselves at him, but he turns them down. No woman measures up to you,” he said.

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“Marquise. Did I do something to lead him on? I didn’t mean to do it.”

“No, you didn’t do anything. It was love at first sight for him. Jhae, he saved himself for you.”

My eyes widened as I pondered the meaning of his sentence.

“Are you insane?” I questioned.

“No, he plans for you to be his first and only.”

“We are not consummating this marriage. How is he a virgin with you as a brother?” I whisper-yelled into the phone.

“I’m the better-looking twin. Jhae, Malcolm is diabolical when it comes to getting what he wants. He will wait you out and blast your status to get what he wants.”

I kicked my feet repeatedly, having a mini temper tantrum like a child being told no. Malcolm was light years ahead of me with nothing to lose. I didn’t think he was capable of pulling something off this elaborate. One thing was for sure, he wore patience with honor.

“Nooooo,” I whined into the phone.

“Why do you think Mom put him in therapy? He is a master manipulator.”

Anissa warned me not to be quick to give Marquise the good twin status. She said he was sneaky but in the same sentence said he was consistent and reliable. He never showed me anything else but the thoughtful, good son. At this point, do I even know the person I’m fraudulently married to?

“Helloooo. I need your help,” I requested, because he had proven my point.

“Don’t be mad at me, but I can’t cross my twin,” he said, and I hung up in his face.

Malcolm

Ivey

Jhae called

Me

I knew she would.

Ivey

She hired a PI. I caught him snooping on my program. I sent him on a wild goose chase.

Me

What? He can’t hang with you, Ivey.

If this was anybody else, this would be manipulation, but Ivey was that good. She didn’t need a hype man, but I did enjoy doing it. Throughout the years, did I challenge her to hone her skills? Yes. Ivey’s growth was a win for the entire family.

Ivey

I know. I did let him see the marriage license, but I snatched it down.

Me

Shopping spree on me. I’ll deal with Pops.

Ivey

Luxury? No limit.

Me

Only the best for my Ivey. Ball out. Love you.

Ivey

I loved my baby sister and her special set of skills. Most days, she was bored and enjoyed a challenge. After I put Jhae to sleep in Vegas, I sent her a message with particular instructions. Within an hour, she had the task completed and searched for something else to do.

To this day, she was still fucking with Brayton behind dad’s back. A few weekends ago, the police picked him up on a fake DUI. She sent me the ring camera video of him resisting arrest. We laughed our asses off when he fell on the concrete.

Bro

Jhae called.

Me

Begging.

Bro

Yep.

Me

What you tell her?

Bro

No and your virgin truths.

I chuckled at this statement with no shame. Jhae would have the pleasure of knowing I had no other woman to compare her to. She would own me, mind and body.

Me

I’m patient.

Bro

You staying the night with Jhae. The maid said she was bringing a friend back.

Me

’Til death do us part. I’ll be on the couch.

Bro

Mom gon’ kick yo ass.

The sound of Jhae’s door creaked, and I continued to stare at the TV. She took the seat across the room, sitting on her leg. I patted the seat next to me and she rolled her eyes.

“Malcolm, we need to come up with a resolution. The record label is threatening to shelve my album if I don’t fake this relationship with KC. I need the annulment. My career is on the line.”

The desperation on her face pissed me off. She deserved better than to be tangled in the game the music industry played.

“Jhae, my position about us remaining married hasn’t changed since this morning. No man will be claiming my wife as his, but me. Do you understand, Mrs. Shaw-Jefferies?” I said as I sat forward.

My wife’s eyes widened as I read the audacity on her face. Jhae would get the message I’m not a pushover. I will not bend when it comes to her well-being and our union. She stood from her seat with her arms folded across her chest.

“My fucking life is over. The label is going to drop me. I wouldn’t be able to afford to live in L.A. Once this gets out, my scandal-free name will be ruined. Brand deals are gone. I will owe the label money I don’t have, and I’ll end up homeless,” she said.

I sat back with relaxed shoulders.

“None of these things will happen. I have enough money to buy your masters and fund your label. Why would you want to be signed to a label forcing you to fake a relationship?” I asked.

“Malcolm, it’s how the industry works. People fake things all the time,” she said.

Nothing she said moved me as we entered another stare down. Jhae tossed her hands in the air. “I don’t need your permission to move forward with my career.”

I leaned back on the couch. “You don’t need my permission. Our marriage will be rooted in mutual respect. I’ll admit our marriage didn’t start out as planned, but it can evolve. The first picture I see of you and KC, I’m dropping the marriage license.”

“Malcolm, get out!” she said.

Leaving my wife upset wasn’t on my agenda.

“Get! Out! Now!” she screamed.

I held my laugh as my wife stomped to the front door amused me. She waved me out the door with her tan painted nails. I approached the door and reached for her hand. In an attempt to avoid my touch, she removed it from the handle, and I shut it with us inside.

“Smooth, Malcolm,” she said.

I backed Jhae up until her back touched the door.

“Watch your tone when you’re talking to me, Jhae,” I said in a low voice. “I would never jeopardize your career, Music Note. Adding to you is my goal, never subtracting. You could retire and only sing for me and live better than you do now,” I said.

“Malcolm, you are missing the point. I don’t want to be married. What am I supposed to tell the label? No, because my best friend’s son tricked me into a marriage?” she mocked.

I caressed her cheek with my thumb as I took in the worry resting on her features and glossed over eyes.

The lack of faith she had in me confirmed I wasn’t a man to her yet.

I’m only Anissa’s son. Making her dreams come true stood as my personal mission.

We’ve had countless conversations about her starting her own label and creating the music she wanted.

Not having control over her creativity was the root of her writer’s block.

The passion for singing had long left her eyes.

I bared down into her eyes, allowing her warmth to dress my skin.

She wore my favorite pink tinted gloss, beckoning me to kiss her yet again. Tasting her had haunted me from the moment in my mother’s bathroom. Our lips were near connecting, and a knock came at the door.

“Room service!” a youthful male voice sounded.

“Who ordered room service?” she questioned.

“I did. It’s been a few hours since you ate. And the bath and massage are still on the table,” I offered.

She turned her body, leaning on her shoulder.

I moved away from Jhae, opening the door. “You are... you are... Malcolm Shaw-Jefferies, shooting guard for L.A. Can I have a picture?”

Tye, according to his name tag, shook with excitement the longer he stood in the doorway.

“Sure,” I said, stepping outside the door.

As the door shut behind me, the locks sounded, and I smirked. I stood with Tye in front of the food cart and smiled for the selfie.

“No one is going to believe me. They gon’ say it’s fake. This is crazy,” he said before reaching for the cart.

“I’ll take care of this,” I said, and he shrugged.

I waited until Tye entered the elevator before I tapped on the door. On the second tap, I chuckled at my Music Note. Removing my phone, I sent a text.

Me

I’ll wait. I’m a patient man.

Music Note

Go Away.

Me

Food getting cold.

Music Note

Whatever.

I scanned the password coded file in my phone to pull up our marriage license.

Me

Do you want me to tag you in the marriage license photo on social media?

I counted to three and lifted the phone midair. The door opened to my panicked wife. She scanned the picture and tried snatching it from my hand, but I raised my arm out of her reach.

“May I come in, Jhae?” I asked.

She stomped away, leaving the door open.

It did something to me, watching her pout with her arms folded on the couch.

Jhae was a feisty baby, and I had all intentions of pissing her off and spoiling her at the same time.

I pushed in the cart, placed two slices of pizza on the plate and sat it in front of her.

Jhae ate her food in silence as I sat next to her, answering text messages.