Love Me Through The Rain 2 Read online

  Love Me Through the Rain 2

  A Novel By:

  A’zayler

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  © 2015

  Published by Leo Sullivan Presents

  www.leolsullivan.com

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Unauthorized reproduction, in any manner, is prohibited.

  Chapter 1: Fantasies and Realities

  “Why must you embarrass me?” Rain asked Alex, as he leaned over, trying to catch his breath.

  Alex didn’t even bother to respond, he raised his hand and shot her a bird instead. Rain shook her head and took off running again. Alex would just have to catch up. She’d brought him along to the family and friends session that her fitness trainer had set up, and his ass couldn’t keep up for nothing. It was bad enough that it was damn near one hundred degrees outside. She didn’t have the time to babysit him, too.

  Rain jogged until she caught up with the rest of her group. Once they stopped, she jogged in place to keep her heart rate up. Working out had become her escape and she couldn’t waste it playing games. Not that her trainer would be having it anyway. She didn’t care if it was rain, sleet, or snow, when it was time to work out, that’s what they did. Usually she would have something smart to say to her for making them run up that godforsaken hill, but not today. She welcomed the distraction.

  “Bitch, you could have waited for me.” Alex stopped beside her, while still breathing hard.

  “Alex, you should really be ashamed of yourself and how out of shape you are. That shit is ridiculous.”

  “Look, just because you’re depressed about Love in the club, don’t mean you’re about to bite my damn head off. If you mad, bitch, then be mad, but be mad with his ass.” Alex rolled his eyes and sucked his teeth.

  Rain gave him the side eye as she rolled her eyes hard enough for them to fall out of her head. Alex could be so dramatic sometimes that it didn’t make any sense. True enough, she was still feeling some type of way about the way Love had ended things, but she wasn’t taking it out on anybody, especially not Alex. Hell, his ass just couldn’t run and she didn’t like working out with people that slowed her down.

  “Shut up, Alex. I’m not in the mood for all your extra shit today.”

  “Oh hell nah, boo. You dun lost your mind.” Alex stepped over a few feet. “Let me move, before I knock your ass the fuck out.”

  Rain didn’t even bother to acknowledge his remark. Instead, she walked to the front so she could hear her trainer talking. For the rest of the workout, she ignored him and talked to everybody else. When it was time to go, she slow poked around because she had ridden with him and wasn’t exactly feeling getting back in his car. She knew Alex and his mouth were going to piss her off before he could get her home.

  She looked around the parking lot looking for him. He was halfway to his car and pulling his weave down from the bun he had it wrapped in. After she grabbed her water from the ground, she walked to the car and got in. They were both quiet as he drove. When they stopped at the stoplight, his phone started ringing. It was Summer.

  “Hey, sister, what you doing?” Sumer’s voice carried throughout the car, when his Bluetooth picked up.

  “Just leaving Lake Bottom with your other sister,” his voice held much attitude.

  “Damn, why you say it like that?”

  “Summer, I’m telling you if you don’t get this bitch life for her, I’ma end up beating her scary ass.”

  Rain turned in her seat so she could look at him. He was talking about her like she wasn’t even sitting there.

  “Bitch, you the one scary, with your hoe ass,” Rain said.

  Summer laughed on the other end. “Okay, now, y’all calm down and tell me what happened.”

  “Proud of it, baby. You act like you said something. You ain’t said shit, I been a hoe. Now what? I bet I’d be a real big hoe if I go fuck Love in the club, too, now wouldn’t I?”

  “Yo’ triflin’ ass would do it, too.” Rain looked out the window as she bounced her leg up and down.

  “Summer, where you at? Because your sister is about to need a ride in a minute, talking shit to me like I won’t put her ass out.”

  Summer was laughing so hard that she couldn’t even get her words out. It took her a few minutes to stop laughing fully. Every time she would get ready to say something, she would burst out laughing again. When she finally had herself together, she started trying to play the peacemaker.

