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“I get it; it’s tough,” Trey said, nodding in understanding. “Several of my depressive episodes have been brutal,” Trey admitted for the first time in a long time without shame or regret. “Some days, I never thought I’d find my way out of the darkness, but thanks to my family, I pulled through. I’m happy you did. I know it’s an everyday struggle to endure.”

“Tell me about it. It was more painful than I ever thought I’d be able to survive. Strangely, I did,” Bleu shrugged as she plastered on a smirk she didn’t feel as another set of memories flashed through her mind. She tossed her hair over her shoulders and retrieved her keys from her purse. “Listen, thanks for everything, Trey. I appreciate everything you did for me, and I actually had a good time. I’m honored to be your pretend girlfriend.” She giggled, then leaned across the seat and kissed his cheek.

“It was my pleasure, Bleu Belle. Thank you.” He winked as he slid out from behind the wheel and opened her door. “So don’t forget, your dishwasher will be here by Thursday. I’ll install it as soon as I get off if you don’t change your mind and have the drivers install it for you.”

“I won’t change my mind. I only want you to take care of me, Trey. No other man, just you.” She captured his lips in a deep kiss. “Got it?”

“Oh yeah,” He laughed as she hopped out and sashayed to her front door. “I got it.”

“Glad we understand each other, handsome.”

“Hell, so am I, gorgeous. So am I.”

six

“Oh my goodness, that’s freaking delicious,” Bleu damn near moaned as she returned her fork to the sample plate of food in front of her. “Whew, and that is absolutely scrumptious as well.” She mumbled after biting into a mini strawberry crunch cake cookie.

After preparing the dishes for movie night tonight, she popped the lid off the pan of baked cauliflower and Asiago cheese dip, the buffalo chicken dip, fresh salmon alfredo lasagna rolls, and the cookies. She grabbed four giant bags of corn tortilla chips from her pantry, then moved down the counter to the 7UP cake she’d made for Trey and the dozen weed brownies she’d made for herself.

She’d already had two of the brownies, and after wrapping up Trey’s cake, she popped another brownie and was enjoying the fuck out of her high. She smiled and danced all the way to the bathroom to get dressed and ready to head out the door. After hightailing it out of work shortly after the bookstore closed for the evening, Bleu went straight home, showered and ate, and began cooking the various potluck dishes she signed up to bring.

Once a month, she cooked something different, and most of the town looked forward to what she prepared. This month, the anticipation appeared to be more of the same because folks in town had been dropping by the bookstore all day to see what she was bringing. She hadn’t spilled the beans, though, because she wanted it to be a surprise. Time had been on crack rock all day today, so she was content with them finding out once everyone arrived at the town square.

On the last Saturday of each month, as long as the weather cooperated, the people of Pleasureville Bay gathered in the town square with their camping tents, sleeping bags, and a ton of other camping supplies, spreading out across the large lawn in front of a huge blow-up screen. Whatever movie was chosen was voted upon two weeks prior.

While the activities committee bought all the traditional movie theater foods, after realizing how fast the food went and how many people still weren’t able to grab anything, several of the residents who volunteered to cook were chosen by a vote after a taste test contest last year to bring one or more dishes to movie night. The potluck had become a huge success, and whatever food wasn’t gobbled was snatched up and taken home directly after.

Tonight’s throwback movie was Beverly Hills Cop, starring Eddie Murphy. Even though Bleu had seen the movie a million times, as she was a huge Eddie Murphy fan, she was as excited as a kid at an ice cream truck.

Now dressed, she loaded her vehicle with food, a tent, and other supplies she wanted to bring, then headed to town. She loaded her pans into the carry basket to take to the front of the city hall building when Trenton approached and started helping.

“Wassup, girl, so you're still alive, I see?” he asked, grabbing the pans from her hands and placing them in the basket.

Trenton Nevens was a very handsome man. His broad shoulders, gray eyes, full beard, and stocky build always excited her. His average height, vanilla mocha skin, and bald head added to his overall good looks. He didn’t have the biggest dick, but he knew how to use what he had and made her cum nonstop. Bleu had been in love with Trenton from the moment she first laid eyes on him at Pleasureville Park. He’d later become the second man she’d ever had sex with and the second man to ever have her heart.

