Free Black: Part 4 (Black Series) by Kelly Harper Page A

even sound like they’re coming out of my mouth. My brain is still racing to make sense of what I just heard.
    Is Rebecca really saying that she and Wade are engaged? Is that really what I just heard?
    Rebecca’s eyes narrow and she gives me a hard look.
    “Don’t play dumb with me, it’s not like you didn’t know...”
    I shake my head.
    “I had no idea.”
    “You saw us together. You saw how we were... It takes a real bitch to pretend like that didn’t happen. Typical of you Americans... So quick to spread your legs for someone else’s man.”
    What in the world is she talking about? Does she expect me to believe that when I first met her at the conference she was already engaged to Wade? How could I have possibly known? It’s not like I’ve ever seen her wearing a ring—then or now.
    “He never mentioned anything...”
    Her eyes narrow even more. I’m not even sure how she can see through the thin slits between her eyelids, but I can feel her stare burning a hole into me.
    “You are lying.”
    I shake my head, quickly.  
    “It’s the truth,” I say, sharply. “And besides... nothing has ever happened with him.”
    She lets out a mocking laugh.
    “Now I know you’re lying,” she sneers. “I know he stayed with you the other night... he told me all about it. Don’t act like something didn’t happen…” She looks me up and down. “…It’s not like a girl like you could turn down a man like Wade Foster.”
    My mouth drops open.
    “How dare you!” I say, trying to collect myself.
    What the hell gives her the right to accuse me of something like that? A girl like me ? Who does this bitch think she is?
    Fine. If this is how it’s going to be, then I’m more than happy to play along…
    I hold my head up high and look her square in the eye.  
    “Well, I guess you know everything. So it won’t be a surprise when I tell you that Wade did stay at my place the other night…”
    Rebecca gives me a blank stare for a moment, as though she can’t believe what she just heard me say. Her features harden before she responds.
    “So, you admit it, then? You let him stay the night with you.”
    “That’s right,” I begin. “Wade did come stay at my place that night. He was drunk and looking to hookup. And I let him in…”
    Rebecca’s eyes flare and she looks like she’s about to say something sharp, but her face sags before she gets anything out. The words die on the end of her lips, leaving me with a small pulse of satisfaction. Maybe if she hadn’t been such a bitch to me I wouldn’t have had to be so harsh with her. It serves her right to have to think that I might have actually slept with Wade…
    But the look in her eye is too pained and I almost instantly regret putting her through that. But before I can even get the words out to tell her the truth, a movement at my side distracts me.
    I look up to see Calvin staring at me. His eyes are wide with shock and there’s no doubt in my mind that he heard exactly what I’d just said.
    “So it’s true?” he says. His voice is hard and angry. “You really did sleep with him...”
    Oh shit! Was he standing there this whole time? Did he hear everything?
    Of course he did. The betrayed look in his eye tells me that much.
    “Calvin, no, I can explain...”
    Panicked thoughts flood through my head. I stutter, every thought in my head trying its hardest to come out at the same time. But everything just gets jumbled and ends up not making any sense at all.
    “Don’t bother,” he says, cutting me off with a sharp wave of his hand. He eyes me up and down and shakes his head. “I knew I was a fool... I’m done here.”
    Without giving me another look he turns and storms away.
    Shit. Shit. Shit .
    What have I done?

Chapter 3

    Calvin

    I storm out of the restaurant. My mind reels, unable to make sense of anything that I just heard, unable to comprehend how Sofie could do something like that to me.
    I’ve been such a fool. Because of her.
    I’d