𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙣
⊱ ─────────── ⊰

Chris wakes me up at the crack of dawn. I'm an early riser myself but I hate that he wakes me up so obnoxiously, like a father before a road trip.

"Happy birthday." I tell him, wiping away buildup over the last eight hours from the corners of my eyes.

The bed is almost too comfortable, I hardly want to get out of it. I sit up anyway, and let out a yawn.

Chris tosses our bags onto his side of the bed and claps his hands one time, strictly.

"Come on, get up," he rushes me.

I swat his hands away from my face. "I don't feel good," I complain.

"Your stomach?" He wonders, pausing bud frantic packing to genuinely display concern.

I shake my head no. It's none of that, not a physical feeling per se, but a sense of unease. You know how you can tell when something bad is gonna happen? After all we've been through, I have a sixth sense about these things.

I'm fighting myself on telling Chris about my fling while we were separated. It's been eating me up the past few days, but there's no way I can tell him now and ruin his birthday trip.

"Nevermind." I retract, throwing the covers off of my body.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"What the hell?" I curse, turning down my music so I could hear over the running shower.

"Babe," Chris yells, entering the bathroom.

I put my towel over my body and exit the shower, drying my feet off on the mat.

"What?" I huff, flailing my arms at Chris.

He presents to me a gun - the one Nick Adams gave me last year.

I sigh heavily as I stare at the weapon.

Chris asks, "I was double checking your bag when I saw this. What's it for?"

"You gonna try to kill me on vacation?" He chuckles lightly.

I shake my head. "Coyotes. Bears. Sharks, even."

Chris buys my excuse, I'll call it. His head turns side to side, too, but he cracks a laugh so I can finally breathe.

"I don't know if this will do anything," he says, "but you won't need it."

I gulp, mentally flashing back to Ben's warning.

You never know, I think in my head.

Chris empties the gun of its bullets and then strolls into our bedroom. I follow.

"What if we do?" I try talking hypothetically.

He stuffs a pair of sneakers into his bag. "For what?"

Mouth twisted in thought, I shrug. "Anything."

Chris is amused, hardly paying me any mind as he continues packing. "Finish getting dressed before Izzy and Lee beat us there."

✕

I let my natural hair do its thing today, instead of straightening it. To keep the unruly curls out of my face, I put it in a messy high ponytail.

Since we're going to the beach, I didn't bother with any makeup, especially since my lashes are freshly done, and I'll be covered in tanning oil soon anyway. Never cared for tanning beds, I liked to get kissed by the sun. I'm hoping to get on Chris's level, though, he has the perfect natural tone and doesn't burn. Lucky.
I can already hear JB laughing at us "whiteys" for having to go to such extremes sometimes to attain what he has naturally - (more) melanin.

A pair of three inch distressed denim shorts remain stylishly unbuttoned to reveal the bottoms of my yellow bikini that matches the exposed top as I don't bother covering up with a shirt.

I accessorize with minimalist earrings, anklets, lip gloss, and put on my Tory Burch 'jelly' sandals before heading downstairs.

The sound of low back and forth chatter makes me fold my arms over my chest and stomp down the last three or four steps upon realizing who's there.

Seeing me suddenly, Chris clears his throat and backs away from his client.

"Morgan, I'm still not used to your breasts being on full display every time we meet." Mrs.Augustin pokes at me.

I roll my eyes at her. "I'm still not used to you being in my house when I don't want you here."

Chris laughs awkwardly trying to stop the cattiness before it escalates. "She was just stopping by to give me the key for the condo." He tells me.

One of my eyebrows raise as this is news to me. "Of course it's her condo. Let me guess, you didn't have to pay for it either?"

Lydia smiles cynically. "It's his birthday, it's the least I can do. Really, it's my pleasure."

"I'm sure." I mumble, walking past them so I can get the drinks and sandwiches from the refrigerator.

"Well, I was just leaving." She says just before a nasty cough.

