Page 2 of Spending Forever With You

“Or maybe my sister got in her feelings instead of weighing her options and made another dumb decision like he did. I really think y’all should’ve talked about this before you just up and filed for a divorce, Holli.” I kissed my teeth as I pushed out of her embrace.

“Damn, Callie. I know you like the nigga, but whose side are you on? Because if you recall, Luke signed the papers without pleading his case of saving us. He signed them the same day, Callie.” I choked as I wiped the tear that managed to escape.

“Don’t play with me, Holli. I’m always on yours, aside from forever moving too damn fast. I’m just saying you could’ve at least talked to him about how you were feeling. I’m sure Deacon had a plan to figure everything out. He wouldn’t have—” I groaned as I got up, headed for my bedroom. I wasn’t staying here to listen to the same shit Callie had been saying since I told her I’d filed. She and my gran Lacy weren’t thrilled about my decision, both saying I was being impulsive and irrational.

Of course, in true Callie fashion, she was quick on her toes, rushing behind me.

“Aht aht, oh hell no. Don’t be walking the hell away from me. I’m not him. We most definitely don’t even move like that and we damn sure not about to fucking start. Now like I was saying, before your ass tried to be rude, I know Deacon loves you and would’ve been willing to do any and everything to make you two work.”

I huffed as I opened my closet door and began flicking through my clothes. I wasn’t beat for nothing Callie was talking about right now. I was officially a new woman. My divorce was fresh and my weed gummy would be kicking in soon with the help of the liquor that still had my chest warm. I needed to go out and go shake my ass to release any further fucked up feelings about Luke and our failed marriage.

Twenty and already divorced. Oh yeah, that’s going to be a nice first date topic.

“Look, I’m trying to hit Black Diamonds or something. Are you coming or not?” I turned to face her with my hand on my hip, waiting for her response.

Callie rolled her eyes as she huffed and puffed while mumbling under her breath before she spoke up. I put my attention back on my goal of finding something to wear because I was going whether Callie came out or not.

“If this is how you want to react to your newfound news, then I guess, but I think maybe you should reach out to—” I closed my eyes and paused my movements as I mentally counted down from ten. She must’ve sensed my irritation because she cut her sentence.

She let out a frustrated low sigh.

“Of course. I hope you got something for me to wear too because I’m not going back home. Derek is officially on daddy duty tonight. Don’t get me wrong. I love my baby girl, but momma needs a break to breathe.”

“That’s what the fuck I’m talking about. I’ma text Johnni to meet us out too,” I said, now tossing a gold mini dress her way.

“Ooh, a girls’ night, just like old times.”

That made me smile. Callie, like me, married young. Both to our high school sweethearts. Unlike me, she and my brother-in-law Derek had just entered their next phase of life, parenthood, with my beautiful niece Camille.

Another level me and Luke will never make it to.

Ugh, stop thinking about him, Holli, or else this whole divorce shit won’t work.

“Don’t do my baby like that. But you can use the guest bathroom. We might as well get one last good use out of this house.” I was letting it go. There was no need to stay in a home Luke and I had gotten to start our lives together. Hell, he damn sure didn’t need to keep it since he was no longer a resident here, nor had he been in a long ass time.

I grabbed my too short red dress that fit every curve just right and laid it on my bed before going to my bathroom to shower. Tonight, my mission wasn’t hooking another man, but to feel good about myself because right now I felt like I’d failed at something that came way too easy for me. Loving Luke was all I had ever wanted to do and now it seemed as if that was no longer an option.

“I’m doing her just like that, and since this is your grand idea, be prepared to be on auntie duty in the morning.”

An hour later we were posted up at Hef’s in Diamond Falls. Since our cousin Hezekiah owned the bar, it was easy to talk him into a booth and a couple of bottles on him since our twenty-first birthday was still a couple months away. And with Damon, our other cousin, DJing I knew the vibes would be lit for me all night.

“Hollis, don’t you think you need to slow down? I mean, damn there is a tomorrow. No need to drink out the whole bar,” my best friend Johnni said in my ear as I swayed my hips to the song I couldn’t even make out the lyrics to fully. All I knew was the alcohol made everything make sense. I ignored her just as Damon came on the speaker over the music.

“Fellas, congratulations are in order! My fine ass cousin Hollis is back on the muthafuckin’ market. Now, unless y’all sending cash to help her wipe the tears or a bottle to drown her sorrows, don’t even waste her time going over to the section. This one’s for you baby girl!” Callie rolled her eyes while the new single “Dogging Niggas” came through. I sang along to the track, seeing how it suddenly matched my exact mood.

“The only time I’m claiming a man is when he’s blessing my hands or my wrist with dead presidents!”

At this point I had singlehandedly turned Hef’s Palace into a karaoke bar.

I turned and pulled Callie closer to me as I tossed my arm around her shoulder and sang in her ear, off key and all. Callie grunted as she pushed me away.

“C’mon now, Holli! Damn, you acting like being with Deacon was the worst part of your life. Y'all were happy in love.”

And just like that, I grabbed the bottle of tequila working with the gummy. I drank the liquor that laced my throat with heat, hoping it would numb the pain in my heart. Nowhere in the history books did they ever tell you that divorce meant leaving the one you loved while still yearning for them. Yet, here I was, still loving him. For the first time since I met him, I wish I didn’t.

Callie bringing up Luke was threatening to kill my vibe and I couldn’t have that. I shook my head as I shushed her.

“Not the worst, just not the best. Now, either you drink the hell up or sit the hell down and let me enjoy this,” I said as I turned the bottle up and downed another huge amount of tequila. I winced this time, causing me to reach for a lemon slice as a chaser. A hip-hop beat came on, which had my ass automatically rolling. When Callie just stood there eyeing me with a somber expression, I lifted the bottle while signaling for her to open her mouth at the same time.