A Love So Right | chap two.

two | unedited

Turning the knob to zero to extinguish the stove’s fire, Brelynn removed the pan and spooned the perfect, fluffy eggs onto her plate. She’d just sat at the island to dig into her breakfast when Ayana appeared, looking worse for wear.

Swallowing the piece of crispy bacon she’d been munching on, Brelynn immediately acknowledged the elephant in the room. “Ouch. You look like you had a terrible night.”

Ayana slipped into the seat next to her and dropped her face into her hands. “I did. I don’t think I slept at all.”

“What’s your beef, Kobe?” Brelynn hoped her horrible dad joke would lighten the mood. 

It didn’t.

“The same as always these days. Raheem.”

That made Brelynn want to close her ears immediately. She’d made it a rule long ago to stay out of her brother’s relationships. Brelynn wasn’t the type to straddle the fence, and while she had no problem letting Raheem know he was wrong if necessary, she didn’t want to strain their relationship by involving herself in something that wasn’t her business.

“Losing sleep over my pin-headed brother is insane,” she kept her response short and to the point.

Lifting her head, Ayana released a heavy breath. “You’re saying that like I had a choice in the matter. Speaking of your brother, where is he?”

“Gone. He headed to the studio about an hour ago.”

“Figures,” Ayana snorted. “And at least sending me a text to let me know he was leaving was too much like right. Though, I don’t know why I expected better from him. He always avoids me after an argument until he feels I’ve calmed down, and we had one of our worst last night.”

“Y’all got into it?” Brelynn raised an eyebrow as her desire to be nosey won. Briefly. “I didn’t hear anything.”

Having lost their parents at early ages, Brelynn and Raheem had been nearly inseparable for most of their lives. As she didn’t have a reason to have a place of her own, he made it clear that she was more than welcome to live with him until she was ready. Something Brelynn appreciated. 

“We weren’t screaming at each other, but it was bad.”

“Yikes,” she murmured, digging back into her food, hoping that Ayana would get the hint and refrain from going into further detail. When Ayana sniffed, signaling that tears were well on their way, Brelynn knew her hopes were futile. “Yana,” she sighed, dropping her fork. “I have no idea what’s going on between you two, but I’m sure it’s not worth crying over.”

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, Bre,” Ayana admitted. “Trying to get through to your brother is like talking to a brick wall. He doesn’t listen and only hears what he wants to hear.”

“Can’t argue with you about that.” Brelynn snorted. “But I will say, my brother does care about you. It’s just on his terms.”

“And that’s not enough for me anymore. I want more from him, and the way he tries to crucify me when I express that is crazy. Wanting affection and emotional connection is human.”

“I’m not saying you’re wrong at all. But you also knew who Ra was when you decided to date him. My brother has never pretended to be anyone other than himself.”

“And that was fine then. But, things change.”

“True, but things changing for you doesn’t mean they’ve changed for him. Y’all aren’t on the same page. Hell, at this point, y’all aren’t even in the same book. I understand where you’re coming from, but you can’t make him be ready because you’re ready,” Brelynn stood, collecting her plate. “And trust me, the last thing I want is for y’all to break up, but I’d never encourage you to be miserable for the sake of a man. If Ra can’t meet you halfway, you may have to make some tough decisions, Yana.”

It was the most unbiased advice Brelynn felt she could give. She genuinely liked Ayana and wanted her brother’s relationship to go far. But she’d never advise Ayana to do so while being miserable. 

“I don’t want to lose him, Bre,” Ayana complained.

“It’s better to lose him than yourself,” Brelynn replied, scraping the remnants of her plate in the trash. “My only suggestion would be to talk to him and lay your feelings out on the table. However he takes it is on him, but at least you will have expressed yourself and have a clear idea of how to move forward. With or without him.”

“Hopefully, it’s with,” Ayana mumbled, toying with her hands.

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, Brelynn collected the last of her things. She may not have been pro break-up, but Ayana’s determination to shrink herself for the sake of keeping a relationship didn’t sit right with her. However, it wasn’t her battle or her business, so it wasn’t Brelynn’s call to make or her place to force Ayana to want more for herself.

“Well, I sincerely hope you figure it out,” she finally replied. “I’m heading to work. I’ll tell Ra to call you.”

And with that, she was out of the kitchen, beelining for the front door before Ayana could suck her back into the conversation. She’d just pulled out of the driveway and turned onto the street when her phone rang, the caller ID flashing her favorite cousin’s name.

“Hey, boo!” she greeted cheerfully.

“Why are you always so chipper in the morning?” Shiloh complained.

“Why are you not?”

“Because I’m of the majority who hates early mornings. You, unfortunately, are an anomaly.”

“You’re talking a lot of shit for someone who called me.”

“I’m contemplating signing the girls up for a competition, so I’ve implemented early morning practices to start getting them ready.”

“Ooooh,” Brelynn squealed. “Send me the details when you have them ironed out. I want to come.”

Shiloh was a dancer, choreographer, and the coach of a budding dance team that had been gaining more recognition lately. They hadn’t competed yet because they were new and still becoming cohesive, but when Shiloh did finally trust they were ready for a competition, Brelynn would be right there to support her.

