Chapter 1

Nia Pege

I love a good love story. Love how love can blossom between the complete strangers, and turn into something beautiful

Like the one before me. He met her in college, when he was doing his last year and she was just starting her first

They fell madly in love, and now I'm here to witness them exchange vows, vowing to love each other forever. It would've made my heart swoon, if it weren't for the fact that he's my ex boyfriend, and I'm sitting here imagining that I was the woman standing in front of him like he promised me we'd be doing when we were in high school

See, TK and I dated all throughout high school, but shit went south when we went to different colleges. Our relationship ended before our first year was even over with

But his friends and I remained friends. It was hard, but I thought that I was over him...well I'm actually over him, I just wish I had my own love story

Then I heard that he was getting married, sent me an invitation and is now beaming at the sight of the beautiful woman standing before him, while I sit here wishing that it was me

"You sure you're okay?" Tshi asked from beside me. To be honest, I wasn't okay, this whole situation had me feeling fucked, but I wasn't going to admit that to her. So with a smile on my face, that hurt to even master, I told her that I was okay

Honestly, it's not like I was jealous of TK marrying his wife, nuh. It was more of "what if's", like what if we hadn't broken up those years back, would it be me standing there instead of her? Or would've our relationship ended at a later stage? That's what was plaguing my mind the whole time

And anyway, it's not like I ever told people how mushy I really was. They all thought I was a badass bitch who didn't really give a fuck about all things romantic. But that was far from the truth

Tshi nodded, a little apprehensive, but she let it slide cause she didn't want to cause a scene and we continued to look on at their vow exchange

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Once the vows were exchanged, we all piled into the reception area, to finally get something to eat

Speeches were spoken, and the bride and groom's first dance was over and done with. Things were now in fully swing, while I sat back not wanting to interact with anyone, hell I didn't even want to be here anymore

I felt uncomfortable, and though the guys tried to keep me company, I still felt some kinda way being here. But, they were here to celebrate their friend's wedding and that's what they were doing

You may be asking yourself, who are the guys? Well if you were paying attention, you'd know that the guys are his friends, who also happen to be my friends as well

See when we broke up, KB, Darryl and Kagiso stayed my friends, even though it was hella awkward when TK and I were in the same room together. We tried being friends, but decided that being acquaintances was as far as we could go

The breakup hit me hard, and I took it out on every person that I've dated since then. Basically, I being the kinda girl who hurt people who dated her because she was hurt...yeah, I know, not my finest moment

Things haven't really changed in ten years, even the fact that the guys are as brutally honest with me as they were when we broke up, stayed the same

"See we wanna lie and say that guy is tore up now that y'all broke up, but to be honest he's good" Kagiso spoke up, as if I'd asked that question

We'd been hanging out and smoking blunts, and now these niggas decide to start talking about TK like I'd asked about him. If I was higher than this, I'd be showing them just how much of an emotional wreck I really am, but I ain't giving no one that kinda satisfaction

So instead I smack my teeth and shrugged, "Nigga, look at this chick?" I showed him the girl on my phone, "Do I look like I'm tore up over him?" I asked, looking between all there of them. Well, at least Kagiso and KB, Darryl was so fucked up, his eyes were shut, probably asleep

Both them niggas gave me a skeptical look, but once they realise that I wasn't gonna budge, they dropped whatever it was they were gonna say, "Okay" KB spoke slow as hell, "We just need to make sure that you good. He might be our boy, but you're just as close to us as he is" he smirked, blinking slowly

I shook my head at him, "You only say that cause I bring y'all fools that good kush" I said with a roll of my eyes

KB perked up, slapping a sleeping Darryl on the chest, "Hell yeah" he held his fist out for Darryl to dab, but nigga just mugged KB and they started yelling at each other

Kagiso nudged me, leaning close to my ear, leaving them to continue their arguing, "We care about you Nia, and regardless if you and TK aren't together no more, you still our little sis, okay" he told me sincerely, nearly making me choke up. But I just nodded my head, gave him a dab and continued to watch KB and Darryl throw hands

I never told Kagiso how much I appreciated him for always making sure that I was alright. Always begging me to open up a little more, of which I never did, Your gonna talk to me eventually he'd always say. I have yet to express myself the way he always hoped I would, but that's only because I guarded my heart

I know it's fucked up, I've known these guys for over fourteen years, and shit ain't changed when it came to them and knowing how I truly felt. Mostly because I felt that they would judge me, seeing as they were both TK friends as well as mine. I couldn't trust myself enough to spill my emotions like that

"W

Nana

Why you sitting here, instead of cutting a rug with the rest of us?" Nana asked out of breath. She was Kagiso's girl, who I didn't really get along with, and it was a good thing that we didn't run in the same circle, I don't think I could take her fake-ness

