Page 76 of Apparently, I’m A B!tch

Chapter39

Tristan

Wednesday

I stumbled by Shawn,catching myself on the counter just in time. My head almost smashed into the coffee machine.

“Damn, man. You okay?” Shawn asked, putting a hand on my shoulder to steady me.

“Just tired. I’m okay.”

The truth was, I wasn’t. Not after Kenny left a voicemail on my phone to let me know his hands were tied. His voice was resigned as he claimed he tried to warn me. He’d known Rochelle for years, and her vindictive streak was something he bore the brunt of more than once.

I told myself I didn’t care. I was no worse off than when Rochelle came wandering into my shop weeks ago. I still had my business, and some of my customers had taken an interest in my art. I sold more than one of my older pieces, knowing Nikki may have been right about them. They were generic wall fillers, but that was a good thing for the people who decided they would look great hung on their living room walls.

So I lost a teaching gig. So I burned a bridge that could’ve sped me into mainstream artistry.

None of that meant a thing to me when I thought of what I really lost. Nikki’s trust was priceless, and if I agreed to Rochelle’s offer, I would never be able to earn it back.

And I was going to earn it back. I’d come too far with her, we’d gone too far, for me to give up because she decided to give me the cold shoulder. I just had to get through to her.

Shawn clucked his tongue. “Nah, you’re not okay. It’s Nikki, isn’t it?”

“I’ll be fine. Let’s just get through the day.”

Lilly pushed her way past Shawn, earning a surprised scoff from him. “Seriously, let’s drop it. He and Nikki are never going to happen.”

An incredulous, accented voice asked, “What? Why?”

My bloodshot eyes swung to Nikki’s mother, and I cracked a weak smile. “It’s nothing, Emi. Nikki is…” I sighed, not sure how to finish that sentence. “A cappuccino, Emi? Did you want to take some shaabiyat for your daughter?”

She took in my haggard face with eyes that were sliced thin. “You don’t fool me, Tristan. What’s wrong?”

I lifted a shoulder and dared to close my eyes, wishing I could keep them closed. “Everything is fine, Emi.” I busied myself with the coffee machine as the woman in front of me made frustrated noises and folded her arms, no doubt cursing me for weeks on end with her evil eye.

Shawn straightened and said, “Nothing is fine, Tristy. Stop being a dick about this.”

“What is he being a dick about?” I almost laughed at hearing those words come from her prim and proud mouth.

Shawn leaned on the counter and talked about me in front of me like Lilly would’ve done. Lilly must’ve noticed, because she stopped and stared openly as he spoke to Nikki’s mother as though they’d known each other for years.

“Tristan is in love with Nikki, but this art lady, Rochelle, keeps screwing things up for him.”

I shot Shawn a warning glance, but I was in no position to berate him. My cheeks flared as Nikki’s mother turned a surprised glance to me.

“You love my Nikki?” She leaned over the counter to squint at me, her voice haughty. “Why do you not tell her? She is mad at you, you know, for not telling her other truths. You want to keep this from her too?”

I groaned. “Emi, please. It isn’t like that. I’m not lying to her, I swear.”

Lilly piped up, sidling next to Shawn on the counter. “He did tell her how he felt, but this other woman showed up and lied about being with Tristan. Since then, Nikki won’t talk to us. And she won’t believe Tristan because this dope has been keeping other things from her.”

I glared at Lilly. “I apologized for all of that.”

She shot me a look, put her hands on her hips and asked, “And that makes it all okay?”

I ran a hand over my face, trying to contain my frustration. “I thought you were on my side, Lil. Look, not everything needs to be out in the open. Some things should stay private.”

Her voice was edged as she asked, “Like you dating one woman while you’re in love with another?”