I thought about the way I left Brielle before my jog and wanted to apologize when I got back.
But when I saw Monty coming out of her room and her trailing behind him with a smile on her face, that shit boiled my blood because I knew how much he meant to her.
The last time I saw him, we were at each other's throats because, once again, Percy had my hands tied behind my back.
The artist Monty had to sue for his royalties was somebody Percy hooked him up with, and when business went bad, that artist ran to Percy for leverage.
I couldn't tell Monty that because my hands were tied. So, all that time he was mad at me thinking I went behind his back. When really, it was his beloved wanna-be-step father.
"Brielle," I called out to her before they got too far up the hall.
She stopped when she heard my voice, but she didn't turn around right away.
Monty turned around first, and he must've said something I couldn't hear from where I stood, because Brielle tapped his wrist like she was keeping him at bay before she turned to face me.
"Kannon, I didn't know you were back."
"I just got back," I replied before she could finish, keeping my eyes on Monty the entire time. "Where you going?"
"We're going downstairs to be with the family."
Her tone was sharp, and I didn't like the way she looked at me—like I was filthy and she was better off with him.
"Can we talk real quick?"
I wanted to apologize for the way I acted earlier, but I refused to do it in front of Monty.
"Now you wanna talk?" she folded her arms across her chest and shifted her weight to one foot. "I tried talking to you earlier, and all you wanted to do was yell."
Monty looked at her with a frown on his face, like he had never yelled at a bitch before. And I started getting hot, like my demon was crawling up from the pit of hell to defend me.
"We're not gonna do this right here," I said. "So, can you come to the room and talk to me? We need to figure this shit out."
She stood there, glaring at me from a distance, shaking her head like I was the scum of the earth. And before I knew it, I was charging up the hallway to drag her into the room, but before I could get my hands on her, Monty stepped in my path.
"Yuh good, bredren?"
His eyes narrowed, and his feet were steady.
He was ready for me to throw a punch so he could throw one right back. It was long overdue between us, but I didn't want to fight with him. Not at the estate, where Percy and his ability to ruin me lingered in every corner.
"This ain't got shit to do with you, Monty," I said. "This is between me and my fiance."
His posture softened when I called her that.
I could tell that shit cut him deep, and I loved it. But it didn't stop him from talking shit.
"How long she a go stay suh?" he said, before smirking and stepping out of her way. "Bri, go chat to yuh man. Mi deh roun'—come find mi when yuh done wid him."
I wanted to throw that punch more than ever before he turned to walk away. But Brielle stepped from behind him, and her energy made me rethink our entire relationship.
"What the fuck is he doing here?"
"If you're gonna curse and be angry, we're not having this conversation," she said. "I didn't do anything to you. You're the one in the hot seat here."
"Brielle…" I inhaled and exhaled, trying to control my anger. "What is Montclair Carty doing at our engagement celebration?"
"Is that what this is, Kannon? An engagement celebration? I'm supposed to be happy and celebrating knowing my sister sucked your dick and you enjoyed it? And not only that, you're still lying about it. I might've been born at night, but it wasn't last night."
She wasn't wrong—I did enjoy it.
But I couldn't own up to that shit while Draya was around. There was too much going on that Brielle didn't know about, and I didn't want it to blow up while the entire family was there.
"I really didn't know it was her," I said. "I thought it was you the whole time."
"And that makes it okay?" she frowned. "What if you woke up to me saying thanks for the sex, and in walks Monty?"
My stomach dropped to my knees because I knew I would've been pissed if the shoe was on the other foot. Especially if Monty was the one who slid it on.
"So, what? You want me to say your sister raped me?"
"Unless you wanted it, that's exactly what she did. And I know men like to hide things like this or feel like it's not a big deal because you're a man, but it is a big deal and women like that need to be held accountable."
Brielle was dead serious and not letting up.
I expected her to talk a lil shit, cry, get mad at me, and then be fine like she was any other time. But she wanted to push the issue.