I smiled, again one of my fake ones, "Ain't feeling all this. I just wanna be home...sleeping" I told her honestly

She nodded, giving my a sympathetic look, "Look, I get it. It's your ex boyfriend's wedding, I'd be depressed too if I was in your position" she held my hands in hers

I couldn't help the frown that developed between my eyebrows. This bitch really thought that I was sitting here because TK married someone he loved? Nuh, see I didn't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable, especially not his wife, seeing as she knew of me and him, and according to the guys she wasn't too happy that I was invited

So slowly, I pulled my hands out of her grasp, "Listen here you little twig" I sneered, like I said we didn't run in the same circle. She was the kinda chick who loved seeing someone down and out, then pretend to be their friend just so she could scoop up some dirt to gossip to her friends about. I despised chicks like that

"If you think that I'm sitting here because I'm heartbroken over TK and his very beautiful wife, then you really don't know me" I smiled, it looked sweet but my eyes probably looked venomous as hell, "Unlike you, I ain't gotta lie to myself about how I feel" she looked at me shocked, "I'm happy, he's happy...now run along and tell you little girl pals that I ain't the one" I made a kissy face at her, then smiled again

From the look on her face, I'd scared her enough for her to stand up quickly and walk away from me, but not before bumping into the table next to the one I was sitting at and knocking down some of the champagne glasses on it

I smirked, loving the fact that I just told her off and she would tell her fake friends that I wasn't the one, or that I was crazy...either one worked in my favour

What Kagiso saw in that fake bitch was beyond me, but he did say that she was a freak in bed, so I guess that's something. Personally, she rubbed me the wrong way, but I wasn't gonna tell him that

"What'd you say that had her run away from you like she did?" Someone asked me, making me look up to see none other than Tyler Gibbs

See, this man right here was the definition of sex god, and I ain't even fucked him. Every girl wanted a piece of Tyler, but I never gave him the time of day because of who he was

The unfortunate part, was the fact that whenever Tyler was around the guys and me, he went out of his way to make me know that he was there. I might've thought that he was sexy as hell, and there was something that stirred within me whenever he was around, but I knew how to keep my emotions in check, so I mostly looked nonchalant when he was around

I smacked her teeth, before rolling my eyes as he sat on the empty chair next to me, "She had the nerve to tell me that I wasn't celebrating because I still had feelings for TK" I shook my head at the thought

Tyler made a face, not exactly saying that he saw where Nana was coming from, but not saying it directly, "I mean -" before he could say anything else I cut him off

With a sigh I explained, "Firstly, you know that Teba didn't want me here right?" I asked, of which he nodded, "So why would I make her feel even more uncomfortable by cutting a rug?" I cocked an eyebrow, "And secondly, maybe if that bi- I mean chick actually tried to get to know me, instead of wanting to make me her test monkey on whether she likes girls or not, we would maybe get along" I shrugged, wishing I could smoke a blunt right now



Teba

Ty nodded, maybe he understood where I was coming from...maybe, "I mean, you have to understand, because your his ex, and you ain't exactly come here with a date" I was about to answer him, but he cut me off, "And no, your sister doesn't count" that had me shut my mouth real quick, "People automatically think that you still have feelings for him" he shrugged

I couldn't take this shit, if it wasn't the fact that I came here with a sister who had gone AWOL, I'd be in my own home now. Rubbing on my temples, I tried to alleviate the headache that wouldn't go away, "Trust me, if I had it my way, I wouldn't be here" I said through gritted teeth

"C'mon" I looked up to find Ty standing up, with his hand extended to me, for me to take, "I'ma get you that blunt that you clearly need" he smirked at me

It was unnerving that Tyler knew what I needed when I needed it. But I chalked it up to him being around us so much. I placed my hand in his, the usual sparks running up my arm whenever he touched me, and stood up as he held the small of my back and we walked to the garden area

I was grateful to be out of that noisy, sweat smelling room and outside in the night sky, where I could watch the moon, of which I looked up and did the minute that we were outside

Ty did the same thing, and chuckled, "I see you still obsessed with that thing" he snapped me out of my trance, had me blushing that I hadn't gotten rid of that old habit, "No need to be embarrassed, I think it's cute" he flirted, or at least that's what I think he was doing

Snatching my hand out of his, I walked a little further till I found a bench where I could sit. I was happy that I didn't have to wear heals, cause I just rocked up to the wedding in a pair of black pumps that went well with my strapless sky blue dress, that had a slit that went up my thigh

