Great One

by Nayla Matthew

  “That’s great,” I say.

  “What’s the matter?” she asks.

  “Just a lot going on,” I admit.

  “I know, I know, but you’re strong,” she says, nudging me. Braum is hanging out with May and Lorelei, Lorelei is playing with her blocks and toys, and May is watching over while Braum sits next to her,

  “Mama! Mama!” Lorelei says, excitedly jumping and running over to me.

  “Hey baby girl, how was your day?” I ask.

  “I hung out with Daddy!” I say.

  “Was it fun?” I ask scooping her into my arms. She nods and I pepper her with kisses, before moving into the kitchen with her on my hip. “How was school?” I ask.

  “Good, Lacy Gray invited me to her Birthday party,” she says.

  “I’ll RSVP right away,” I say, sitting her down on the counter. May trails into the kitchen carrying her bags.

  “See you tomorrow?” she asks.

  “See you tomorrow,” I say, and she smiles. “And I hope you do rethink the whole tour thing, I can understand if you don’t want to go for the full 7 months but having you around would be a really help,” I say.

  “I’ll think about it, I’d have to talk a lot over with my school and parents, I’d love to go,” she says.

  “I’m not pressuring you or anything, just don’t say no,” I joke, and she laughs before turning and leaving the kitchen. Braum then takes her place, standing in the entrance as I start a snack for the day,

  “I caught your radio interview,” he says.

  “You did?” I say.

  “I just so happened to tune in,” he says, before walking over and standing near me. “I am really sorry about everything, if I would have known about Demetra and Bo, I just”

  “You don’t have to apologize for all of that, it’s in the past,” I say.

  “I just feel so stupid,” he says.

  “Anyone would,” I say, I let Lorelei go and she dashes out of the kitchen back into the living room.

  “I should be heading out; I’ll see you tomorrow?” he asks.

  “See you tomorrow,” I say.

  “I have one question though, you and that Raphael guy… You a thing?” he asks.

  “Braum,” I say

  “What I can’t ask? I saw him at the barbeque,” he says, leaning against the counter. “How long has that been going on?”

  “None of your business,” I say, turning to him and leaning against the counter. “Nothing you should be worrying about,” Braum doesn’t say anything, just eyes me before moving closer.

  “How serious are you two?” he whispers, I make eye contact with him and he’s already leaning forward kissing me. I don’t stop him, and he pushes me against my counter, his hands on my waist. His hands move up my body under my clothes, sending fire everywhere.

  “Braum,” I whisper.

  “Do you want me too stop?” he asks, I push him away taking a breath. Running my fingers through my hair. “Sorry,” he whispers, his face red, I grab him by the hand pulling him out of the kitchen, I check the living room where Lorelei is happily sitting and watching TV, I then pull Braum into my recording room shutting the door behind myself. I pull him into another kiss, pushing him against the door. All the feelings of the last few years are resurging, in hot panting. We start shedding our clothes, until it’s nothing but us and our bodies, and when he’s inside of me, I felt like I was in high school again.

  “Don’t stop,” I demand, as we lie on the ground together. He grunts in my ears, his breath hot. I’m hot, my head is swirling with thoughts, and all I could think about was how good everything felt. And when we finish, I felt like a different person. When everything is over, we’re just lying in the studio together practicing on our breathing.

  “I’m seeing someone,” Braum admits, my heart thudding against my chest. “Her name is Carson, she’s great,”

  “Then why did you sleep with me?” I ask.

  “Because I missed it… I missed you,” I don’t have anything to say, I just get up pulling on my clothes.

  “Bye Braum,” I say, before leaving the studio and joining Lorelei in the living room. Regret bubbling in my stomach at what we just did. I felt stupid letting my emotions control my body, letting my feelings of high school resurge, when he already has moved on too, and so have I. Poor Raphael has been pulled along while I can’t get over an EX that is still popping in my life consistently.

  ++

  “Please repeat that because I must have heard you wrong,” Laila says. “You slept with Braum?” she says.

  “Yes,” I say, pinching the bridge of my nose.

  “Please tell me you used protection?” she asks, I look at her and she crumples in her seat. “Adeya!” she says.

  “I’m not ovulation, and I got Alec to get the morning after pill,” I say,

  “Does he know it was with Braum?”

  “He didn’t ask,” I say.

  “Who else knows?”

  “No one! Zahara is going to crucify me, I just feel like a real idiot,” I say,

  “Don’t go too hard on yourself,”

  “What about Raphael? Do you think he’s going to mind this little slip up?” I ask.

  “Don’t tell him! Duh! Braum probably isn’t going to tell his new thing about what happened, why should you?” she questions.

