The Dividing Line

by Victoria H. Smith

  He laughed deeply. “She always bipolar like this?” he asked above me.

  Drake patted his shoulder. “You caught her on a good day, my friend.”

  I stuck my tongue out at Drake then released my hold of Derrick. After the two of them greeted with a shake, I smiled at Derrick. “Can’t a girl be happy to see her cousin?”

  “Sure.” Laughing, he grabbed one of our bags. “Just wondering what was up was all.”

  I didn’t want to tell him the truth about my crazy dual personality reaction, so I just looped my arm around Drake’s as Derrick led the two of us out of baggage claim. Turns out I didn’t need to explain a damn thing to Derrick because the infamous stares followed the handhold I had with my boyfriend sporadically on our way out of the building. Needless to say, Derrick noticed. As he put our bags into the trunk of his vintage Cadillac he simply said, “Haters gonna hate.”

  And that… was why I loved my cousin.

  Drake draped his arm around my shoulders in the backseat, and I was so happy to feel the stress leave my body. It seemed to let up the further we drove away from the airport and into the busy city. Chicago never changed. The city was always bustling with life.

  I snuggled into Drake’s side, watching him as he pulled out his phone and clicked around. He was probably catching up on emails and stuff after the long day of flying. I’d have to do that when I got settled.

  I looked for Derrick’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “How’s everyone? Aunt Gladys? Those two twin knot-headed brothers of yours?”

  He smirked in the mirror. “Still knot-headed. They’ll all be at the barbeque. Mama practically told the entire West Side her celebrity niece was coming home.”

  Brilliant. Now I was really looking forward to heading home.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Drake

  I watched Lacey’s face turn pink at Derrick’s words. She was never good about being recognized for her achievements, and her reaction to it could only be defined as cute as hell.

  I kissed her hair then went back to my phone. What I saw made me curse. This day just kept getting better and better.

  Lacey leaned up. “What?”

  I displayed my phone to her, showing her my sister’s text. “Apparently, my mom got into my sister’s phone. She knows I’m coming home.”

  Her eyes widened. “What? Crap. Does she know where you’re going to be? Oh God, what if she like sends the cops or the Secret Service to bring you back?”

  I couldn’t help myself. I laughed. The fact that Lacey thought I had the same status as ‘First Kid’ since my father was a senator of Illinois astounded me. “A: my father may have some power, but even he doesn’t have the President’s Secret Service at his disposal, and B: I’m a legal adult who is financially independent of them. Don’t worry. They can’t do anything. And my sister said Mom just knows I’m coming. Not when and definitely not where in the city I’ll be.”

  This information seemed to appease her, but not much judging by the uneasy expression on her face. “Don’t worry. She shouldn’t give me any problems. I trust my sister to keep where I’m at in confidence, and I intend on staying far away from the North Shore.”

  Frankly, I had no reason to head to my parents’ house. The place never really felt like home anyway since I lived there for such a short time after my family moved from East St. Louis. Being with Lacey was my home now. Why go back and open up old wounds that didn’t need to be reopened?

  “All right,” she said, staring at my phone. “You should invite your sister to come to the barbeque. I don’t know if I’ll have time to see her before I leave town.”

  “That wouldn’t be imposing on you and your family?” I already felt like I was intruding on the gathering. They were definitely coming to see their star, not me. I just happened to be there because I was going to be living at the residence.

  Lacey opened her mouth, but Derrick cut her off.

  “You kiddin’? Mama invited the whole damn neighborhood to this thing. And you’re fam now, which means your sister is family.”

  Lacey grinned, nodding in confirmation.

  I smiled inside at their acceptance. It was nice they saw me that way. I’d never met a family so willing to open their arms to someone. My own family included. I quickly texted my sister and laughed at the response. “She says, and I quote, ‘OMG. Are you serious?’”

  Lacey chuckled.

