Pop Life: Volume 2

Chapter 26

Now that his cover was blown the room fell silent. René sat between me and Prince while we stared each other down. Prince felt bad for not telling me about getting a gun but I think I made him feel worse when he saw my face when I found out about it.

  "Tony put René is a guest room and make sure she gets something to eat."

Tony usually responds but he didn't want to sound happy in a very awkward situation. René went with Tony and the guys still looked at us like we were a soap opera playing out in front of them.

  "Regan I can explain about that." He said as he looked at me worried that I might not let him explain.

He sat down on the couch next to me and grabbed my hand holding it tightly. His eyes met mine and they were almost afraid to tell me what's been going on.

  "I'm listening Nelson." I said impatiently.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

  "Ok cards on the table. The night I left you I went to the gun range with the guys. I knew I was gonna need more than just glass and security to keep you safe. I guess I liked it so much that I bough one."

I didn't know whether to get mad or be glad that he's really doing all this for me.

  "So what about in the basement? What else is down there that you don't want anybody to know about?"

Prince felt like he was being interrogated but I had good reason. He hesitated on the second question because he really wasn't ready to talk about it so he changed topic.

  "When Andre asked you 'when's the baby coming' upstairs earlier you were about to tell him when you stopped yourself. Why?"

  "Don't do that."

  "What?"

  "Put the heat on me so you don't have to answer the question!"

  "I'm not! There's things you won't tell me still so why try to cover it up now?"

  "This isn't about me right now! This about you and this crazy gun situation!"

  "So me protecting you is crazy!?!?!"

  "You know that's not what I meant Prince."

  "Then what the hell does it mean Regan explain it to me!"

  "What are you get so defensive for? I didn't ask for Marcus to come after me. Just like I didn't ask for you to go out and get trigger happy!"

We got into this heated augment forgetting that Morris and the guys were still standing there. Dez found a way to interject.

  "Come on y'all stop all this noise. There's no need for this fightin'."

  "Yeah and it's still pretty early. Come on kiss and make up." Jerome said.

Prince and I just sat there on the couch and looked each other over angrily. Both of us were keeping secrets and both of us wanted answers but we weren't getting any because we were fighting each other.

  "Give us a minute." Prince told his friends.

The guys went outside the building as I sat and stared at Prince.

  "So now you don't want my protection. Then what you do want?" He asked.

  "You could have told me. I shouldn't have to find out from Morris about what you're doing."

  "And you shouldn't try to hide things in front of my face!" Prince said as he stood up from the couch.

  "I was never making this about me until you made it that way!" I snapped back getting in his face.

  "Back up Regan!"

  "No! You started this shit! Now I'm finishing it. You want me to move then move me!"

  "Regan I'm not kidding back up!"

  "Or what you're gonna shoot me?!?!"

Prince looked at me like I was really losing my mind. His face never changed. He was still mad.

  "Don't tempt me. I just might." He said pushing me hard off of my feet and onto the couch.

I sat for a minute contemplating what just happened between us. You would have thought nothing could tear us apart until now.

  "I get it now. Every time René shows up you get all crazy. You're catering to the same bitch that fucked another man in front of you without giving your feeling a second thought! You're all good when she's not around but the second she comes in the picture you want to take care of her?"

  "Marcus left her for dead outside of my gates! What you wanted me to leave her there so the media and have a field day and tarnish my name over something I shouldn't even be involved in?"

  "Now you don't want to be involved!"

I quickly shot up from the couch and back in his face.

  "You know what I'm glad you don't wanna be involved. I'm better off without you anyway. You got what you wanted and now that you're little girlfriend is back you don't need me."

  "You think I needed you before this? You were just a good time!"

My heart sank to the floor. His words hit me like a ton of bricks. Prince even looked stunned that he said it. We stood there looking at each other for a moment as I fought back my tears as best as I could. I backed away from him slowly and sat down in the couch behind me still in shock. The disbelief showed on my face as I let out a small laugh of heartbreak.

  "Just a good time huh?" I asked as my voice began to shake from the painful sting of his words.

  "That's all that I was to you? A good time?"

Prince didn't say anything. He just stood above me still in complete surprise that he was that mad at me to hurt me the way he did.

  "You know what? I'm glad I finally know the real you. All this time you've been telling me that you love me. Saying and doing all the right things but honestly it was just an act. You got me Nelson! Congratulations you got the Oscar for best performance!"

I got up and headed for the stairs. Before I went up I turned back to see him still standing in the same spot with the same surprised expression on his face.

  "I hope you and René are happy together." I said and went to the top floor to his room.

I went and grabbed all of my things and stuffed them inside the black suitcase that I've been using all summer. I was throwing in an outfit when the strip of pictures from the photo booth at the carnival fell out of my jeans pocket. It was five tiny pictures of me and Prince's making faces and giving each other bunny ears. The forth picture was the two of us staring into each other's eyes and the last was us kissing. As I looked at the pictures I could feel my heart shattering and my eyes getting watery. The pain had hurt me to the point where I was crying and didn't even realize it until tears covered the last photo. That last argument we had wasn't as bad as this one. This was one different. The pain hurt worse than before. It was almost like getting hit by a speeding train. As I tried to make the pain go away by throwing the pictures on the floor I heard a deep voice coming from the door.

  "Regan......please.....don't go."