  “Don’t put her out, Alex. She’s just sour right now. She doesn’t mean the stuff she’s saying. Neither one of y’ all do, for real. Y’all just need to stop.”

  Alex sucked his teeth. “She started it. Here I am, trying to be a good friend, working out with her skinny ass and she got the nerve to try and dirt me. She better try another bitch because you and her both know, I’m not the one.”

  “Rain, what is your problem? Why you being so mean to Alex?”

  Rain shifted in her seat, but didn’t say anything. She kept her arms folded across her breasts and looked straight out of the front window.

  “Rain, I know you hear me talking to you.”

  “She hear you,” Alex said.

  “I don’t need you to talk for me,” Rain snapped.

  “Well, bitch, talk for yourself then. And yell one more time and see don’t I slap you.”

  Summer’s laughter filled the car again. “Man I should have went with y’all. Y’all cutting up today.”

  “It ain’t me, it’s her. Ask her again why she mad with me and see if she can give you a reason.”

  “Rain, why are you chumping on Alex?”

  Rain was silent for a minute before her eyes started watering. Her throat got tight and her palms had started to sweat. She tried to look away when Alex looked over at her.

  “Aww hell, Summer, she crying,” Alex’s voice was sympathetic. Just like that, he had gone from being angry with her to feeling sorry for her.

  “Rain, baby, don’t cry. It’ll be okay. Love is just acting like a man right now. He’ll get over it soon,” Summer tried comforting her.

  Rain sniffed. “I know, I just,” her voice cracked, “I just don’t see how he could just believe Stacey’s word over mine.”

  Rain started crying softly, as if her own words had hurt her feelings. She really let the floodgates break when Alex started rubbing her back. She cried to herself as he and Summer continued their conversation. When Alex stopped his car, he was in front of Summer’s apartment building. Rain was so busy crying that she hadn’t even paid attention to what they were saying or to where Alex was taking them. Knowing Summer, she’d told him to bring her over there. She got into big sister mode so easily.

  When they got inside of Summer’s house, she had on a tank top and a pair of biker shorts. Her long hair was pushed back with two bobby pins and she wasn’t wearing any undergarments. She had plates on the table filled with steak, baked potatoes, cheese broccoli, and salad. Rain looked at how good the food looked and her stomach turned. She hadn’t had an appetite since Love had broken things off with her.

  She couldn’t remember one full course meal she’d eaten in two weeks. After that night, she hadn’t wanted to do much of anything. If it wasn’t for Summer and Alex making her get out of the house, she would probably still be lying on her sofa crying her life away.

  “Come on, boo-boo. Sit down and eat.
” Summer held her hand and pulled her towards the table.

  Rain took a seat and shook her head. “I’m not hungry.”

  “Rain, you have to eat or else you’re going to start losing weight and frankly, my dear, you can’t afford that,” Summer countered.

  Alex sat down and began to eat off the plate in front of him. “Sholl can’t. Her little butt is going to be skin and bones before it’s all over with.” Alex put some steak into his mouth. “You want me to go beat him up for you, Rain? You know I got that sissy strength. Can’t no straight nigga beat my ass.”

  Rain smirked while visualizing Alex and Love fighting. She burst out laughing at the thought.

  “You so foolish, Alex.” Summer shook her head at him and pushed Rain’s plate towards her.

  Rain reluctantly grabbed the food and began to take small bites. The more she ate, the better she felt. Summer had thrown down. That steak was seasoned to death and that loaded baked potato was just as good. Rain hadn’t known how hungry she was until she got started. By the time she got up from the table, she’d eaten two full plates.

  To burn off her food, she washed all the dishes and cleaned Summer’s kitchen. Once she finished, she and Alex were sitting on the sofa together. She was leaning on the arm of the chair with her feet tucked beneath her, while he was lying flat on his back with his head resting on the side of her hip. Summer had just walked back into the living room and was turning the TV on when Rain started talking.

  “Summer, your butt is like, way too big. It’s enormous. It’s so big, it keeps moving even after you stop walking, like it does a double bounce or something.”

