"Tripp, are you okay?"

I rarely see him with tears in his eyes. I'm wondering why he's crying but I watch as he wipes his eyes, covering up the fact.

There's no need to hide that but I believe that the idea of black men are not supposed to cry is embedded in him. That's one idiotic theory but there's nothing I could do to change his mind.

Especially right now. He seems stressed out already.

"Yeah, I'm straight. The thick air is wild around here. I just need to get out and...go."

The air, huh?

Did he forget that we're in Hawaii, one of the greatest nature spots in the world? However, the air is thick and wild, huh?

He's the world's worst liar but we'll go along with it. Something terrible must've happened to where he's crying this bad but I can't get involved.

He gives a quick nod and stomps out of the elevator so fast. In my mind, I'm contemplating on what to do because I'm worried.

Should I go after him and see what's up or stay over here and mind my business? It could be anything with him.

Maybe I should just stay here and mind my business. Whatever's going on is not meant for me to know about. Surely, he'd tell me if it had anything to do with me.

After I'm done being nosey in Tripp's business, I realize that I forgot to enter the elevator and have to wait for it to come back down. So, here I am, waiting for the elevator with plenty of bags in my hand. Hopefully, it comes back down soon because these bags are getting heavy.

You may be wondering how all these bags got in my hand. Well, Davin wanted to meet me at this cluster of shops around the corner from where. Instead, I went shopping by myself since he 'had something to do at the last minute'.

It was expected so it didn't move me too much. Being let down time and time again gets old, especially when you know it's about to happen.

Anyway, I found his credit card in my wallet and I used his card for what I wanted. All I went there for was a few souvenirs for me and my kids. Instead, I end up getting my own type of revenge.

I maxed out his card for souvenirs, designer clothes, and a few pieces of jewelry. Most of the designer stuff is for Noah and Nyla anyway so he's basically paying for them to look good. He's taking care of his kid.

He's so nit picky when it comes down to money; it's the reason why he became an accountant. He manages the family's money like he does with his other clients. If we buy anything outside what we're supposed to, he fusses.

Maybe this will get him to open his eyes to the problems in our marriage.

Actually, it won't. It'll just piss him off even more and drive him away from me. At least, I'll get some kind of attention from him.

Anyway, the elevator doors open and I'm about to enter until a tug to my shoulder almost makes me fall to the ground.

"Girl, what the hell?! I just wanna-"

Cass places a finger over my lips and says "Chill out for just a minute. We need to take a visit to Tripp's suite. I want you to see something."

For what? Whatever Tripp has in his suite is neither of our business. There's nothing in his suite that is mine. At least, I don't believe so. I'm too pissed about Cass almost making me fall.

Plus, Tripp just came out of the elevator and walked off in tears. Why would I go up there if he's not in there?

"What's really going on? Who's all going to be there?" I ask, folding my arms and scrunching my eyebrows.

Cass takes my hand and leads me towards the café where Tripp is wiping his face again. He's swiping through his phone, angrily, and crying.

There's something in the air but the air doesn't make anyone cry this bad. Nor look through their phone with so much frustration.

"Well, there's a reason why Tripp's like that and it's in his suite. I got the key to it. Let's go," Cass says as she pulls me towards the elevator.

"Does this have anything to do with me?" I call out while she's dragging me across the foyer right after we get out of the elevator.

She takes out the key and quietly opens the door, waiting for me to go in before her.

"Why are we here?" I whisper and look around just in case Kyra finds us sneaking up in here.

We shouldn't even be in here. This is an invasion of privacy for them. Plus, there's no telling when the camera crew will pop up on us and use this for a storyline. I refuse to participate.

Couldn't we go to jail for this?

Looking around the suite, I see different types of clothes thrown all over the place. Thongs tossed on the kitchen sink, bras across the floor, socks decorate the couch, one shoe way over by the door with the other one near the fire place, briefs are hung up over the lampshade, and more clothes.

My eyes catch a familiar tie resting across the living room coffee table. Then, I find a light blue suit jacket and button-down shirt thrown over the flat screen. The pants, to match, are right near the bedroom door.

I wanted to leave so bad until I realize that Tripp wasn't wearing a suit like this when he left. Plus, he can't get up here that fast. Also, Davin has this same suit...

Anybody could be wearing a suit like this. Anybody.

We hear some ugly ass moans coming from the bedroom. I'm cackling at the thought of Kyra messing around with some stranger that sounds like a gorilla reaching their climax.

This is so stupid and none of our business. Tripp's probably crying over something he already knew about: that Kyra's a hoe.