I wasn't trying to look over the top, but it was kinda hard to do when I had a body like mine...curves in all the right places, with chocolate skin to match. I didn't even do a lot in the makeup department, just my usual blue wing tips, maroon lipstick that I made blend with my lips so it looked natural and some mascara (also blue). If you hadn't noticed, I love the colour blue

But, it didn't matter if I tried to put on makeup or not, my skin was near perfect. I might have blemishes here and there, but that was because I hadn't been taking care of my skin like I should've been, "Am I gonna get my blunt now?" I asked him rudely, but it wasn't my fault, he always made me feel some kind of way and I never liked it

He chuckled, but opened up his jacket, reached in the inside pocket and pulled out the blunt that I was promised. I smiled, sending a silent thank you to the weed gods before reaching out to take it from him. But I should've known that this nigga wouldn't play fair, cause next thing I know, he's pulling his hand back before I could even touch the blunt

"Nigga!" I nearly leaped on him so I could get better access to his neck, "Don't play like that" I looked at him venomously, gritting my teeth

He chuckled, looking as if he was having fun, "I'll give you this right now, if you agree to do something for me?" His eyes twinkled as he said this, and that's when I knew that I should've been smart enough not to trust Tyler Gibbs

See, Gibbs was the kinda nigga who liked playing games, and I was constantly his victim. Why those fools brought him into our circle is beyond me, but now he's stuck to us like glue, and he ain't letting go any time soon

Lemme explain, Kagiso, KB and TK all met Tyler when they were in college. Two of them niggas, swore to me that Gibbs was a nice guy, they swore, but ever since I've met him, he's made me feel flustered, and when he was always near a bitch making sparks flew between us. Something that I couldn't understand

I folded my arms, frowning up at him, "Why does everything have to come with a catch with you?" I looked away from him with a huff, "You know what fuck that blunt" I said standing up, seeing as I was getting even more flustered being with Ty alone, "I'll get a blunt from one of those fools" I said, walking back to the door that lead back inside

I didn't make it far, before I felt a hand griped on my wrist, tingles igniting at the contact. What the fuck? I thought as I snatched my worst out of his grasp, "Don't do that" I absentmindedly rubbed on my wrist

He looked down at his hand briefly, then smiled, looking up at me. I couldn't help the cocked eyebrow that I felt my face make, but he didn't seem to notice, "Look, it's not like I'm going to ask you to sleep with me or anything" he shook his head

"Of which I would never do" I replied back to him

He smirked, pausing to stare at me, "Yet" I heard him state, shocking the hell outta me. That statement alone, had me more livid then I was before, so I turned back around and marched to the door

But once again I was stopped, "Will you stop!" I yelled at him, shocking the smirk off his face, but soon a frown replaced it

"My bad" he said with his hands up. I had never heard Ty speak without sounding like he was in a board meeting or something. He always sounded like he was doing a business proposal, which was weird cause he hung out with them niggas, and they always spoke slang

"Look, all I'm asking is that you go out with me" he gave it to me straight. I didn't know what to say to him asking me out, but I didn't like the fact that I was being bribed to do so just so I could get my smoke on

He stepped back further once he saw the murderous look I'm hoping I portrayed, "So, basically, in order for me to get a blunt, I gotta trade it with a date" I paused, pointing at him, "With you" it should've been a question, but it came out more like a statement, "And why would I do that huh?" I threw my hands up

"Oh, maybe I'm like them easy hoes that you flaunt around us, trying to show us that you can have any girl that you want?" My voice rose as I said all this, "Fuck you my guy! Fuck the blunt! But most importantly" I stepped closer so I was in his face, "FUCK. YOU." I sneered

Just as I was about to walk away, his lips crashed onto mine. At first I was shocked, but the feel of his body up against mine, had me melting in his palm like putty. He felt so good, and those same sparks that ignited my body whenever he touched me, had me feeling more than just a little tingle, I felt like my body on fire

He pulled back, and placed his forehead against mine, "I've been meaning to do that for a while" he chuckled, sounding out of breath, "Now as I was saying" he pulled back, but not before kissing my closed eyelids

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I had closed my eyes, that's how intense the kiss was for me. He felt like home, and I didn't know if I liked feeling that way about him, "I'd like for you to go out with me" he looked at me, his hands still on my shoulders as he held me at arms length, "It don't matter if you say no, but I'm hoping you'll consider it" he whispered, his eyes ablaze with something I ain't never seen before

I shivered wanting to be close to him, but also wanting to run away at the same time, "Don't run" he said, smirk back on his face, "You wouldn't like it when I catch you. I'm trying it be gentle here" he closed his eyes as if in pain

Once he opened them up, that fire was gone, and he looked a lot more at ease, "So what do you say?" He bent down so he was at my eye level, "Will you go out with me?"