Forbidden Fruit (A Keith Powers Love Story)

Chapter 27

Keith's hand caressed my lower back as we walked up to the house. He rang a bell and shortly after, a woman I recognized very well answered the door.

"Brother!" C.J Williams, my favorite author sang. I'd almost forgotten they were siblings. She pulled Keith into an embrace looking genuinely happy to see him. They parted and her eyes shifted towards me. I stood frozen and quite star struck. I didn't get a chance to meet her at her book signing because I was distracted by Keith and I'd never been this close to her. Ever.

"Wow," she smiled at me, "she's gorgeous!"

I blushed and thanked her, returning her warm smile. She put her hand forward. "I'm Clarissa, Keith's older sister."

"Maliya," I nodded knowingly, "I am a huge fan of your work. You're one of my biggest inspirations."

"Yes! Keith told me," she looked back into her living room, "come on in my husband threw some food on the grill."

Keith and I walked inside and followed C.J. ,who I now know as Clarissa, through her living room into her back yard.

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"Maliya! You should've seen him," Clarissa laughed, "he was the cutest thing walking across the stage!" Clarissa snorted as she told the story of a six-year-old Keith. In first grade he played a tree in a Wizard of Oz play his school put on, yet he was determined to be the star so he literally walked to center stage in front of poor Dorothy and showed her up with his altered lines.

I chuckled and looked at a blushing Keith. "Awwnn," I teased poking my lip out.

"That was so long ago, Rissa." I'd picked up that they have nicknames for each other. Keith calls Clarissa Rissa and she calls him Kei'. I admired their cute relationships because I always longed for something like that. I was intrigued with everything about Clarissa. She was so interesting and her hipster life-style jumped out at me.

"So Clarissa when did you realize you wanted to be an author?"

I watched as a smile of satisfaction crept on her face. "Well, my husband pushed me to do it. Five years ago. I'll never forget it."

I thanked Keith as he handed me a plate of food and sat back beside me. I was so interested in what she was saying I hadn't noticed he'd gotten up.

"That reminds me of how Maliya inspired me."

I had also almost forgotten the conversation Keith and I had the morning after the worst night of my life. He honestly made me feel better and even somewhat forget about the events.

"How?" Clarissa asked.

"She propelled me I guess. I told her that I wanted to be an actor and well she just told me to go do it. I thought about what was holding me back from it and I couldn't come up with anything."

Clarissa looked at me and smiled, "well I'm thrilled that you got him to do something that I've been urging him to do for years. You must be really special."

I blushed as I felt Keith's warm lips heated my left cheek. "She is," he said confidently.

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It was getting close to five and Keith announced that we would be leaving shortly. I excused myself to the bathroom as Keith,Clarissa, and her husband, Simon, a tall and quiet man, cleaned up the back yard. I walked through the hall and looked at the many photos on the wall. Some were family photos and others were marriage photos of Clarissa and Simon. I stopped at one photo that hung and read, "Powers Family Vacation 2012". It was a beautiful picture that I'm guessing had the whole family in it. From what I could see, Keith has five siblings. One older and three younger. I smiled at the younger Keith. He looked the same he just had less muscle. I chuckled at his boyish-ness.

After using  bathroom, I came back down the stairs. I heard voices coming from the kitchen at a hush.

"Keith, she's your former student, what do you think mom's gonna say?" Clarissa scolded.

"She isn't going to say anything because she won't find out." Keith retorted.

Clarissa scoffed,"mom isn't stupid. She's gonna put two and two together once she finds out what school she graduated from. What are you gonna do? Get her to lie?"

"I never said that mom was stupid and no we're not going to lie. I'll tell her eventually but not now. It's too early."

"She's a nice girl, Keith but shouldn't you go for someone your age? What ever happened to Xara? She was a good girl." Clarissa prodded.

"Xara and I are through. Maliya and I are going to be together whether you like it or n-"

I decided to intervene before things became too heated between the two. Keith and Clarissa both snapped their heads in my direction as I entered the kitchen.

"Hey baby," Keith's persona switched swiftly. He's such an actor. "You ready?"

I nodded, trying to make my inner conflict less noticeable. I couldn't help but to think...

Is she right?

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I was thinking about scrapping this story cuz I'm starting to dislike Mr.Powers...but ykw Imma finish what I started it wouldn't be fair to you all.