  “Stop being gay, Rain. I mean, I know Love dun kicked you to the curb and all, but I can’t have two gay bitches following me around.”

  Alex lifted up off of Rain’s leg. “First of all, you ain’t have to say that little slick shit about Love dumping her, you know it’s too soon, and secondly, I wasn’t looking at your big ass. I was on Instagram minding my own business and you want to send for me.” He lay back down. “Word of advice, baby, you don’t want it.”

  Summer smirked at Alex. “Wasn’t you the same one that was just talking about beating her ass, and now you taking up for her? I’m confused.”

  Alex sucked his teeth and waved dismissively. “You know how me and Rain get. That little argument wasn’t shit.”

  “Thank God because I was not about to referee no fights.”

  “Oh, you ain’t got to referee nothing. All’s fair in love and war; may the best bitch win. Ain’t that right, bestie?” Rain asked, looking down at Alex.

  “You know it.”

  Once Summer got the movie started, she joined them on the sofa, putting Alex’s legs across her lap. They stayed up for a few hours watching TV and talking before Alex and Rain got up to leave. Summer begged them to stay, but they had just finished working out and needed to shower and change. After bidding Summer goodbye, they left and headed home. Alex dropped her off, blew air kisses, and pulled off.

  Her house was clean, as usual, when she walked in. Rain grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and went upstairs. She stripped naked and ran her a bath. The clock in her room let her know it was almost elven o’ clock at night. She had no idea how she ended up staying out that long. Either way it went, she was happy she had. Spending time with Summer and Alex had taken her mind completely off of everything going on with her and Love. Rain sank deeper into the water until it was at her neck, and thought back to that night.

  “Rain this my nigga Stacey. Stacey, this my girlfriend Rain,” Love introduced them.

  Rain looked around the club briefly, because she didn’t know where in the hell Stacey had come from, and she most definitely didn’t know that he and Love were friends.

  Stacey looked her up and down with a wide grin. “Oh, my nigga, I already know her.”

  “Word?” Love asked. “How?”

  “Because she’s my girlfriend, too.”

  For everybody in their section to have been seemingly caught up in other things, the moment those words left his mouth, all eyes were on them. The look on Love’s face was one of shock and fury. Rain looked at him for a moment, unsure of what to say. Of course, telling him that Stacey was lying should have been the first thing coming out, but it wasn’t. She was too caught off guard by the whole situation.

  She looked between Love and Stacey, before looking over at Jacorey who was also looking very shocked. Rain’s hands were sweating as she rubbed them on her jeans. Somehow, her gaze found its way back to Love and his face was unnervingly serious, as his hazel eyes pierced hers. Between the angry look on his face and the smug smile on Stacey’s face, Rain couldn’t think straight. Her mind was spinning with things, but she could still vaguely feel Summer pinching her side discreetly. Clearly, she hadn’t found her voice fast enough because Love addressed the awkwardness first.

  “The fuck you mean, this your girlfriend, too?” He was looking at Stacey with a look that frightened Rain more.

  “What you think I mean? This the girl I been telling y’all niggas about. We been kicking it for a minute now.”

  Love turned his gaze on her. Right now was one of the times his eyes looked transparent. “Fuck is this nigga talking about, Rain?”

  Still unable to put together the right thing to say, Rain shook her head from side to side. “He’s lying. I am not his girlfriend. I don’t know why he would even tell y’all that.”

  “So, you know this nigga for real?” Love asked.

  “Yeah, I met him a while ago and gave him my number. We chilled once, and I wasn’t feeling it, so I’ve been brushing him off ever since. He just won’t take a hint.”

  Stacey’s smile finally disappeared from his face. “Damn, that’s how you doing it, Rain? I thought we were better than that. I ain’t know you would flex on a nigga like that.”

  Rain’s face frowned instantly. “Stacey, tell Dakota the truth. Don’t sit here and make it seem like something that it’s not.”

