Imagined Love (36 page)

It was a few minutes before kickoff when Jade got up to throw away her and Pierce’s trash and asked if he needed anything from the kitchen. He asked for another bottle of water and a kiss before she left. When she returned, a woman named Raina stood in front of Pierce in a pair of skin tight black jeans and an even tighter Steelers t-shirt which she’d tied in a knot to expose her flat stomach and ample breasts.

“Ooh, what’s up, papi?” she asked, licking her lips seductively. “Damn, I could do some things with you!”

“I’ma do some things to you if you don’t step away from my man,” Jade threatened.

“I know that’s right, girl,” one of the other guests said.

Raina took a step back as she looked Jade up and down. “My fault, girl. I didn’t see a ring so . . .” she rolled her eyes.

“Well you ain’t gone see a lot of things if you keep playing games. So I suggest you take your ass back over there and pretend like you got some sense or this day might turn out real different than you thought.”

Marcus and Tony gave Pierce two thumbs up. He had found his stout joint which was their name for the perfect mate. Once the game began the noise level grew to a roar. Pierce, however, was more interested in Jade. He liked seeing that territorial side to her and couldn’t wipe the huge grin from his face.

“So you’ll fight for your man, huh?” he whispered in her ear.

“That’s right! I’ll knock a bitch out,” she laughed.

Pierce laughed too before he kissed her. “I love you.”

The game was exciting and everyone had a great time cheering and taunting the opponents. Dallas pulled it off with a 27-17 victory over Pittsburgh. Jade kept talking smack as she waited for Pierce to get fifty bucks out of his wallet. It was what he owed her for betting against Dallas. He finally gave her the money as well as a kiss that got her blood pumping harder.

“Good game,” Pierce said then kissed Jade again. “Well, boys, it looks like I’m gonna have to marry me a Cowboys fan.”

Jade felt her stomach quiver and she smiled hoping it wasn’t just a slip of the tongue.

A week after the Super Bowl Jade threw Dane the best Batman birthday party any five-year-old could want! He and his friends had a ball and were excited by the games and special treats she had for them. If left up to Dane all they would’ve eaten was cheese pizza and chocolate cake, but Jade decided to make a soul food meal for the adults to enjoy. Once Pierce learned she was making ribs again he challenged her to a cook-off. He was allegedly known as the barbecue king amongst his friends and wanted to prove it to Jade. So they asked their guests to decide which one of them deserved the hundred-dollar prize and bragging rights. Tony tallied the votes and announced that Jade was the winner hands down.

“I demand a recount! Ain’t no way this chick beat me! Do you know who I am? I’m the barbecue king,” Pierce stated.

“Just give me my money and you can call yourself whatever you want. It won’t mean anything since you lost again, but you can pretend all you want.”

“You see this?” Pierce asked Tony and Marcus. “You see the level of disrespect I have to deal with? I let this woman stay up all night cooking and she got to plan this party with zero help from me and look at the thanks I get. Oh now look at this. See how she’s rubbing it all up in my face, gloating like she ain’t got no home training? Girl, you ought to be ashamed of yourself,” Pierce teased.

Jade started doing a chant and step about being the barbecue queen in the style of a “Q-Dog” fraternity.

“Oh, wait a minute now, she’s got skills! Hooty who,” Tony called out, impressed by what he was seeing.

“Show out,” Pierce mumbled. “That’s so unattractive.”

“Not from where I’m standing,” Marcus smiled. “I don’t know, dude, I think you might’ve met your superior. This woman’s been kicking your ass in everything. I’m starting to get embarrassed for you, bruh. There’s only one area left for you to redeem yourself and I’m thinking she might wear you out in that too. But don’t let her do it, dude. Take her to the king-sized and show her who’s boss! It’s high time it happened anyway.”

Jade burst out laughing. It seemed as if Marcus had taken over for Tamara in the embarrass your friends department.

“Dude!” Pierce snapped, not believing Marcus had just said that in front of a house full of people. “Is there any more of my business you wanna put out there?”

“Aw, man, ain’t nobody tripping off me. I doubt they even heard me over all this noise. So chill out,” he said. “See, that’s that pent up sexual frustration making you get all swoll in the chest. You need to go handle that, bruh. Gone and knock it out right quick. I’ll cover for y’all,” he said, pushing Jade and Pierce closer together. “Go show her who’s boss.”