Chris pats her back and I smack my lips, uninterested in making sure she's okay.

Unbelievable.

"I'm alright," she says weakly, "thank you, Christopher Omar." Her eyes cut to me as she emphasizes my fiancés name since he came to her aid and I just watched. She's fine, clearly.

"Let me walk you out." He offers, giving her a hand as she's bent over.

A minute later I hear, "Thanks again for the house," before Chris closes the door and meets me back in the kitchen.

"What?" He asks without me even saying anything.

"I didn't say anything." I return plainly.

"I know that look."

I reply fast. "I hardly looked at you."

Chris takes the cooler from my hands and says, "Don't forget it's my birthday, don't make it all about you."

"I just didn't know it was her condo."

He sighs heavily. "If you want to get a hotel, we can."

"Don't be stupid," I roll my eyes. "It was really nice of her, is all."

Chris rolls his eyes too, saying, "And there's something wrong with one of my clients doing me a favor?"

"I said it was nice."

"You were being sarcastic." Chris states, cutting me off from walking out of the kitchen.

I look up at him. When he tilts his head at me with an expectant look, I roll my neck and shrug.

"I just don't like her, and you know that."

"Can we, like, argue about this in the car? We need to leave." Chris grumbles.

"Yeah, yeah." I mumble, walking past him.

Chris slaps my butt as I pass, making me giggle.

"Stop." I warn him playfully.

He chuckles, throwing his arm around me as we walk to the car.

✕

After dropping off Duke and Stevie at the overnight pet spa, Chris and I hit the road. Our destination is a beach town about four hours from Nashville. Apparently it's more of a Spring Break spot but at this time of the year, it's great for vacationing.

Turning the music down, Chris clears his throat.

"I have a contract with Lydia," he begins. "I can't just tell her to leave me alone, but if you want-"

I interject. "No, that would be selfish. I want you to do your job; I just have a weird feeling about her, I don't know what it is."

"Maybe if you got to know her better..." Chris suggests.

I side-eye him. "I tried, she just stares at me or calls me a whore."

He laughs and I slap his arm for it.

"Sorry," Chris chuckles, staring at the road. "I think that's just how she is, don't take it personal."

"She's awfully nice to you." I mumble.

"Well, I'm helping her." Is his excuse. Good one.

"I offered to help her, too, and she said she doesn't want to owe me. I don't know what I did to her, but I wish she'd get over it."

"Is that what this is about: you're not used to people not liking you?"

"Shut up." I drag my words.

Chris laughs. "I'm not being shady, alright, she's just a client." He assures me, locking our fingers together in his lap.

I nod my head, looking at the side of his face as his jaw clenches. "I know," I say with a heavy sigh.

✕

"This is what I'm talking about!" Lee exclaims, running up the stairs before anyone else.

"Hell yeah!" Andy high-fives him.

It's nice to see them getting along so easily, I'm sure Chris appreciates it too.

I had so much stuff in the Jeep that Andy and Lucy couldn't fit so Lee and Izzy offered them in ride in their rental which was nice of them.
Anyway, they clearly hit it off. By the way they're interacting, you'd think they'd known each other forever.

Jabari, on the other hand, wasn't too keen on mixing the friend groups - not since the last trip where he had to punch Tate.

While everyone explores the grounds, I'm still at the Jeep, stretching.

"Need help, sis?" JB offers me a hand with one of the coolers.

I thank him with a warm smile.

"Oh, great." He mumbles, towering over me.

"What?" I wonder what he's referring to.

I stop unloading the Jeep to follow Jabari's eyes and see Madi and AJ get out of their cab.

Jabari scowls and I playfully elbow him in his side.
Cheering up, he squeezes my shoulders, chuckling quietly.

The unlikely couple walk up the driveway with open arms and toothy smiles.

"Hey, hey!" Madi greets us all.

"Hey..." Chris, JB, Lee, Izzy, and I all chorus.

