I kept asking Ray questions about our earlier conversation during breakfast, but he only gave me one-word answers until I finally gave up. Elaine tried to act like everything was normal, but I could sense she was still upset about our earlier conversation about Isla Walker.
"Let's head to the living room," Ray said cheerfully after breakfast.
I followed them into the living room, where several boxes of presents were scattered across the floor.
"I hope someone gifts me something truly impressive this year," Ray said with a grin.
As Ray started opening his presents, his excitement waned with each one, though the gifts were impressive: a gold-plated coffee maker, designer watches, Château Margaux wine, and other luxury items. Despite his growing disappointment, I was fascinated by the extravagance.
Then Ray's face lit up when he opened a small box. "Lainey, sweetie, someone gave us tickets to visit space!" Ray exclaimed, his excitement clear.
Elaine moved closer, her face a mix of surprise and fear.
"I lost the bet, Ray. Now we have to go to space," she said, clearly reluctant.
"What bet?" I asked, curious.
"Ray's been trying to convince me to go to space with him for years, but I kept refusing. We made a bet that if someone ever gifted us tickets, we'd have to go together," Elaine explained.
"Space travel is safe, Lainey. I've been telling you that forever," Ray said, trying to reassure her.
"Which company?" Elaine asked.
"Virgin Galactic," Ray replied, beaming.
Elaine sighed but nodded. "Alright, I'll go with you. I trust Virgin Galactic."
Ray's face lit up even more as he pulled Elaine into a hug. "Thank you! I wanted us to experience this together."
Ray's affection for Elaine was evident in the way he embraced her, his excitement about their upcoming adventure evident. Yet, despite the tenderness he showed his wife, his behavior towards me—and even Reina—left me feeling uneasy and confused.
"He loves her, but why does he act like this with me? Trying to sleep with his son's girlfriend? What's wrong with him?" I thought, the contradiction gnawing at me.
"Addie, I'm gifting you this golden coffee maker and Rolex watch," Ray announced, his smile wide.
The gifts were incredibly expensive, and I couldn't help but wonder—was this his way of trying to win me over? I felt a twinge of discomfort in my chest. "I'm sorry, I can't accept them," I said, shaking my head.
Elaine smiled warmly. "Take it, Addie," she insisted. "We already have a gold-plated coffee maker and several expensive watches. Trust me, it's no burden."
I hesitated, glancing down at the gleaming items. "I'll take only the watch," I finally conceded. "My parents wouldn't accept something as extravagant as a gold coffee maker."
Ray nodded understandingly and handed me the Rolex, still neatly packaged. "Thank you, Ray. Thank you, Elaine," I said, trying to muster as much gratitude as I could, despite the unease lingering within me.
"What will you do with the coffee maker?" I asked, curious.
"We sell everything we don't need and donate the proceeds to charities in Haiti, Jamaica, and Zimbabwe," Ray explained. "It's our way of giving back to our homelands."
"That's wonderful," I said, genuinely impressed by the gesture.
Before I could say more, Roe and Grant strolled into the living room. Tendai hadn't mentioned they were staying over, and a wave of unease rolled over me.
Yesterday, Roe wanted to humiliate me with remarks about greens on my teeth. If it wasn't for Elaine, she would have succeeded. Seeing her now made me angry. I couldn't help but wonder why Tendai had allowed them to stay.
"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. D," Roe greeted curtly, completely ignoring my presence.
"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. D," Grant followed, his tone polite.
Grant turned towards me and gave a brief nod. "Good morning, Addie."
I returned his nod, forcing a small smile.
"Can I have this gift?" Roe asked suddenly, her eyes locked on the golden coffee maker.
Ray waved his hand. "Sure, go ahead," he said.
"Thanks a lot, Mr. D," Roe replied, her voice a bit more cordial this time as she scooped up the gift.
Meanwhile, Ray handed Grant a sleek Patek Philippe watch. "I'm so grateful for the watch. Thank you," Grant said, his gratitude sounding sincerer than Roe's.
