One good reason, p.31
One Good Reason, page 31
“I own this love.” He chuckled. “You can enjoy as many games as you’d like. Just let me know and I’ll set it up for you.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Have you ate?”
“I had a few wings. I’ll get more. Right now, I’m busy nursing this.” I held up the cup that contained whatever concoction Promise had whipped up.
“Eat before you overdo it.”
“I will,” I promised.
Law pecked me on the cheek and let my waist go before saying, “I’m going to call Preme and see where they are.”
“Okay.”
Giving the field one last look around, I walked over to where Gema and Mrs. Jessie was seated and copped a squat. “Bertha Mae, you good? Want me to fix you something else to eat?”
“Jessie said them crab cakes was pretty good. I’ll get one after a while.”
“Just let me know and I’ll get it. Law gon’ walk you down to the field in a minute so you can meet some of the players.”
“I sholl hope Deuce one of ‘em.”
“Who is Deuce, Gema?”
“The wide receiver, Tali. I swear Joe should’ve taught you more ‘bout sports.” She giggled. “That big heavy hunk that got all the girls going crazy.” She stared at me like I should’ve known who she was talking about.
My shoulders lifted passively. “No clue, Gema,” I tittered, making her and Mrs. Jessie both shake their heads. “When the game starts, I’ll let you tell me who everybody is.”
Gema patted me on the hands and said, “Stay pretty baby. It works best for you.”
“Whatever.” I giggled. Downing the rest of my alcohol, I stood and walked away from the pair and over to the makeshift bar. I needed to fix myself another drink and calm my nerves down before everyone else showed up.
Part of me was nervous for Rossi and Marsha to find out about me and Law. The other part was more nervous about meeting his mama and brother. The same mama that I never thought I’d have the opportunity to meet. I guess her accident had flipped a switch inside of Law because he actually told his brother to bring her down.
I was lying on his chest when he called him up and told him she could attend the game with him. The shock in Sincere’s voice mimicked the expression that flashed across my face. I didn’t question him, I simply let him make whatever decision he needed to. My relationship with my mama was damaged beyond repair but if Law could somehow forgive his and work on their relationship, I would be on the sideline cheering him on.
“You want me to fix that? You standing there looking like you don’t know what your next move is.” Promise giggled beside me.
“Please,” I drawled and held my cup out for her.
Taking it out of my hand, she topped the ice off, poured coconut puree in the bottom, and filled the rest with Don Julio and some juice. “Taste this and see if you like it.”
Grabbing the cup out of her hand, I took a sip and nodded. “It’s good.”
“I’m knowing it.” She laughed. “Drix told me you guys were opening a technical college.”
“We are. My goal is to have it up and running by the spring. Fingers crossed that everything goes as planned.”
“That’s amazing. I can’t wait to see it.”
“Me either girl. Me either. You know what else I can’t wait for… some more of your soaps.”
“You’ve used my products?”
“Drix gave Law a box full of the one for eczema. My granny suffers from psoriasis and when Law found out, he came home with some and I’ve been using it ever since.”
“The oatmeal and lavender one?”
“Yesssss,” I drawled. “That’s the one. Gema loves it.”
“I’ll get your address before I leave and ship you some more.”
“Actually, I ordered some a few days ago. I’m just waiting on it to arrive.”
Pulling her phone out of her pocket, Promise tapped on the screen for a few minutes before nodding and shutting the phone back off. “I found your order. I just refunded what you spent. As soon as it’s shipped out, I’ll send you the tracking info.”
“Promise, you didn’t have to do that.”
“Your man in a way saved my relationship. I owe him big time for that.”
“Aww.” Wrapping my arm around her, I pulled her into a hug. “Thank you so much for that.”
“It’s no problem girl. Trust me.”
“The muthafucking queen has entered the building.” Rossi voice rang out through the suite, garnering the attention of everyone in attendance.
“Who is that?”
“My assistant.” I laughed. “My very gay, very flamboyant assistant.”
“Well honey, he is working that tutu.” Promise snapped her fingers.
Sure enough, Rossi ass showed up in a black and red tulle tutu. He had on a Demons jersey and under the tutu were a pair of tights.
“Somebody is in the Demons spirit,” I teased.
“I love watching a bunch of men run up and down the field tackling each other. I’m trying to be on the bottom of a stack.” He giggled.
“Y’all have to excuse him,” Marsha spoke up. “We’ve been pregaming all morning.”
“That explains it. Promise, this is Rossi and Marsha.”
“Her best friend.” Rossi held his hand out.
“Move fool,” Marsha groaned.
“Promise is Hendrix’s girlfriend.”
“Oh my God!” Rossi gasped. “Not my man cheating on me.” He feigned hurt.
“Who yo’ man?” Promise asked.
“Drix.” Tilting his head, Rossi looked her up and down. “He didn’t tell you?”
“Do not pay this fool any mind,” Marsha butted in. “He’s got this harmless little crush on Hendrix.”
“That’s all it better be.” Promise smirked. “I’m territorial about that one right there.”
“Me too!” Rossi joked with her.
“Come on clown!” Marsha grabbed his hand and drug him away.
