Don't Play With My Soul

Zenia's POV

EJ made a slow approach towards Anton, and I knew what was coming. With the temper he possessed, and the tension coming from him, it was going to get ugly very quickly. I rushed between them before he got too close to a startled Anton.

"Why are you here?" I asked, trying to direct his attention to me instead.

"I asked you who's this guy?" His dark grey eyes locked onto Anton.

"This is my new friend," I answered.

"I'm Anton." Anton held out his hand to EJ, who only looked at him as if he had the Ebola virus. After a few seconds, Anton pulled his hand back without a returned handshake. "Why's this dude here with you?" EJ's eyes shifted over to me.

"We got caught in the rain so--"

"And so what? His house doesn't have a roof? Why do you have him up here with you? Oh, so that's why you couldn't answer your phone, huh? You were busy with entertaining this guy, Zenia?" "EJ! would you just stop it!"

"Maybe I should go," Anton said.

"Smart," EJ spat back.

"Zenia, thank you for the towel, and the shelter. I'll text you later." Anton quickly moved past EJ.

"You'll text her later? Let me make myself clear bro, stay the hell away from my girl."

"I'm not your girl." I was becoming annoyed by EJ's sudden behavior. He made it clear to me that he and I were over, yet, for all, here he was chasing away my new friend.

"You are my girl!" he said back.

Anton shook his head at him, handed me back the towel and walked out the door.

"What the hell, EJ?!"

"Who was that guy?"

"I already told you that he's my friend."

"He's British."

"Congrats on being so observant." I rolled my eyes at him and went back to the couch.

"I've been calling you and texting you. Why are you ignoring me?"

I looked at him as if he had grown two heads. "Are you serious right now EJ? Are you really serious? The last conversation we had, you said we're done! So the real question is, why are you here?"

"I'm here for you. I want us to work out. I'm willing to try. For us." He sat down next to me.

"There's no more us. Just leave me alone, EJ."

"Ohm so you can talk nicely to Antoine, or whatever the hell his name is, but you can't have one conversation with me about our future?"

I shifted my body in his direction, looking him in the face. "EJ, please stop complicating my life."

"I'm a complication Zenia?"

"Yes you are! You're a contradiction and so damn disrespectful. You have a childish personality and you only want things your way. You men think that women revolve around you, but we don't! We're human being as well and we have feelings too. You hurt my feelings EJ. You made me cry. You made me ashamed of myself even more. You said that we were through."

The tears were there, but I wasn't about to let him see me cry.

"Zenia, I'm sorry." He opened his arms to hug me, but I slapped them away.

"Don't touch me right now. Just, please leave. I know it's your brother's penthouse, but I don't want you here."

He stared at me for a brief moment. He stood up, raking his fingers through his hair. He gave me one more sympathetic look before making a beeline for the door.

My chest heaved in and out rapidly as the tears slipped out of my eyes.

I missed him. I missed his arms wrapping around me and pulling me against his chest.

I missed his eyes. His laughter. His posture. I missed everything about him but I wasn't about to let him break and make me. I needed to be strong for myself, by myself. The door opened again and my mother walked in with someone on her tail.

"Hey sweetie."

"Hi Mom," I greeted and leaned my head to catch a look at the person behind her.

My blood came to a boil instantly.

"What the hell is he doing back here?" I asked.

"Zenia, your father and I have something to say to you. Something you and Jasmine never knew because I couldn't bring myself to tell you both."

"I don't care. I really don't care about anything you have to say in correspondence of defending this asshole behind you."

"Zenia!"

"Zenia, please listen to your mother," my so-called father butted in.

"Please, don't mention my name in your mouth. I don't like you, I don't care about you and I never will. Jasmine made it clear she doesn't want him back here, so what the hell where you thinking bringing him back?" "Zenia, your father went away for a reason."

"I DON'T FUCKING CARE!"

I threw the bath towels across the chair, stood up and went into my bedroom. I locked the door behind me and buried myself in the puffy comforter on the bed.

I took out my cellphone and messaged Anton.

Me: Hey, are you home yet?

British Hottie: only 5 mins away.

Me: what are you doing Friday?

British Hottie: Don't got anything planned.

Me: wanna meet up?

British Hottie: hell yes. I just hope your crazy boyfriend doesn't behead me.

Me: He's not my boyfriend.

British Hottie: well, in that case, can I be your boyfriend?

My heart skipped several beats.

Me: We'll see how that goes. Lets not rush this.

British Hottie: Sure sweetheart.

A text message from EJ popped up on the status bar. Pulling down the bar, I read it silently to myself.

BaeToBe: Zen, I'm really sorry 4 everything I said to u. I was speaking from an angry place but I really shouldn't have let my emotions get the best of me like that. I never meant to hurt u or make you cry. I don't want u to have that impression of me because I'm nothing like that. I know you might think I'm just talking shit but I am falling madly for you. I don't want to lose you and I don't want to let you go. Please forgive me and let us fix this. I know you have feelings for me still, I can see it in your eyes. I would love to make you officially my girlfriend, then my wife 1 day.

I looked at the text message for well over five minutes, reading it over and over to myself.

He called shortly after.

"Hey," I answered.

"Did you get my text?"

"Yeah."

"Baby, I'm sorry."

"I know how sorry you are, but I don't think we're going to work out. It's better to just let this go before more hearts are broken."

"Zenia. Please don't do this to me." His voice sounded broken, and I could tell there was a pain on his chest.

"I'm sorry, EJ."

"Please, tell me this has nothing to do with that British boy!"

"EJ, just stop."

"I swear, if I see him around you again, I'll beat him like a drum." "Goodbye, EJ."

I hung up.

On Friday, I was in the best of moods. Jermery from Hang On had visited my boutique, as he said he would. He was interested in publishing three clothing lines in the magazine. I was overwhelmed with happiness. Anton and I had scheduled our first real date for that evening.

I hurried home to prepare myself. I took a hot shower then toweled off myself. I applied lotion to my skin and stepped into my underwear. I had already picked out my dress, and because it had been raining lately, I paired it with a colorful faux fur coat.

I let down my hair and added some wave curls. I did a light makeup application to my face before stepping into my black heels.

At 7:00 p.m., I was ready to go.

I received a phone from Anton. He was outside waiting. He had borrowed his mom's car to drive us to a restaurant of my choice.

I took the elevator down and walked out the lobby, feeling like a model.

Anton's eyes popped when they landed on me

Anton's eyes popped when they landed on me. Flashing him a bright smile, I got into the car and directed him to the restaurant.

We walked hand-in-hand as we got into the elegant restaurant. A hostess guided us to a table before a waitress came and took our drink orders. We sat opposite each other.

"This is nice," Anton said as he looked around.

I looked around also. I had never been here before. I found the restaurant on Google maps, but the place was amazing.

Across from us at a large table sat Jasmine, Evan, Mrs. Hollen, Mr. Hollen, and, of course, EJ.

I immediately turned back to Anton, flipping my hair more over my face as if I wanted to cover up myself.

"Hey, why do you look so uncomfortable all of a sudden?" Anton asked, as I shifted and fidgeted in my seat.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just hungry. When I get hungry, I giggle."

"Well, we should get the waitress then."

Before I could stop him, he semi-shouted to the waitress passing by, "WAITRESS, some service please."

EJ caught his accent and looked over at us. His body immediately shot up from his chair and his feet were carrying him towards our table.

Oh no, oh God please no.