Tony and Pierce looked at each other shaking their heads. Marcus was just being Marcus and he was never going to change. Though, it was Jade standing there staring at him with those eyes and a devilish little grin on her face that made Pierce want to do exactly what his friend had suggested. Instead, they gathered everyone around the jammed packed townhouse to sing happy birthday.

With the exception of Gabrielle, everybody Jade had invited was there to celebrate with Dane. And they all came bearing wonderful gifts. Pierce’s bedroom was filled with wrapped boxes and big bags full of toys, clothes, and things needing to be assembled. Yet, it was Landon’s gift that surprised Jade. He bought ten Disney movies and a 19” TV and VCR for Dane’s bedroom!

“So you couldn’t get a toy truck or a bat and ball like a normal uncle, huh?” Jade teased Landon. “You had to go and show everybody up.”

“Do you think it’s too much?”

“Uh, yeah, Pierce barely lets Dane watch TV as it is so I doubt he’ll let him have one in his room. See, that’s what happens when you go shopping without supervision. Why didn’t you wait for Gabrielle? She would’ve known what to get a five-year-old.”

“Yeah . . . well,” Landon sighed.

“What?”

“I’ll tell you about that mess later. Just enjoy your baby’s party, okay? We’ll talk later.”

All of a sudden Pierce called to Jade asking for the key to her apartment. He’d been bragging about her Sigma Steppers performance and wanted everyone to see it. She protested by saying it was crazy for him to leave his own son’s party to get that old junk which no one wanted to see. Willa volunteered to get it so Pierce didn’t have to leave.

“Thank you, Ma,” Pierce smiled, triumphantly.

Ten minutes later the guests were enjoying not only the Sigma Steppers show but also Jade’s Triple Threat performances. All she heard was loud cheers and Hooty Who for thirty minutes!

“That’s my mommy,” Dane shouted before running to his room with his cousins and classmates.

Pierce and Jade passed a nervous look to each other thinking Tina would be upset but she didn’t seem fazed by it at all.

“You bad, Chicka! I love to watch you dance!”

“Yeah, she’s bad alright. And she gone tear your ass up,” Marcus whispered to Pierce. “So you better hurry up and do whatever you haven’t done yet to make her unleash that vixen.”

Things were winding down and most of their guests began to leave. Tina and her boyfriend Myron hugged Jade and told her how much fun they had and how incredible the food was. Pierce put them on the spot by asking whose ribs they voted for and feigned anger when they said Jade’s. He threatened to have them arrested and they all laughed and said goodbye.

Once everything was cleaned and put away Jade collapsed on the couch to relax and watch a movie. Luisa had taken Dane for the night so Mommy and Daddy could have some time alone.

“Here you go.”

“I don’t want that,” Jade said, as she pushed Pierce’s hand away.

“Girl, take this money,” he said of the five one hundred dollar bills he was holding out to her. “What do I look like making you pay for my son’s party?”

“You’re not making me. I asked to throw a party for the little boy I consider to be my son too. I wanted to do something special for him.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean it like that, babe. He is your son. I just don’t think you should have to bear the expense of it when you did all the work.”

“It wasn’t that much work. And you know dang gone well I didn’t spend no five hundred dollars. I love Dane and everything but this was still a kid’s party.”

“Girl, please . . . with all that food you made plus the cake and favors and the decorations. It probably was more than that because I spent a hundred just on those few slabs of ribs I did.”

“Well, maybe that’s why you lost,” Jade giggled. “Now put that money away and come watch a movie with me, okay?” She rolled her eyes at him when he put the money in her purse and plopped down on the couch beside her. Pierce lay on his side then pulled Jade into his arms. She laughed when he put a pillow between them.

“For protection,” he said.

Not long after, they both were asleep. Neither of them had a clue they’d awaken to a fight that would change everything and put an end to the relationship as they’d known it!

“Ah, man, I guess we were tired, huh?” Pierce yawned, stretching as he sat up a few hours later. “So? What do you want to eat? I can heat up something or we can go out if you . . .”

“Oh no, babe, I’m supposed to hang out with Landon, remember?”

Pierce stared at her for a minute then he got up from the couch and walked away. He was mad.

