Gavin played chess on his computer while eating a turkey club sandwich that Nyla had made him for lunch. It was delicious. Though he must admit sometimes her creativity didn't translate gastronomically. He was mid bite when his door swung open to reveal a slender, brown skinned, brunette.

"What are you doing here?"

"Is that anyway to greet me? We are practically family."

"Trust me we are never and will never be family."

"Oh so your done with my little sister?"

"That's none of your concern."

"I figured you would be once you saw this". She said placing an article from the monthly community newsletter on his desk. He barely spared it a glance.

"What the hell is this Tina?"

"Read it."

Gavin picked up the paper and began reading. The quicker he got this over with the sooner she would leave him alone. Gavin's eyes scanned and the more he read the more disturbed he became. He was furious but he wouldn't give this bitch the satisfaction of knowing that she had got to him.

"Ok. I've read it. So what do you want me to do with this?"

"Is she the only one allowed to step out or is this an open relationship. Because if so Im game." She practically purred.

"Still after your little sisters cast offs. Why are you obsessed with her? “He pushed away from his desk and stared at the pitiful sight in front of him.

"You know that I would never want you. You reek of desperation and envy. Nyla thinks you resent her because of her relationship with Greg but you and I know differently. Don't we?"

"You think you know me. You only know what my bitch of a sister tells you. Which obviously isn't a whole hell of a lot!" She said pointing towards the picture.

"What makes you think I wasn't fully aware of this?" He said smirking confidently.

"The look on your face when you saw that picture of Nyla being held so closely to.-"


"You know Nyla has been known to play make believe especially with it being Greg's birthday and all. If I didn’t know better I'd think it was a picture of the happy couple. They look so comfortable so familiar with each other."

"Shut up" he cut her off. He didn't want a reminder of the image. "You think everyone doesn't see how jealous you are. Tell me when did your feelings for Greg take root before or after he showed interest in Nyla?" He asked eyeing her knowingly.

"You don't know what you’re talking about. We were on our way we were just taking it slow."

"I'm sure and I bet as soon as his interest turned to Nyla you were ready to speed things up. That's what this little conquest is about isn't it? You don't give a flying fuck about me just if I'm willing to choose you? Because it's always about you isn't it Tina?" Gavin crossed his hands behind his head and rocked gently in his seat. "Then again it isn't because you will always be second place to her. You know that don't you?"


"We'll we have even more in common that I thought because you will always be second place, but to a dead man. How pathetic are you? All the money and prestige in the world can't change that Nyla will always be Greg’s. Isn't that what you were just telling me." she smiled triumphantly at his hurt expression. Gavin tried to hide it but having his worse fear verbalized stung like hell. However he quickly regrouped.

"It is never about me not since the day she was born. My father adored her thankfully mother  was more neutral until she met Greg. Then my mother was overjoyed with her marrying into such a prestigious family. When she had what should have been my wedding and then was to so careless to lose it all? And then you know what the shit is while I was stuck with broke down J star who can't afford a pot to piss in she meets you; a fucking doctor who has even more money than her last man. I mean she pretends to be so fucking innocent but she had perfected how to be a gold digger and a whoring one at that." She said venomously while shaking the offending newspaper in his face.

"Get the fuck out of my office." He said picking up the phone.

"What are you doing?” she said looking at him nervousness entering her bravado for the first time.

He ignored her question speaking into the phone "Hello security I have someone I need escorted out of my office.

"You had better call them back and tell them you were kidding. Ill tell Nyla that you threw me out. I'm still her sister she won't stand for this."

"I'm willing to take my chances."

“It didn't have to be this way. You could have had us both." She said grappling for another approach.

"I have all I need already and the sad thing is so do you. You just don't realize it." He said as do beefy looking men in security uniforms burst through the door.

Lisa's' face reddened with embarrassment as two large burly looking men flanked her.

"Please come with us Miss." The taller f the two men said.

"This is a personal matter."

"Then handle it outside of hospital grounds."

"Listen you high school flunky with your piece of shit job just because you have a dime store badge on doesn't mean you can talk to me any kind of way." She yelled as close to the taller black man’s face. His bald head glistened as beads of perspiration popped up on his head.

"Please Ma'am don't make this difficult. Even though our badges come from a crackerjack box I assure you we have the authority to detain you and press charges."

Her eyes quickly scanned his reticent face and panned over to a smug Gavin before complying.

"You are just like me Gavin grasping for what we cannot touch." Was her parting remark as they filed out of his office?

When he was finally alone he glanced at the clock on his computer and sighed disgustedly. It had only taken 20 minutes to run roughshod over his entire day. He picked up the paper and looked at a smiling Nyla looking radiant being held by an almost carbon copy of her husband. Gavin started down a dangerous path noticing how possessively the man’s hold on Nyla was. How intimate. Her smile was wide and open completely unguarded. Gavin scanned the picture noting how flush their bodies were. His was getting mind fucked but was helpless to stop it. Images of Nyla and unknown figure flashed through his head along with secrets she had shared so long ago. Insecurities of how effortlessly Abbey and Trent had lied to him further degraded his faltering trust. Gavin angrily pushed away from his desk and walked out of his office. He needed air, space fuck he didn't know what he needed but he knew the walls of his office were closing in on him.