It's nothing against Madison, she can be a decent girl. I'm just happy she killed the whole "Tawny" persona. She seems to be doing fine, especially with the likes of Adriel (AJ) Jones.

"Chris, what's up, brotha?" AJ greets his ex-bestie with a case of beer.

Chris curls his face at the Natural Light. "Uh, thanks, man." He says, dapping AJ up.

His hair is still sleek and the color of coal, in a long braid down his wide back. Nothing's changed about AJ, and that's not necessarily a good thing.

"Who are you?" Adriel questions Andy.

Andy removes his Oakley sunglasses and puffs his bird chest under the unbuttoned Hawaiian (Aloha) shirt.

"Chris's best friend. Who are you?" Andy introduces himself.

I watch Jabari furrow his eyebrows at Andy behind his back with this "you got me fucked up" expression. I hold back my laughter.

"Right..." AJ draws, shaking his hand anyway.

"Jabari." Adriel then acknowledges Chris's actual best friend with a swift look up and down.

Jabari returns the shady glare to Adriel. "See you put on some weight, my boy." He teases, pulling AJ's body in for a handshake.

Adriel loosens up again, allowing himself to laugh with the guys about his extra pounds.

Madi rubs his stomach and sarcastically frowns with her head on his shoulder. "That's just happy relationship weight!"

"I see..." Izzy comments with a blank stare.

I have to elbow her, too.

To ease the tension, I clasp my hands together and say, "Well I'm glad everyone made it here safely."

"Isn't this just one big, happy reunion?" Madi chirps, popping her freckled shoulders that are already sunburnt.

"Yeah, the gang's all here." Adriel says, looking at everyone down the line.

I put my head down and kick up sand, hoping it can't possibly get anymore awkward than this.

Chris rubs his hands down my arm to put me at ease and it works.
"Not everyone," he clears his throat.

Adriel takes a while, but he finally realizes.

"Ohhhh." He whinces. "I forgot about Jasmine. Shit, I'm sorry, J."

Jabari flicks his wrist. "Pfft," he vibrates his thick lips. "That ain't my bitch, I'm not worried 'bout her."

Before I can, Izzy speaks up and changes the subject.
"Can we go inside now? I'm gonna melt out here." She complains, shielding her obsidian-colored-eyes from the scorching September sun.

"White people problems!" Jabari boasts, pushing his tall, linky body through the small crowd of us to enter the beach house first.

"It's gonna be a long weekend." Izzy murmurs to me as she walks up the steps past me.

Tell me about it. . .

With a deep sigh, I walk in after everyone else and am in awe just as much as the rest.

The exterior had me speechless, but the inside? This is just unreal. I feel like Belly from 'The Summer I Turned Pretty.'

"Look at this view!" Izzy gasps, staring out of a bay window.

After another several minutes of taking in the scenery, Madi claps her hands together in the middle of the kitchen where we all gathered.

"Okay, everyone," Madi takes the reins, "let's pick our rooms and then start the celebrations?"

Crickets. No one pays her any mind except for her boyfriend.

"Morgan?" Izzy refers to me, clutching her lilac-colored large canvas tote bag.

I see the rest of the posse also looking to me for an idea to which I just agree with Madison. I'm too tired and in my head to come up with anything else right now.

"I didn't have anything planned until dinner, so help yourselves to anything. We can all just meet up later." I speak plainly with a shrug.

They disperse to go find a room to call home for the next three days.

"Psst!" A whisper creeps up on me.

Standing in the foyer, I turn in a half circle and see Chris carrying in the rest of our bags.

My flip-flops slap the floor as I walk over to help him.

With a smile, I say, "Thank you."

"You like it?" Chris asks, taking it all in.

I slowly bob my head as if I wasn't completely impressed.

"So much for a condo." I snarl, folding my arms over my chest.

Chris's strong muscles reel me in close to his hot body and constrict my breathing in a sudden embrace.

"What's wrong?" He asks me, kissing my cheek.

I shake my head.

