Page 102 of Real's Love

"C'mon, Tracy. You know my cousin ain't a hoe. Yo' husband ain't over here sniffing around her and offering to trick off a paycheck," Pip said breezily, then ignored Tracy's sputtering and embarrassed tears.

"As far as my fiancé, he might make an unexpected appearance."

"I'm sure no one expects it less than we do," Tammy got in one last dig before she and the other hellhounds sauntered off.

Pip waited until they were out of sight before yanking me from a less resistant Real and hauling me into a small side room.

And here I was, still with my cousin who might be losing her mind.

"Epiphany?"

I said her name softly as she typed furiously into her phone, the same way she'd been doing since we'd walked out.

"Hmm?"

Bihh had the nerve to sound distracted.

"Umm... honey? Who's your fiancé?"

She waved at me dismissively.

"Girl! I didn't tell you Jag was in town?"

"Millionaire, antisocial, your best-guy-friend Jagger Amir Meriweather?" I asked.

You know, just to clarify. In case she had a spare Jag lying around. She stopped typing to give me a “Duh” look.

"Everly, who else? And I think he made billionaire last month. Some algorithm that?—"

I held up a hand. "Uh-uh. Don't tell me none of that techie shit Jagger does and confuse me even more. When the hell y'all get engaged?"

"Tonight, when I texted and told him what was up."

I rolled my eyes. "Aww, hell, girl."

"He's coming, though."

Of course, he was coming. Epiphany was like one of those great Greek tragedies: she could see things about everyone except herself. I wasn't surprised Jag was coming. I wasn't surprised he was even in town. Wherever Epiphany was, Jag would be there in some way. His father's family was from Emancipation, but his parents' divorce meant he hadn't come here until his mom got sick when he was in seventh grade, and he had to stay with his grandparents. Quiet and distant, he'd been fascinated with Pip from the time he met her. From junior high until now, she'd happily, cluelessly called him “best friend” when it was clear to all of us that friendship wasn't all Jag wanted from her. She'd followed him to school and then into making a life in Houston. His brilliant mind meant his pockets were deep—for Pip, they were bottomless. So was his heart. Only she could get his barely verbal ass to an event like this.

And speaking of things I wasn't surprised by, when he showed up seven minutes later with a little velvet box, the contents of which obviously had a big price tag, I wasn't shocked in the least.

"Ooh, Jag! Did you borrow this from Mama Estelle?" Pip asked, and I wanted to knock some sense into her.

The deep blue of the pear-cut tanzanite and the soft gray of the platinum band were her favorite colors. It was obviously made for her, and I stared at him wide-eyed as she oohed and ahhed over it. He shook his head once at me, dark eyes glittering. I bit my lip and kept silent. He ignored Pip's question as he took the box back to hold it for her.

"Put it on, Epiphany," he ordered in his trademark quiet tones.

She extracted the ring from the box and slid it on her left ring finger.

I wasn't surprised that it fit perfectly. But the look of satisfaction on Jag's face let me know my cousin might just be in for a surprise herself.

They made their exit from the room, and I was happy to follow them. I stopped in the hallway as I almost ran straight into Danny. I couldn't stop the smile that creased my face as I linked my arms through his. I pressed my front into his side, probably annoying him like I had for years.

"You came!" I crowed.

"Somebody had to lead ya boy's drivers," he said dryly, gesturing behind him.

I was surprised to see Juvie and Markel and they looked at me suspiciously, especially after Danny pressed a sweet kiss to my forehead.

---