  “Then followed by the word ‘squeals’ surrounded in asterisks. Now she says, ‘We’re at a stupid dinner thing with some of Dad’s friends, but I’ll play sick and get out of it. Just send me the address, and I’ll see you there.’”

  Lacey shook her head. “Like brother like sister. Always sneaking out of things.”

  She was referring to the grand escape I made last year at my father’s campaign fundraiser. The escape that ended up with me on her side of town. “And I’ll never regret it. My sneaky escapes allowed me to meet you.”

  She cooed, brushing her nose up against mine with a smile. Of course when she did that, I took advantage, peeking my tongue out for a taste of her lips. Before we knew it, she was practically in my lap.

  “I’d tell y’all to stop since you’re grossing me out, but I’ll have a little sympathy for you and allow you to get it out of your system. Just try to keep it down.”

  Lacey and I both frowned, and I made eye contact with Derrick through the rearview mirror. “Sympathy? Care to elaborate?”

  Derrick met my eyes in the mirror. “Mama’s kind of traditional. Let’s just say I don’t bring women anywhere near the house. So you both better get your groping out of the way now before we get there.”

  “Dammit. He’s right.” Lacey sighed. “I’m sorry, baby. Mama was that way too. They just grew up a certain way.”

  As I put two and two together, my dick went soft. Almost like it was anticipating the lack of action it was about to get while Lacey was in town. “We won’t be able to—”

  “Get it on. Freak a leak. Toss in the sheets. Whatever you want to call it, it ain’t happening in Mama’s house,” Derrick continued. “She won’t care that you’re a paying tenant.”

  Well, damn, if I had known that bit of information I might have reconsidered living with them. I wanted as much time with Lacey as I could before she left, and I had planned on most of that time being spent in my bed. I needed to heavily overcompensate for the upcoming dry spell.

  “Don’t worry,” Lacey said, rubbing my chest. “We’ll figure something out.”

  God, I hoped so.

  *

  I was now very, very anxious as we turned the urban street corner onto Derrick’s block. What kind of a person was Lacey’s Aunt Gladys? I’d only met the woman once, but not while Lacey was present. Was she the type of person to freak out if I held her niece’s hand too long? I didn’t want to disrespect her since she opened her home to me. I guess I would play it by ear and see what happened.

  I moved the thought to the back of my mind as we came up to Derrick’s two-story home. The entire area was literally filled with people. Derrick wasn’t lying when he said his mama invited half the neighborhood.

  Kids played in the street out front while the adults chatted in lawn chairs or stood around with paper plates filled with barbeque, the smells of which wafted wonderfully into the cabin of Derrick’s Cadillac. I apparently wasn’t aware of how much I missed the food on the West Side because my insides just about went feral with hunger pains. I hoped Lacey’s aunt made those ballin’-ass collard greens I had the last time I was here. I was torn from the food porn images in my head as I watched Lacey. She studied everyone through the window, smiling, but I knew she must have been uneasy. She wasn’t shy reflecting her feelings about not wanting to come home. But all the worry for her went out the window the minute the Cadillac door opened. Family and friends rushed her and I expected her to shy into herself like she always did when it came to recognition. But the minute the cheering and congratulations began, my girlfriend turned into
a new woman. She was confident as hell, regarding everyone with a bright expression, and it wasn’t an act. I knew acting. I saw that every time she was on stage and this wasn’t it. She genuinely took it all in, absorbed it all. She gave hugs to every greeter, shook hands, and received kisses on her cheek. She was happy.

  I stepped back and let them take her, not wanting to get in the way of her moment. I’d never seen such a thing as I watched her react to them. Not just her reaction, but also their response to her. Lacey couldn’t possibly be related to all these people, but they were treating her like they were. Like she was family. She was one of them and belonged with them no matter how long she’d been away. I felt odd in the moment. Like I didn’t belong there. Like I was an onlooker, intruding on the powerful connection these people had in their community. This was something I’d never once felt in my own life, and I had a feeling that had nothing to do with the fact that I wasn’t related by blood to my family. What these people had was different and clearly required no blood connection. So why had I never felt that?

