Y'all know something that I don't? 👀🤔

I doubt it. 😊

Samir is Victoria and Vanessa's late brother.

Leave a lot of comments please, or I'm gonna make y'all asses wait forever for an update.
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FLASHBACK
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Omniscient

Victoria and James sat at her parent's dining room table. Everyone was silent and the only noises heard were the clicking of silverware on glass plates.

The two had been together for a few months since they'd been out of college and this was the first time that Victor and Sarai had met James.

They were not happy.

At all.

When Victoria graduated, she was supposed to come back home and work while she continued to save up for her own place.

It was a surprise when she just dropped damn near all communication wth them.

It was even more of a surprise when Victoria decided to stroll in the house with a nigga.

"So, James. What do you do for a living," Sarai questioned, breaking the awkward silence.

Victor, his youngest, Vanessa, and his middle child, Samir, looked up from the oxtails, rice, and gravy that was on their plates and across the table at James.

From the time that James and Victoria walked into the house, Victor was getting a bad vibe from James.

Maybe it was James' arrogance, or maybe it was the way Victor saw his daughter becoming more vulnerable than he taught his kids to be when it came to a significant other.

Whatever it was, Victor didn't like it.

James looked up from his plate, and leaned back in his chair with a smirk on his face, "I'm a paid intern for a tech company."

Victor poked his bottom lip out a little, nodding his head.

At least he ain't stupid. Victor thought.

"Impressive. And is that what you plan to do all your life?"

"Yes ma'am, hopefully."

*

"Why you ain't been textin' or callin' us back, Tori," Vanessa asked her older sister.

Victoria, Samir, and Vanessa were upstairs in the game room, sitting around. Their mom had gone to get ready for bed, and James and their father was in Victor's study, talking.

Since a little while before graduation, Victoria's family began to notice her changing for the worse.

She rarely came to their family dinners anymore. She barely answered the phone, and if she did, the conversations were rushed.

Everyone knew the cause wasn't Dasani because she would sometimes come by the house looking for Victoria.

The only other option was James, and upon meeting him and seeing he and Victoria's interaction, they knew James was the cause of her change in behavior.

"I've just been busy, y'all," Victoria replied, locking her phone. She was texting James.

"Too busy for ya brother and sister? Damn," Samir snapped, looking away from the tv where some Tyler Perry movie was playing.

Victor and Sarai raised their children to have a strong bond as siblings because they were all each other had.

It bothered Samir that his sister was slowly but surely beginning to let a nigga come between them.

A disrespectful nigga at that.

James didn't even have the courtesy to shake his hand like a gentlemen should. James nodded his head at Samir when they first met.

"Well it ain't like you answer when I do call, Mir. I know your ass be in the streets," Victoria replied in the same tone, sensing her little brother's attitude.

"Well if you wanna bring that up, I'm done talkin'," Samir spoke in annoyance, getting up from the couch.

"Whatever, Samir." Victoria waved her brother off as he walked into his room and slammed the door.

Let's go. James texted Victoria.

She kissed Vanessa's forehead before slipping her feet into her shoes and walking down the stairs.

*

"I don't like him," Victor spoke after he and Victoria released from their hug.

While his three children were discussing their issues, Victor took James to his office.

"You just met him-"

"And I know what the hell I'm talking about, DeShay," Victor spoke, folding his arms across his chest.

"Well let me see the problems that you see, on my own. I gotta grow up some day, dad."

Victoria pulled her father's arms down before wrapping her own around him.

Victor mimicked her actions and wrapped his arms around her, putting his head on top of hers before inhaling deeply and then exhaling.

He was in no way ready for his oldest child to grow up and get out on her own.

More than that, Victor was not ready to see his child go through the things she was about to endure with a man like James.

However, he did realize that it was her life and she had to learn lessons along the way that would eventually lead her to happiness.

"I love you," Victor finally spoke, releasing Victoria from his embrace.

"I love you too," she replied back honestly, kissed her father's cheek, and then went to get in the car.

Victor stood in the doorway of the family's house, biting the inside of his cheek as he watched Victoria and James drive away.

This ain't gone end well. Victor thought.

