Page 47 of Relentles
She walked to her bed and sat on the edge of it. “I have it figured out. I know what I want in life. Who I want, so I disagree. You’re old. Of course you think of responsibility instead of romance.”
“Romance is a responsibility in and of itself,” he countered. “Your momma and me forgot to carve out time for each other. We lost the obligation to our wedding vows. Look where that got us. I don’t know what you see when you look at CJ, but he got feelings. You was supposed to be his best friend? You shit on him when he was at his lowest.”
“He’s cheating.”
Mort drew in a deep breath, his frustration rising. “Unless I fucking missed something, how the little motherfucker cheated if you not even fucking together? Explain that fucking logic.”
“He promised he’d wait for me, untilIwas ready. He wasn’t supposed to talk to another girl untilIdecided if I wanted him or not.”
“I fucking get it now. You pissed because the boy decided to have a fucking backbone and not fall for your selfish bullshit.”
She gasped and had the goddamn audacity to look athimsideways.
“On the real, Harley? I’m so fucking disappointed in you. It don’t mean I don’t love you. I do. What it do mean is I expect better from you. I expect you to have fairness and compassion. I expect you to respect yourself and other people.”
“No, you expect me to be a pushover. That’s why I was beat up. I had to rely onRebelto save me.”
This fucking argument was a losing battle. But he owed it to Harley as her father to try until she understood.
“Your granddaddy made it his mission to impress upon me to try to solve shit with my brain first.” K-P and Big Joe taught it to Prez and Val, too. “If I needed brawn then I could say I tried negotiating first. Respecting other motherfuckers don’t make you a pushover. It make you fair.”
She lifted her chin.
“As for Reb, what the fuck you wanted her to do? Watch you get your ass beat?”
“She didn’t do it for me. She did it because she likes to fight. She’s stupid and violent. The first chance she got, she turned her back on me and sided with CJ.”
“CJ her brother, Harley. Wouldn’t you do the same for Lou or Kaleb over her or Matilda?”
“That’s different. They aren’t close friends with my brothers the way I am with CJ.”
“Fine,” Mort said tiredly.
“If you patch out and go to LA, I’m staying with Lolly.”
“You can’t fucking announce where you staying like nobody else got a fucking say so.”
“I’ll lose CJ forever if I’m forced to move away.”
“Roxanne love you, but that woman don’t play. She will knock you the fuck out if you under her roof and hand down your bullshit.”
“She could be charged with child abuse.”
“Tangle with your grandmama if you want to. Let’s see who come out the fucking winner in that battle.”
When she poked her lip out, his heart twisted, remembering the little girl she’d once been. He’d never get back those innocent times when her eyes lit up just to see him and her favorite place to be besides CJ’s company was Mort’s shoulders.
Those many cherished instants he took for granted. He immersed himself in the moment, believing time stood still.Even as the years passed and she sprouted up, he never thought she’d ever resent him as she now did.
Somehow, he believed he’d always be the perfect girl dad, simply because he was the go-to dude whenever the old ladies had a problem. Most especially Meggie. He was her husband’s best friend, and she trusted him. He tried to help Kendall but Johnnie always resented Mort’s friendship with her. The motherfucker never quite got over Mort saying he would’ve fucked Kendall if he hadn’t noticed Johnnie’s attraction.
Because Johnnie was just that hypocritical. He saw nothing wrong with how he felt about Meggie. Even after all these fucking years.
Harley’s exaggerated yawn grabbed Mort’s attention.
“I’m so tired, Father. I’d like to go to bed if I’m allowed.”
Mort laughed at Harley’s commitment to her resentment, though it came from a hollow place, filled with pain and regret.