“What’s wrong with you?” Jade asked, as she followed him into the kitchen. “Did you forget? I told you I was . . .”

“No, I didn’t forget. I just assumed spending all last night with him was enough damn hang out time,” he snapped. “But it looks like I’m wrong again. So I guess I’m on my own, right?”

“I’m sure you’ll survive, Pierce. And I didn’t spend all last night with Landon. I went by his house for a minute to get a pan I needed to cook for the party. But since when do I have to give you an itinerary for my plans?”

“Since you started playing nursemaid to a grown ass man, that’s when!” Pierce shouted, slamming the refrigerator shut. “Look, Jade, I’m sorry Landon and his wife are having problems, but why do you have to be there holding that bastard’s hand? Let him fix his own mess!”

“So I’m supposed to abandon my brother because . . .”

“See that’s the thing, Jade. He’s not your brother! And the problem he’s having in his marriage might seem like it’s about the baby thing but I bet it started over the fact that he’s in love with you! I can see it and I know damn well Gabrielle sees it too! Don’t look at me like that because I know this isn’t the first time you’ve heard it.”

“Oh stop, Pierce! I told you it’s not even like that!”

“Yeah, whatever, Jade. I’m not crazy. That dude is in love with you and I’m not gonna keep sitting back pretending like everything is cool when it’s not. You’re my woman, not his!” he said, standing directly in front of her with his arms crossed. “And whatever happened to getting an office building so you don’t have to be up in his house all day and night? Huh?”

“Well damn, is there anything else you wanna go off about?”

“Nah, that’s pretty much it,” he sneered.

Jade was completely stunned by Pierce’s outburst. She had no idea he was so angry or jealous where Landon was concerned. It was always her hope the two of them would be close. They started off that way, however, things changed after Pierce watched that dance on New Year’s Day. Jade didn’t realize it, but ever since then he viewed Landon as a threat. There was no reason for him to, of course, but

Pierce had clearly convinced himself there was. And it wasn’t the first time a man in her life reacted to Landon that way, but Jade hated feeling like she had to abandon him based on other people’s assumptions. If he was in love with her, which she didn’t believe at all, he had never behaved as anything other than an obnoxious, over protective big brother.

“Well, I hate to break it to you but I’m not gonna abandon the only man I trust because of some crazy suspicions you have. I wouldn’t do it to you and I’m surely not doing it to him.”

Pierce took a step back, hurt by her statement. “So what does that mean? You don’t trust me?”

“Actually, no I don’t! Why should I when you’re constantly flirting and grinning up in other women’s faces! You disrespect me all the time and then have the nerve to stand here complaining about a man who’s always been my brother!” Jade snarled. “And what would’ve happened with Raina if I hadn’t been right there to break it up, papi? What has been happening because I know she’s been to the store? How’d she even know where you worked, Pierce?”

“Are you serious right now? When did paying a woman a compliment become flirting and disrespecting you? I’m not Alonzo, Jade! And for the record, nothing would’ve happened with Raina whether you were there or not! And if she’s been to the store this is the first I’m hearing about it. You know she and that other junk don’t mean anything to me! It’s just harmless talk.”

“Oh really, well maybe you should tell that to those girls who keep coming back to the store thinking they have a chance with you because of all your compliments and harmless talk! Obviously they don’t think it’s nothing! And how can I blame them when you up there grinning and talking to them like you don’t even have a woman!” Jade screamed. “I know from experience someone bold enough to do that in my face is capable of so much more behind my back.”

“Well, that’s dramatic, especially coming from someone who’s planning to spend the night with another man. But since you don’t trust me I guess you can do whatever the hell you want. Maybe I’m the stupid one for trusting this little naïve act of yours. You pretend not to know how this dude feels about you but perhaps you know exactly what his feelings are. Maybe the reason you refuse to come to my bed is because you already got Landon in yours!”

Jade wanted to slap Pierce, but she stormed off to grab her purse and coat instead. “Stupid bastard,” she muttered along with a few other choice words.

Pierce walked over and snatched the key out of the deadbolt. He stared at the side of Jade’s face hoping to calm things down between them. “Jade. Baby, wait, don’t leave like this, okay? We need to . . .”

“Open this door and let me out of here!” she screamed.

“Jade, please, we need to talk.”

