𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝟏: 𝐊𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 - 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠

𝐂𝐢𝐜𝐢
𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐
𝟗:𝟐𝟕𝐀𝐌

Cara stood in front of the bathroom mirror with her eyes scanning over the pill bottle repeatedly. The house fell silent enough for her to only hear the few water droplets from the faucet hit the bowl of the sink. She looked back up at the mirror and seen the unwanted dark figure sitting on the edge of the tub.

"Well are you going to take your meds or you joining me today?"

Cara rolled her eyes and twisted the cap off, dumping one of the pills into the palm of her hand and swallowed it. She picked up the glass of water and took a big sip letting the water run down her throat.

"Should've skipped the day, I miss the old you let me know when she comes out"

She watched the now frustrated figure disappear and was now only looking at the empty spot. "Get it together Cici" she mumbled and put the top back on the pill bottle and returned it to its usual spot in the cabinet.

"Alexa, play my morning playlist" she demanded as she walked back into her room. Expecting some more up beat to kick off her Thursday morning her eyebrow raised when The Weeknd's voice audibly spilled through her surround sound. "Hmm 'The Party and after party' a oldie but classic good choice Alexa".

Cara used the extra fine pointed sharpie marker to cross out the current day. "Five months" she whispered to herself proudly. It's been four months since she'd gotten out of the facility. The facility she was involuntarily admitted for the sake of her health and to keep her out of 'Harm's way'.

Leo's heavy paws scratched against her bedroom door and she jogged to open it. "Let's go out to the front" she spoke to him knowing that he understood since it was his every day routine. She grabbed one of the leashes hanging near the front door but kept it in her hand. The little boujee neighborhood she stayed in didn't have a problem with him walking without a leash since all of the children loved him however it was always that one complainer that felt the need to say something.

She opened the front door and put in her airpods not turning on any music just yet since there were loud voices outside. She peaked her head out groaned since it was her damn friend and husband doing their usual airing out the business argument. 

"You slept with your assistant and think that there's nothing wrong with that Steven?" Katie yelled out while she lunged many items at him. Cara pursed her lips and made eye contact with her god son who was approaching her house. He walked calmly as if his parents weren't even existing in his head.

"Hey Cici, you going for a walk?" He held his hand out and waited till Leo gave in and went over to him. "Can I come?"

Cara doubled check to make sure she locked her door, a force of habit and nodded at the child. "Yeah, come on you don't need to be hearing that stuff anyways" She glanced over at Katie and pointed at her son to let her know he was with her.

A moving truck and a driveway full of luxurious cars caught her eye when she turned around. It came to her attention that the house that sat directly across from her house, was vacant but she had no clue someone bought it or even paid attention.

Cara was blessed to get in on some real estate with her best friend as soon as she got home. With that being said she knew all about the house and how beautiful it was she just didn't find it necessary to move across the street or even purchase a house that wasn't through her agency.

She didn't notice how hard she was staring at the cars until the door of the Black wraith open, a male got out. His phone was up to his ear and a mug on his face. It was evident that he definitely had some money and sure enough looked good at least from where she was standing.

"Cici!" Rubin, the little boy screamed her name.

"Yes. Why are you yelling?" she looked straight ahead hoping the unnamed male didn't notice her staring.

"I was telling you that my mom and dad always arguing. What's a divorce? Is it like a video game?" he looked up at her.

"You're asking a lot of question today, you know that?" she sneakily glanced over her shoulder to look back once more and quickly turned her head seeing that the male was already looking in their direction.

Rubin snapped his head back and seen who had Cara's attention. "Do you know him? You like him?"

Cara shook her head laughing at the amount of questions he was able to pour out in the short amount of time they've been walking. "How about we race to the end of the street" she quickly changed the subject and he fed right into it taking off as soon as she asked.

𝐃𝐞𝐢𝐨𝐧
𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐
𝟏𝟐:𝟓𝟓𝐏𝐌

Dee walked back and forth in his home office looking at the online obituary of Keisha. He felt like his mind was playing games with him. How was she dead if he just seen her yesterday and why would she move into a public neighborhood if she wanted to get away like she said before.

Everything was still an enigma to him, it just didn't make sense.

"Just go over there and see if it's her"

He didn't want to seem weird if he went and it wasn't her but he wasn't going to be able to chill until he knew. He locked his phone and walked out of the office and downstairs. His obsession with Keisha started years ago when they first started dating in high school. Everything was nice and cordial until she started showing interest in other things and not on their relationship. Deion used every single tactic he could to keep her but once she finally broke his heart he cracked.

Keisha started to notice some of the most Peculiar things happening in her life and blamed them on him. At one point she couldn't sleep through a full night because she was worried he would come in her house or would sabotage any good thing that was heading her way including new relationships and friendships.

Deion swung his heavy front door open and walked down the driveway. The same kid he seen yesterday was outside playing with a dog in front of her house. He looked both ways and jogged across the street. The dog promptly became defensive and started barking and the kid calmed him down. Deion walked up to the kid and nodded at him "Wassup where ya mom at?"

The little boy looked at Dee deciding in his head if he should talk to him or not. But he was a talkative kid so it didn't take long for him to make up his mind. "She's inside, did those hurt?" he asked looking at Dee's arms covered with tattoos.

"Nah not really" he shook his head looking up at the front door. 

Rubin nodded and turned to run to the front door and went inside leaving the door wide open "Ma!" he yelled.

Deion waited outside of the door fixing the Cuban link chain on his neck and furrowed his eyebrows when a woman who wasn't Keisha came to the door. She didn't nearly look like her at all. "May I help you?" her accent let him know that she was from the South.