  “I just feel scummy, Raphael deserves better,”

  “No, you deserve better, and that’s Raphael! If you lose him than your right back to being sad about him,” she says. “You need to get over him!” after my call with Laila ends, I send May off for the day and get Lorelei ready for bedtime. While I cook dinner, Lorelei colors in a picture book on the table.

  “How was school love bug?” I ask, as I move through the kitchen. “Anything interesting?”

  “No, Daddy did pick me up with May and his new friend,”

  “Carson?” I say, Lorelei nods. “Was she, nice?” Lorelei nods in response. “Pretty?” I ask, and Lorelei gives me a smile “I’ll take that as a yes,”

  “Who is she?” Lorelei asks.

  “Well you remember Raphael. Mommy’s special friend? Well that’s daddy Special friend,” I say.

  “Are you guys going to be special friends?” she asks.

  “Me and daddy?” I ask, and she nods. “We were but things happen,” I say.

  “What things?” she asks.

  “I’ll tell you when you’re older,” I say, before walking over and pinching her cheeks. I continue dinner, before plating our food and packing everything else away. Before I can sit down and eat, I’m pulled to the home phone, quickly answering it. “Hello?”

  “Ms. Griffin, you have Mr. Patterson here to see you accompanied with a young guest,” The security officer says.

  “Let them through,” I say, before hanging up the phone. It doesn’t take them long to arrive, and I let Raphael park in the garage, beside my unused Volvo that Zahara forced me to buy.

  “Sorry for the surprise, I forgot how secure your place was to get into,” Raphael says, as I greet him at the garage door.

  “No need to apologize, we were just sitting down for dinner, Hi Olivia,” I say.

  “Hi Adeya!” Olivia says happily. “Every time I’m here, it’s just like wow I’m here!” she says happily.

  “Come inside get comfortable, Lei say hi to Raphael and Olivia,” I say.

  “Hi Olivia!” Lorelei says excitedly. “Want to go see my toys?”

  “Honey, Olivia doesn’t really play with toys and you have to eat dinner first,” I say.

  “I would love to see your toys!” Olivia says, taking a seat beside Lorelei. I slide my plate towards her before grabbing her bags, and leading Raphael upstairs.

  “I hope I didn’t intrude on your night; I know you don’t have many free nights on your own,” he says.

  “No this is perfect, Lorelei loves company closer to her age it’s usually my friends or my band,” I say. I put Olivia’s things in the guest room across
the hall from Lorelei’s before leading Raphael to my room.

  “You look great,” Raphael says, as I push him into my room.

  “You look good too,” I say, he scoops me into his arms pulling me into a kiss.

  “I’m sure the girls can occupy themselves, right?” Raphael whispers, with a smirk.

  “I was thinking the exact thing,”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “And that was Adeya’s new song Not Over You, on 98.7 West Hollywood!” the station cuts to commercial, and Zahara turns down the music happily clapping.

  “That’s the seventh station in California! #NotOverYouRadioPlay is trending!” she exclaims. “The invites for the listening party are being sent soon, are you positive you want Braum and his new fling there?”

  “Lorelei really wants him to be there, and I can’t think of any reasons why he shouldn’t” I say.

  “Reason one, Raphael is going to be there, awkward city, Hello?” Zahara says.

  “It’s going to be fine,” I say. We arrive at the café where we’re meeting Alec and Calum for lunch. When we walk inside, we immediately find them in an intense deep conversation, only when we sit down at the table do, they realize our presence. “Good afternoon boys,”

  “Well isn’t it the number one trending artist on twitter, we’re glad you could grace us with your presence,” Alec says, with a smile.

  “How are my favorite boys?” I ask.

  “We’re still the favorite? I thought Raphael defiantly took that spot,” Calum says, nudging his friend. “We’re doing just fine, planning a wedding is a lot of work,”

  “That’s why they have me,” Alec winks in Zahara’s direction.

  “If you want to hire a professional, we can I’ve already told you this,” Zahara says.

  “That’s so impersonal, I want every detail to be perfect and you know you do too, even if you’re not thinking about it,” Calum says.

  “I am so thinking about it, but Adeya’s album is being released,”

  “Don’t pin this on me,” I say, leaning back in my seat.

  “My point is, next year my books will be open the only thing I’ll have to worry about is radio interviews, and TV show appearances,” Zahara says. “And then all my attention is going to be on us,” Zahara says, reaching across the table and squeezing Calum’s cheek.

  “Speaking of the tour, will Firefighter boy be joining us?” Alec questions.

  “He can’t take off that many days, but he said he’d come to the first and last show,” I say.

  “Cute, and Braum?” he asks.

  “He won’t be attending either, only for a few shows but that’s only because May can’t stay for all shows,” I say. “But I won’t be focusing on him, and he won’t be focusing on me”

  “Let’s hope it stays that way,” Zahara says, before waving over the waitress to take our orders. After lunch, Alec drives me home so that Zahara and Calum could have some well needed alone time. When we make it to my house, May is in the kitchen making a fruit bowl, and Braum is sitting in the living room with Lorelei, and his new girlfriend, Carson.

