Love Knows No Boundaries 3: Pandora's Box Read online

“What’s your problem, huh? You always wear such a stank attitude with me.”

  She closed her book shut, tossing it next to her. “The problem isn’t with me. It’s with you thinking we cool. But we’re sisters, not friends.”

  Blu gave an astonished look. It wasn’t surprising that La’Tasha didn’t see them as such but it puzzled Blu because she never understood her heartless ways toward her.

  But it was all good because Blu had a confession to tell her as well. She opened her mouth to speak but her phone rang. It was Eli. She took his call as a sign to keep quiet and leave La’Tasha to be evil-spirited by herself.

  She walked away from her and answered, “Hey.” Her tone was clipped.

  “What’s up, boo? What’s the matter?” He caught her agitation.

  “Nothing I want to talk about. What’s up, baby?”

  La’Tasha mocked her underneath her breath as she picked her book back up. What’s up, baby? she gagged.

  “What time you gon’ be on your way?”

  “Ahh, I can be there shortly. I just stopped by my mama and ‘em for a second.”

  “A’ight. Well, I can wait on you to take my shower, then.”

  “Or you can go ahead and take it and just leave your door unlocked. That way if you are, I can just let myself in because I won’t be long.”

  “Cool, I’ll do that. See you in a bit.”

  Blu smiled before she hung up but once she turned around and looked at the smug look on La’Tasha’s face, a frown appeared on hers. She thought to bite her tongue but decided against it. La’Tasha needed to hear the truth.

  “You know what? I don’t even know why I try with you because the truth of the matter is I hate you. You are a petty, selfish and manipulative person and you feel like the world should bow at your feet. So you’re right. We ain’t friends and when we see each other, we can pretend we don’t.”

  “Awww, Little Miss Perfect doesn’t have enough sprinkles in her fairy pouch to convince me to like her and she’s mad.” La’Tasha spoke like she was five years old but then switched to her condescending voice. “Well, if you hate me now, just wait ‘til later.”

  “And what does that mean?” Blu spoke with her hands.

  “Did you come here for Mama or me?” La’Tasha brushed her off.

  Blu flung her hand in the air. “Whatever.” She turned and left out of the living room and into the back of the house, where she knew her mother would be.

  ***

  Elias didn’t want to wait too long before he got ready, so he went ahead and unlocked his door so she wouldn’t be stuck waiting on him to hop out of the bath to let her in.

  After ten minutes of singing and showering, Elias turned off the water just in time to hear his front door closing.

  He yelled out. “In the bathroom, Blu.”

  Nice! she thought as she removed her dress, dropping it on the floor. When she walked into the bedroom, he was still in there. So, she climbed into bed and waited to surprise him with a little opening act before the headliner later.

  As Elias was drying his face with a hand towel, he stepped into the bedroom. With his face covered, he said, “Boo, I got some shit planned for you.”

  “As do I?”

  The sound of her voice made him quickly remove the towel. His mouth dropped open and then balled tightly when he saw La’Tasha sitting in the center of his bed with nothing but panties on.

  “What the fuck is you doin’ here?” Eli snarled as he rushed up on her to throw her out of his crib.

  ***

  “I have no idea what he has up his sleeve. He just told me what to wear what he bought the other day and I did it,” Blu talked to Kanari on her cell as she drove to Eli’s.

  “You think he’s gonna pop the big question? I mean, he’s taking you to a fancy smancy steakhouse and the selfie you sent of your outfit screams special occasion.”

  “I doubt that but if you’re right, I’m ready to say yes. I lovin’ on him.” Blu felt the usual butterflies in the pit of her stomach but as she pulled up on Eli’s house, that flutter suddenly turned into tight knots. “What the fuck?”

  “What? What’s wrong?” Kanari became alarmed at the sound of her voice.

  “I’ma call you back!”

  “Blu, wait—” Kanari tried to say before she was hung up on.

  She instantly felt sick and her chest tightened seeing La’Tasha’s car in front of her man’s house.

  Blu parked behind his truck and jumped out of hers. She kicked off her heels, leaving them in his front yard as she raced up his steps and burst through his door. She immediately spotted La’Tasha’s dress in the middle of the floor and she was ignited with rage.