Roe and Grant walked off to the dining room with their new treasures, their faces lit up with excitement and smiles.
"I didn't know Tendai allowed them to stay over," Elaine remarked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
"I wonder why he does that, knowing full well we don't like them," Ray remarked.
Just then, Tyler entered the living room. I wasn't sure if he had overheard Ray's comment.
"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. D. Grant and Roe mentioned you gave them gifts. May I have one as well?" Tyler asked, glancing at the pile of presents.
"Sure, which one would you like?" Ray responded.
"Could I have the Audemars Piguet watch, please?" Tyler requested.
Ray selected the watch and handed it to him. His face lit up with excitement.
"Thank you so much!" Tyler said enthusiastically before heading back to the dining room.
"Addie, Elaine and I are heading to work," Ray announced. "Feel free to pick out any other gifts you might like."
"I'm happy with the watch, thanks," I replied.
"Alright, let Tendai know to choose some gifts for himself as well. We'll have someone come to collect the rest," Elaine said.
Ray and Elaine left for work, leaving me alone in the living room. I turned on the TV and began scrolling through Hulu, searching for a movie to watch. The room had good air conditioning, and it was quiet, allowing me to relax for a bit.
That is, until Grant, Roe, and Tyler strolled into the room. "They must have finished breakfast," I thought. The atmosphere shifted as soon as they entered. I could sense the change in mood.
I sat up straight, feeling the tension in the air.
"Don't get too comfortable, Addie," Roe said sharply, her voice cutting through the room. "These gifts shouldn't cloud your judgment and make you get close to Ray like Quinn did."
Her words hit me like a slap.
She thought that Ray's wealth and gifts were enough to sway my moral compass like it did Reina. How wrong she was.
"Roe, don't speak to her like that. Tendai already told you to be nicer to her yesterday," Grant interjected.
I hadn't realized Tendai had told Roe to treat me better. I felt happy that he had done so.
Roe's face flushed with anger. "Didn't know it was your job to protect her," she sneered.
Grant didn't respond to her comment, sensing that any reply might escalate the issue. Roe shifted her attention to the gifts on the floor, beginning to inspect them just like Tyler was doing.
"Ray doesn't need these. I'm taking the cigars and two boxes of Patek Philippe watches," Tyler declared, holding up the boxes.
"Ray and Elaine are donating the proceeds from selling those gifts to charities. You shouldn't take them," I said firmly.
"Addie, don't act like your part of the family already," Roe said. "We know Ray gives away these gifts. It's not a big deal if we take a few things."
"Why didn't you ask Ray for more gifts before he left instead of taking what isn't yours?" I asked.
"It's not a big deal if we take a few things. Only Tendai can stop us," Roe replied, picking up some golf clubs. "Grant, you can use these for your golf games with your dad?" she asked, ignoring me.
Grant tested the golf clubs with a swing. "I like them, Roe. They'll definitely improve our game," he said.
Tendai walked into the room. "Good morning, everyone," Tendai greeted.
"Good morning," they all replied.
"Good morning, especially to you, my life, my everything," Tendai said, wrapping his arms around me. "How was your night?"
His friends exchanged glances, clearly displeased with his affectionate tone. They paused their activities and watched us with narrowed eyes.
Tendai kissed me gently on the cheek. "Good morning, Tendai. I had a lovely night. Thanks for yesterday; it was wonderful."
"Dad's parties are always the best," Tendai said with a grin. "I'm looking forward to next year's unique theme. I hope you'll be there to enjoy it."
"Hey, Tendai, thanks for letting us crash here," Grant interjected. "Your dad's party was amazing. We really enjoyed it."
"Yes, the barbecue theme was spot-on," Roe agreed.
"I got to try crocodile meat; it was my favorite," Tyler said enthusiastically.
"I preferred the buffalo meat. It was a bit gamey," Grant commented.