Nyla sat sipping the sweet tea (which she detested) that Mama Joy brought just for her catching up on the last couple years. Mama Joy had called and asked if she could stop by and chat since she had her favorite chauffeur for today …Greg’s brother.
It used to pain her to look at him but now all she felt was joy when she saw a familiar smile grace his face.

"Nyla I just hope you know that I love you like a daughter since the first day Greg brought you home and it was quite painful to lose you as well as my son and granddaughter. I lived with that pain everyday till the doctor told me my pressure or the depression was going kill me. So I made the hardest decision I could make. I decided to live on but not just to take up space and oxygen but to use my time here to aid those that society had deemed unworthy. In the past three years I have met some unsavory characters but I have also met some wonderful people whose souls are scarred but desperate seeking forgiveness and atonement. It started with Drake Lewis when he sought me out and slowly I began to notice a change that was undeniable so I began to learn the man he is today I hope that you won't hold that against me.

"No I wouldn't do that. I love you and I missed you terribly. You know ...mm mm" she clearing her throat trying to compose herself. "You know how strained my relationship with my own mother is. I won’t pretend to understand your relationship with Drake but once he stays out of my way there is no reason for that to affect us." Nyla said holding the older woman's hand. Happy tears slid down her cheeks.

"now stop the balling girl. I expect to hear from you more often don't let another three years pass. Have you gone by the cemetery to visit?"

"Actually I have. I noticed you yellow rose bush the cemetery groundskeeper is going you catch you one day planting those flowers you know they know it’s you. “Nyla said smiling.


"I dare them to tell me something. Let them try." She challenged.

"I'd pay good money to see them try." Malik said walking back in from the patio where he took a call.

"Your mother is too much." Nyla said

"Ain't that the truth? Ma I'm sorry to cut this long overdue visit short but I just got called into work so." He said rocking on his heels regardless of his age he obviously didn't like disappointing his mother.

"Ok baby I’ll get ready to go." Said grabbing her hand bag and wide brimmed hat.

Nyla escorted Malik and Mama Joy out to the car. Nyla walked back inside and started rifling through her new magazines for some light reading while she dropped off the kids at the pool. She found the newest Kardasian scandal and was making her way to the bathroom when the doorbell chirp. Nyla opened it surprised that Malik was back at her door step.

"Did you forget something Malik?"

"Yeah my phone and since I’m in for a long drive do you mind if I use you bathroom."

"Of course not don’t be silly. I was just heading to the shower."

"Thanks and don't be a stranger." He warned with a friendly smile.

Gavin walked as if in a trance bumping into a tall black man coming from Nyla's condos direction.

"Hey buddy you ok there?" The black man asked.

"Yeah " Gavin said finally focusing enough to realize he was the man from the article. With that realization Gavin began to scrutinize the young man. He was dressed simply nothing noteworthy until he noticed his fly was undone. Suddenly the feelings of reassurance that he had since convincing himself they were purely platonic seemed to vanish. Gavin felt sick at the thought of Nyla being intimate with anyone else. His anger that had simmered since Tina walked into his office threatened to boil over.

Gavin decided against using the bell to surprise Nyla. He had never been an extremely jealous or possessive person except with her. He had put too much into this relationship to be treated like this, the lies and secrecy, it was more than he could stand. When he walked in he heard the shower running.


Gavin skulked around the house looking for something finding nothing causing him to shake his head. He wouldn't be made a fool of again once was enough with Abbey. He was in turmoil he desperately wanted to believe that the woman he planned on proposing to in two weeks was not having an affair, or some other connection with the man that looked eerily like her ex-husband. Their likeness brought on a whole other set of distressing suspicions. Gavin sat on the sofa resting back memories of the last time they made love on the very seat intermingled with his thoughts.

"Ahhh ahhhh Jesus Gavin what are you doing here? You scared the shit out of me." She said walking up to him and planting a welcoming kiss on his lips. Nyla pulled back confused at Gavin's lack of response.

“What’s wrong babe? Is it a patient? "She looked up at him with knitted brows in worry remembering how distraught he was when he had lost a patient.



"Are you happy to see me?" He answered with a bite to his tone.

"Of course I am. It jut I wasn't expecting you? Did I miss your call?" She said walking over to the table picking up her phone to check if she had any missed calls.

"So are you going to tell me who that guy is that just left your apartment?"

"What guy?"

"Tall black guy looks a lot like your deceased husband."

"Oh him" she said cocking her head to the side she gave her most innocent smile.

"Yeah the guy from this picture. Care to explain this?"

"No."

"Nyla this is not a game. You need to start talking... now!"

"Gavin have I ever walked into your house and ordered you to explain a house guest." She said tapping her foot in that steady rhythm that meant trouble.

"No" she said defiantly taking issue with his tone. Nyla said feeling triumphant in her little evasion tactic.

"Then explain to me what you were doing here? Was this memorial dinner a part of the things you had to wrap up."

"Gavin can we just drop this? It was something important that I had to do."

"So even though it’s clear that I’m upset that you are still going to give me these bull shit ambiguous answers. Listen God knows I love you but do not take me or a fool. If you want to continue in a relationship with me you had better start talking... And Nyla it had better be the truth.