  “Mama!” Lorelei squeals, running to greet me and I scoop her into my arms.

  “Hi Honey bear,” I say, peppering her face with kisses.

  “Hi Adeya, Alec,” Braum says.

  “Abraham,” Alec says, with a tight smile. “And, your friend? I don’t believe we’ve met,”

  “I’m Carson,” she says, standing with her hands out. “Pleasure,” she says.

  “You’re a real looker,” Alec smiles, before turning and walking back towards the kitchen.

  “Sorry I didn’t tell you, May said you were busy,” he says.

  “It’s cool, nice to see you again Carson,” I say.

  “It’s good to see you too,” she says, with a tight smile. I didn’t believe her, no one would want to willing hang out with their new boyfriend’s ex-fling. Especially if they’re celebrity and you’re not allowed to take any pictures, videos, or make phone calls while you’re hanging around them. I had seen Carson’s feed, Laila and I had stalked it together one night, she was a total Instagram model, she posted anything and everything, so I knew keeping this part of her life was hard, but Braum told me she was a good person. That she wasn’t like Demetra and had morals and knew why I wanted things to stay a secret, things would get to messy if the truth got out.

  People already knew about Lorelei, and of course everyone had questions about who her Father was. I never planned on announcing it, because with announcing also brought the extra attention on him and everyone in his life. Things could be released and found out, and I just didn’t need any of that extra drama. My label was already doing damage control about Lorelei, the whole “Good Girl” image was gone. I was no longer the innocent girl people probably perceived me to be. I had a child, I felt like Jamie Lynn Spears.

  “We were just going; we’ll see you later?” Braum says.

  “It was nice seeing the both of you,” I say, I walk them to the door and watch them walk to the car, before releasing Lorelei. She runs back into the living room and I join May and Alec in the kitchen. “From now on May, please warn me when Braum is going to be here? I don’t want to be blindsided like that again,”

  “She’s a total looker,” Alec says, “Like wow,”

  “Thanks Alec, for the brilliant observation,” I say.

  “You’re hotter,” he adds with a wink. “By a long mile,” I fall into the seat beside him. “And of course Braum had to choose a model to date, his ex is a multi-award winning recording artist, and his other ex was cheating on him with his best friend stole all his money and basically scammed his entire college and ran off with her lover, he had to do that or he’d be losing,”

  “Losing what?”

  “The game of life sweetie, a game you’re currently winning, I mean this is your third album your first stadium tour which is going to sell out by the way, and you live here like I would regret leaving you too,” Alec says.

  “Thanks Alec,”

  “Either way, we downgraded major,”

  “Period,” May adds.

  ++

  “I want to first thank my very great production team, for helping me day and night with all of the sounds and everything, I want to especially shout my band and of course Zahara without them this album wouldn’t be possible at all” I say. The crowd cheers and I want until it calms down until I continue. “These songs are super personal to me, and I feel like this is the best direction my music has taken,” I say, before standing and plugging the microphone into the stand. “I hope you enjoy the album and the fun, feel free to roam the museum and take a lot of pictures, and hashtag it, Unforgettable Heart!”

  I spend the next 30 minutes, I spend taking pictures, and videos with my fans. Before joining Raphael, Calum, and Alec.

  “The album already sounds amazing,” Raphael says, pulling me into a hug. “I know what I’ll be listening to all week,”

  “How sweet,” Alec nudges him. “The girls seem to be having fun,” Alec says, directing our attention to Olivia guiding Lorelei around the party.

  “Olivia really loves hanging out with Lorelei,” Raphael admits. “She’s really loved this whole thing, thank you for inviting us,” Raphael says, kissing the back of my neck.

  “It’s nothing really,” I say.

  “Let’s enjoy the party guys, or Zahara is going to kill us,” Calum says before moving away from the table, we all stand and start moving through the museum. There are a bunch of pictures of me while I’m writing, and in the studio. There are others of me on vacation, me with my family, and even showing my album to my family.

  “Everything is so beautiful,” Raphael whispers. When we arrive back at the center stage, my album nearing the end of its track list. I find Lorelei with Braum and Carson.

  “Enjoying the festivities?” I ask.

  “It’s amazing! My friends are going to die!” Carson gushes. “We also have an announcement,”


  “Carson,” Braum says.

  “We were going to wait to announce but, Braum and I are engaged!” Carson says excitedly, Alec starts choking on his drink. I lean against Raphael before catching my breath.

  “Congratulations,” I spit out. “That’s exciting, 2 months?” I say.

  “3 but who’s counting when you’re in love,” Carson says, pulling Braum into a hug. “He asked me yesterday,” she says, showing off her ring.