"I liked the rabbit meat," Roe added. "I'll definitely try it again."
"What about you, Addie?" Tendai asked, curiosity evident in his tone.
"Antelope and lamb," I replied.
Tendai's face lit up with happiness. "Yesterday, you said you only ate beef, chicken, and fish. Look at you now—loving antelope and lamb," he said, clearly pleased.
"Tendai, we're taking some more gifts," Tyler said, holding up the boxes.
"Go ahead," Tendai said nonchalantly. "Mom and Dad won't mind."
Roe gave me a look of "I told you so." It was clear they felt entitled to do as they pleased because of Tendai.
"Tendai, your mom mentioned that you should pick out some gifts. Someone will be here soon to collect them," I said, trying to keep my tone light
"No, I don't need anything for myself," Tendai replied. "Let me pick out some presents for you and your family. Look at this box—it has a David Yurman diamond pendant. Does your brother wear pendants?"
"Your dad already gifted me a Rolex watch, and I'm grateful. No need for other presents," I said, trying to sound firm.
"Always so kind and modest," Tendai said, placing the box with the pendant back on the ground.
Grant picked it up with a smirk. "I'll take it for myself," he said.
Elaine's personal assistant arrived for the gifts. Tendai and I helped carry them to the car.
"Thanks," she said, and drove off.
Tendai stayed with his friends while I supervised the events team clearing up the backyard. I offered to take on the task so Tendai could enjoy his time with his friends, who I wasn't fond of. Once the event team left, I relaxed on a hammock in the backyard until lunchtime.
The chef had prepared a luxurious dish of lobster Thermidor for lunch.
"Thanks," I told the chef, appreciating his effort.
"Grant, Roe and Tyler chatted animatedly with Tendai, barely acknowledging my presence despite my being seated at the table with them. Their disregard was a relief; I wasn't eager to engage with them—they were assholes. Once they left after lunch, I let out a sigh of relief, glad to be free from their company."
I turned to Tendai with a playful smile. 'Hey, Teddy,' I said with a giggle. Now that the annoying presence of his friends was gone, I felt more at ease to be myself and enjoy his company."
"I don't like that nickname; it sounds silly," Tendai said, his expression slightly annoyed. "Dad insists on calling me that, even though I've told him I'm no longer a little boy."
"I won't call you that again, Teddy," I promised, stifling more giggles. "Seriously, I won't."
"We finally have some time to ourselves," Tendai said, pulling me into a warm hug. We stayed like that for a while, savoring the quiet moment together.
"Why didn't you tell me your friends were going to stay over?" I asked, pulling away.
"I didn't know either," he explained. "They asked to stay because they were too full last night."
"Was it a bad thing?" he asked, his eyes searching mine.
"Yes, they clearly don't like me; Roe's more open about it but Grant and Tyler act nice only because I'm your girlfriend."
"I told Roe to stop being mean to you," Tendai said. "I'll talk to them again and make sure they treat you better."
"Okay," I replied, though I had my doubts about whether it would make a difference.
"Let's focus on the Easter packages for now," he suggested. "The holidays will be over soon. I'll take you out to a bar in SoHo on Friday to relax."
"Okay," I agreed, feeling a bit more hopeful.
We kept busy from that moment until Friday afternoon when we completed our Easter packages
I sighed with relief. "I'm so happy it's over!"
"Yeah, time to party," Tendai said with a smile.
In the evening, an Uber took us to a SoHo bar called The Prism. I thought it would only be the two of us but I was disappointed to find out that he had invited his friends without telling me.
"They asked to join us when I mentioned I was taking you out tonight," Tendai whispered. "I couldn't say no."
Grant and Tyler greeted me with forced smiles. Grant said, "Hey, Addie. How's it going?" His tone was friendly but lacked genuine warmth.
"Hi, Addie," Tyler added, his smile just as strained. "Hope you're having a good time."
