Page 15 of What the Leos Burned (BLP Signs of Love #6)
The Mirror
The clang of weights hit the floor and echoed across the empty gym at the DoubleTree. Zay sat on the bench, breathing hard with sweat that dripped down his temple as he stared at nothing in particular. The workout hadn’t done a damn thing to clear his head.
He stood, grabbed the towel from the bench behind him, wiped his face, and headed for the exit.
When he reached the elevator, he pressed the button to go up to his private suite and heard voices coming from down the hallway.
He turned his head and saw a group of teenage boys laughing and pushing each other. One of them paused and met his gaze.
“Yo,” the young boy exclaimed, causing the rest of his crew to follow his pointed finger in Zay’s direction. “Ain’t that Westside Zay?”
Just then, the elevator doors opened. Zay nodded, threw up a peace sign, and stepped into the elevator.
He quickly scanned his penthouse key card on the reader and pressed the button to close the doors before the boys could make their way down.
He could hear their excitement as they grew closer, but the doors closed as soon as they reached it.
He wasn’t in the mood for small talk or to sign autographs, not that morning.
When he reached his room, he scanned his key to get in and walked through the living room.
The dining space caught his eye, and he suddenly noticed something that he hadn’t before.
It looked like the kind of space built for family dinners he’d never hosted.
It was a table set for eight people, and yet, he realized it was always just him in these spaces.
He’d always get penthouse suites and private jets meant to carry multiple people, and yet, he’d always been alone.
No family, no children to run around when he returned from work.
Just him and whichever lady he felt like entertaining for the night.
He walked to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of cold water and sat at the island.
He grabbed his phone and scrolled mindlessly through unread messages.
Half were from the label. The other half, women. He rolled his eyes and exhaled.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed with an incoming call.
The contact ‘Amora (off Hot Girlz Hit TV show)’ took over the screen with a photo of her: almond brown skin, long black braids that flowed down her bare back as she overlooked her shoulder with a kissy face and a wink.
He let it ring twice before he answered.
“What?”
“Wow. That’s how you answering now?” Her voice was sharp, already mid-attitude.
Zay sighed and leaned back in his chair. “What’s up, Amora?”
“One minute you blowin’ up my phone at two a.m., next minute you ghostin’ like I’m just some groupie.”
“I never said you were a groupie.”
“Nah, you don’t say anything. You just treat me like one.” She paused, then added, “You selfish, Zay. Always been.”
He threw his head down and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Then why you keep coming back?”
There was a silence. That was when it hit him. That was exactly the problem.
Before she could answer him, he hit the red button, disconnecting the call.
He stared at the phone in his hand for a long moment. Guilt crawled under his skin like an itch he couldn’t scratch. His mind drifted back to Detroit. To Princess. To the way her voice cracked when she said she had to bleed to teach him how to love. That was never what he intended.
He sat there a moment longer, still replaying that whole day, until he decided he had to say something.
He needed to clear the air between them in order to get any peace.
He lifted his phone and scrolled to her number he’d asked Kam to get for him through someone on set weeks ago. He typed out a text.
Zay:
Can we talk?
The typing bubble appeared after a few minutes.
Princess (Love T.):
Umm…who is this?
Zay:
My bad, this is Zay.
Princess (Love T.):
How you get my number?
Zay:
It ain’t hard to find. We work together, remember?
A bubble with three dots flashed on the screen, appearing and reappearing a few times before the next message came through.
Princess (Love T.):
Oh yeah. Well…whats up?
He stared at the screen. His lips pressed into a tight line.
Zay:
I just want to talk. Nothin’ really is up. Just… talk.
Princess (Love T.):
Talk about what?
He didn’t respond right away. Then he typed slowly and carefully.
Zay:
Shit was kinda crazy the other day in Detroit. I just don’t want it to be weird between us at work. That’s all.
Princess (Love T.):
Yeah, It was a lil awkward. I mean, you can call me. I should be free in about a hour.
Without thinking, he quickly responded.
Zay:
Nah, I kinda wanted to meet face to face instead. I’m staying at the Doubletree downtown.
The three dots appeared and disappeared again, taking even longer than last time to come through. Zay swallowed a lump in his throat.
Princess (Love T.):
I’m not coming to your hotel room Zay. We can go somewhere public. I can meet you I guess.
Zay:
Bet. We can go wherever you want, it’s on me. I don’t know any food outside of room service really any way.
Princess (Love T.):
We can just meet somewhere simple, this ain’t a date.
He winced and held the phone back like it had burned him.
Zay:
My bad. I just got excited. I’m just tryna make it less awkward.
Princess (Love T.):
It’s okay.
There was a pause, then finally another message came through.
Princess (Love T.):
It’s a little coffee shop I like in midtown. I’ll send you the address. I can meet you there tomorrow morning before we have to be on set.
Zay:
Perfect. Whatever you want Prin.
Zay exhaled, leaned back in the chair, and stared up at the ceiling. The guilt still didn’t lift. If anything, it hung a little heavier.
He stood, walked into the bedroom, and grabbed the hardcover book from the nightstand.
It was the book Tara had handed him on day one of the table read, smiling hard like she knew a secret he didn’t.
The same book he still hadn’t cracked open.
His fingers traced over the title as he read it out loud.
“ When the Rain Stops by Love T.”
He sat at the edge of the bed and flipped it open to read the first chapter. By page three, he froze.
The main male character was a boy with quiet fire, one who pushed everyone away and swore music was his only salvation. He didn’t have a name yet.
But Zay recognized him immediately. It was him.