II. Deep down she knows he was jealous

“I can believe he dared come over to see you and say all those things! How shameless” Tiffy exclaims.

“What's important is everything went well. You did a great job Myla. Don't think about him” Ms. Grayson tells.

“Yeah. She's right. But-why would you think he'd come all the way just to tell you all that? I think he's jealous of Shae.” Brenhilda adds

Myla looks at her. “No. He can't be jealous. He just hates me”

“You don't get it Myla. When last I saw him . . . I kind of feel he's just as tormented as you have been. Maybe he said all those things because he was angry that you're finally archiving your dreams without him next to you”

“Can you please not talk about it” Myla encircles her lip on the straw in her drink.

Brenhilda faces her positioning herself over her seat. “I wouldn't be talking about this if it wasn't important Myla. Let's face the fact. You know who Jamal is. Keeping aside what his financée did to you and every accusations.”

“Both of you had a misunderstanding before every other thing came up. If you analyze this you'd understand that Jamal is very possessive of you. He has never loved you to be a woman of fame. Because he's scared of what that type of world will bring. He wants to support you but then he might loose you. You should try looking at it this way”

“No Brenhilda. No. That's not true. He actually thinks I killed Eliz. He believes in them. Muslims always support their family. It has nothing to do with . . . my fame”

“Myla you're so stubborn. Do you really think if he believed in them you'd be seated here. Trust me you would've been in jail! Reason this out. They had every prove that you brought him down. He lost his business Myla. You know how important that was to him.”

She continues. “Yet, he didn't sue you. Anyone in his shoes will get obsessed. I think he did what he did to you because of what his family will think. I'm sure his mom or that woman pressured him to lock you up but-he couldn't. It was better you stayed away from him than that he put you in jail”

Myla refuses to believe that Jamal could be feeling as hurt as she is. Because all those words he let out to her keeps saying the opposite. They came out without mercy. He deliberately wounded her.

“Maybe he was scared of something else. He could've lost his belongings if he didn't win over me. Maybe that's why he couldn't risk it. Not because he didn't want me to go to jail!”

“That's enough girls. Just let her be. He's not worth talking over. She's gone through a lot without him. He couldn't be of any good help if not just supporting her. Because if you love someone you must support them. You won't hurt them. You won't be against them as she sang tonight. So lets cut all these. She needs rest. Tommorow is another day” her Manager says.

“Myla listen to your heart. Don't listen to the hurt. He was jealous tonight even if you don't accept it. And a man will only show that side of him if he likes the woman.” Brehilda stands from the chair she sat on and disappears into a hallway.

Myla sighs. She doesn't know what else to believe. It'd hurt to know that she's somehow wrong. If only she isn't selfish enough to see that he was right to tell her to leave.

...

“We had a deal Dan. The time is now. If you miss this I'm going to kill you. Remember I know your outmost secret.” Latif talks over the phone, the door of her room slightly open.

“I told you I was not going to do what you asked me to do. That's too much of a risk for me”

Gabriella passes and over hears her communication.

“Don't be Silly! You think I don't know you paid Jamal's translator to miss their appointment on purpose so that he will fail the contract with the French people.”

Dan goes short of words.

“What? You don't have a mouth to talk anymore. Just wait until 24hours then I'd make sure you leave that position I gave you”

“Common Latif. I just needed time to think about this. I didn't say I wouldn't do what you asked me to do”

Latif smirks at her success and turns around, her eyes locking with Gabriella peeking ones through her door.

Her smiles dies down at once and she says. “Give me a minute. I'd call you later.”

She ends the call before Dan responds and walks over to the lady behind her door.

“You just got into this house and you're already seeking for problems. What are you doing standing in front of my door and eavesdropping my conversation?”

Gabriella gives her an apologetic glare. “I'm sorry I didn't know you were on phone. I was passing by and saw the door open. That's why I stopped by to close it.”

“Liar! You've always been a goddamn liar! I'm very certain you're pretending Gabriella. I know you too well. I won't believe you lost your mind even if mom or any doctor says so”

Gabriella slants her head. “I'm really sorry if I did anything to you in the past. But I wouldn't want to remember any of them because I'm happy I can leave without guilt like some people do.”

She is referring to Latif right here.

“And if you do have a clear mind . . . You'd forgive me. Let's become friends” Gabriella extends her hands and Latif looks at her like a vampire.

“Never! I'd not be your friend. Not when you're living in my Fiance's roof”

Gabriella blinks her eyes. “Finace?”

Latif hangs her head higher. “Yes. Jamal is mine. He'd soon get married to me. Well, we were supposed to get wedded a long time ago but . . . Someone distorted us.”

Gabriella ruminates. It's probably about the girl of yesterday. Could it be that Jamal truly likes her.

“You mean the lady of yesterday? The one he got jealous of when she was singing with his supposed favorite artist. Oh. I forgot you were not with us. It's really a shame he is insecure seeing her with another man but he didn't even hug you when he came back. And you say he'd soon get married to you? I doubt” she scoffs.

“Watch you next words”

“I'm just being realistic. Stop forcing yourself over him. He'd definitely love who he's meant to love.”

Latif extends her hands to spank Gabriella but Jamal comes out from over Gabriella's shoulder. She holds back her arm.

“Good Morning Jamal” she pretends to salut him.

Gabriella turns to face Jamal and he looks down at her. “Good morning darling”

She smiles back and fold her arms around his neck. “Thanks babe.” she kisses his lips and turns to face Latif.

“You see? He's mine now. Mine! So you better watch your back henceforth. Because I'm coming for you. I still have memories of all the things you did to me. I'd make you pay Latif! It's you against me! And no one else will have my place in his heart again! No ONE!”

Latif promptly wakes up from her bed breathing heavily.

“Fork!” she curses.

Her skin is soaked in a pool of sweat as she touches her bed which is also damp.

“That bitch! I knew you were up to something. I knew it!”

She goes on battling with her breath as she holds her chest to control its rhythm.

“How dare you kiss him in front of me! I'd make you pay Gabriella! You must leave this house. And this time around I'd make sure you don't survive it” she roars holding her sheet tight.

...

“Are you finally going to tell me what's going on between you and Jamal” Shae asks and Myla stares down at the table.

“Well, nothing is going on between us. We were friends before” she responds then brings her head up.

He sips his glass of liquor. “You sure just friends?”

She nods abruptly. “Yeah. Nothing more.”

“Then he must've been your best friend.”

She shrugs. Maybe not, maybe yes. She doesn't care.

“What did he tell you then that made you cry?”

She breaths out. “I seriously don't want to talk about it.” Jamal said so many things that'd upset Shawnee.

She won't be happy if Shawnee start saying bitter things against him. Deep down she knows that Jamal was jealous. So she better not tell him anything.

“Sure. Just know that you don't have to make him affect you if you don't want him to. He doesn't deserve you. When I saw you crying, I couldn't feel anymore pain. And if I catch him any close to you I promise him a blowout”

She chuckles.

“Talking about earlier. I have a concert in long beach. Will you love to come with me?”

She pauses her lips mid air then swallows hard. “What?”

He smirks. “I love when you're surprised.”

She blinks her eyes then giggles. “I'd really love it for you to be there with me. Maybe we could release more songs together”

She is flabbergasted. “Uhh . . . I really don't know what to say”

“You don't have to say anything. All you need to do is keep up that smile”

She chortles even wider and shakes her head.

To be continued...