  Blu dashed to his bedroom, stopping shy of crossing the seal. She was taken aback to find him on top of her.

  “Eli!” she shrilled.

  “Blu!” He turned in her direction, standing up and away from La’Tasha. She walked in on him wrestling to get her out of his bed. “Let me explain. This shit looks fucked up but nothing is going on.”

  Blu eyes narrowed below his waist, she walked up on him and then snatched the towel from around him, revealing his bare essentials. “Nothing, huh? Nothing but hard dick!”

  His rise wasn’t a result of his desire for La’Tasha but an instant reaction to seeing her nakedness, but he wasn’t about to expound on that.

  He grabbed the towel back from her and wrapped himself in it. “Baby, it ain’t what it look like. I promise you that.”

  “Don’t tell me what I’m lookin’ at ain’t what I’m seeing. It looks like I busted you about to fuck my sister!” Blu scrunched her face and looked about the room in confusion, elevating her voice. “And when did you find time to cozy up to this trick?”

  “Aye, watch it. Don’t get loose with your words.” La’Tasha looked at her casually.

  Elias snapped around to La’Tasha. “Mannn, shut the fuck up and get the fuck out!”

  “Nah, she ain’t gotta go nowhere. I wanna hear from the both of you what the fuck is goin’ on?”

  “You can hear it from him. I’m pretending not to see you.” La’Tasha sarcastically threw Blu words back at her.

  “Blu, do you think I would invite her over here knowing you were on your way? I don’t even fuck with her like that no more and on top of that, I left the door unlocked expecting you, not this bitch.”

  Blu threw her hand up. “Wait a minute. No more?” she asked incredulously.

  Elias dropped his head and then lifted it back up. “Fuck!” He didn’t mean to say that but he was out there now. “Boo, I been fucked and ducked this hoe. It was long time ago, ya heard me. And I told you about her. I just never called this rat by her name.” He nodded his head off to the side in a vexed manner. “This Cujo, man.”

  Damn! La’Tasha thought as she listened to his colorful recap of their dealings. “Ruff!” She waved. There was no limit to her bitchiness.

  “Look, man, I didn’t know this broad was your sister until I came by yo peoples’ house and I wanted to tell you but so much shit starting happening afterwards and it just never seemed like a good time.”

  “Tsss. So, this is the woman you were in love with?” Blu felt deflated. Hurt. Betrayed—again. First it was Samiyah and now her. “After the Peaches’ situation, I asked you if there was anything else I should know. Anything! And what did you tell me?” She mimicked his smooth voice, Nah, boo, nothing else. Well, you lieeedddd!” She broke down crying. “And I am sooo done!”

  Elias reached out for her but she stepped back two spaces, throwing her hands up.

  “Boo, I didn’t keep this shit from you because I wanted her on the slick. Things were already strained between us and when shit got good, I didn’t want to jack it all up.”

  La’Tasha kept quiet and watched on as things fell apart because when it was all said and done, she’d be there to pick up the pieces. Eli’s goods belonged to her anyway. She licked it. And there was never a man she had once that she couldn’t have t
wice.

  “Just when I thought my fool days were over, surprise.” Blu turned around to leave but Eli grabbed her.

  Blu started swinging on him wildly. “Don’t fuckin’ touch me! Don’t fuckin’ touch me!” she screamed.

  Elias let her go. “Baby, let…”

  In a mild hysteria, she blurted. “I hate you! I swear to God I do. You and that bitch deserve each other.” She ran out of his house and jumped into her car. She was gone.

  He was hurt. Not because of her punches, those licks didn’t faze him. It was the wounding words she spewed that was a blow to his heart that rocked him. He could only pray she didn’t mean them.

  Elias then bite down on his lip and rushed back into the room by a giggling La’Tasha.

  “Awww, come to mama and let me make you feel better.” She pinched her chocolate nipple. She was thoroughly turned on and she knew deep down he was too.

  She just popped Blu’s bubble and now her old fling was about to pop her pussy, or so she thought.

