Page 87 of Serenity

“You ever think about giving her distance?”

A response wasn’t required. The quizzical look on his face read, “hell no.” The sun was rising in my romantic world and setting in his. His skepticism was warranted.

“I mean, just some time to collect herself. Sin, she had to put her hands on one of your jump-offs publicly. If it were me, I would never speak to you again. That’s embarrassing as hell.”

Truth, no matter how transparent, how welcoming, how warm, could be difficult to embrace. The heaviness of his exhalation was near felt as I spoke.

He stiffened, turned toward me, and gritted, “You mean as embarrassing as your little sister getting piped down by an old nigga?”

Within seconds, my mood shifted. He was hitting below the belt because of his unmet emotional needs. Still, he was my brother. Moving to disrespect was beneath him. I couldn’t believe my ears.

“Now, why am I catching strays? And where the fuck did you purchase your audacity? Was it on sale? I was just trying to offer your silly, sad ass some advice. Don’t project your bullshit on me. Duke is damn near the same age as Pre. I didn’t see you all berating him for being with Sadie. She’s damn near the same age as me.”

“Sadie is thirty-three!”

“Nigga, I don’t give a fuck!”

I didn’t. Age was a mere number. Sadie and I were three years apart, yet somehow, in Sincere’s mind, it was enough to grant her a pass.

But not me. Never me.

This was the exact reason I didn’t want my family in my business. Despite my reservations, all had been going well until the present moment. So far, everyone in my family had warmed to the idea of Duke and I together. Everyone except this nigga.

Lowering his voice, Sincere pressed on.

“What does a forty-two-year-old want with a barely thirty-year-old?”

“None of your motherfucking business!” Forgetting our surroundings, I shouted. His unprovoked attack left me heated and seething. Fluidly, unkind retorts cycled through my head. Suppressing the urge to spew them spared my brother’s feelings and my parents’ home. Though he may have started the shit, wholly and unreservedly, I was prepared to end it.

Rising to stand, my face colored with frustration. He’d clipped a nerve. I couldn’t believe the turn our conversation had taken so swiftly.

“Aight, Reni. Keep laying up with that elderly nigga.”

The slap awarded to Sincere’s face caused the tips of my fingers to go numb. The nail sliding across the marble floors of my parent’s living room further heightened my temper. Duke had paid for the set. Rife with pearls, gemstones, and iridescent polish, it was one of my favorites to date. Now the shit was ruined. I’d blamed Sincere’s silly ass.

“Worry about the bitch who doesn’t want you!” I gritted, unbelieving how swiftly we’d gone from zero to one hundred. As two fire signs, we could never simply let shit go. If he gaslighted, I was burning the shit to the ground.

Sincere stood, his glare colder than the fall temps outside. Temples throbbing, face stiffened, he massaged the place of my attack.

“Don’t you ever call her a bitch again.”

“Watch your mouth about mine, too, then,” I warned. “Don’t let your fucking tongue demote you from family to a relative.”

Shifting my hair, I blinked my annoyance. Sincere had my blood simmering. The heated fluid raced through my veins, spiking my entire body temperature.

“Really, Reni?”

Teeming with anger, my thoughts fumbled as composure sought to evade me. Quickly and diligently, I regained my decorum, lacerating my brother with my eyes.

“Nigga, do I ever speak things I don’t mean? Were we not raised by the same man who taught us the power of words? Duke will be here soon. Don’t let your ageist bullshit seep from that big ass dufus mouth of yours.”

Huffing, I stalked away from Sincere and toward the den where everyone else was. This motherfucker had some balls on him. He acted as if I’d met Duke in high school and was being groomed by a pedophile. I didn’t like that shit one bit. The insinuation. The lack of respect. The snide commentary anytime he’d seen us out on the town. It was fucking unacceptable.

Whether transient or eternal, what I felt for Duke was real. I’d be damned to permit anyone to disrespect him or us because of a narrative they’d settled upon for me.

Thankfully, I had some time before Duke and his family arrived. I spent that time smoking on the patio outside in my parents’ backyard. Though not a frequent occurrence, the weed helped to calm my riled nerves. Putting the fire out, I reentered the house and prepared to welcome my man and his family.

Daddy Duke was fine. So was Granddaddy Duke. More than that, D3 was breathtakingly fine. Dressed in a rust sweater and black slacks, he’d coordinated perfectly with my dress. Already, a plan was rooted in my mind for a photo shoot after dinner.

---