“I don’t have time to talk. Landon’s waiting in my bed, remember?”

“I’m sorry, babe. I shouldn’t have said that. And you know I didn’t mean that junk. Look, couples fight all the time so we were bound to have one sooner or later. But . . .”

“Yeah, well couples break up too,” Jade said, as she put on her coat. “Now open this door so I can get out of here.”

“Break up? What do you mean?” Pierce frowned. “Look at me. Look at me, Jade,” he said again when she wouldn’t. “You’re leaving me? We have one fight and you’re leaving me?”

“Just open the door, Pierce.”

“Why? So you can go cry on Landon’s shoulder?” he snapped, blocking the door. “I’m your man, Jade, not him! So whatever you have to say needs to be said to me. You and I are gonna talk this through like an adult couple, you hear me?”

“It doesn’t work that way, Pierce! You don’t get to hurt and insult me and then think I’m gonna sit around chitchatting like nothing happened! I don’t operate that way! Now open the goddamn door!”

“Yeah, because you were the only one who was hurt and insulted, huh? I wasn’t wounded at all by what you said, right?”

“Whatever, dude. I just wanna get away from you. I don’t wanna talk to you. I don’t wanna hear you. I just wanna go. So open the door because I don’t wanna be here and you’re forcing me to.”

Pierce suddenly began to panic. He thought they were merely having an argument but she seemed intent on leaving him—for good! “Jade, stop this running away shit! Whatever you gotta say to me, just say it. I can take it and probably deserve it. But what I can’t take is you walking out on me the moment I say something wrong or hurtful. I can be an asshole sometimes. And guess what? So can you. But does that mean our relationship is just over? Is it really that easy for you to walk out on me?”

“Don’t try to play me like . . .” Jade stopped mid-sentence when she finally looked up at Pierce and saw tears in his eyes. She tried hard not to let it affect her but there was no use. “I’m not breaking up with you,” she admitted, reluctantly. Jade was angry and didn’t want to reassure him at that moment. However, it broke her heart to see Pierce hurt despite how furious she was with him. “I just need to go clear my head, okay? So can you please open the door?”

“Nooo,” he whined. “Why can’t you talk to me, baby? Hell, scream at me if you need to. But please don’t run away. Stay here and work things out with me. Please, baby.”

“Work it out how, Pierce, and for what? You obviously don’t think much of me if you really believe I’m banging Landon who not only is like my brother but who’s also married,” Jade said, as tears sprang to her eyes. “Why would you even

wanna be with somebody you thought was capable of doing that to you, somebody who’s apparently an asshole too?”

Embarrassed, Pierce dropped his head. “I’m so sorry. The only asshole in here is me. I just . . . I know Landon is in love with you, Jade. Whether you wanna see it or not, he is. And he knows you better than anybody something I imagine is very comforting to you.” Pierce let out a deep breath. “I’m jealous of him. He knows my woman better than I do and I hate him for it. And it scares me to think I could screw up and make it easy for him to swoop in and take you away from me,” his voice quivered.

“Pierce . . .”

“Jade, I love you. I love you,” he said, as a tear rolled down his cheek, “and it kills me to think of losing you.” Pierce moved closer to Jade and she slid her arms around him. “Please don’t leave me. I need you,” he whispered, holding her tightly. “I love you.”

Jade held on to Pierce hoping to heaven she wasn’t being manipulated. It was quite clear he didn’t want her going to be with Landon and for a brief moment she wondered if his tears were merely to prevent her from doing so. Those thoughts were quickly put to rest, though, as Pierce held her close to his heart promising never to let her go. Jade was in love and couldn’t imagine her world without Pierce in it. She pulled out of their embrace to look him in the eyes.

“I love you. And it doesn’t matter what someone else may or may not feel for me. You’re my soul mate so that means no one can know or love me better than you. No one, you hear me?” Jade asked, as she caressed his face. “I’m in love with you, Pierce, and I don’t wanna lose you either. But if you call me an asshole again I’ma knock you out!” she chuckled, playfully pushing him away.

“Yes, ma’am,” he smiled then kissed her.

They thought it was a good idea to get out of the house for a while and decided to go out to eat. Jade wanted to change clothes first and Pierce needed to run to Quik Stop briefly so they decided to meet back up at the store. Twenty minutes later Jade walked inside and was surprised by what she witnessed. Pierce was flirting and talking inappropriately with one of the women who came into the store all the time.