  “Bitch, you like playin’ games? Well, tell me how you love dis?” He yanked her off of his bed roughly. There was no negotiating her up out of his house.

  He snatched her by the arm. “Heyyyy! Eli, what the hell?”

  Elias walked her through his house so fast, her feet barely had time to touch the floor. He spotted her keys on the sofa where she placed them, swooped them up and slapped it into her hand. Then he shoved her through his opened door. She stumbled forward trying to catch her balance. La’Tasha then spun around, covering her mounds with one arm and extending the other.

  “Eli! My clothes!”

  He drove his upper lip into a high arch. “Drive naked, bitch!” He slammed his door in her face.

  Elias hurried into his room and threw on anything. He had to quickly catch up with Blu and make her understand what the hell happened as best as he could.

  ***

  Two weeks later…

  Eli hadn’t seen or heard from Blu. He went to her bar every night but she wasn’t there. And when he questioned Kanari about her whereabouts, she pled the fifth. She hadn’t been home, either. He checked at different times every day to know that much. And her father was less than approachable when he tried talking with him once.

  Eli then utilized his ace in the hole and pulled some major strings. It cost a grip to make it happen but he was sure to get her attention so it was worth it.

  As he waited to walk inside, he thought back on the slick shit he told her. “…Keep that shit up and one day you gon’ walk away from me and I won’t be bothered by that shit.”

  But the joke was on him because one day wasn’t yesterday, wasn’t today and it sure wasn’t going to be tomorrow. And if shit was going to be over between them, it wasn’t going to be on behalf of her rudy-poo ass sister.

  However, he wasn’t trying to see an end date on them, she meant too much. Besides, he just came to terms with losing one baby, he wasn’t about to lose his other.

  Elias got out of his truck and stepped inside of the building. Front desk signed him in and then escorted him down some hallways where he was greeted by some unfamiliar faces. Finally, he reached his destination and walked into the room where a man sat waiting for him.

  The gentleman stood to welcome Eli with a man hug. “It’s show time. You’re ready?”

  “I stay ready.” Eli bobbed his head as he took a seat.

  A few minutes later, they were cued. “We go live in 3, 2…” The engineer informed them.

  In a silky-smooth, baritone voice, Papa Smurf, the host of Quiet Storm radio, began his spiel. “Welcome back. If you’re just tuning in, we have a guest with us tonight who’ll be hosting the lover’s only hour with me, Papa Smurf. Go ahead and introduce yourself, young brother.”

  He adjusted the drop of the microphone. “You got Elias in the building.”

  “And tell all the romantics out there why you’re here tonight.”

  “I messed up and now my baby ain’t got no holla for me. And since she always listens to your show, I had to show her how sorry I am.”

  “Blu, if you’re out there, crank the volume just a little bit louder and listen as Babyface sings Never Keeping Secrets from Eli to you.”

  I didn’t want to lie to you but I didn’t want to let you down/It never did occur to me sooner or later that you would find out/You know how much I care for you and I would never want to cause you pain/I know that there is no excuse how could I ever treat my baby that way

  That’s why I’m telling everybody that I (that I) know I was a fool/But I don’t give a damn about it ‘cause I wanna get with you.

  The next song to play was Since I Lost My Baby by Luther Vandross and a host of similar songs that had put Eli in his feelings.

  After the last song played, Papa opened the lines to take callers. The switchboard was on fire. He took the first one. “Blu is that you, caller?”

  “No, this isn’t Blu. This is Yolanda. Listen, if she don’t want you, Elias, I do…”

  Papa chuckled and took another call.

  “I’m just calling in to say Blu if you’re out there it sounds like he’s really sorry. Give him another shot.”

  The lines lit up over the next ten minutes but none of them were his girl.

  Elias was disappointed but he hoped it was only because she couldn’t get through.

  “Well, that wraps up our time with Mr. Elias. Anything else you want to say to Ms. Blu before you leave us?”

  “Yea, Blu, I know you listening, so I want you to meet me at our spot. Don’t leave me hanging, ya heard me. I love you, boo.”

  “We’ll be right back after this commercial break.” Papa announced before he stood up to walk Eli out of the door. “Good luck getting your girl back.”