  A hand slipped into mine, and I came out of my thoughts. It was Lacey. And she was smiling.

  “Hey. Where did you go? I want you to meet everyone,” she said, tugging on my hand.

  I went, though a little uneasy. Would her family and friends have issues with me like Tyrone did? That I was taking something away from them by dating one of their own, who just so happened to be outside of my race?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Lacey

  Somewhere between leaving Derrick’s car and almost making it to my aunt’s porch, I’d lost my boyfriend. When I found him, the look on his face told me all I needed to know. He was anxious. I had a feeling why, so I made sure to bring him close to me. These people that I grew up with and the ones who took care of me—not only when I was young, but when Mama passed—needed to know who I was with. I was proud of him and I was going to show him off. Derrick saw what I was doing and backed me up, patting Drake on the back as I brought him up to some of the oldest people on the block.

  “Hey, everyone this is Drake. My boyfriend.” I gestured toward him.

  They only watched him for a moment before their hands went out to him. Drake’s face flashed relief as a couple of the big burly guys gave him a strong handshake and the women gave him warm hugs. I couldn’t stop smiling as I watched. The biggest hug he got came from my Aunt Gladys, the one who scolded me that he was missing in the first place after she greeted me. Once she got him in a hug, she wouldn’t let him go, and I laughed.

  When she finally released him, she set her hand on top of his. “Thank you so much for taking care of Lacey, Drake.”

  Drake’s cheeks actually flushed at her words! He rubbed the back of his neck. “Nah. I didn’t really do anything.”

  His modesty caused my aunt’s eyes to widen. “Didn’t do anything? Everyone?” She gazed around at the small city that seemed to have formed on her lawn. “This boy here went all the way to France to be with our Lacey while she made a name for herself.” She shifted her focus back to him. “Around here, we don’t call that nothing, boy.”

  The crowd joined in with the acknowledgement, patting him on the back and tipping their drinks to him. If Drake didn’t look overwhelmed before, he did now. I decided to save him by giving my aunt a knowing eye to wrap things up.

  She understood and waved Derrick to her. “Can you get Drake and Lacey’s bags, baby? We’ll show them both where they’ll be staying. And get your brothers off that game to help you.”

  Derrick chuckled. “Easier said than done, Mama,” he said as he passed us and went into the house.

  “Let me know if they need some persuading,” she called into the screen door after him.

  I heard my cousins’ matching groans first, then saw their pouts second as they followed Derrick out of the house. I snickered. I was sure Aunt Gladys was happy she bought them their game system. The two were absolute drones to the thing during family functions. I moved to the side as the twins passed me. I flinched as they were popped in the back of the head quickly by my aunt.

  “Say hi to your cousin,” my aunt said as the boys rubbed their bald fade haircuts.

  I tried to hold in my smile as I gave them strong hugs. The twelve-year-olds had gotten so big that I’d be staring up at them next year for sure. How quickly things change when you left home for a while.

  “Hey, Lacey,” Keon said, then his brother, Kenton, before they followed Derrick to his car. I rubbed their heads as they left—to which they quickly rolled their eyes and grumbled something about being men now. How quickly things did change.

  Drake and I followed Aunt Gladys as she led the way into the house.

  “Lacey, you’ll be resting here.” Aunt Gladys gestured to the couch. There was a stack of bedding and pillows to the side of it. “There’s the pull out bed, but you know that from staying here before. You can keep your bags in my room.”

  My aunt kept moving us through the small home, and Drake snuck me a look of what could only be described as sheer pain when she turned. I gave him a reassuring smile as we hit the stairwell to the second level. I certainly wasn’t happy about the abstinence that was forced upon us, but I knew I’d have to be the strong one here when it came to Drake and me. If he had it his way, we’d be tossing in the sheets the majority of our time together. My skin pricked goosebumps and heat shot straight to my core thinking about it. I guess I was in more trouble than I thought. I quickly whispered to him again that we’d figure it out.

