It’s over.”
“Come on, Tia, baby. It’s all a huge mistake. I was wrong and I admit that. I shouldn’t have done it. Things got out of hand, and I did a few things that were wrong. But I still love you. You’re my girl. We’ve been together too long to let one little mistake tear us apart.” Darnell gave her one of his sheepish, persuasive smiles. He leaned forward, pressing soft kisses to her cheek and lips. He took her hand between both of his and said, “I can make it up to you. We can make things better than ever.”
“No, we can’t.” In a voice devoid of emotion, Tia continued, pulling her hands free from Darnell’s. “It’s over between you and me.”
“I can’t believe you’re willing to let us go this easy. Think about all that we’ve shared. How can you walk away from that?”
“How could you cheat on me? You destroyed our relationship, not me.”
“It’s your job. That’s what caused all the problems. You never had time for me. If you’d paid more attention to me, we wouldn’t be in this position. Every time we had things to do, your job and Adam Carlyle got in the way.”
Tia sighed. “Regardless, we’re done. My job won’t be coming between us anymore.” She rose, went into the kitchen, and returned with a white plastic garbage bag. She held it out to Darnell. “You can put your stuff in this. Make sure you take everything. I don’t want you back here again.”
Nodding, Darnell snatched the bag from her hands. His first stop was the bathroom, where he removed all of his shaving items. Next, he climbed the stairs two at a time to retrieve his toothbrush and a set of clothes, which he stuffed into the bag. All the while, Tia followed him, making sure he picked up every item that belonged to him. She meant it when she said that she wanted him to take all of his things. She didn’t want to see him again. They were completely finished.
7
I smell coffee, Tia thought, slowly waking from a fitful night with little sleep and horrific dreams. She turned onto her side and glanced at the radio clock sitting on the nightstand. Seven-thirty. Hovering between sleep and waking, Tia’s eyes drifted shut. Wait a minute! Her eyes popped open. That must be wrong. Blinking repeatedly to clear her vision, Tia rubbed the sleep from her face and reached for the clock. The red LED display was correct. Oh, man! I’ve overslept.
Why hadn’t her alarm gone off? Had she slept through the squeal of the alarm? Oh, yeah. Tia returned it to her nightstand. I turned it off before I was finally able to fall asleep.
Tia reached for the telephone and dialed the office. She was going to be late this morning. She left a message for one of the other executive assistants to keep an eye out for Adam and anything he might need until she made it to the office.
Tia felt incredibly sluggish as she swung her legs off the mattress and let her feet hit the floor. She sat on the edge of the bed for several minutes, gathering her thoughts and energy. Normally she was a morning person who enjoyed the start of a new day. By this time, her morning regimen of exercises followed by a quick shower was usually complete. She’d be dressed and ready for a cup of coffee and bagel before heading to work.
Not this morning. Last night had been brutal. After making sure Darnell took all of his belongings with him, she had sat down for a good, long cry. The tears had restored some of her balance but took all of her energy. She felt hollow and empty. Like she’d lost a part of herself, and in some ways, maybe she had. After all, she’d been with Darnell quite a few years. They had shared many things, and now that had ended. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes. Stop this, Tia chastened silently. You’ve got to go to work, and you can’t excuse yourself each time a fresh batch of tears starts to fall.
After leaving a message on Adam’s cell phone telling him that she’d be in around ten, Tia stood and headed downstairs to make that imaginary coffee she believed she smelled earlier. Turning the corner to her kitchen, she halted. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ve come for breakfast,” Nia Edwards answered, stirring a bowl of batter.
“I don’t remember inviting you.”
Nia shrugged delicately in her diva way. “Doesn’t matter. I know you wanted and possibly needed me to be here. After all, you’re my twin.” She turned her attention to the meat sizzling in the pan. “Coffee’s ready, the table is set, and I’m making waffles with Canadian bacon. I know it’s your favorite.”
Surrendering to her sister’s knowledge of her favorite breakfast foods, Tia entered the small kitchenette and removed a mug from the cupboard. After filling her cup, she headed for the tiny dining room off the kitchen. The table was indeed set. Nia had placed a vase of wildflowers in the center and used the good china and silver. Tia sank into a chair and sipped her morning elixir, watching her sister prepare breakfast. A thought occurred to her after a moment. “Don’t you have hair appointments scheduled for this morning?”
“My first customer comes at eleven.” Nia glanced at the microwave clock. She removed a bowl from the cabinet and began to slice strawberries into it. “I’ve got plenty of time. I can always reschedule my appointments if need be. Besides, you come first.”
“And it was a nice way to make sure Darnell wasn’t here.”
Grinning, Nia pointed a finger at Tia and winked. “That, too. How are you?” She paused for a moment. “Really.”
“I’m okay. Tired. A little depressed.” On the edge of tears, her voice quivering, Tia added, “I’ll get over it.”
“You’re right. You will. And the rest is to be expected. You and Darnell have been together a long time.” Nia rinsed off her hands, grabbed a paper towel, and took the chair next to Tia’s. A kind and concerned expression filled her sister’s perfectly made-up face. “How did things go? What happened?”
Tia laughed. The sound was harsh and brutal. She blinked rapidly, surprised that such a horrific noise had actually come from her. It reminded her of the cry of a wounded animal. In some ways, Tia felt like one. “You know it’s my fault that he cheated.”
Surprised, Nia’s eyes widened. “What?”
“Oh, yeah. Darnell blamed everything on me.”
Nia grunted. “I’m not surprised. That’s why I can’t stand him. He’s a rat and a typical man. Somebody else is always responsible. Never him. Don’t buy into that bull.”
Tia nodded. “I know. There’s a part of me that wonders if I should have done things a little differently. Maybe we could have gotten past this.”
“Sure there were. There’s not a relationship out there that couldn’t use a little tweaking. A little help in one way or another. But I do believe it was Darnell’s responsibility to talk to you. That was his job as a partner in your relationship. Not go off with the next best thing. How can you work things out if he doesn’t tell you what’s wrong?”
“I know.” Tia lifted her cup and took a long pull. “It’s always easier to question yourself after the fact.”
Nia patted her sister’s hand and then headed back to the kitchen. “Men refuse to take responsibility for their actions. It’s always someone else’s fault. In Darnell’s case, you’re the fall girl. All he had to do was keep his junk in his pants and talk to you, and things would have been fine, but no. He had to show his jewels around town. What an ass.”
“I feel really bad,” Tia admitted, brushing away a tear. “Like I let him down or didn’t do enough.” She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Nia watched Tia from the kitchen. “That’s why I didn’t want him to come back here. I knew he’d lay a guilt trip on you.”
“I thought I was helping to secure our future by making a place for myself at Gautier’s that no one could take away.”
“Hello!” Nia tapped her twin on the forehead. “It takes two to