Tore

fourteen | another heartbreak.

Perfect for me and that's my fear.
—
Kaine

She followed me into my room,

"Tell me what fuck is going on, it seemed as though  there was actual danger."

I kept her away from all of this. She knew nothing of it and I preferred it to be that way, I gave her the full rundown."

"Ezekiel was injured! That could've easily been you. Your silence isn't helping."

"Where's Noa, Leigh?"

"With LeSane."

"I'm going to to ignore that look you're giving me. But I need more details."

"There's nothing left to tell Leigh. I went down to Frio's housewarming party, there was a business partner of mine there, and things got outta hand."

"Frio? Dead ass? What kind of business partner Kaine? You work in tech for Christ's sake."

"And tech can be dangerous. Especially when niggas are involved." I said, continuing,

"Deep fakes. Artificial intelligence. Cryptocurrency. You name it, if you have expertise and people want it, they'll kill you for it. But it's much more than that. The traffickers and the traders, they want to utilize it all without the government having the knowledge. And we had got involved, got our money, got out, and it's been hell ever since."

I continued to get undressed, running my water.

"Kaine..."

"I know, we were young niggas. Computers and shit was just getting more popular. You remember."
..
Leigh

Oh, I remember.

The early 2000's.

Nobody could touch me when it came to tech. Kaine was probably a distant number two.

I didn't even know his friends were into it, they were all just dumb jocks to me. He and Ezekiel seemed to be only ones with some kind of conscious.

"So, who's this partner?"

"Nico Lucus."

"The one from the gala?"

He nodded solemnly.

"You saw that? He's looking for an algorithm, which is on a "disk". This algorithm will help his shipments, it's Amazon times a thousand. It's the same algorithm..,"

"That we created."

He nodded,

"But we were kids just messin' around with random ideas for a project." I shrugged it off.

"But I perfected it before I graduated Leigh. Tailored it to specific needs. His need just so happened to be pushing weight—undetected. "

"Where's this disk?"

He pointed to my necklace, he'd given it to me as an apology gift back in the day.

"Kaine..."

"There's a microchip in that pendent, that's where the template algorithm lies. I have multiple, but that's specifically what they want."

"LUX. That's why it's called LUX? You lied to me."

"Huh?"

"You knew where I've been this whole time Kaine. You've been tracking me?"
..
Kaine

She's too smart.

"Each time we ran into each other, wasn't a coincidence, was it?"

"No, but yes..it was because of the algorithm but I had to make sure it was you. I don't care to have it. But I needed you in a safe environment, where I could watch you. And get your help, if I needed it. And because you were off my radar for years, when I caught you...I had to keep you."

"Mack strikes again, buttering up Leigh for his own gain. I didn't wear this necklace for almost a decade."

"Stop it."

"No, cause what the actual fuck? "Come be my live-in assistant." How can I be so stupid? We don't live in some fucking fantasy world where that type of shit even happens."

"Stop making false narrative's in your head Leigh. I needed an assistant that would be willing live with me. It was the perfect situation. And until your blind ass realizes it—I still care about your stubborn ass! Never stopped.What don't you get?"

"Kaine..."

"What babygirl? I'm an open book! Just please, whatever you're thinking, it's not that. I'm sorry okay? I'm sorry for saying those awful things to you.."

"I just don't know why I trusted you. You've never protected me! Ever! I haven't worn this necklace in almost a decade, you knew as soon as I put it on, you could find me. It was dormant. Ya' sick."

I couldn't let her see the tears that were wailing, I turned around because it was true.

"I needed you..you used me. Again. And again. And again. I'm expendable to you."

"That could be further from the truth babygirl.."

"You're one of the most important people in my life. You see me..Kaine. Not Mack or this Hollywood shit.."

I grabbed her chin, "Look at me, I love you, I thought that was understood. I trust you, that's apparent. I'll lay down my life for you and your son, for a thousand more lifetimes. I'm sorry I wasn't there in the past, I'm here now. I'm here to protect you now. You're my only friend. I don't know what else to say or do. It's been hell without you in my life.."

I poured my heart out.

Her face remained stone cold.

"I'm sorry. No one can take your place, you're perfect in every way."

How many times do I have to say it?
...
Leigh

He meant that.

I tried to remove myself from his grasp,

"You've been the titular cause of all of my heartbreak, I can't take another blow from fucking Kaine Cole. I knew I shouldn't have come back."

"I broke your heart?" His eyes watered ever so slightly,

"Yes. My first heartbreak and I can't take another one. Not from you, Grant, or anybody." I said dryly, he knew this.

That's the only thing he heard? Seriously?

"How?"

"You want me start from the beginning?"
..