“You really have to look over him, he’s very colorful.”
“I’m not paying him any attention. I have a gay guy friend; believe me I know how they act.”
“Good,” I breathed. “I don’t want you to be offended or anything.”
“Never,” she avowed and took a sip from her cup. Peering over the rim at me she asked, “So, you and Dutch?”
“Who?”
“My bad, Law. Drix calls him Dutch.”
“Oh okay. I never heard of anyone refer to him as that.”
“It’s probably an inside thing. But don’t evade the question. The two of you are a thing?”
“We’re newly a thing. It started out as us just working together.”
“That’s always how it starts out. You’re a good look for him. I don’t know much about his ex but from the way baby described her, no one really cared for her.”
“Well, those two over there.” I tossed my head in Marsha and Rossi’s direction. “They adore her. I’ve only heard good things about her.”
“Drix said she was stuffy so when he mentioned that Dutch was with dating someone else, naturally I assumed you would be as well. This is the first time I’m meeting him in person. I mean, we’ve talked on the phone a few times and I never got snob from him so I’m glad to see you’re different than what I expected.”
“Glad I met your expectations.” I laughed lightly. “I’ve met his other set of friends, and I must say I’m fonder of this group. Those were the snobby rich ones. I’m grateful for them because they’ve assisted with making the school a thing but I’m from the country that’s not my crowd.”
“I come from that crowd.”
“I’m sorry, Promise. I wasn’t trying to offend you.”
“I’m the last person that you can offend. I was getting ready to say I come from that crowd and don’t fit in. Never have. My parents loathe my relationship with Hendrix because he’s not from our pedigree.”
“That’s gotta be difficult.”
“It’s not. I don’t care enough to appease them.” She shrugged dismissively. “I love him and that’s all that matters.”
“I love you already!” I gushed. “We have got to get together outside of this.”
“Our men are friends. I don’t expect this to be the last time we see each other.”
“I hope not.”
The notes from Law’s cologne tickled my nose, letting me know that he’d made his way back into the suite. Snapping my eyes away from Promise, I searched around the room until they landed on him. He was in the corner of the room helping his mama out of the wheelchair. She looked well put together. Her salt and pepper hair were in big barrel curls and hung down past her shoulder. Instead of being in Demons gear, she wore a black blazer and a red shirt underneath.
The expensive jewelry she wore gave off rich bitch vibes which I knew she was because Law often gripped about her running up a tab in a few designer stores. The tall light-skinned guy standing with them I assumed was his brother. Once he had her out of the chair and seated, his eyes roamed around the room until they locked with mine. Motioning with his head, he called me over.
Turning to Promise, I let her know that I’d be back. When I got close to where the three of them were Law reached out and grabbed my hand. “Talitha, this is my mother Valerie and my little brother Sincere.”
“It’s such a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard so much about both of you.”
“What’s up, sis?” Sincere wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “If this nigga gives you any problems, you holla at me. You can call me Preme or Supreme.”
“Your name is Sincere.” Their mama chided. “Talitha, was it? It’s so nice to meet you. I don’t know what my son has told you about me, but I hope the two of us can get together and chat. I know Lawton doesn’t speak highly of me so if I can change your perception of me, I would love that opportunity.”
“Don’t start,” Law rasped.
“What?”
“I don’t bad mouth you to anyone.”
“Mrs. Harvey, I assure you he doesn’t. Has he told me about the history between the three of you, yes. However, he’s never had anything negative to say about you.”
“Well, I guess I can appreciate that.” She smiled up at him.
I could tell she was longing for their situation to change. Law stood there unmoved by her, so it was clear he was still on the defense. He was uncomfortable so I decided it would probably be best to separate the two of them.
“Mrs. Harvey, I have someone I want you to meet. Give me one second.” I walked off.
If anybody in this room could cure the awkwardness, it was Bertha Mae. Even if only temporary, she could restore some sort of peace.
CHAPTER 31
Lawton
Iappreciated Talitha for stepping in when she did. Had she not, me and my mother would have probably ended up arguing. I never intentionally bad mouth her nor did I shout from the top of the roof how jaded and twisted our history was. I simply just ignored the situation and opted out of dealing with it.
I knew bringing her around everyone had the potential to give them a glimpse into a part of my life that I’d intentionally kept hidden. Hendrix, Preme, and Talitha knew the most about our relationship, so it wasn’t a secret to either of them. I’d been in my head and shit, my heart for that matter, regarding repairing our relationship.
I won’t lie like when that call came through from Preme regarding her accident I wasn’t scared shitless. I’d purposely kept myself away for so long that I didn’t know how I would feel when I saw her lying in that hospital bed. Upon seeing her bruised face my heart slowed down, she was alive. Had the situation gone another way, I would’ve been burying her without hashing out our issues.
For the past few days, I’d wrestled with the idea of reconciling with her; accepting her apology and just letting the shit go. She wanted to put the past behind us, but I felt like we needed to confront it. I mean, just brushing the shit to the side wouldn’t do anything but have us bringing it up anytime we disagreed on something. I’d always told Preme I would talk to her when I was ready and after exposing my relationship with Adele, I was no more ready than I was before I got that call.