"Damn, my bad I thought somebody else lived here" his eyes roamed the layout of the house behind her.

"Ohh this isn't my house. I live over there" he followed her index finger that pointed to the Colonial styled house next door. "Cara! You have a visitor" the  lady turned in the door way and walked into the house leaving the door wide open.

He cleared his throat while still standing there waiting to see Her. Cara made her way down the wooden steps and stopped at the bottom when she seen him. She was surprised and also mad that she didn't know he would be the one at her door otherwise she would've dressed a little better.

Deion's eyes inspected her entire body as she slowly came up to the door. She wore a bubble gum colored pink Skims tank top and black biker shorts since she was just chilling with Katie on their off day. "Hi?" her soft voice caught him off guard.

"What's up, Im just tryna show my face I moved across the street and ain't wanna be a stranger" he smiled covering up his lie.

Cara moved her head a little to look past him and over at his house. The same cars she had seen yesterday lined up in the driveway. "Oh..Yeah I think I seen you yesterday" she shook her head and extended her hand out to him "I'm sorry I should've introduced myself. My name is Cara but you can call me Cici"

Deion's shook her hand "No need to apologize to me Beautiful, you all good. I'm Dee" His hand gripped her hand firmly and he kept his eye contact strong.

Cara found his stare very intimidating and looked down at the ground.

Deion could feel the change of her body tensing up and smirked "I'm not gone take up no more of your time I just wanted to come say wassup" He nodded and turned going back down her driveway.

Cara's palms grew sweaty as she built up the courage to speak out to him. "Hey! If you aren't doing anything tonight at seven. I'm making dinner and it would be a good way for us neighbors to know each other...maybe"

Deion was glad to be invited over this way he could speed things up, Hopefully. "Shit that sounds good with me. I'll be there"

Once he made it back up to his house he looked in the mirror that hung up on the wall by the front door.

"Don't do anything to fuck this up Deion. She's not Keisha"

"I know what I'm doing Ion need help." He said into the mirror mugging at the reflected person.

Bari walked out of the kitchen holding a to-go plate from who knows where. "Fuck you talkin' too Brodie?" He looked in the living room that was silent and then back at Deion.

Dee kept his eyes on the reflection of the mirror waiting on the image to fade away like it usual did whenever he was calm. However it was still there. "Nobody. How you get in here? Ian see no car in the driveway"

Bari was concerned all the time about Dee. He was the only one that knew about everything that went on with Keisha. He even encouraged Deion to go see a therapist. "Shit, I parked five blocks away, took a uber, and then went around the back. You know Ion like muhfucka's knowing my next move"

Dee looked away from the mirror and then at Bari "Shorty invited me over. Ima fuck around and slide. See what's to her"

"Who?" Bari didn't think he knew anybody in this neighborhood since Deion just moved there literally yesterday.

"Keis-Cara, she live across the street" He said with a evil grin.

Cici
October 26
7:15

Cara applied some lip gloss and rubbed her lips together making a popping sound when she was done. "I don't know he's fine ass hell, just a little questionable. I mean like who moves into a big ass house and doesn't have a girl friend or anything"

Ari and Katie looked at each other and then took a sip from their glasses of wine. "I don't know Cici that's a hell of a assumption coming from your first run in with him" Katie spoke up.

"Exactly you said yall only exchanged names and then you invited him over. Matter of fact where is he? I wanna see him" Ari laughed and gasped when the door bell rang. "I got it!" Ari jumped up and Katie followed behind her.

"Yall are too damn grown to be fighting over who is going to be opening the door" Cara laughed and cut the light off in her bathroom, "Cmon Bubs let's go" She tapped Rubin who was focused on the phone in his hand.

Cara smiled listening at the top of the stairs how her friends were rambling on good things about her already. It's been a while since her last relationship so she knew they were going to hungrily question him. She made her way down the stairs and brought her bottom lip in between her teeth. It was like every time she seen him he looked better and better.

"Heyy" her voice came out a little softer than usual due to her being nervous. "I hope they didn't tell you too much of my business" she playfully rolled her eyes and then stood between her friends and Deion. "Dee, these are my girls Ari and Katie, who you met earlier. Girls, this is Dee." She pointed between the three people.

Cara then moved closer to the stairs and grabbed Rubin's hand "And this is Rubin, Katie's son and also my god son" She raised her eyebrow at Rubin who had his hand out to shake Dee's.

"Damn you got a strong handshake don't you" Dee joked.

Rubin nodded "That's because ima grown ass man" he said so confidently making Katie mug him.

"Don't make me pop you little boy" She retorted pulled the young boy into the kitchen with Ari right behind her. Giving the two of them some space. 

"Anyways" Cara started and looked down at the wine bottle "Oh thanks, You didn't have to bring anything really" She grabbed the bottle looking down at the brand.

Ouuu that's an expensive ass Brand Cara he might be on to something. Just wait till he knows about me though.

Cara looked over her shoulder shushing the voice lightly but Deion caught on to it. He didn't say anything but definitely noticed it. She played it off sitting the bottle down on the bar that was built in near her living room. "So.. would it be too early for me to ask you to tell me more about yourself or no?" She looked back at him and gestured for him to take a seat on the couch.

"It ain't never too early to learn more about each other" he took a seat, his eyes never leaving her gaze. She was the most beautiful woman he had seen in a long time. He knew she was nervous too because the signs were all there. Breaking eye contact, constantly rubbing her lips together, looking down at the ground occasionally and the way she was blushing.

"So exactly what do you want to know about me?"

~~~~