Two Can Play That Game

Chapter 15

Aaliyah

I'm not saying I'm emotionally unstable, but if I'm sitting in a diner with a tear drowned pizza in front of me, then I guess I'm lying.

I can feel Xavier's eyes gazing on me right now, but I refuse to let him see me weak like this.

Not that he already hasn't, but whatever, I'm too sad to think straight right now.

"It's not that my feelings are hurt." I pause to sniff.

"It's just that I did nothing wrong. Now usually I'm a bitch and call him out on his shit and bring up the wrong things, but I didn't do a damn thing and he just get pissed at me. I thought... UGH! FUCK!" I shout in anger and glance away as a old couple gives me looks.

Like they don't cuss.

I finally decide to look up at Xavier and he wipes his mouth as he finishes up his pizza.

"So, he asked you out on a date tonight, then once the date started, he was acting weird?" He asks and I nod numbly, feeling stupidly glum all over again.

"Yeah... pretty much. You're a complicated asshole-" I cut off as Xavier glares at me, but I ignore it and continue.

"What does it mean? Am I... I don't know, am I just annoying? Easily pissing people off, guys only? Tell me, please." I mutter and he sighs.

"Babygirl, you're actually the opposite. You're intriguing and it draws guys in, I don't know, it's hard to explain and you don't even realize it. You do it all the time, you're doing it now." He whispers and I gulped and look down at my pizza.

"Doing what?"

"Drawing me in." He says and I give him a look, as his voice gotten deeper and sexy for a second. I lean back in the booth, trying to put some obvious distance between us.

"Stop. I already have enough problems as it is tonight, Xavier. I definitely don't need you trying to seduce me all over again. Can we just, go back to the situation at hand... my boyfriend..." I trail off, the word sounding funny on my tongue every time I think of Michael as my actual, well fake boyfriend. My breath wavers out through my parted lips as he leans back and frowns.

"So you're serious. Liyah, I thought you've been joking about this Michael Jackson guy being your actual new boyfriend shit. He just doesn't seem right for you." He whispers.

"Well, what's right for me then? Cause it damn sure isn't you if it's not him." I snap a bit and he smiled softly.

"I know it's not me... yet... but it will be." He says it as a promise of some sort and I feel myself wince on the inside.

Damn, I really loved Xavier, I really fucking did, but I had it up to the point of no return when I caught him cheating on me. I don't think I could take it if that happened to me again.

I fucking hate cheaters and I don't think I could ever trust one like I would have once trusted them before they cheated...

~•~

Michael

"Sweetheart, you haven't said a thing this entire time, it's your turn." My mother says gently, placing her hand on mine that's clutching my cards. I snap my head up out of my mind cloud and look to see Latoya sitting across our small circle with her lips in a pouting way as she's trying to win this game with all of her might. Rebbie is cracking jokes with Janet about something I probably missed them talking about earlier and I finally look to my mother as she looks deeply concerned. I lean over and kiss her cheek.