Page 30 of Verse Two
My mother started up a conversation about what we were going to cook for dinner. I replied to her questions, but my mind was somewhere else, caught between the potency of the love Ithought I had rediscovered with Brick and the sharp pang of uncertainty I now possessed where he was concerned.
Eleven
Brick
“Hey, shugga. It’s good to see you again,” Miss Dana said when she opened her front door.
I returned her smile and leaned in for a hug.
“Hey, Miss Dana,” I said, before she stepped to the side, allowing me to enter her home. I followed her into the living room. Reggie, who was sitting in a recliner adjacent to their television, stood when we walked in.
“How ya doin’, man?” he asked, offering me a hand. I dapped him up.
“Wassup, Reggie? I’m good.”
“What’s your plan for baby girl today?”
Taking a seat on the sofa, I ran a hand across my head. “I planned a lil surprise for her at Glass Garden.”
“Oh, she hasn’t been home since that place opened up,” Miss Dana said. “She’ll love it.”
Just as she said that, Dy emerged from the hall.
“I’m hopin’ so,” I replied, taking in my Doll’s beauty. She was rocking an oversized tan sweater that was bunched up at herelbows and a white tennis skirt that showed just enough to make my focus blur. She topped her fit off with some kicks and crew socks that made her whole vibe effortless.
The gold hoops in her ears and the chains layered just above her collarbone took me back to the middle school Dylan who loved gold jewelry and lip gloss. Her vibe was comfortable. She wasn’t trying to impress, but somehow, looking away from her was an impossibility. Dy looked good as fuck, and I was sure she knew it.
“Wassup, Doll?” I said, standing. Her cotton candy scent invaded my nostrils as I moved closer to her, and it took all the self-control I possessed not to bury my face in her neck when I pulled her in for a hug.
The stiffness in Dy’s body as she embraced me threw me way off. I would have chalked it up to her trying to remain respectful in front of her people if it weren’t for her quiet tone when she said, “Hi.”
I released her so that I could see her face. She wore a small smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes as she gazed back at me.
Something was clearly wrong, and my gut was telling me it had something to do with me. But what could it have been? We didn’t get to talk much yesterday, because she spent the time with her parents. She hit me up pretty late last night to say that she was going to spend the night at their house instead of mine.
I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now that we were together again, I realized there was a clear shift in her energy.
“You all right?” I asked.
She dropped her eyes briefly. When she lifted them again, she looked past me before meeting my gaze.
Nodding, she gave me another veiled smile. “I’m fine. You’re ready to go?”
Fine my ass.
I didn’t believe that at all, but I figured we needed to get out of her folks’ house before having a real conversation about whatever was going on, so I reached for her hand. For a millisecond, she hesitated before slipping hers into mine.
“Take care of our baby girl,” Reggie called behind us.
As we headed out of the room, I replied with, “Always.”
Once we made it outside, I opened my passenger door and helped Dy into my car silently. It wasn’t until I pulled away from the curb that I decided to speak up.
Glancing over at her, I asked again, “You all right?”
Dy was staring out of the passenger window, and it took at least ten seconds for her to look at me.
She sighed. “I will be. I’ve just been in my head a little.”
