Page 104 of Search My Soul
“What the hell are you laughing at? I know damn well you aren’t acting shy as if we weren’t just fucking.”
“Well, since you put it like that, I guess you have a point.”
“You never answered my question,” he expressed, while washing his hands.
“Not at all. Come on.” I held my hand out for his. In the shower, we washed in a comfortable silence. I tried not to overthink, but it was easier said than done.
“Do you regret it?” I already knew what he was referring to, so I didn’t hesitate to answer.
“No, I don’t. It was what I needed.”
“What happens now?”
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly, because I hadn’t really had a chance to process things.
“Look, I realize you’re dealing with some heavy shit right now, but I want you. I don’t mind being patient because you’re worth it. However, I’m not going to pretend like this isn’t something I want to pursue.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to fuck up our friendship and then end up breaking your heart because I’m all over the place,” I warned. Darion had become a place of comfort for me, and I didn’t want to mess it up.
“I understand all of that, and I’m not worried. We’re both grown, and I’m fully aware of what I’m getting myself into. We can take things as slow as you need. I’m in no rush. We don’t need any titles right now as long as we have an understanding. My attention is only on you.” He leaned down and took possession of my lips.
I moaned into his mouth, and before I knew it, he was lifting me up in his arms. When he sat me on his dick, my head fell back. There was a part of me that was afraid of how things would turn out, but I decided to live in the moment. Right now, Darion was what I needed, so I would enjoy it for however long it lasted. We made love for the rest of the night and well into the morning. I fell asleep on his chest, and for the first time in months, I was able to sleep through the night.
“Damn,this food is good as hell,” Duke mumbled with a mouthful of food. We were at this new steakhouse for dinner. I told his ass that I wanted to stay home, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He, Murk, and Huncho were beginning to piss me off because no one seemed to respect my wishes.
“Yeah, I can’t lie, it tastes better than I expected. They must have somebody auntie with the bat wings in there. Even the greens taste good, and you know I don’t fool with anyone’s greens like that.”
“Yeah, it’s a black owned spot, so you know they got their great aunt in the kitchen. You know my ass is greedy. I’m ready to ask for a second order because I know I’mma be hungry later on.”
“Bro, you sound greedy as fuck,” Murk commented. He had been glued to his phone since we got here.
“Listen, I’m being honest. Unlike you, I don’t have a woman to cook dinner for me. This bachelor life is for the birds for real.” His comment triggered a thought that I had forgotten about. When we buried Zion, I noticed how close him and my sister seemed to be. Normally, I wouldn’t have thought twice about it, but it was something about their connection that threw me off.
“You fuckin’ my sister?” I blurted the question out. I needed to know what was going on between the two of them. Duke was like family to me, but Patience was blood. Nobody came before blood, and I wouldn’t hesitate to end his life if he ever tried to cross mine.
Duke choked on his food as I sat back observing him. Murk thought the shit was funny, but I found no humor in any of this. My sisters were off limits and everyone in my crew was aware of this. Nothing had changed so I wanted to know what was really going on.
“What made you ask me that?” Strike one. I hated when a mothafucka tried to beat around the bush.
“Duke, how long have you known me?” I asked calmly, doing my best to keep in mind that we were in a public setting.
“We’ve been boys since we were youngins on the playground.”
“So then you know me better than most, right?” Duke straightened in his seat and used his napkin to wipe his face.
“Look, this wasn’t the way I wanted this conversation to happen. Patience and I have been in each other’s lives for the same amount of time. I?—”
“Are you fucking my sister? This ain’t a complicated question, Duke. I saw the way you handled her during and after the funeral, and it wasn’t like a family friend. You took care of her the way her man would, and I want to know why that is. Noweither you are going to be a real one and tell me the truth, or you’re going to continue to play in my fucking face.” I raised my eyebrows as we stared at one another. After all the bullshit I’ve been through, I wasn’t in the mood for another mothafucka to lie to me.
“It’s deeper than fuckin’. I love?—”
“Didn’t I tell your bitch ass that my sisters were off limits?” I grumbled through gritted teeth. If we weren’t in this restaurant, I probably would have knocked his ass out. We didn’t play when it came to our sisters, and he knew that. The last man who tried to hurt Patience ended up on a missing person’s report, so I don’t know why he even thought it would be cool to play with his own life like that.
“Soul, I understand how you feel about the situation, but you don’t understand.”
“Naw, it’s you who doesn’t understand. You and Patience have no business being together. You aren’t good enough for her, and you know that.”
“Damn, Soul,” Murk retorted, but I didn’t care. The same way Duke knew everything about me, I knew the same about him. He and I used to fuck the same bitches, running trains on them and everything. He stayed with a different bitch on his arm, and they were constantly fighting over him. There’s no way he thought I would ever approve of him being with my sister.