Roe looked at me with a hint of disdain and simply said, "You're cool, Addie?"
I replied, trying to keep things light despite the tension, "Yeah, I'm cool."
It was awkward, and I could feel the discomfort in the air. "Come, let's dance," Tendai said, leading me to the dance floor. "I'll teach you how to dance the Kompa."
My thoughts lingered on my interactions with Tendai's friends. Seeing them had ruined my night. Grant's fake niceness, Roe's insensitivity, and Tyler's creepy behavior—it all weighed heavily on me. Tendai must have noticed the shift in my mood. He leaned in and whispered, "Let's enjoy the night. I'm sorry for inviting them. If I had known it would affect you this much, I wouldn't have."
He looked at me with a look of genuine sadness, his apology adding a layer of sincerity to his words. I began to relax, allowing myself to feel the music and the vibe around me. It was Caribbean night, and the song playing made me feel like dancing.
Tendai held me close, guiding me as we swayed our hips to the sensual rhythm of the Kompa dance. The dance was unique—I had never seen it before. The way we moved together made me feel an intense closeness to Tendai. The way he held my waist, the gentle pressure of his hand, and the synchronized movements felt so intimate. I felt the desire to be with him and to take our relationship to the next level. Just as I was about to speak and express my feelings, Roe rudely interrupted us.
"Tendai, are you going to join us, or do you want to keep grinding with Addie?" Roe said sharply, her gaze filled with disdain.
"Sorry, I'm teaching Addie the Kompa," Tendai said, sounding apologetic. "Can't you guys wait?"
Roe, clearly annoyed, shot back, "You can dance with her after, Tendai. You know we always do it together. Don't kill the vibe!"
"Join them," I suggested, hoping to ease the tension. I planned to wait for Tendai to return and tell him how I felt later.
The three of us left the dance floor. Tendai followed Roe into a corridor while I sat down in the lounge and sipped on a Johnny Walker. I couldn't help but wonder what Roe meant by "we always do it together."
Tendai didn't return after twenty minutes, and I began feeling lonely. "I wonder what they're doing?" I thought to myself as I stood up and followed the corridor he had entered. I knocked on several doors without success until I found one slightly ajar. Peering through, I saw Tendai, Grant, and Tyler snorting a white substance. Roe was sitting on the bed, her eyes meeting mine before I fled the scene.
So, "we always do it together" referred to cocaine. The four of them were addicts who used cocaine together. I remembered his parents mentioning on Thursday morning that they hated his friends, and this had to be the reason—they were a bad influence on him. Tendai had mentioned being expelled from his former school due to drug use, but I had only assumed it was weed, not cocaine.
I hurried out of the bar and ordered an Uber as I walked. Roe caught up with me as I waited for my Uber in the parking lot.
"Don't tell Tendai's parents what you saw," she warned.
"I wasn't planning to," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
"They think he no longer does cocaine," Roe said with a smirk.
"You guys do hardcore drugs!" I exclaimed.
"So what? Go back to your sad, pathetic life before you met Tendai," Roe retorted. "I can spot a loser when I see one."
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. "I know you hate me, and it's not because you think I'll break up your group or hurt Tendai. It's because you see that what I have with Tendai is something genuine—friendship and love. Something you will never have with Grant."
Roe clapped her hands slowly, a smug smile forming on her lips. "Well, well," she sneered, "I'm happy to see you've finally dropped the little innocent act. But let me tell you something, Addie—I'm not jealous of you. I pity you because you don't realize that Tendai will always choose us, his friends, over you."
I felt a surge of anger but held my ground. "Tendai loves me, Roe," I said firmly. "And the three of you will just have to deal with it."
Roe's smile faded, replaced by a cold glare. "You think love is enough? You don't know how deep our bond goes. You'll never really understand Tendai like we do. He might say he loves you, but when it comes down to it, we're the ones he loves and supports."
