LOVE & LOYALTY

Once they got back to the room, Alyse went to the mirror to tend to her face where she was punched. "I can't believe he --"

"Lost such a precious and rare jewel. Don't let that ungrateful bastard get you down. Some people just don't know how to love because they have never been loved themselves." Anthony took a towel and began to wipe her wound softly and slowly. Chills began to run down Alyse's spine. She liked the way Anthony made her feel, the way he looked at her like she was something important, the way he used his soft hands to embrace her and not hit her. They had a connection that she could feel, she wanted to know more about him.

Carmello cleared his throat and sighed. He knew his friend and he better get this out before Anthony ruined everything by revealing that he is married and had to go home. "Say, Ant, Londynn, we got something else we gotta deal with. When I was going to get the room, I walked right up on Ebony beating on a door and yelling for someone to come out and let her whoop the other girl. She was so into that, she didn't see me coming. By the time I got there, the door was coming open and it was Marcos and Monae on the other side!" Anthony immediately fell into a sitting position and put his head in his hands. He felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. Londynn immediately felt enraged! "Are you serious? So you telling me that he is not only sleeping with his best friend's wife, who stayed smiling in my face, but he got his baby mama too? Just when I started to feel bad for what we could have done......all three of them are trifling......I am gonna whoop everybody in the equation!" She looked at Anthony with the most sympathetic eyes. She could only imagine how he feels, knowing how much he has only tried to help all parties. "Anthony, you deserve so much better than that circle of snakes. I hate that they all took advantage of such a good friend, such a good man." Anthony looked up with tears streaming down his face. "I don't understand what I did to everyone to make them all decide that I am not worthy of being treated right, fair!! I have gotta be the dumbest person walking this earth. I had no idea that any of this was going on." He looked around at everyone else with eyes that begged for help. "So what am I? Just a sponsor for their lifestyle habits?"

Carmello grew infuriated watching his boy go through so much hurt. He wanted to go gather all three of them and line them up and shoot all characters for putting Anthony through such anguish. "Ant, Marcos has been our boy, for years, but were we his?? You practically gave him a life and you mean to tell me he still had to come and get some of yours? Hell, if you say he was short with some of your money, then he was coming for damn near all of it! But, man, you have been nothing but family to me and anyone else you come in contact with. They all just a pack of snakes that can't appreciate a good friend and you need to strip they ass and let them enjoy their miserable lives without you. Cause it will be miserable!" Carmello picked up his phone and called a few of his friends that he knew from the drug game that owed him a favor. He needed them to clean up the other room before house keeping came in the morning and saw the mess that was left with Terrence's remains. While he was finishing off his orders for a clean up crew, Alyse came over to Anthony and embraced his face with her hand. Anthony looked up at Alyse with his face still wet, more tears building up in his eyes. "I can't believe they--"

"--Lost such a precious and rare jewel. Don't let that ungrateful bastard get you down. Some people just don't know how love because they have never been loved themselves." Alyse tried to flash a smile at Anthony but winced in pain from her punch, reminding Anthony that she too was a victim tonight.

"You know, Alyse, I don't want you to think that I am like the other fools you've dealt with." Anthony gently ran his hand across the bruise that was forming on her face making Alyse wince once more. "I was gonna tell you about my wife. I just got caught up in the peaceful feeling that came over me tonight with you."

Alyse lit up at the sound of Anthony enjoying her company, "Trust me, I understand! No need to excuse yourself. It's not like I gave you much warning about Terrence."

They had both had a long night and needed some rest. "Let's go to a better place and get us somewhere to rest. I won't bite. Unless you bite me first."

"Can we exchange numbers? I would rather it be a time when both our heads are clear. I mean, are you sure of what you are gonna do about your situation?"

Anthony looked at Alyse with a look of dismay. He was hoping a night with her could take his mind off all the levels of betrayal, but he must agree with Alyse, she was worth a whole lot more than a "rebound girl" for the night! He really liked her and he hoped to spend a lot more time with her. But for now, he needed to prepare to head home and deal with his current problems with his current ladies.

Anthony's whole body felt numb the whole time he drove home. He had felt so many different emotions since Carmello had revealed what he had just seen between the mother of his child, wife, and childhood friend. Anthony felt that there was no perfect time to face the music, so he was on the way home to Ebony now. He had put so much time and money into her happiness. Hell, it was her that could not have children but he still married her! The whole reason he needed the landscaping work was to take care of all the things she would whine for!

Anthony pulled up to his home and was so angry at the sight of the car he bought Ebony, he ran right into the side of it with his Rolls Royce! "Oh well! At least I know what happened to my shit that time, for sure!"

He ran up the stairs and found Ebony laying in bed, comfortably resting. Ebony had been dealing with Anthony most of her life and if there is one thing that she knew, it was how passive he was when it came to dealing with anything to do with her. All she had to do was identify that she had messed up, cry, and apologize. Anthony grabbed Ebony by her neck, giving her the rudest awakening he could imagine! "And then you just come home and tuck yourself in like you ain't done shit, huh?" He grabbed her tighter around her neck, but decided to let her go and explain herself.

"Anthony! You were always working and he kept pushing up on me!" Ebony cried the biggest crocodile tears she could push out of her ducts. "I was only trying to make myself feel better after you bought a baby home with that bitch, Monae."

"Monae? Monae? Ebony, that was one night.....that I barely remember!"

Ebony's eyes grew big. "One night that brought home the one thing that I couldn't, huh, Ant? The one thing that I could never give you, to make us a family, you went and got yourself." Ebony tried to bat her eyes to keep the tears flowing.

Anthony asked, "Did you save money? What was your plan? How long has this been going on? Did you think about how stupid you were making me look?" He hung his head in anticipation of what Ebony would have to say.

"No, I never saved money. For what? I never intended on leaving you." Her eyes were drying. She was not sorry. She was more hurt that Marcos had slept with the same vixen that he had.

Anthony looked up, "Well, you should have put something back because I am done with your trifling ass. Get out of my bed and out of my damn house now."

Ebony could not believe what she was hearing. Was he really telling her to get out of THEIR house? The one she customized to her liking??? "Anthony?? Do you know what you are saying? Have you been drinking?" She threw her hand out to reach for Anthony's shirt and he shoved her arm back, "Don't touch me now, you have not been touching me! Go pull the person you been pulling on!"

Ebony's heart dropped and real tears began to fall. "But Anthony--"

"But??? Get out!!! I will be in the guest room while you get your things!" Anthony stormed off in disbelief that she would give him such weak effort.

Ebony could not believe what had just happened! She started throwing things in her luggage. How could Anthony just throw her out and not forgive her? She took him back after his infidelities with Monae?!! All she really had was clothing and jewelry. When she got to her car, she saw that it had been almost totaled, "Anthony, my car--"

"Take a cab! Call Marcos to use his truck! You are no longer my concern!" Tears ran down Ebony's face. "Anthony, how could you--"

"Ebony, could you please find it in your heart not to grace me with your presence any longer? When I wanted a wife and conversation, you wanted other things! Goodbye and good riddance!!!"

Ebony was so hurt by Anthony and his words but embarrassed to call her parents, so she called a cab to get her and her belongings and take her to a hotel. As she waited on her cab, she called Marcos, but he didn't answer any of her calls. She figured she would just see him later on.