  Elias dapped him. “The way I fucked up, ya dig, I’ma need it.”

  He left out of the room and back down the halls to get to his exit.

  The moment Elias opened the doors of the building he stepped into a literal storm.

  Once Elias was in his truck, he started the engine and cut on the windshield wipers. “Awww, fuck! Ain’t this a bitch?” He couldn’t see a damn thing.

  He had to wait a few minutes for it to slack up and when it did, he was on his way to Romeo his Juliet.

  ***

  A couple of hours later…

  Elias walked inside of his house completely drenched from having waited outside for an hour and a half at The Lake and in the rain, all for Blu not to show up.

  Feeling like his energy had been zapped, he plopped down on the sofa. Mustering the strength to use one foot to remove the soggy shoe of the other, he kicked them off.

  He was in a state of disbelief. That was the most romantic shit he ever did yet it yielded him nothing. Eli glanced over at the stereo’s remote sitting atop the coffee table and decided to pick it up and turn FM98 on.

  He was never an R&B type of thuggah but he and Blu listened to Papa Smurf’s Quiet Storm every night and he was missing her.

  He caught the tail end of one sad song going off as another was coming in.

  That’s when he heard the infamous whine of Keith Sweat crooning through the speakers. He had a mind to cut it off before R&B’s legendary crybaby took him down that distraught road but he was already there.

  You lied to me, baby/Why did you have to lie to me, baby…

  Eli closed his eyes at the intro of Come Back and shook his head slowly as he felt where Sweat was coming from when he heard his phone chiming. Jacobi had been calling him periodically over the last two hours.

  Deciding against letting voicemail answer for him, he picked up. “What?” He sounded as flat as his deflated ego.

  “‘Bout time you answered yo phone. I heard yo ass on the fuckin’ radio. Bruh, I know you love her but—wait, is you listenin’ to Keith Sweat?” Jacobi heard the down in the dumps music playing in the background.

  Eli rudely started singing.

  Told me you’ll never, never, never, never leave me
/But tonight, I’m all by myself/I’m all alone, with nobody else/Hoping that you’d come back to me.

  “Elias? Elias?” Jacobi had been trying to get his attention the moment he belted the first off key note.

  “Dawg, I stood out there with the dick look when she didn’t show up, looking like Oran Juice Jones from that wack ass 80s video.

  Jacobi tried talking sense to his Day-1 but he could tell Eli wasn’t feeling him. He wanted to be pissy. That was clear the second Eli interrupted him to sing the bridge.

  ‘Cause I miss you so so bad/And if I could win your love back/I surely surely would, baby/I wouldn’t give you reason to leave like you did, girl/Nooooo no no, I would not, baby…

  Jacobi frowned and his eyes tightened. “Are you lookin’ as ugly as you soundin’? Never mind that. I can’t take this feminine shit from you. Quit soakin’ like a lil’ bitch, dawg. I’m on my way over there to get you the fuck up out your feelings.” Jacobi ended the call.

  Elias hung up, too, but he kept singing.

  Come back/Come back—to me, baby…

  Thirty minutes later, the ongoing sound of the hard-hitting rain crashing against his window pane mixed in with the rush of knocks sounding at his door. Still listening to sappy love jams and in no mood for Jacobi’s company, he ignored him.

  The knocks didn’t stop, though.

  “Mann, go home. I’m good.” Elias called out but it was obvious Jacobi wasn’t going to leave.

  Eli knew he didn’t have a reason to be aggravated at his boy, but he was. He shut the stereo off and dropped the remote on the sofa as he stood to his feet.

  Swinging the door open, he was prepared to blast him for being annoying during a time when his jokes weren’t welcomed, but it wasn’t him on the other side of his door, it was Blu.

  “Baby, you came.” Eli felt the weight of loss lift off of his shoulders.

  She could tell he wasn’t himself, she hadn’t been either.

  “You know I heard you on the radio and you touched my heart. I’m surprised I was able to see past the tears in my eyes on my drive over. But when I heard your plea for me, I knew what I had to say couldn’t be done over the phone. I had to say this in person.”