"Can we please leave now. We all know that Kyra sleeps around and I-"

"You don't hear that familiar grunt in there? Listen again," Cass says.

I do what Cass says and concentrate on the noises that were being made in the bedroom. Then, it finally comes to me.

Those are the same grunts that made me want to marry this fool, the same grunts that turned me out the night of our honeymoon, and the same fucking grunts that made Nyla.

I march towards the bedroom door and chuckle to myself, thinking about how he ditched me for this sleazy bitch.

Finally, I bust down the door and find Davin pumping himself into Kyra with her legs are spread as if she were doing the splits. Talk about the spread eagle.

"Well, well, well. This is so crazy. I already knew this was going on but damn, Davin. I didn't think I'd actually walk in on you throwing her legs out of wack," I point out while smirking and watching them jump out of the bed.

Trying to cover themselves with the comforter, they fight over it and get a quick glimpse of Cass and me still standing by the bedroom door.

"Nah, don't stop now! Y'all still did it after Tripp left crying his eyes out. Don't stop fucking with each other when J steps into the room!" Cass hollers as she walks in so boldly.

Once she's said Tripp's name, I picture him being in the café still crying his eyes out. This is what he's crying about? He already knew about this though.

"How the fuck did you guys get in here? Get out!" Kyra fusses as I worry more about her calling security on us.

As her and Cass argue about us barging into the suite, I'm still thinking about why Tripp is crying in the café.

He knew about Kyra and Davin so it shouldn't hurt him this bad. Maybe it does. This could cause him a lot of pain but I've never seen him cry that much. Unless someone in his family passed, I can't understand why he'd be crying so much.

"Babe, this is not what it looks like. We were just practicing for one of the scenes she has in her new movie-" I push him off of me and turn away.

What type of lie is that? This is how we rehearse for roles in a movie now? I didn't know Davin was an actor now. Who would've thought? He seems to be doing good at acting like he really cares and saying things he doesn't mean.

Little does he know that I don't even care anymore. I'm too busy thinking about somebody needing to be there for Tripp.

"Wait a minute! Journee, you know about this already? How?" Kyra asks, throwing her long slick fingers in Cass' face.

"Don't worry about how she knows! Just know that they both knew before they saw y'all fucking each other, ya nasty bitch!" Cass yells as she slaps Kyra's hand out of her face.

Kyra flips that light brown wig behind her and follows up with "So...you even knew about Davin being Safari's father?"

Safari? Who's Safari?

Davin's too busy trying to convince me that Kyra's lying but I'm so lost. I feel so stupid but I don't want to seem like it.

"Babe, she's lying right now. She was just a little fling on the side, boo. Fooling with her don't mean that I don't love you. It was one quick fuck. Don't let this mess up our marriage, baby."

He's pleading while trying to touch me and I'm trying to push him away. I don't want him touching me and kissing on me after he just had his mouth on Kyra's lower region.

Who in the world is-

And then it clicks. Safari is supposed to be Tripp's kid with Kyra...

Now how the fuck did Davin get involved with this child?

"Oh, really? So, the whole marriage and kid we have together doesn't mean shit to you? Journee, we've been married for seven years and conceived Safari a year after you visited Florida 10 years ago," Kyra argues.

I don't know how to feel or what to do in this moment. My fists ball up at the thought of Davin being with Kyra at the same time he was with me.

How could he manage all of this? How could Davin be Safari's father? Conceived Safari a year...

That same week he went with my father to that fitness convention? The same week he refused to contact me because 'he had to focus on his work'? He fooled around with Kyra and made a child with her? There's no telling who else he has a child with.

Again, how stupid can I be?

"Baby, she's lying about all that-"

"Boy, bye. You are the world's worst liar. Tell Journee the truth. You've been hoeing around with all these women and got babies with them. In fact, I know a few more of them," Cass says as she stands by me.

Though I could be devastated, I'm not. Really, I'm sad for Tripp because he loved Safari and believed she was his own. How do you lie to somebody about that?

"I've got to go."

****

Heyyyyy!

Long time, no see. I don't really like to put my comments down here much anymore because I feel like I don't have much to say.

Really, I just want to get y'all's opinions about how the story's going so far.

Hopefully, you're enjoying it. If there are any plot holes, please let me know. That's one of the things I'm truly worried about.

The book is almost over so I really would like to know if y'all would be interested in spin-offs if this duology. Like stories of how Tripp and Journee's friends got together or became partners. We can also get more in-depth on who Angie is and who Isaiah was.

Let me know if you want to read about them.

Again, I'm grateful to everybody who's been reading and thankful for all positive and constructive comments.

See y'all soon!