CONNECTED

21.

Korea.

"What are you doing here?"

"Can I come in?" I stood in front of him with my hands clasped together. "Please?"

He shook his head before answering. "No" He sighed, leaning more into the doorway.

I couldn't help but gaze at his chest. "Why not?" I asked once I noticed I had been staring for too long.

"My face up here Karin." He pointed at himself circling his face with his hand.

I smacked my lips in response. "It's been a while since we talk-"

"And?" He cut me off. "You pulled that lame ass shit with your baby daddy when you know damn well I know my place. I love your kids; treat them like my own and you come at me on some shit he told you to tell me." Obviously he still was pissed. "You don't think that's foul?"

"No, I do I really do." I tried to convince him. "Montana you have to understand that it's only fair that I respect his wishes."

He looked off, rolling his eyes. "What do you want Karin?"

"To know that we're good." I answered honestly. I was neither afraid or embarrassed to say that I didn't wanna lose Montana. He was my Best Friend, my safe place, and my outlet. He helped me when no one else could; he was there for me every time I cried to him about Julio. "It's nothing personal."

"That shit ain't nothing but personal to me Karin."

Montana really put the S in Stubborn.

"Can you please just let me come in so we can talk it out at least?"

"Nah I'm good." He looked back into his apartment. He was holding the door so close to his body I couldn't see if anybody else was inside if I wanted to. "We cool, you're a good woman but I'm not interested in going down that friend road with you anymore." My heart broke. "We do business together so I'll still be seeing you." He stepped back into his place. "I want you to respect my wishes like you respect Julio's." He tried to hurry up and slam the door before I could see anything, but he wasn't fast enough. I spotted a pair of black lace panties on the floor by his refrigerator.

I walked back down the hall to my apartment; amused. I found it funny that he was being so secretive when he knew every detail of my life whether we were on good terms or not.

Montana and I knew our roles in one another's lives and we played them well, so I wasn't upset that he had a woman over but I was upset that he was trying to hid it.

"Cali did you finish packing like I told you?" I yelled through my apartment as soon as I entered the door.

She came running out of her room. "Yes ma'am, but I'm gonna wait for my Daddy to come so he can carry my bags." I had told her to wheel her luggage to the front door but she obviously had the same thing in mind that I did; Julio could just do all the work.

We were leaving for Bali and there was no way possible I would even be able to carry all my bags to elevator, let alone the car. I could pack pretty light but we were going to a whole Island and we were staying for a week. We weren't scheduled to touch back down in Chicago until the Sunday night before Cali started school.

"Is your sister still sleeping?" I asked her but I already knew the answer. My baby could hibernate like a bear and it was still pretty early.

Of course Julio depended on me to book everything, so I made sure the entire trip was to my liking. Both of our flights were early, we were staying at a Resort that was on the Beach, and we had separate rooms. I didn't trust him when it came to us sleeping in the same room even if our kids were with us.