Page 2 of Loving a Libra (BLP Signs of Love #7)

Due to no efforts of my own, I’d somehow been involved in the inner workings of Maurice’s relationship with his girl, Devyn, since their first disagreement.

The first time she called, and I realized the reason for the call, I suggested she call one of her friends.

She claimed not to want anyone involved in her business because her best friend already didn’t like Maurice.

Initially, she only reached out every few months.

I mostly listened and managed to avoid giving advice most of the time.

However, occasionally, it was unavoidable, and I hated those times.

Maintaining my loyalty to Maurice while advising his woman on how to handle his bullshit was no easy task, but they were still together, so I guess it was working.

When Maurice and I opened Elite Retreat Lounge —a chill spot for people aged thirty and up, where we sold alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, handheld foods, and hosted live music and other performances—it was understood that he’d be the face.

He loved the attention and access it gave him to certain things and people.

Although I still liked to go out and have a good time, I’d grown tired of the drama that came with dating and the nightlife.

If I wasn’t at ERL , I preferred to chill at home with someone on the same wave as me.

Of course, I made appearances at ERL a few times a week, and Maurice and I made all the business decisions together.

The way we ran our business worked for us, and that was most important.

Almost as soon as Devyn moved in with Maurice, shit got sticky for me. Devyn was a nurse and worked three nights a week. On the nights she was off, Maurice rarely stayed home with her anymore, leaving her alone. When she wasn’t hanging with her best friend, she’d end up at my place.

If she cooked, she always made enough for me, and sometimes we cooked together. If she found a new movie on one of the streaming platforms, instead of watching it with Maurice, she’d come over to my place to watch it with me when he wasn’t home.

We played cards, board games, and texted or called each other throughout the day. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but then I began anticipating her texts, phone calls, and knocks on my door. Hell, I even found myself feeling jealous when she spent any kind of time with Maurice.

On the nights she didn’t have to work, I’d do all my errands, clean my place, and make sure anything pertaining to ERL was done for the day so that I’d be available if she wanted my time.

One night, I was expecting her to call to hang out, and when she didn’t, I was disappointed.

That was when I realized I was in trouble.

Devyn’s beauty was breathtaking, and the fact that she was aware of it and didn’t use it to her advantage made her even more beautiful.

I began to fantasize about Devyn during the day and dream about her at night.

The thought of running my tongue over her smooth, medium-brown skin made my dick hard.

She was on my mind constantly, and I couldn’t deny the feelings I had for a woman who belonged to someone who was supposed to be my friend.

The excitement I felt when I knew I’d see her should’ve made me avoid her, but I’d never give up an opportunity to be in her presence.

It was all bad, but I didn’t know how to fix it, nor if I wanted it fixed.

I parked in my designated parking spot in the back of the building where ERL was located.

Maurice’s truck was in the spot next to mine, so at least he was where he said he’d be.

The problem was, there was a good chance he wasn’t alone.

I knew this could be the beginning of the end for him and Devyn.

The wild thing was, I didn’t feel bad about it.

I’d sat back and watched Maurice do his dirt behind Devyn’s back for years.

He was slick with his shit, doing just enough to keep Devyn happy and never doing too much to make her suspicious.

I never wanted to be the type of nigga who would blow his boy’s cover to his girl.

However, tonight, I was on some other shit.

“You ready?” I asked.

“As I’ll ever be.”

“You sure?”

“I feel like you’re trying to stop me from seeing something I don’t want to see.”

“No, I’m just making sure you’re prepared to see it.”

I got out and went around to open the door for Devyn. She took my hand and gingerly stepped out of my car. We entered the back door of the building, where one security person was stationed. He nodded when he saw me, but his eyes widened when he saw Devyn.

“Boss man, Ms. Logan,” he greeted with a nod.

“Wassup, Tony?” I asked.

“Not much. It’s a busy night.”

“The busier the better.”

Devyn and I went through another set of doors and entered a hallway that led to our offices.

“Take me to his office.”

“He’s probably?—”

“Tariq, please. I’ve been ignoring my gut for too damn long, and that stops now. Take me to his office.”

I nodded and headed in that direction. Before we reached his office door, moaning could be heard. Devyn pushed past me, but I caught her before she could pound on the door.

“Let—”

I wrapped my arm around her waist from behind and covered her mouth with my free hand.

“Shh . . . Calm down and think about this,” I whispered.

She struggled for a second before nodding, and I removed my hand from her mouth.

“He’s in his office fucking some bitch,” she whispered.

“It sounds that way. Think about how you want to handle it. You can barge in there and make a scene, or you can walk away with your head held high.”

