femme fatale | t.r

(xx) be with you.

        "And you mean to tell me, you gave him the cold shoulder?" Amirah said to Maya. It had been a few days since Sage appeared at her job and he didn't come back anymore. She contemplated unblocking him, but she stood in her strong decision of never talking to him again. It had been Friday night - Cree, Reign, Jasmyn and Amirah - all of their bodies in the living room. The dining table had been moved into one of the bedrooms, sleeping bags and pallets created as their movie night began. Before the movies, there was wine and gossip though. "You're better than me. With how he looks? I would've slurped him down." Amirah said, running her tongue over her teeth before her and Cree mutually agreed.
        "I don't know, I just don't want to involve myself in that lifestyle. It killed my mother, you know?" She said, finally revealing to everyone what the precinct uncovered after the vacation. Reign and Jasmyn first, then Cree and Amirah.
        "You can't keep letting Moms death hold you down. He made you happy, he made you smile," Reign said, sipping at his cup. "Drug dealers now and drug dealers back then operate completely different."
        "I mean, he's not lying. He's gotta he one of the finest because my business has never ran into his. He's a professional." Amirah said, sipping her glass and nodding in agreement to Reign. Jasmyn sighed, reclining against the couch and throwing her head back.
        "If you miss him, Maya, you need to reach out to him before it's too late." Jasmyn said, causing Maya to turn her head. What did she mean? "He tried to kill himself and he damn near overdosed on his own product. Nicholas gave me the clear to tell you." Jasmyn said, causing Maya's eyes to widen. Her first thought was to reprimand Jasmyn for keeping such events from her, but she knew that if she told her it would create a rift in the trust between Nicholas and Jasmyn. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
        "It's fine. I'm still not going to text him. Let's just drop it and pretend only one James brother exists." She said, grabbing the remote. The others didn't contest with her decision, shutting the hell up. Reign began to select a movie, moving the night right along.

        Her main reason for getting a job was to get her out of her apartment, but she was now regretting it. It had been some hours since she was supposed to receive a lunch break, but instead never did. She walked from the cash register into the stock room, heading to her managers office. She removed her apron, throwing it to the ground before frowning. "I'm quitting. I can't do this, I can't sit at the register and starve while you're back here heating food up constantly. I was supposed to have a lunch break at 11:30, it's 4:30 pm." She didn't bother to hear his response, instead going to her locker to retrieve her keys and her backpack.
        Maya dropped down in her car, letting the engine roar alive before she turned onto the busy New York street. Her day had been overly frustrated, not because the work day was stressful but because she couldn't get Sage out of her mind. He really almost died and she was too selfish in her pride. She purposely missed his birthday and everything. As she sat and ate lunch in her car, she thought on her actions. Should she text him? No, he might not respond. She called Amirah on FaceTime, waiting for her to answer. When it connected, she could hear a loud child in the background.
        "I need advice and quick too." She said, causing Amirah to place her son in her arms and nod for her to continue. "Should I pop up?"
        "At his house? Yes, that's automatic. Gotta put Junior down." She said, kissing the air and hanging up the phone. So like an inexperienced idiot, Maya drove to his apartment after sneaking the address from Jasmyn.

        Maya knocked three times at the apartment door, staring at the nice lobby scenery that she had never seen before. She had been to one of his houses, but not this condo. She assumed the place before belonged to his father. When the door open, Maya froze. Sage looked back to her, a pair of sweat shorts accompanying his body. He stood shirtless, looking back to her. Her hand gripped her backpack as he stared, the both of them trying to formulate words. Or so she thought. "Hi, Le'Maya."
       
        "It's Maya. Can I come in?" She asked, raising her head in attempt to let some confidence show. He shrugged his shoulders, stepping aside to let her in before locking the door. Maya looked at the long hallway that led to the living room of his apartment before stopping, turning to him. "I'm sorry." Maya said, his eyebrow raising.
        "There's nothing to be sorry for. I can't change what I was born into." He said, sort of cold as well. Maya stumbled over her words. "For not seeing you in the hospital, for not coming to rescue you, for not showing at your birthday and for breaking our promise. I was selfish, I was immature," she caught her breath before stepping to him. He allowed her to be closer to him, his expression at his face was confusing. "Sajaír, I would've came running had I known."

        "It wasn't for you to know." He said, the sound of shuffling feet coming to the hallway. Maya was more so concerned about his coldness towards her and why he appeared to no longer care about her. When she turned to see the chocolate beauty down the hallway, her heart stopped in her chest. There was someone else.
 
        "Now you know good and well I was about to win that game. Where'd you go?" The girl said before stopping and cutting her speech. Maya looked back and forth between her and Sage.

        Anger is something that she felt instantly, but why? For three months, she pushed him away. For three months, she kept him blocked. For three months, she stood in her pride and selfishness. Maya smiled weakly at the girl, introducing herself. "Hi, I'm Maya."

        "True," the girl said. Maya's eyebrows came together in confusion before the girl spoke again. "My name is True," she said before looking at Sage. Whilst Maya had been in a wrinkled uniform, 'True' had been in a long sleeved crop-top and some fitted jeans. "Give is a minute, True. Restart the match and I'll be there in a second." He said, True making a 'yikes' face before disappearing around the corner. A door closed shortly after.

        "I didn't know you had company," Maya said with a certain pettiness that she didn't know she had in her. Sajaír, this time, took his turn to express his emotions. "Yeah, which is why you don't pop up after disappearing for three months." He said. Maya was taken aback. What a hypocrite. "Yeah, I get it. I live a dangerous lifestyle but I was willing to protect you from anything. You didn't even give me a chance to explain, you didn't even give yourself a chance to know that the man before you was the same. Yeah, I fell into some bad habits, but I'm out of those now."

        Sage looked to her, pointing to his heart before shaking his head. "I haven't felt this since my mother left my Dad for the same reason. I don't ever want to feel that pain again and you're the reason. I accept your apology, but I don't move backwards anymore. I move forward." Maya let her eyes water at his words before wiping her glassy eyes, a nod at her features as the tears dropped. Nothing needed to be said, so she pushed past him and exited the condo.

It was too late.