“I will. And speaking of details, that’s what I was calling for. Where are we going tonight again?”

“The 418fest. There’s an artist performing that I think would be a good fit to work with Ra.”

“Who?”

“Cain.”

“The rapper?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Bre confirmed, maneuvering into another lane. “I ran across a video of him on Instagram and told Ra I felt he may be a good fit.”

“Look at our little budding A&R making moves.”

“Alright, relax.”

While the only music industry experience she had so far was working under her brother, Brelynn couldn’t deny that she had an ear for talent and the desire to help smaller artists connect with labels or managers to help elevate their careers. Raheem’s desire to expand Tone Dimensions from a production company to a record label meant she had to step outside her comfort zone as a receptionist and prove she was capable of helping their business reach its highest potential. The 418fest was her first attempt at luring in an artist and she prayed it wouldn’t blow up in her face. 

“Well, his name is sexy, so he already has my vote.”

“Yeah, okay, Miss Halfway to Marriage. I would advise you to calm down before Brandon snatches your head off your shoulders,” she said, referring to Shiloh’s boyfriend.

 “Halfway to marriage isn’t married and being in a relationship doesn’t mean I’m blind. I can look.”

“You’re going to be looking at the ceiling of a hospital room if that man finds out you’re out here lusting over someone else.”

“Bre, shut up. You want to grab dinner before the concert?”

“I certainly do. Let me know when and what time, and I’ll be there.”

“Cool. I just pulled up to the dance studio, so I’ll text you in a few minutes. Love you.”

“Love you too,” Brelynn replied just before they ended the call.

No less than ten minutes later, she strolled into the recording studio, and spied her brother sitting at her desk, scrolling through his phone without a care. Her hand flew across the back of his head as soon as she was close enough.

“What the fuck was that for?” he barked, his hand covering the spot she’d hit.

“Why the hell would you leave the house without saying something to your girlfriend?”

“Because she was on one last night, so I decided to give her some space.”

“You are about the dumbest—get out of my chair,” Brelynn fussed, shoving him.

Moving out of the way, Raheem raised an eyebrow. “I’m confused as to why you’re mad at me.”

“Because you and your avoidable drama are spilling over into my life when there doesn’t even have to be drama in the first place. Would it kill you to try to open up to Ayana a little bit? Before you run your relationship into the ground. Being avoidant is going to have you alone forever, Ra.”

“I take it y’all had a conversation this morning.”

“Something like that.”

“What’d she say?”

“Nothing she hasn’t already told you.”

“And what did you say?”

Turning to her brother, Brelynn maintained eye contact. “After I advised her that she should talk to you, I let her know that she should leave if she isn’t happy and you refuse to change.”

And there wasn’t a part of Brelynn that felt bad about it. Part of their relationship was being honest, even about something the other may not have wanted to hear.

“I appreciate you guiding her to do what’s best for her, Bre,” he kissed her temple. “When Mila gets here, send her back so we can finalize her track.”

Brelynn shook her head and sank into her chair as her brother disappeared.

“God bless Ayana and her patience,” she muttered. “Because I would have been killed that man.”

***

“Bitch,” Shiloh sat up in the passenger seat, dropping her phone onto her lap. 

Wincing, Brelynn braced herself for her cousin’s dramatics. “Now, before you start—”

“Bre, where in the hell do you have me?”

“Okay, for the sake of wanting to avoid all this,” Brelynn extended her hand toward Shiloh, moving it in a circular motion. “I may have opted not to use street names while giving you the concert details.”

“Because you know there was no way in hell I would have agreed to this had I known it’d be in the middle of the fuckin’ hood.”

“Lo, please. With the way you act, one would never guess your dad used to be one of the most respected—”

“What he used to be and who he is now are two totally different people, and thank God he came to his senses,” Shiloh folded her arms as Brelynn parked. “I’m not getting out of the car.”

“Fine. You can stay until I come back,” she bluffed, opening her car door to exit. She’d never leave her cousin unattended in a somewhat dangerous part of town, but over time, Brelynn learned that the best way to deal with Shiloh’s dramatics was to match them.

Barely two seconds passed before Shiloh scrambled out behind Brelynn, rushing to catch up with her. “You owe me, heffa.”

Chortling, Brelynn took her hand, and the two made their way to the side entrance, flashing their passes to get in. They’d only made it a few feet when a figure slid before them, blocking their path.

“What’s up, Bre?” he grinned, flashing a crooked smile.

“Ugh,” she groaned, throwing up her hand. “Please get out of my face. I didn’t come here tonight to have to deal with you.”

“What you here for then?” G raised an eyebrow. “We both know none of these other niggas are seeing me.”

“And right now, I’m not trying to see you either. So move,” she demanded, interlocking her fingers through Shiloh’s and pulling her along while stepping around G, rolling her eyes.

“Um, who was that?” Shiloh inquired as they reached their reserved section. 