“I want to beat his ass.”

“I understand, but will that change the fact that he’s cheating on you?”

“It won’t but?—”

“Devyn, I know you want to fuck him up, but you’re better than that. Don’t let him see you sweat.”

The silence between us didn’t make it any better. The woman Maurice was fucking was extra dramatic. Her screaming and moaning were award-worthy, and I was sure it made it difficult for Devyn to walk away.

“I’ll leave without setting this fucking building on fire under one condition,” she finally said.

“What’s that?”

“Tell me everything you know.”

Her request didn’t need to be any more specific because I knew exactly what she wanted to know.

“Fine. Let’s go.”

We left the same way we entered. When we saw Tony again, Devyn continued past him, but I paused to say, “If anyone asks, we were never here.”

“Got it.”

“And I mean anyone .”

“I hear you loud and clear.”

Before walking away, I reached into my pocket, pulled out a few bills, and put them in his hand. Devyn waited for me near the door, and we left the building together.

As I drove us home, I waited for her to say something, but she remained silent. I glanced over at her a few times, and each time, she was looking out the window. Instead of forcing conversation, I gave her the peace she clearly needed.

Twenty-five minutes later, we stepped off the elevator and headed toward our units. When we stopped in front of our respective doors, she finally spoke.

“I’ll be over in ten. I wanna know everything.”

“I got you.”

I went inside, headed straight for my liquor cabinet, and poured myself a shot of Hennessy.

It burned going down, but it was exactly what I needed before talking to Devyn.

Although he didn’t deserve it, I’d been a loyal friend to Maurice since we met in Carbondale at Southern Illinois University.

It seemed that loyalty would come to an end tonight.

I’d showered before leaving to head to the lounge, so I changed out of my clothes and slipped into a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. I straightened up while waiting for Devyn, and about fifteen minutes later, there was a knock at the door.

I opened it without asking who it was, and she stood there, dressed in a hoodie and sweats, her face free of makeup. Her body wash permeated my senses before she stepped inside, and I smiled because it was a scent I’d bought her for no reason in particular.

She brushed past me and went directly to the couch where we’d probably watched a hundred movies over the past two years. After locking the door, I joined her.

“What do you want to know?” I asked, getting straight to the point.

“How long has he been cheating?”

I sighed and rubbed my hand over my face. A part of me felt bad for what I was about to do. Another part of me thought it was time for Devyn to know the truth.

“The whole time.”

“What?”

“He’s been cheating the whole time you’ve been together.”

“Are you—wow! I’ve been such a fool.”

“Don’t take the blame. None of this is on you.”

“How did I miss this? I’ve been good to him and?—”

“You have, and that’s all that needs to be said. Maurice is who he is. He knows you’re a good woman, and when he’s ready to get married and start a family, I believe he wants it to be with you.”

“But in the meantime, he wants to move like he’s single, while I’m committed to him and only him. That’s some bullshit.”

“I’ve talked to him about his behavior numerous times.”

“I wish you had talked to me about his behavior. I’m the one being cheated on.

I can’t believe you let me walk around thinking everything was good while that man played in my face.

” She hopped off the couch and stomped toward the door while shouting.

“Niggas ain’t shit! You ain’t no different because you knew and didn’t say shit. ”

I caught her by the wrist and pulled her away from the door before she could open it.

“Don’t do that, Devyn. The only person guilty here is Maurice. I’ve known him longer, and he’s my business partner, so I felt I owed him my loyalty.”

Her eyes widened. “Loyalty? Really, Tariq? Every time that nigga fucked another bitch, he put my life at risk. Is your loyalty to him more important than my life?”

She tried to snatch away from me, but I tightened my grip and pulled her closer.

“It’s not like that.”

“How can you say that?”

“Because that nigga complained all the time about you making him wear rubbers, and the last thing I want to do is think about you fucking him when . . .”

“When what?”

She looked up at me, anticipating my next words, but I said nothing. What I did next was risky, but I couldn’t help myself. I cupped her face and pressed my lips against hers. When she didn’t push me away, I slipped my tongue between her lips, and she welcomed it.

Very quickly, our kiss became heated and filled with passion. My hands slipped from her face and down her body until I made it to her ass. I lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around my waist as I turned and pressed her back against the door.

Things moved fast, and I would only stop if she stopped me. As my hands slipped under her hoodie to caress her breasts, that was precisely what happened.

“Tariq!” she exclaimed breathlessly, her lips brushing against mine. “We can’t.”

“Why?”

“It’s not right.”

“Why?”

Our lips remained less than an inch apart as we spoke.

“Please, put me down.”