  “Shit, I ain’t making it seem like nothing more than what it is,” he snarled, as he took a seat in the empty chair near the table.

  Rain looked at Love. He was staring her down as if he was trying to look through her. She pleaded with him through her eyes, but he wasn’t getting it. She could tell he was disconnected. His face was hard and his mouth was pressed into a straight line. Rain jumped from her chair and walked over to him. She looked into his eyes trying to read him, but she saw nothing.

  “You believe me, right? I’ve never had anything with him. I don’t know why he’s implying a relationship that isn’t there.”

  “You just said you’ve been talking to the nigga, Rain. The fuck is up with that?”

  “I said I met him and have been trying to brush him off ever since. It was never anything like that with us,” Rain was talking so only he could hear her. She could feel Stacey’s eyes on her, but she wasn’t worried about him right now.

  “Nah, fuck that, Rain.” Love removed the hand she’d just placed on his face and took a step back. “I can’t fuck with nobody that’s fucked with a nigga in my circle.”

  Rain’s heartbeat sped up as her eyes got wide with fear. Was he breaking up with her? She looked down at Stacey and pointed her finger in his face. “Tell him the truth right now, Stacey. I’m not playing with you. This shit ain’t even funny.”

  Stacey smiled, “That is the truth. I’m not about to lie to my boy about no bitch. I’ve been rocking with this nigga since high school. We’ve shared plenty of hoes, why would I start lying to him now? But shid, if you doing it like this, fuck your ass, too. ”

  Rain’s skin got hot as rage ran through her veins. “You lying muthafucka.” Rain drew back and slapped the shit out of Stacey. He jumped up like he wanted to do something, but Summer and Alex were all over him before he even got the chance.

  “Touch her and watch me embarrass your punk ass,” Alex said, as he shot daggers at Stacey with his eyes. “I will beat your ugly as
s all over this club.”

  Stacey retreated with a cocky grin on his face.

  “Yo’, I’m good on all this shit. I’m out,” Love said as he tried to walk around Rain, to leave the booth.

  She blocked his path. “No, you’re not. You’re going to stay here and talk to me. I swear I am not this nigga’s girlfriend.”

  “For real, Rain, you know I ain’t even the one for making a scene and shit, so fall back.”

  Rain’s bottom lip began to tremble as she listened to him talk to her coldly.

  “You really gone believe this nigga over me?”

  Love didn’t say anything. He just stepped around her and headed for the door. Rain instantly started gathering her belongings and headed out right behind him. Summer, Alex, and Jacorey followed suit. When they got outside, Rain looked around the parking lot, but didn’t see him. She stepped around the corner and spotted him. He was almost to his truck so she walked faster.

  “Dakota! Dakota, don’t leave!” she yelled as she neared him.

  When she saw that he wasn’t slowing his stride, she jogged as carefully as she could in her stilettoes until she was standing next to his truck. He tried to open his door, only for her to snake her body between him and the driver’s door. He looked around the parking lot, purposely looking at everything except her.

  “Look at me, Kota. I swear I don’t know why he’s lying. You’re the only person I’ve been with officially in years, you already know that. Why are you acting like this?”

  Rain thought she wanted him to look at her until he actually did. His eyes were withdrawn and for a moment, she thought she saw a glimmer of something else. Was it hurt? Disappointment maybe? Whatever it was, it was masked quickly by the annoyed look he was wearing now.

  “Dakota, please. You believe me, right? It’s you and me, baby. Don’t be like this.”

  Love shook his head. “Nah, this some foul shit, shawty. I can’t fuck with you.”

  Rain’s face scrunched up from the lingo he was using with her. “Shawty?”

  “You know what, Rain? I’ll give it to you, baby doll. You got me good. I actually thought you were the one for me. I should have known history would repeat itself. I’ve fucked over too many bitches in the past for it not to.” He smiled and let out a little chuckle. “You played the game like a pro, but you got it.” He reached around her, trying to grab the door handle.