Page 130 of Emergence and Ascendance

"Yes, friend." I tickled Ava's stomach. "Tell your mommy to mind her business."

She giggled and turned to Cress. "Mommy, Uncle Christian said mind your business."

"Little girl. Don't let Uncle Christian get you in trouble." She ducked her head and dropped it on my shoulder but was still grinning.

I kissed her cheek. "Don't worry, I got you."

She grinned at Cress with that "I'm untouchable" look and she was. She had the men in this family wrapped around all of her fingers, especially her father. She could do no wrong in his eyes; so Cress was fighting a battle she wouldn't win.

I lowered her to the ground. "Go help Melly pick something for Scotlyn."

She nodded wildly and ran off right to her father who lifted her into his arms.

Cress was about to bust at the seams so I figured we might as well get this over with.

"So we're kissing friends now?"

"What do you mean?"

"You introduced her as yourfriend. I've been watching you since you got here. I saw you kiss her."

"Shouldn't you have been handing out food?"

"I was, but I also wasn't expecting to see my brother here with a woman he's clearly dating. And before you came over here and lied to me, I wanted evidence, so I watched to see how you acted with her. You're dating."

"Yeah, we are."

"Well shit, that was fast."

"Says the woman who married her husband in five minutes."

She rolled her eyes. "That was an arrangement. One that you set up."

"And did the arrangement make you fall in love with him five minutes after you married him?"

"No… Shit, wait are you saying…"

"Calm the fuck down. No I'm not married and no I'm not in love but we're together. Don't go asking me a million and one questions, just know she's going to be around and you need to mind your business with her. Whatever she shares is on her but don't do your Cress thing."

"MyCressthing?" She reared her head back and I chuckled.

"You know exactly what the fuck I mean. If I don't shut it down, you'll be picking her life apart and she doesn't need that. We're good, figuring things out, and I'm happy. That's all that matters."

Cress rolled her eyes then hugged me. "I'm happy you're happy."

"Thank you."

"And I'll stay out of the way, but if I feel like she's not what you need, I'm going to tell you. We all waited too long to speak on what we knew were problems."

With Aja.

"It wouldn't have mattered. No matter what you saw, I had to see it myself and I had to be ready to admit we were broken. That's not on anybody but me."

"No, that's on her. She was?—"

"Not worth the words." I glanced at Scotlyn. "But she is. Let's focus on my future and not my past."

"Oh damn, you're serious about this."

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