Between the Lines

ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪɴᴇꜱ
ɴᴇᴡ ʏᴏʀᴋ, ɴᴇᴡ ʏᴏʀᴋ
ᴏᴍɴɪꜱᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ᴘᴏᴠ

It was a Saturday afternoon when Kimora, Sade, and Nia gathered at Nia's apartment to plan her upcoming birthday party. Nia was about to turn 20, and the girls were excited to throw her a celebration that would top all others. Mama Tee, Nia and Darius's mom, was also at the apartment, helping them with the planning. Kimora wasn't the parent type of person but Mama Tee was taking a special liking to her out of all Nia's friends. Their bond had grown over the past few weeks, and Kimora was comfortable around Mama Tee, who was always nice to her whenever she came over.

"Alright, so we're going with the rooftop lounge for the venue, right?" Nia asked, tapping her phone screen to bring up the venue ideas they had been brainstorming all week.

Kimora nodded, taking a sip of her iced coffee. "Yeah, I think that'll be perfect."

Sade raised an eyebrow. "It better be fun. I'm not here for a boring night of just looking cute. I need to not remember what happened the next morning."

Mama Tee chuckled from the kitchen as she stirred a pot of soup. "You girls always want to have fun, don't you? Just make sure you all are safe and keeping an eye on each other. And Nia? You like spending your brother's money don't you?"

"I want it to be unforgettable, though," Nia said, her eyes lighting up. "I need a good DJ, some good food... You know, just a vibe."

Mama Tee nodded approvingly. "As long as it's not coming out of my account, I'm not complaining. And Kimora, I'm glad you could join us today."

Kimora smiled, grateful for the compliment. "Thanks, Mama Tee. I appreciate that. I've been busy with family stuff the past couple of weeks."

"You good girl?" Sade asked. Kimora nodded, looking back at the options Nia had out.

Just as the girls were about to finalize the party details, the door swung open, and Darius walked in. His usual confident stride was a bit more sluggish than usual, and Kimora noticed the subtle frown on his face as he rubbed his temples. Despite the tension between them, she couldn't help but feel a wave of concern for him, but she quickly pushed it aside, remembering the distance he had been keeping from her lately.

Kimora couldn't lie and say she wasn't a bit upset with him, but she also was mad at herself. The two haven't spoken since that night and it's been well over two weeks since it happened. Although she's been out and about like things were normal, it bothered her.

"Yo," Darius greeted the room with a shallow nod, barely making eye contact with anyone. His gaze briefly flickered over to Kimora but quickly drifted away, his expression unreadable. He didn't even spare her a smile or a wave, just continued into the apartment, walking straight past her as if she were invisible.

"Hey baby." His mom said, unfazed by his behavior.

Kimora furrowed her brows, confused by his coldness. He had always been respectful, even if there was some unspoken tension between them. But today? It was as if she didn't even exist.

"Headache again?" Nia called out, her tone light but clearly concerned.

"Yeah," Darius mumbled, rubbing his temples again as he headed into the living room. "I'll be fine."

The room fell into an awkward silence. Kimora couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, but she didn't know how to approach it. She glanced at Sade, who raised an eyebrow and shot her a quick look of confusion.

"Is he good?" Sade whispered to Kimora.

Kimora shrugged, "I don't know..."

The awkward tension in the room lingered, but the girls quickly tried to shake it off and return to their party planning. Nia adjusted her phone screen, tapping away to finalize the details for the rooftop venue, and Sade picked up a magazine, pretending to flick through it while still casting occasional glances at Kimora. The atmosphere was lighter now, but Kimora couldn't shake the unease that had settled in her chest.

Minutes passed, and Kimora busied herself with browsing through the party decor options on Nia's phone, hoping it would distract her from the weight of Darius's indifference. Mama Tee continued stirring the soup, humming a soft tune as she worked. Kimora, though focused, couldn't help but glance occasionally toward the hallway, wondering where Darius had gone.

About thirty minutes later, the quiet of the apartment was interrupted by the soft sound of footsteps from the hallway. Darius appeared again, this time making his way toward the kitchen. Kimora, busy with her phone, didn't immediately acknowledge him, but she could feel the air shift the moment he stepped into the room. His presence was obvious, his tall frame, the way he moved so silently, and the subtle tension that seemed to follow him.

Without looking directly at anyone, he walked to the counter where Mama Tee kept her medication. He didn't speak, but his eyes dark, heavy-lidded from the headache briefly flicked over to Kimora. She could feel the weight of his gaze, but she refused to meet it, focusing intently on her phone, her heart thudding a little faster than usual. She couldn't let him see how much his presence still affected her.

Darius didn't say anything,he never did when he was like this. He took the bottle of pain relievers from the cabinet, opened it with a soft twist, and poured a couple of pills into his palm. He didn't look back at Kimora as he swallowed them dry, his movements fluid, almost deliberate. The silence stretched between them, thick and unspoken, before he turned and walked back toward the hallway, disappearing just as quietly as he had entered.

Kimora let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. The air felt heavy now, even more so than before. Her pulse was still racing, and she cursed herself for feeling this way, so affected by a simple look, even if he hadn't said a word. What was happening to her?

"Are you sure you're good, Kimora?" Sade asked softly, sensing the shift in her friend's energy.

Kimora forced a smile, trying to shake off the strange tension. "Yeah... I'm fine," she lied, her voice betraying her as she quickly turned her attention back to the phone screen, hoping the moment would pass as easily as it had arrived.