“A lame ass wanna-be who knows he’s trash, so he’s trying to build a career with the bad boy gimmick,” Brelynn quickly fired off, making her cousin laugh. “I don’t even know why people keep inviting him to events. All he does is cause issues everywhere he goes, and the only reason he’s in my face is because he’s lowkey been begging for a chance to work with Raheem.”

“Ewe. No one likes a beggar.”

“Exactly,” Brelynn rolled her eyes. “Especially not a grown-ass damn man.”

“Speaking of Raheem,” Shiloh changed the subject. “Where is he? He’s usually first in line for something like this.”

“Hopefully, somewhere fixing things with Ayana.”

“Do not tell me they’re beefing again.”

“Fine, I won’t tell you,” Brelynn snickered. “Plus, I don’t have the details anyway. You know I try to stay out of their mix.”

“Me too. Yet somehow, their mix always seems to find us.”

“Right? I purposely didn’t ask Ra to come tonight, though. Usually, he helps me vet the artists he works with, but I wanted to do this one on my own, without any input, to learn to trust my instincts. I’ll never grow if he keeps holding my hand every step of the way.”

“True,” Shiloh agreed. “But for what it’s worth, we all know you’re more than capable. I can’t wait to see how many dreams you help bring to life.”

“Okay, before we hop off the deep end, let’s start slowly with Cain,” Brelynn chuckled as the MC took the stage to announce the first act for the night.

Cain was third, so she didn’t have to wait long for him to take the stage and prove that he was everything she thought he was. For her sake more than his. More than anything, Brelynn felt an unrelenting pressure to prove she was talented at scouring new artists. Be it because Raheem wanted to elevate or because it was something she needed for herself, Brelynn’s focus was ensuring that not just her family, but everyone she came in contact with knew her capabilities.

Sinking her teeth into her bottom lip, she sat up, devoting her full attention to the stage. Even if she hadn’t done so, it would have happened the second Cain stepped on stage. His presence demanded notice, something Brelynn had been on since laying eyes on him. 

Because he was shirtless, it wasn’t long before his mocha skin glistened from the heat of the overhead lights. Everything about him captivated her, from the tattoos decorating his body to the intense delivery of his words. Cain was poetry in motion, and any fear Brelynn had about the possibility of being wrong about him melted. His stage presence, immaculate breath control and delivery, and the crowd’s reaction once he was finished, convinced her she’d made the right choice.

Standing, she only offered Shiloh two words. “Let’s go.”

Brelynn’s stomach knotted as she headed backstage, but she trusted the process.

“Hey,” she called to Cain as she approached. “You’re Cain, right?”

Cain raised a skeptical eyebrow and replied, “Depends on who’s asking.”

Her breath caught as she squeezed Shiloh’s hand, hoping the interaction didn’t go left.

“I’m Brelynn,” she announced. 

Cain’s eyes lingered on Brelynn before responding. “Not the same Brelynn who sent me a DM the other night, huh?”

“The one you ignored? Yeah, that was me.”

“My bad,” Cain’s smile widened. “I try to filter the bullshit on my page, so I’m picky with what I respond to. I thought you were a fan.”

Straightening her shoulders, she let go of Shiloh’s hand. “Hardly. But I do know a good business match when I see one. My brother’s a fire producer, and you’re a decent rapper.”

This time, Cain flat-out laughed. “Decent? Decent wouldn’t have you flagging me down to determine if we’d work well together.”

“We won’t be working at all. You’d be dealing directly with my brother, Raheem. I’m just the bridge.”

“And as the bridge, what do you get out of this?”

“Nothing more than the sheer satisfaction of proving myself right.”

As much as she wanted to slap away the cocky smirk snaking across his face, she needed the win more.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to disappoint you. And now that you’ve mentioned his name, I’ve heard a few of your brother’s beats, and they’re fire. If he has one that fits my style, I’m open to listening.”

“What does your schedule look like next week?”

“Open. What’s good for you?”

Without missing a beat, Brelynn opened her calendar to check available time slots. “Our first opening is next Tuesday at two.”

“You gon be there?”

“Where I will or won’t be isn’t important and has nothing to do with you laying a track. So is the date good for you, or do you need another option?”

“Whew,” the man closest to Cain whistled and clamped his shoulder. “I like her.”

“I do, too,” Cain chuckled. “Next Tuesday is good, beautiful. DM me the address, and I’ll be there.”

“I’ll have my brother do it. I wouldn’t want to be mistaken for a fan again,” she waved, turning her back.

“See you soon,” he called after her, forcing a snarl from her.

Shiloh was the first to speak once they were outside the noisy venue. “Um, am I tripping, or were their sparks flying back there? Shit, more than sparks. Fuckin’ fireworks.”

“Not interested,” Brelynn replied tersely.

“Girl, you were damn near drooling over that man while he was on stage. Cut the shit.”

“That was before he tried to play me like I’m a groupie. Now, he can kiss my ass,” she muttered, trekking to her car. 

While she was turned off by his initial impression of her, that didn’t extinguish the minute flame flicking for him. That one interaction was all it took to realize Cain was the last person she needed to associate herself with, and she planned to stay far away from him.