Page 15 of Mine

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Take it easy, alright?”

I nodded and watched as he walked away. I also watched as he got into a sexy black Bentley. My eyes didn’t leave the car until he pulled out of the parking lot. Then, I shoved my bag back into the trunk, closed it, and headed out myself.

In Rose Valley Hills

A little over an hour later, I was swerving into the driveway of the mansion where Paisley and Jason’s wedding festivities would be held. I grabbed my bags and headed into the house, grateful I’d come with her to view it, because that allowed me to head straight to my room so I could shower and get dressed. Having to stop didn’t put me too much behind schedule, but I wanted to be able to calm myself down before the mid-afternoon welcome lunch. I liked to be early to everything to avoid feeling anxious, and after thinking I’d left the necklace, my nerves were still a little rattled.

After showering and putting on a button down vest with matching shorts and heels, I headed toward the sound of music, where I found our family and Jason’s.

“You made it!” Paisley squealed, pulling me into her arms.

“There’s nowhere else I’d be, babe. You know that.”

“Fair warning: Grandma and Auntie JJ have been asking about you.”

“Oh God. Okay. Let me find Mama and Daddy and hopefully Daddy will keep them off me.”

She laughed, but I was serious. I loved my dad’s side of the family, but the elders had no couth and would ask you literally anything regardless of who was around. Daddy’s side of the family was fun though, super loyal, and they gave love and support unconditionally unlike Mama’s bougie family.

I only fucked with my Granny May, and she’d left us here with her fake, crazy ass kids and grandkids three years ago. I kept my distance from my aunt and uncle and their kids on Mama’s side, but I was sure that would be difficult to do for the wedding. Thankfully, they opted to stay at the hotel on the beach, so I was grateful for that.

“There go my baby.” At the sound of Mama’s voice, I turned and smiled. She looked radiant as ever. I looked more like her while Paisley favored Daddy with his caramel brown skin, curly hair, and shiny eyes.

“Hey, Mama,” I spoke, stepping into her embrace.

“Hey, baby. How was the drive? You know you could have come with us.”

Yeah, right. There was no way I was going to smell Fritos and Subway onions while they chowed down and listened to old school music and sang love songs to each other for a three hour drive. I loved the love my parents had for each other, but I preferred to have it in small doses,especiallywhen it came to their car ride karaoke.

“It was cool until I thought I left Granny May’s necklace behind. Had a slight panic attack over that but all is well.”

“Well good. I know you’ve seen the house already, but I want you to see how we’ve decorated each wing. After you speak to everybody, I’m going to show you around.”

“Okay, cool. Where’s Daddy?”

I headed in the direction she pointed in, speaking to my daddy and trying not to laugh at him. He had already started drinking to cover his emotions over “losing his baby girl” as he called it.

“It’s just you and me now, princess,” he slurred, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Paisley is leaving us. What we gon’ do?”

“Daddy, she’s not leaving us. She’s getting married and moving to LA with her husband. Oh. Well, she kind of is leaving us huh?”

“Lawd, what I’m gon’do?” he almost yelled, tightening his grip on my shoulders as his head flung back in distress, and I couldn’t help but laugh after that.

Mama saved me by ushering him outside so he could compose himself. Me and Paisley locked eyes across the room before bursting into a fit of laughter. Daddy was never emotional, so when he was, it was always dramatic and hilarious to us. I loved that he was never afraid to show his emotions, though, and Mama always covered him when he did.

I spoke to a few more family members before finding Daddy’s mama and sister, and my heart dropped when I saw who was standing next to them chatting it up. It was the guy from the gas station. Now that all was right in my world again, I was able to focus on how he looked.

He was tall and wide with a quarterback build. I wondered if he had their arm strength so he could pick me up and fuck me against one of these walls. Now that he was dressed down, I saw the tattoos that covered his thick arms. His skin was just a tad darker than milk chocolate, and he sported a wavy fadewith a thick beard. Slanted eyes, piercing and dark, stared at me as he slowly took in every inch of my frame. Those brown and pomegranate hued lips looked so damn soft and juicy. When our eyes connected, he grinned with one side of his mouth and winked.

Ugh.

Great.

I can’t imagine how many stories he planned to tell about my breakdown earlier.

Needing to know who he was, I found my sister and gripped her arm, pulling her into the nearby pantry of the kitchen for some privacy.

“Who’s the guy in the black shirt and jeans?”

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