He was right.
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Victoria

Since I took the weekend off for my birthday, I was able to wake up later than usual. When I did, I was the only person in the bed.

Even though I already knew he was gonna be gone, I couldn't help but feel some type of way. That's how I felt every time that he had to go away for a few days.

This time was different though. A special date in my life was approaching and I needed to be around somebody.

Kareem was that somebody.

I guess I would just have to deal with my emotions until he got back.

*

"On that goose, you too loose baby, tighten up. On a deuce, sipping juice, that's my type of love. Tattoos all-"

I smacked my lips as my music lowered, signaling that I was either getting a text or that somebody was calling. When the music volume raised again, I knew it was a text.

While continuing to dance in my seat, I swerved into a parking spot.

Unplugging my phone from the aux cord and unlocking it, I saw the text from Dasani.

I'm here.

After taking the key out of the ignition, I put on more Chapstick, got everything that I needed, got out of the car, fixed my clothes, locked my truck and walked into the restaurant.

I easily spotted Dasani towards the back of the restaurant since it was nearly empty and she was facing my direction.

"I've missed you so much," she spoke, getting up from her seat and embracing me in a hug. The two of  us stood there hugging and rocking back and forth for a few minutes before releasing one another.

"I've missed you too, love."

I sat down before speaking, "And before we go any further, I wanna apologize to you for letting a man come between us. I was fucking dumb, and I liked the attention. And I feel even worse because he treated me so bad-

"Please don't do this, you're gonna make me cry."

"I'm so sorry," I my voice started to crack and I couldn't help my tears.

I would probably never forgive myself for throwing my family and my best friend off for James. My parents and Vanessa always have calm me down when I go into my episodes about how bad I feel.

"Don't be sorry. It was a learning experience for you. Even though I was hurt beyond belief, that's the past and I'm happy that you've found somebody who seems to be treating you right."

Dasani reached into her purse, got out a package of Kleenex, and then handed me one before getting up and coming to my side of the booth and hugging me again.

"Tori, please stop crying," she mumbled with her bottom lip poked out. Dasani started fanning her eyes so that she would cry.

"Ugh," I sighed when I finally got my tears to stop, "I love you so damn much, Dee."

"I love you too, Victoria," she replied once she got back into her seat, slowly wiping her eyes so that she wouldn't mess up her makeup.

My phone vibrated on the table and lit up. I saw that I had a text message from Kareem
Baby✨: What you doing, beautiful?

He'd texted me earlier making sure that I was okay and telling me to have a good day.

I would honestly never get tired of the chivalry.

"Tori," I looked up from my phone before I could reply to Kareem's text, and to Dasani.

"Hm," I questioned and then noticed that she had her phone up, most likely about to take a picture.

"Smile."

"Really, Dee? My damn eyes are puffy."

"You on fleek, smile."

At the same time that she took the picture I saw a waiter coming out of the kitchen with our drinks, making me look in that direction as I smiled.

"Don't post that."

"I'm posting it."

"You get on my nerves."

"So tell me what's up," I spoke, relaxing back into my seat and giving Dasani my undivided attention.

She informed me that after college, she moved back to Arizona, while her and Corey managed a long distance relationship. He eventually moved down there, they got married, and had her daughter, Danielle.

But, her parents were against the idea of Dasani, who is Dominican, being married to a black man and having a child by him. Not willing to give up her marriage, Dasani and Corey moved back to Houston, where he is from, not too long ago.

Dasani showed me pictures of her daughter who was in between her and Corey's skin tones, and had every last one of Corey's features.

She was beautiful.

"Now it's your turn to spill the tea about what's been up with you," she picked up her drink, sipping like Kermit.

I told Dasani everything from how me and Kareem met to the present, leaving out the explicit scenes of course.

Nobody should know about my bedroom life but me and mine.

"Okay, okay. Tori done got her a good man that treats her right! Yas, bih," she stood up and hit the Milly Rock, making me shake my head.

Yes, she was always this crazy.

"I'm happy. But where is my niece or nephew," Dasani questioned with her right eyebrow raised.

I took a sip of my Sprite, before leaning back in my seat, "Oh yeah, about that..."

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