CheckMate 4: Winner Takes All (10 page)

Rico swallowed hard as he anxiously stood there trying to find the right words to say. Finally he asked, “So, it’s like that?” 

“You made it like that.” Mona told him.

Rico nodded his head up and down. He was seriously cut to the core by her revelation that she was possibly moving on without him. “Do you really want things to be over between us?”

Mona stood there in silence rocking from one side to another with her arms still folded. She didn’t really want it to be over, but she wanted Rico to understand that fucking around on her wasn’t something that she was cool with.

“Are you gonna answer me?” He asked.

“For now, I do want us to go our separate ways.” She finally responded while feeling like she was getting choked off of her words.

Rico’s stubborn eyes filled with tears, but he refused to let one fall. “Are you serious?” he questioned to make sure that he’d heard her right.

Mona stood there wanting to take it back, but she’d already said it and so she apprehensively repeated herself. “I do think it’s best that we go our separate ways for now. I just don’t think you’re ready to be in a committed relationship right now. I’m sorry, but you just can’t toy with my heart and expect me to be alright with that. I put too much in this relationship, accepting your son and all while giving you a daughter. I refuse to let you dog me.”

“I wasn’t dogging you, baby.” Rico tried to tell her.

“If that makes you feel better then keep telling yourself that. However, you and I both know better.”

Rico stood there feeling like Mona knew more than what she led on. For a second he was speechless. He knew he’d fucked up, but not to the point that he’d actually lose her. How could he leave there knowing that she wanted it to be over? Plus, thinking about the Mr. Clean Up Man inside the house was eating him alive. He couldn’t take it, but there was nothing that he could do about it at the moment.

“Kiss my baby for me.” Rico said, and with that he leaned in and kissed her softly on the cheek. “I’ll leave. Call me when you wanna talk.” He said and walked off. Mona stood there wanting to call him back, but her lips wouldn’t part.  A small tear escaped her eye as he left her even more confused than before.

***

An hour later, Candy lay on her sofa relaxed while taking in the much needed moment of bliss. She glanced behind her on the end table hearing her phone ring. Picking it up, she answered.

“What’s up, Sissy?”

“Hey Sis, what’s up? You busy?” Mona pondered as she lay across her bed having mixed feelings.

“Weeeeell, not really,” Candy said hating to turn down her bestie if she needed to talk.

“I told Rico that it was completely over today.” She blurted out just needing someone to talk to about it.

“Dang Mo,” Candy said as she sat up a little bit. “I thought you called it off when you left him.”

“Well, I did but I was still wearing my ring. Now, it’s really over.”

“What made you come to that decision if you’d been wearing his ring this whole time?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because Ross was here when he showed up and I was already feeling some type of way, because every time I turn around he’s around Monica.”

“Wait hold up,” Candy said. “Ross was where when who got there?”

“Ross was here when Rico showed up with Pampers for Caylin.”

“Oh wow, how did that turn out?”

“Not so good. There wasn’t any fighting or anything because mama was here, but you know that Rico wanted to act a fool.”

“I can imagine.” Candy said. “How are you feeling?”

“I don’t know how to feel.” Mona said.

Candy sat quiet on the phone then out the blue she moaned out loud, but quickly caught herself while trying to clear her throat to play it off.

“What are you doing?” Mona asked with a frown on her face.

Candy grinned a little, but felt bad that she was somewhat distracted. “I’m sorry, Mo.”

“Do you have company, Candy Gurl?”

“Well, yeah kinda.” She said looking at Brendon with a smile on her face as he massaged her feet. “But, it’s not what it may have sounded like.”

Mona shook her head with a smile. At least somebody was happy. “Is it Monty or Brendon OR somebody new?” She asked since she and Candy hadn’t seen each other since the day Monty and Brendon fought. They’d spoken over the phone, but that was about it and they both knew that in little to no time things could just happen unexpectedly.

“The second one,” Candy said still smiling at Brendon while he continued to massage her feet.

“Well, enjoy your company. I don’t wanna be a Debbie downer.”

“Noooo, you’re fine.” Candy said.

“Tell my cousin that I said, hey.” Mona said. “I promise I’ll call back later tonight.”

“You sure?” Candy questioned.

“I promise.” Mona said.

“Okay, well call me right away if you need me.” Candy said, and with that they ended their call.

“Is my cousin alright?” Brendon asked as soon as Candy sat her phone down. “I don’t wanna have to whoop on nobody’s ass.” He teased.

Candy laughed out loud. “You don’t have to whoop on nobody’s ass.” She grinned. “Thanks for coming over and surprising me with dinner from Cracker Barrel.”

“Well, you’ve been hinting around at getting some for the past week.”

Candy laughed. “I wasn’t hinting around.”

“Oh you weren’t?” Brendon asked as he laughed out loud.
“It sholl would be nice to get something to eat from Crackle Barrel.”
He teased giving her the side eye. “So, that wasn’t you, huh?”

Candy continued laughing like she couldn’t stop. “I didn’t quite say it like that.”

Brendon shook his head from side to side. “Yeah, right,” he said picking her up and playfully slamming her on the sofa as a way of ending up on top of her. They stared in each other face for a moment, and then he kissed her. Neither knew how their relationship would turn out, but they were definitely enjoying the moment.  

“Do you think I’m wrong for this?” Candy asked, and then continued, “For seeing you like this?”

Brendon stared down at her cute face, and then he frowned. “Oh, are you asking me that question?”

Candy giggled with a light roll of the eyes. “Yes, I’m asking you that question. I’m trying to be serious.” she softly said.