I shook my head, my voice unwavering. "I don't care how long you've known him or what you think you have. What we have is real. And if you can't accept that, then that's your problem."
"Quinn learned that lesson the hard way, Addie," Roe said, her voice dripping with contempt. "The four of us have been friends since childhood. She joined our little group and thought, just like you, that Tendai loved her more than us. But guess what? She accused Tyler of raping her just to break us apart because she hated our bond. But Tendai didn't believe her for a second. He knew Tyler would never do something like that—he knew him better than she imagined."
Roe took a step closer, her eyes narrowing as her words sliced through the air. "And you know what Quinn—Reina Thingz—did? She slept with Tendai's father to get back at him for not choosing her over us. Her entire career now? It's thanks to Tendai. She's where she is because of him, and you're walking right into the same trap she did."
"Leave, Addie, before you end up like her," Roe said, her voice colder than before. "I've never hidden my dislike for you, but I've also told you the truth. Now it's up to you."
I stared at Roe, trying to process everything she had just said. The twisted web of their past felt suffocating, and I couldn't help but wonder how much of this was true—or how far Roe was willing to go to tear me down.
My Uber finally arrived, and I wasted no time getting into the car, slamming the door shut behind me. Roe's confession weighed heavily on me, like a storm cloud that refused to clear. The twisted history she had laid out about Reina, Tyler, and Tendai felt overwhelming, almost too dark to be real.
As the car pulled away, my phone buzzed in my lap. Tendai was calling me. I stared at his name flashing on the screen, my mind racing. I couldn't answer, not now. Not after everything I'd just heard.
I let the call ring out, rejecting it just as quickly as my thoughts swirled in confusion. Tendai called again a few moments later, but this time, I silenced my phone entirely.
All I wanted was to be home, away from the lies, the secrets, and the questions that suddenly consumed me.
The alcohol I had consumed dulled the flood of thoughts threatening to overtake me. It was almost a relief, numbing the shock of Roe's confession. When the Uber pulled up to Tendai's house, I hesitated for a moment before ringing the doorbell.
Elaine opened the door, her face softening when she saw me.
"I'm sorry for waking you, Elaine," I apologized softly.
"It's fine," Elaine reassured me with a gentle smile. "Where's Tendai?"
"I left him with his friends; he said he'd be home soon." I forced a smile, trying to hide the fact that I had been crying.
"Are you okay, Addie? You sound like you've been crying," she asked, her voice filled with concern.
"I have allergies, and it's worse now because of the cold," I lied, avoiding her gaze.
Elaine let me in, and I hurried straight to my room, seeking refuge from the whirlwind of emotions. But just as I started to calm down, loud banging on the door jolted me. Tendai was outside the door.
I had locked the door as soon as I entered, but now I reluctantly opened it. Tendai staggered inside, clearly under the influence.
"Addie, why didn't you answer my calls or messages?" he slurred, his voice thick with alcohol.
"Didn't Roe tell you why?" I asked, my voice sharp despite my effort to remain calm.
"No," he mumbled, looking confused.
"I saw you doing coke with your friends," I said, unable to mask the anger in my voice.
"Oh, that?" Tendai shrugged nonchalantly. "The cat's out of the bag, I guess. I do coke, so what?"
"So what?" I repeated, incredulous. "Coke is dangerous. You could overdose and die!"
"Don't be so dramatic. I won't die," he dismissed with a wave of his hand.
"I'm breaking up with you," I declared, my voice firm. "I don't want to be with a drug addict. By tomorrow morning, I'll be out of here."
"Come on, calm down. We'll talk about this in the morning," he pleaded, desperation creeping into his voice. "Let's just pick up where we left off at the bar while we danced Kompa."
He leaned in to kiss me, but I stepped back.
"Not now, Tendai," I said firmly.
"Then when?" he pressed, frustration building in his tone.
"When I feel like it's the right time," I replied, feeling the weight of disappointment settling heavily in my chest. Tonight was supposed to be special, and now it was ruined.