"So… what is it? Did you want her to do that?"
I couldn't blame her for being mad, but I also couldn't let the cat out of the bag.
If I accused Draya of sexually assaulting me, even if it was true, I knew she would've blown up and laid everybody's shit out on the table. Even Percy's.
"This is different, Brielle. I don't wanna accuse her of that and get her in trouble. Can't we just move on and forget the shit happened? She was probably drunk and just trying to make you mad."
I felt stupid for saying that, but it was all I could think of in the heat of the moment.
Trying to save her the heartache of finding out what was really going on between me and Draya was the fuel that turned our engagement party from a celebration to an engagement party from hell.
"Are you serious right now?" Brielle's eyes filled with tears. "After everything I put up with from you, you would put her before me—the woman you call your fiance?"
I didn't know what to say. I just felt myself getting angry because she wouldn't let it go, and I had to say something to take the heat off me.
"It's not like I asked for it," I said. "And it ain't like me and Draya didn't have a relationship before us. Really, she's the one who should be mad."
Brielle's expression went from sadness to complete shock. Like she couldn't believe I had the audacity to remind her whose man I was before I was hers. It didn't make me look any better than I already did, but I would've done anything to keep the peace that weekend.
"You know what," she smirked and shook her head. "I don't know why I anticipate any accountability from you. I don't even know why I agreed to marry you after all the women you cheated on me with. I don't know why I'm crying, or why I continue to go above and beyond for you, but after this, I'm done."
She looked hurt. Over me and my bullshit, and proud to be. But I saw the pain in her eyes, and it made me feel like shit.
"I won't ruin this weekend for my dad," she said. "But as soon as this is over and we get back home, I want you to move out."
"Brielle, don't do this." I grabbed her hand before she could walk away. "I can admit all the other times I fucked up, but this one ain't my fault. I didn't ask for this."
I wasn't sure if I was pleading with her because I really wanted her to stay, or because I didn't want shit to blow up bigger than it already had. But there was a lot riding on keeping Percy happy that weekend, and also keeping Draya quiet about the affair I had been having with her.
"No, Kannon," she slid her hand from my grip. "I'm done for good this time. You're not gonna talk me into wasting my time again."
I felt a mini heart attack tighten my chest as she walked away. I wanted to grab her and shake some sense into her, but my feet wouldn't move to go after her. My pride got in the way and wouldn't let me take my blows to the chin like a man.
Especially when I remembered what Monty said.
"I guess you going to be with your Jamaican knight then, huh? Does he know about all the freaky shit you let me do to you? Or should I let him know before he falls head over heels for a woman I own?"
My ego was hurt, and I wanted hers to hurt too.
I knew I had hit too close to home because she stopped dead in her tracks and stood there for a moment before turning around.
"Keep him out of it," she said as she walked toward me. "He's been the only support system I've had dealing with you. Hell, Monty has even encouraged me to make things work with you because he saw that you were the one who made me happy. So if you try to ruin our friendship by telling him shit he doesn't need to know, I promise I will ruin you."
"So there it is," I slowly nodded. "All this time you been with me, but it's him you really want. Why else would you care that he knows how we get down?"
My voice was low and confident—hoping she would feel intimidated and back down to me. But that was wishful thinking.
She squinted and cocked her head to one side, while her tongue rested slightly against her top teeth. The look in her eyes said she meant business, and honestly, I got worried about how she could ruin me.
"You're a small man, you know that?"
Her tone was different—I couldn't put my finger on how, but it made me shrink into my ego like the small man she said I was.
"I hate that it took me this long to see you for the man you really are. And I hate that I didn't choose Monty over you. I probably would've been a lot happier with him. So maybe I will go on and explore my options, while you and Draya keep doing whatever it is you've been doing."
She walked away, leaving me with a foul taste in my mouth.
If it wasn't for Percy and his dumb ass campaign stunt, and the thought of Monty comforting my woman with his accent and shoulder to cry on, I would've packed my shit and left right then.