One day I would get there but today I wanted to get her out of the house and bring her around my people. A part of me wanted her to see how good I was doing, wanted her to regret not playing a bigger role in my upbringing. I wanted her to see that I made it despite her not being there for me.
Sliding up beside me, Preme leaned across the railing and stared out at the field. “I wanted to tell you thank you for putting your pride to the side.”
“I did this for me. Not her.”
“Don’t matter the why. You did it and that’s all that matters.”
“She tell you I told her ‘bout Adele.”
“She did,” he confirmed. “Called Adele up and told her the next time she saw her she was gon’ beat the shit out of her.”
“I believe her.” I laughed.
“Shit me too,” he agreed. “How you feeling ‘bout that?”
“What… Adele?”
“Mama knowing.”
“Don’t really know.” I shrugged. “I only told her out of spite. I knew it would hurt her.”
“That it fucking did. You not worried ‘bout this messing up business with Adele?”
“Believe me, Adele ain’t stupid enough to cross me.”
“Good. I like her.”
“Who… Talitha?”
“Yeah. Like her for you.”
“I love her.” I don’t know when the shit happened, but it did, and I’ve accepted it.
“Love her like you loved Dah?” Preme queried.
“Nawl. I love her.”
“Does she know?”
“She doesn’t.”
“Come on, Dutch,” he groaned.
“Things in her past has her incapable of accepting my love, Preme. Ain’t like I’on wanna tell her. I just know that the point she is in- in her life, has her feeling she’s not worthy of it. Until she can come to grips with the shit, me telling her won’t make a difference.”
“You could try.”
“She’s not ready. Believe me. And in a way, neither am I. The way I feel for her surpasses anything I ever felt for Adele.”
“Damn, Dutch,” Preme sighed.
“It’s that deep. I let her meet Mama.”
“Dah met mama.”
“By default. It was never intended for the two of them to cross paths. This–” I pointed. “Was intentional. I’m trying Preme. Give me that aight.”
“One thing at a time,” he conceded.
“One thing at a time.”
“I’mma go check on Mama. Loosen up and enjoy yourself. Yo’ ass sitting here all uptight as usual. It’s okay to let ya’ guard down, Dutch.”
“One thing at a time,” I reiterated over my shoulder as he walked off.
Telling Preme how I felt about Talitha was my first time admitting the shit. I knew I loved her the moment she admitted that her stepdad was the one responsible for years of torment. Knew I loved the shit out of her when I’d made it my mission to find out everything about him. Unbeknownst to her or anyone else, I’d been plotting on how and when I was going to knock him off the fucking map. The love I had for her exceeded anything I’d felt for anyone else. Like I told Preme, I wouldn’t admit the shit to her until I knew she was in the place to receive it.
“Why you separating yourself from everyone? These yo’ people.” Grabbing her by the hand, I helped Gema take a seat before occupying the space beside her.
“I’m not separating myself. Just taking it all in.”
“Your mother… she’s a rather peculiar one.”
“She’s something else,” I nodded.
“You gotta forgive her, Law.”
“What makes you think I haven’t?” I tossed my eyes in her direction before looking back out to the field.
“It’s in your mannerisms. Before she showed up, you were jovial. I’ve watch you stand there like a black cloud was lingering over your head.”
“In a way it is,” I chortled.
“You gotta forgive her. Gotta figure out how to love her in spite of how she didn’t love you. You can’t have resentment in your heart cause all it’s gone do is hold you back from our girl and when I’m gon’ she will need you to hold her up.”
“Where you going Gema?”
“To be with my husband when the good Lord ready to call me home.”
“Don’t let Talitha hear you talking like that. She will never let you out of her sight.”
“I’ve made peace with it, Law. God put you in her path for a reason. When it’s my time, I can go comfortably cause I know she’s got you.”
“She will always have me.”
“I know that, but she doesn’t. She gon’ fight against you. It’s gon’ be days where she gon’ try and push you away. When those days come… you stay and you fight. You gotta be the one with the strength cause she ain’t gon’ be able to do it by herself regardless of how much she says she can.
Tali only knows unconditional love from me and Joe. Litha loved that child until she found out what Joe Lee did. She chose that sour man over that girl, and it ruined her. She got a hold on her heart so tight Law, and don’t know how to let it go. Just don’t give up on her. She can’t take it.”
Grabbing Gema by the hand, I squeezed it. “I’ll never give up on her. I only want what’s best for her.”
“I’m knowing it but she too stubborn to see it. You’re a good man Law; whoever raised you did a damn good job. But you got to forgive yo’ mama fo’ you can love my baby properly.”
“I can forgive her; it’s forgetting that’s the hardest part.”
“Ain’t gotta forget. Just forgive her. When you meet Graelyn, you’ll understand why forgiveness so important.”
“Who is Graelyn, Gema?”
“You’ll meet her soon enough.” She smiled. “Tali said I get to meet the players.”
“You do.” I bobbed my head. “We will go down after the game so you can take pictures with a few of them.”
“Ummhmm, I want a picture with Deuce. That right there been my man since he signed his contract.”