"Roe's right," Tendai snapped, his frustration boiling over. "You're self-righteous and a prude!"
"Leave this room, Tendai," I demanded, my voice trembling but resolute.
"I'm sorry, Addie. I didn't mean it," he tried to backtrack, but I wasn't having it.
"No. Get out," I repeated, this time with finality.
I locked the door behind Tendai as he left. Standing next to it, I let the tears flow freely. I heard him open his door after a few minutes, he must have been standing outside, feeling the weight of his words and actions. I walked to my bed and climbed into it and continued crying.
Tendai wasn't who I thought he was; his friends were devils, and our relationship felt like a nightmare waiting to unfold.
I set my alarm for 6 a.m. and cried myself to sleep. The Kompa dance with Tendai had been a moment of pure connection and happiness. The rhythm, the closeness, and the promise of something more felt like a beautiful dream. But everything had gone downhill once Roe had called him away.
The joy I had felt was quickly overshadowed by the harsh reality of Tendai's drug use and the unsettling revelations about his friends. What had started as a hopeful, intimate evening ended in heartbreak and disillusionment, leaving me questioning everything I thought I knew about Tendai and our future together.
When the alarm went off, I jumped out of bed and quickly took a shower. I started packing my things as soon as I came out of the bathroom. The reality of the situation hit me hard: I had almost been intimate with Tendai last night, and now, here I was, packing up to leave.
It took me two trips to move my luggage and plants from the bedroom into dad's car. I was about to leave but hesitated. Leaving without saying goodbye to Tendai's parents didn't feel right. I went back inside and sat in the living room, waiting for them to wake up. I must have dozed off because I was jolted awake by Ray gently tapping my shoulder.
"Addie, why aren't you sleeping in your bed?" he asked kindly.
"I'm leaving," I explained. "I need to prepare for my family's return home."
"Stay one more day," Ray urged.
"Ray, let Addie go back and prepare," Elaine said, stepping in.
"She'll come visit us another time, won't you?" she asked with a warm smile.
"Yes," I lied, nodding politely.
"We'll miss you," Ray said warmly.
"Why isn't Tendai here to see you off?" Elaine asked, looking puzzled.
"I didn't want to wake him. We'll chat later when he's awake," I replied quickly.
"Does it have something to do with the noise we heard last night?" she asked.
"We argued a little," I said, trying to reassure them. "But it was nothing serious."
"What was the argument about?" Ray asked curiously.
"It was about his friends," I admitted, giving a bit of the truth. "I don't like them."
They both exchanged glances. "We don't like them either," Elaine confessed. "Tendai was expelled from Rocky High for doing cocaine—he took the blame for all of them."
I looked at them with curiosity. "How come?" I asked.
"Rocky is a very strict school, Addie. They did a random search and found cocaine in his locker. When they asked him to name the people he did it with, he protected his friends and didn't give their names," Elaine explained.
Her voice trembled with sadness. "My boy loves these friends, yet they are a bad influence on him. They're the ones who taught him the habit."
Ray comforted her. "Tendai refuses to leave them because they've been friends since childhood, and he's very close to them."
I felt a pang of sympathy. After spending time with his friends, I could see that Elaine and Ray were right.
"How do you know that it was they who taught him how to do cocaine?" I asked, curious to get to the truth.
"He confessed it to his therapist at the rehab we took him to," Ray said. "She told us because she wanted us to make sure he leaves these friends."
"He doesn't want to hear that his friends are bad. We even told him to stop bringing them to our house, but as you saw on Wednesday, they slept over," Elaine added.
Tendai hurt his parents with his actions. I had seen firsthand how his friends acted entitled around him, especially last night when they bulldozed their way into our night out together.
"Bye, Addie," Elaine said, her voice breaking with emotion.
"Bye," Ray said, hugging me. "Visit when you can."
I walked out of the house, got into Dad's car, and drove back home.