  When we got to the top of the stairs, Aunt Gladys moved to the side to allow us inside. “It’s not much, Drake, but it’s yours as long as you want it.”

  The upstairs was pretty much restricted to Derrick, Margot, and me as children, but that didn’t stop us from playing house in the one bedroom. It was a basic set up with a queen-sized bed on one side of the room and a couch with a small box television on the other side. There was a separate bathroom and shower, but Drake would have to use the kitchen downstairs if he wanted to cook with anything other than a microwave. He didn’t do this often, so I was sure he wouldn’t be downstairs too much. My aunt gestured to door that led to the separate entry.

  “You can come and go as you please,” she said to him.

  Drake gazed around the space. “Thank you. This will be great.”

  The two of us stepped aside as my cousins arrived with the luggage. Derrick had the large bag and Drake said he could set it anywhere. Kenton set down a smaller bag, but Keon didn’t have one at all. My aunt noticed.

  “Why aren’t you carrying anything?” she asked him.

  He stood next to his twin. “I put Lacey’s stuff in your room.”

  Aunt Gladys stared at the luggage. “Is this all the stuff you brought, Drake?”

  He nodded. “I’m having the rest shipped. It isn’t too much. Just a couple of boxes.”

  Drake wasn’t lying when he said that about his stuff. He came to France with barely anything at all. It was almost like he literally refused to take anything from his parents—even his own stuff. He bought most of the clothes he owned in Europe. In his decision to come back home, I idly wondered if he would go back for his things. But the statement he made in the car let me know he wasn’t any closer to seeing his parents. The bridges between them were burned far too badly. I hoped over time that would change. I knew from personal experience that wasting time when it came to the person you loved was silly. Time wasn’t secure. The future wasn’t permanent. Your loved ones could be with you one second and gone the next.

  Keon and Kenton quickly flitted off, mumbling something about finishing their game, and my aunt shook her head. She came over and wrapped her arm around my waist.

  “So how long do I have you before we have to give you back to your fans?” She shook me with a smile.

  I rolled my eyes. I sent my family one French newspaper clipping with me in it, and now, I was a celebrity. “Not long. I’m just here to help Drake get settled. Then I have to head back.
Production starts soon.”

  Aunt Gladys couldn’t hide her sadness, but I knew she wouldn’t let on. She was happy for me and knew that this was what I wanted. I just wished that Drake was a part of it. I wouldn’t let the thought linger. He said we’d figure it out, that we’d be together, and I trusted him. I had to in order to make myself feel okay about going back.

  He smiled at me when I looked over at him, and Aunt Gladys sure didn’t miss that. She hugged me tight, staring at the two of us.

  “Well, I’m happy for the time we got you here,” she said. “And of course you’ll be stopping by to see your Mama before you go. Right, baby doll?”

  My features may have been schooled in that moment, but my heart let me know how much her words affected me. It was times such as these I was glad I was an actress. Between the oh too familiar label she called me and her warm brown eyes staring back at mine, my emotions were severely triggered. She reminded me so much of Mama that sometimes it hurt. Their faces were nearly identical. Hers was a tad older than her younger sister’s, but still so similar, and her calling me ‘baby doll’ like my mama always did only made me feel the pain in my heart even more. What could I tell my aunt except what she wanted to hear?

  “Of course,” I said, making sure the answer came out genuine.

  She gave a small smile, patting my back as she released me. “Good. Well, I’ll leave you guys to it here. How about I make you and Drake a plate for when you come down?”

  I had suddenly lost my appetite, but I told her a bit of barbeque chicken would be fine and some coleslaw. Drake rattled off his list of soul food—though I could tell he held back. He probably didn’t want to be rude by eating her out of house and home.

  He came over to me after she left. “Why did you lie?” he whispered in my ear.

  I let out a breath. He was the one person I could never fool. I shrugged. “I’m just not ready I guess. I haven’t seen her since the funeral. I just—I don’t think I can. Not yet.”