"What's wrong? Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me," he goes on like this forever.

"Nothing!" My voice cracks.

He stares at me with a straight face before revealing a smile. "You can't say this isn't nice, though? I know you don't like Lydia but it's pretty awesome she's letting us stay here for free."

"No, yeah," I falter, looking all around. "I'm thankful. I just want you to have a good birthday. You deserve it."

Chris creates space between us so he can look at my whole face and then his eyes shift to my lips.

I wet them and then he kisses me just once.

"What did I do to deserve you?" He asks rhetorically.

Cheeks blushing, I scrunch my nose.

"You're cute." I tell Chris, pushing away from him so I can go find us a room.

"Get the rest of the bags," I boss him as I ascend the staircase. "Chop chop."

~~~ Later that evening ~~~

Once I'm dressed, I spray some perfume onto my wrists and neck, rub it in, then walk through a mist of the scent.

Looking at my reflection in the primary bathroom, I pluck out my tight wand curls to my liking.

As a final touch, I line my lips and apply gloss. Jasmine taught me how to do that. I miss her.

In some weird coincidence, my phone lights up with an Instagram notification:

Prettygirljas has posted for the first time in a while.

I click the alert and view the photo on the app. It's her alright.

I don't like the photo but I roll my eyes when I see that Tate has.

With a sigh, I exit the app and drop my phone into my clutch.

Seeing the time, I finally make sure I have everything before leaving the bedroom.

Chris has been ready, waiting for me, I hate to keep him waiting. Although, he's probably downstairs pregaming with the guys, I'm sure.

"BABE!" I yell for Chris down the hall.

My strappy cowl-neck maxi dress is loose in the back so it's sliding down on my breasts.

"Chris?" I call his name so he can come help with this wardrobe malfunction.

I suck my teeth, not hearing any sign of my fiancé.

What I do hear, though, is yelling from Jabari's suite.

Trying my best to be stealthy in these Tom Ford stilettos, I creep towards his cracked open door and listen in.

"—You dumb bitch, I been worried sick! You can post pictures but not return my calls? Bet, stand on that. You better hope I don't see you, and you better hope you ain't with Tate, I'll hurt both of y'all, on my soul." He rants into the phone.

Oh—

I take it she isn't on the other line because she would've been hung up on him for talking to her like that, or I'd be able to hear her cussing him out from here.

While he was aggressive, I don't blame JB for most of what he said. I agree, how can she just post on Instagram as if we all haven't been worried to death about her whereabouts? She could've called, or texted. And Jabari's right, if Jasmine is with Tate, I'm going to have some words especially for him.

Shaking my head, I carry myself down the stairs and find Chris who's just walking inside.
He's dressed up and smelling good, with a drink in his hand. The cup is near empty, I can see that I was right about him pregaming.

"There you are." He says with a wide grin.

I pop an eyebrow, smirking. "You were looking for me?"

"Duh," he cackles, taking my hand. "You're my drinking buddy."

I'm flattered and it shows with the swelling of my bronzed cheeks.

"Aw," I pout, grabbing a fistful of his thick hair. "Dance with me tonight?"

Chris pushes his forehead into mine. In a growl, he says, "All night long."

I giggle and then chew my lower lip, almost losing myself in Christopher's eyes. His green orbs twinkle but it fades as I retract my hands from his body.

Jabari, with a personal bottle of Don Julio in his hands, exits the beach house, scowling.

"What's wrong, baby?" Asks Chris, holding me at the waist.

I can't help but feel for Jabari. He's divorced Jasmine but still cares for her as we all do. I'm sure it's frustrating him, having not heard from her for all this time just to see she's safe and posting on Instagram.

She wants nothing to do with us, I realize. Tate was right. . .

Letting go of any hope I had for them getting back together or getting my best friend back, I inhale deeply and refocus my attention on my fiancé.

My lips spread wide across my rosy face.

"Nothing," I shake my head and smile, "happy birthday."