“Thanks for the invitation, Felicia, but I’ve already got plans with that hot lady right there,” Pierce said, flashing Jade a smile. “I’ll be right out, babe. I just need to grab some things from the back and then we can go, okay?” he asked then made his way to the storage room. “Oh, you have fun, Felicia. I’ll see you.”

After a few nasty looks from the woman, Jade followed Pierce into the storage room and closed the door behind her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, noticing the scowl on her face.

“Did we not just finish arguing about you flirting?”

“No, that’s not what the argument was about. You mentioned it and I told you it was meaningless. But I’m assuming from the way you standing there mean mugging me you thought I was just supposed to stop being myself because you said so.”

“Oh, I see. So what was with all the tears and I love you stuff back at your place not even thirty minutes ago? I guess you forgot, huh?”

“I do love you, Jade, but that doesn’t mean you get to control me! I’m not your damn puppet!”

“So asking you to respect my feelings and not do things that hurt me means I’m controlling you?”

“That’s funny. When I ask you to respect my feelings you basically tell me to go to hell! But when you don’t like something, I’m supposed to stop right then and there. Everything is about what you want!” Pierce yelled at her. “Jade gets to say and do whatever the fuck she wants regardless of how I feel about it! Jade’s not ready to have sex so we don’t have sex! Jade doesn’t feel comfortable with this or that so it doesn’t get done. Well, you don’t get to tell me how to act!”

“So you cussing me out now?” she frowned.

“Humph, and now you wanna control how I talk too,” Pierce said, as he shook his head. “I’m not cussing you out, Jade. I’m just expressing myself . . . kind of like you were back at the townhouse. So I guess it’s okay for you to tell me to shut the fuck up but if I say it, it’s offensive. But like I said it’s always about you.”

“Wow, so it would seem my instincts were right after all. Back at your place when you were holding me and crying about how much you love me and can’t live without me, I was worried I was being played. I thought you were saying whatever you had to say to keep me from going to Landon’s. But stupid me was like no Jade he wouldn’t do that to you. Pierce really loves you. But clearly that’s not the case with you in hear screaming about how miserable I make you. I had no idea you resented me so much, Pierce. I was actually dumb enough to think we were on the same page about our relationship when you’ve apparently been putting up with so much in order to be with me,” Jade said, as she fought back tears. “Well, let me put you out of your misery, okay?” She turned to leave.

“Come on, Jade, you know that’s not what I’m saying. You don’t make me miserable, baby. I’m just frustrated. But I do love you and I wanna be with you. I’m just not gonna change my personality to do it. Paying compliments or flirting or whatever you wanna call it is part of who I am. It’s not meant to disrespect or upset you. It’s just me. This is me, Jade. I’m sorry if you don’t like it but that’s just how it is. And I honestly don’t think this is serious enough to even be an issue but I guess that’s up to you. I think because of what you went through with Alonzo you feel . . .”

“Ooh, would you shut up with your bootleg therapy! I see a licensed therapist so I don’t need you psychoanalyzing me, Pierce! I regret confiding in you because all you ever do is throw it back in my face!”

“Well, maybe if I didn’t have to hear about these bastards all the goddamn time I wouldn’t have a reason to bring them up!”

“Oh, so now I talk about them all the time, huh?”

“It seems that way to me. Every therapy session you have is about one or more of them so . . .”

“Okay, well tell me which one you think is worse, Pierce . . . to hear an occasional story from my past or to actually be confronted with it?”

“What the hell are you talking about, Jade?”

“At Veronica’s baby shower I had the pleasure of meeting your old sex buddy Jalisa who couldn’t wait to tell me how much she enjoyed what you did for her! Apparently the two of you had some wild nights. So don’t you stand your ass there acting like it pains you so much to hear about my past when you’ve never had to deal with no bullshit like that! Because you see, I love and respect you enough to lay it all out there and let you know what’s what. I would never send you into a situation blind so you could be humiliated by my past!” Jade sneered then rolled her eyes. “So if you’ve fucked any more of your sisters’ friends won’t you give me a head’s up next time, alright? Maybe then I won’t look so stupid for thinking what we have is something special!”