Forbidden Fruit (A Keith Powers Love Story)

Chapter 20

Maliya

"Maliya," I heard my aunt call as I swept up the living room.

"Yes?"

"Remember when I said I wanted to talk with you?" she said walking towards me.

I nodded and sat the broom down, taking a seat on her plush white couch.

"Well, first I want to address the fact that you snuck a boy in my house last night."

"How'd you know?" I drew my brows together.

"Come on, you can't put anything past me. I see everything. And I also know that "boy" is your teacher."

She looked at me scoldingly and my face grew hot. I never really thought about how it would feel for someone in my family to find out about Keith and I. Even though we aren't really anything at all.

"You have nothing to say?"

I sighed and looked down then back up at my aunt. "It wasn't at all what it looked like. He was intoxicated."

"Like that makes it better, Maliya,"she scoffed.

"There isn't anything between us! I was just helping him out. I mean nothing to him. All I am to him is a student." Tears began streaming down my eyes and I didn't even know why I started crying. It's like, all the amped up emotion from the argument with Keith, my frustration with my dad, and the whole Tyra and Jayven situation came out all at once. But mostly, I was finally coming to realize where I fall short in life.

"Excuse me," I said to my aunt Jan before fleeing the living room, heading upstairs with tears in my eyes. I sniffed as I grabbed my journal from under my mattress and opened it up to the first crisp and untouched page.

January 1

I realize today, that I am officially a girl with daddy issues. It'd never occured to me why I fall not easily, but hard for guys. It feels amazing to let yourself free, but when you land, the impact is far from painless. So, as I lay here, on the hard pavement I just landed on, I think of the many ways I could've braced for impact. I think of how it could've been easy to avoid tripping and falling into love so hard. Here I am, crying over a teacher who wants not a thing to do with me and a friend who just wanted to use me. I feel stupid and I was starting to think, "maybe that's just how I am," but taking a glimpse at my situation from the outside, I was just looking for the love and acceptance of a man.

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"Hey dad."

"Hey kiddo. What happened to you? You said you were going to call me tomorrow two days ago."

"I know," I sighed, "I've been real preoccupied."

"Have you made up your mind yet?" he asked, hopefully.

"Yes."

"And?"

"And, I've decided that I will move out to California. Even though it's far. And hot."

"That's great! I can't wait to see you again, Liy."

"Paparazzi ain't gone be all on my ass are they?" I asked.

"As long as you stay in the house for the summer, nope."

I groaned.

"And who said you could curse?" he chastised.

Boy if you don't...you ain't talk to in five years but you tryna chastise me? Fuck outta here, stranger​.

"I'm grown now." I informed him.

"Nah, not to me you ain't. You're still my little girl." I could hear his smile through the phone.

I'm not gonna lie, that made me smile a little too.

Keith

"Where the hell were you?! How do you just leave your girlfriend at a fucking party?!" Xara screamed. She's been screaming my head off since I got in the house.

"Look, I told you I was drunk as hell! I drove to Luke's house and crashed on his couch."

"Why?!" She screamed in my face again.

"I don't know I was drunk! And you got one more fucking time to scream in my face!" I warned her.

"I'll just leave then." she said grabbing her phone and keys.

"The fuck? Leave then! But you ain't taking my keys with you."

"Here, take your fucking keys," she said throwing the keys I gave her. "I don't want them anyway."

"Disrespect my shit again."

"And the fuck you gone do? Huh? You ain't shit, Keith you know that? All you fucking do is talk shit, but you never do nothing cuz you a bitch ass n-"

I cut her off with a hard smack in the face. I watched her sink to the floor, holding her face and I instantly regretted what I had done. Never have I ever put my hands on a woman. I have never even thought about it. "Xara..." I tried to help her up but she quickly shoved me away.

"Get the fuck away from me Keith." she seethed. I saw the tears drip down onto my hard wood flooring and form into a puddle.

"Xara, I'm sorry." I pleaded more that told her as she regathered herself and walked to my door.

"Xara! Xara!" I called after her.

She left and slammed the door behind her.

"Fuck!" I exclaimed, breaking down into tears. Everything has been coming down on me at once. Since me and Xara got back together, I've started to remember why we broke up in the first place. The girl lives for drama and arguments and I've been drinking more because of it. I've been trying to drink away the constant pain I have knowing Maliya and I could never be. I push her away but she comes back. She pushes me away but I go back. I'm tired of this tug-of-war bullshit. I need a new setting and I need to get away. Starting over seems to be my only option as of now.

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I awaited the answer on the other line and gradually scribbled some words down on a sheet of paper. My hands were shaky and it made my penmanship come out way less than perfect.

"Yo, Keith." I heard algee say on the other end of the call.

"Yeah?"

"Mark said it was cool but he said you had to be out here by Saturday."

"Saturd- man I didn't even get my last check!"

"It's now or never, bro."

I sighed, "Alright, I'll be there."

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😭 Alot of shit is happening. I bet y'all wondering who the fuck Maliya's daddy is to be having paparazzi hounding him. Andddd the book is coming to an end pretty quickly. I'll say about 5 more chappies will do it 😋

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