Brendon attempted to straighten his face so that it showed no signs of joking around. “So, you are serious?”

“Yes I am,” Candy responded batting her pretty eyes and looking to him for answers on how to make her life easier.

“Well, I gotta be honest here. If you were my baby mama and the tables were turned and I was Monty, then this would be wrong. I can’t lie and say that I’d be cool with my baby mama being with my cousin.”

“So, it is wrong.”

Brendon titled his head to the side as an indication of not wanting to say the wrong thing, but also wanting to keep it one hundred. “I didn’t say that it was wrong, baby. That’s only in one man’s eye. But, do I feel bad about it? Hell yeah. I still haven’t spoken to my cousin since we fought. That shit bothers me, but can I just shut off my feelings like that for you?” He shook his head from one side to the other, and then said, “Hell no.”

“The feeling is mutual.” Candy chimed in. She hated the fact that Monty and Brendon weren’t talking, but especially because she was in the middle. How could she turn off her feelings for someone that meant so much to her? How could she make Monty see that it was because of him that things turned out this way? She was torn while her feelings straddled the fence. She still didn’t know what she wanted to do about her relationship with Brendon. Things had definitely started heating up. Their make-out sessions had started getting kinkier and kinkier, causing their bond to grow stronger. It was only a matter of time before she’d give in.

“So what are you thinking?” Brendon questioned noticing that she’d drifted off into her own zone.

“I’m thinking that maybe we should slow it back down.” She blurted out.

Brendon took in a deep breath, and then let it out. He looked Candy in the eyes. The confusion was still there. He didn’t like her feeling that way, but he had to allow her to make her own decisions whether that was to be with him or not.

“Look,” he started. “You already know how I feel about you. There is an obvious attraction that has us both caught up, but I’ll throw myself into work, because I need to and you need to focus on figuring out what or who it is that you really want. You know it’s only gonna be so long that we can play this merry go round, cat and mouse game.”

“I know,” Candy softly agreed. “I’m sorry to keep putting you in this position.”

“No need to be sorry,” he said sitting up and straightening up his clothes. “I need to be more careful of the things I do as well. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that you can’t rush a healing heart.” Candy didn’t say a word, but stood to her feet once Brendon had gotten up. “I don’t want you to think I’m mad, because I’m not. However, I think it is time that I leave.”

“Wait a minute,” Candy said in hopes of stopping him so they could talk this out a little more.

“You can’t keep playing with my feelings just because you’re unsure of yours.” He said leaning in to kiss her softly on the lips, and then he made a quiet exit without saying another word.

 Chapter 8
          

The next morning, Dee made her way down the hall to the front door after hearing the doorbell ringing. As she passed Candy’s room she tapped on her bedroom door. “Cuzn’, I believe that Mrs. Cat is here to bring MJ home. Wake up,” she said. She smiled, because she was on her way to the airport to pick up someone that was going to put a smile on all of their faces. She’d been in the dumps since things had gone sour with Maurice and she needed somebody that was going to lift her spirits.

As she passed the wall mirror, she stopped to take a look at herself.  She was definitely looking cute and feeling so much better than she’d felt in the past few weeks. She started back for the door, and then reached for the doorknob. The minute the door opened, a wide smile spread across her face.

“Heyyyy pretty boy,” she said reaching for MJ. “Heyyyyy Dimples, I’ve missed you.” MJ laughed at just the sight of Dee. She spent a lot of time with him and he definitely shared a special bond with her.

“What’s up, Dee?” Monty spoke.

“Hey Monty, how are you doing?” She questioned.

“I’m good,” he responded. “I haven’t really spoken to you since all that crazy shit happened with you and Maurice. Of course you know that I’ve had my own issues going on, but I still want to apologize about that situation. We had no clue that he was that way.”

“I know you didn’t,” Dee said. “It’s not your fault. He should’ve been upfront about his personal preferences and I would’ve been cool with that. I just don’t like when a nigga tries to play me and he definitely tried to play me.”

“I can’t blame you for being pissed, but I’m glad that you held your composure enough to not go to jail over this foolishness.” He said thinking about the situation with Brendon and how they tore the hotel room up fighting, and then was taken to jail. “It ain’t worth it,” he added. “Please believe that.”

“I can believe it.” Dee said because if she would’ve gone after Maurice he’d be six feet under and she’d be going to prison for life. “I appreciate your kind words though. I’m taking it day by day to put it behind me. I mean, I did care for him, but I wasn’t in love with him. We were really feeling each other out. However, he was also feeling out another nigga.”

“Tell me about it.” Monty chimed in, and then asked, “Where are you headed this morning fully dressed and in such an energetic mood.

“I’m going to the airport,” Dee said.

“Oh, so your boy has made it here from Texas?” he questioned.

Dee frowned a little. “Who, my ex Chance?”

Monty nodded his head. “Yeah, your ex-boyfriend.”

“Nah, I’m not going to get him. I’m still debating if I want him to come here. At first I did, because a part of me wanted to teach Maurice a lesson. Hm, I guess like you said, it ain’t worth it. Plus, I don’t know if I wanna travel back down that road with him. Sometimes you have to leave second chances where they’re at. Everybody doesn’t deserve a second chance, let alone a third or fourth.” She didn’t realize that the same words she was using seemed to also fit Monty and Candy’s situation. Monty, all of a sudden, looked sad. Dee cleared her throat while grabbing her Coach bag. “I’m sorry, Monty. I didn’t mean what I just said.”