Bleu thought she could get past the drama of how his family treated her, but it never happened. It was like the Nevens wanted to run her away, and they eventually succeeded. She was hurt for a long ass time and didn’t talk to him for almost two years. But one night, she was vulnerable, and after crying on his shoulder, she crawled into his lap and told him to fuck her pain away. Because he never stopped loving her, he did exactly what she wanted. They went on to screw for quite some time before Bleu finally cut him off a few years back. Not long after that, Trenton moved to Coreville Ridge, the next town over, to work for their delivery service company three months before Trey arrived. So, while he came home to visit every now and again, neither of them had to endure any awkwardness as they went on with their lives. He’d text her every once in a while, but she kept it quick and emotionless. He’d started texting her again a few weeks ago, but Bleu never responded. She just wanted to leave her past exactly where it was and find the man for her. This was their first encounter since.

“Wassup girl, I see that your sexy ass is still alive and well. Which is good to know since you don’t answer my damn calls or texts anymore,” He flashed her that beautiful smile of his as he pushed her cart toward the destination. “So what’s new, and how come you can’t answer the phone for a nigga?”

“Hey, Trent,” Bleu said, walking beside him as she enjoyed the late evening breeze. “Thank you for helping me. You’re the perfect gentleman, as always. How have you been? How is work going?” she asked as they headed through city hall toward the kitchen, where the food was placed on carts and taken out to the long banquet tables near the rear of the square.

“Well,” he began with a chuckle. “Work is work, but how about we cut the small talk and talk about why you’ve been dodging me like I’m carrying a plague,” Trent asked as he walked with her back to her ride.

“I haven’t been dodging you,” She said after a few minutes. “I’ve just been working and⁠—”

“Come on now, you’ve always been a workaholic and still made time for me. Wassup wit’ you? You dating that new nigga that everybody keep telling me they see you around town wit’?” he asked with a slick grin.

“Uh,” she smiled, then said, “Have you been checking up on me, Trent Nevens? And I know you, the ladies’ man, is not feeling some typa way about not hearing from me.”

“Bleu, you know it’s always been more than that with you. I’ve loved you my whole life damn near. Hell, I’m still in love with you and always will be. If you hadn't broken up with me, we’d be married, and you’d be pregnant with our third child by now.”

“Trent,” Bleu let out a deep, heavy sigh. Walking away from him was hard, but he just refused to accept that her sanity and peace were more important than going around in toxic circles with him and his horrible family. Walking away from him was hard for her, but it was for her own good and his too. “Let’s not do this. Yes, I loved you once upon a time. But you know what your family did to me. Hell, your evil-ass sister and her friends still don’t know when to back the fuck off. The shit is too much for anyone to have to endure in a relationship. Your family made it clear that they would never let us be happy. So I chose my peace over an uncertain and painful life with you. I know you would’ve protected me as you’ve always done, but as I’ve always told you, you shouldn’t have to. I commend you for moving away from them, and trying to get me to leave too, and for wanting nothing to do with them. But they are still your blood. You never could have given me the fairytale I wanted. Even though I know you would've broken your back trying to. But your love just wasn’t enough, Trent. I quit answering your calls because I thought it best just to move on and live our lives.”

As much as Bleu used to love and care for Trent, and for as attractive as she still found him, her feelings were just no longer there. Her growing feelings for Trey had taken center stage in her life. And as much as she kept trying to deny how he made her feel, the shit felt good. It felt right. Like he could be the one for her.

“A’ight,” Trent nodded as he began placing the food on the countertop to be named and numbered. “Well, I always did respect your honesty, no matter how much the shit hurt. For the record, Bleu, I didn’t give a shit about my family when it came to you. I would’ve given you the fairytale you wanted, plus several others, had you trusted me enough to believe that you were the only one who ever mattered to me.”

“Trent, I didn’t say⁠—”