Page 8 of Tyriq & Teaira
“Girl, stop. You know,” she snaps.
“I don’t know,” I reiterate. He told me that he had practice at one but I don’t know how long practice lasts. He could still be there. Hell, I truly do not know.
“Mmhm. Well, find him,” she says, then laughs. “The championship game is tomorrow and we need to win. Make sure that man is happy.”
“That sounds like the job of his girlfriend.”
“You and me both know Riq doesn’t have a girlfriend but he could if you would just act right and let that man stay the night,” she says.
As my bestie, she’s privy to all details of my thing with Tyriq and she knows the rules, well, what the rules used to be. Prior to last night, he didn’t spend the night with me and I, for damn sure, didn’t even dare go to his dorm. My grown ass has no business sneaking in and out of a college dorm.
“He did last night,” I reveal in a low tone.
“What?” she squeals.
“You heard me. He did last night. I was just too damn tired to let him out.”
“I thought you weren’t letting him come over.”
“Well, I lied, bitch. Damn. Don’t kill me with the shit. He showed up, looking and smelling good, and I had a long day and week.”
“Girl, I can’t. It’s okay to like him.”
“He’s cool. I do like him but as a friend. That’s what we agreed on and that’s what we are,” I say, and admittedly my words sound a hell of a lot surer than I am. Last night and this morning felt different, but in a good way. His soft ass kisses were everything, so slow and passionate.
“Okay, friends. I’ll rock with that for now, but trust me, there’s more between you two than friends. Riq accomplished something huge in his career and the person he chose to celebrate that with was you. We’ll talk about it tonight.”
“Or we won’t,” I counter and she laughs.
“I’m at Ma’s. Tell your momma and daddy I love them and bring me back a bowl. We’ll talk when you do.”
“I’m keeping my bowl, bitch. I’ve had enough of your unwanted commentary today.”
“Yeah right. Love you,” she sighs.
“Ugh. Unfortunately, I love you too,” I say then end the call by pressing the button on my steering wheel. “She makes me sick,” I utter as I exit the highway.
All morning, I tried my best to get out of my head and stop thinking about Tyriq’s switch up on me. I was doing good too until she brought him up. Now, I need some damn air. ThankGod there’s a C-Mart ahead. I turn into it and find a space in the front of the door.
After turning off the engine, I grab my slides from my passenger seat, put them on, then drop my keys into my tote. I snatch it up and get out. The moment my shoes hit the pavement, I take a deep ass breath.Big mistake.The smell of garlicky ass pizza fills my nose and I get nauseous as shit.
“The fuck?” I utter as I hold my stomach.
C-Mart is my favorite gas station. Each of them are typically big as shit and they sell everything. They are known for their clean bathrooms, friendly staff, and pizzas. They actually cook fresh pizzas daily, including breakfast and dessert ones. Clearly, a garlic one just came out of the oven because the scent is strong as hell, so strong that I debate actually going in.
When my stomach rumbles, I give in and go inside. I find a bottle of cranberry ginger ale in the cooler then grab a small bag of Munchos chips. Not only am I starving but I also need something to soothe my stomach. I’ve gotten over the smell but my stomach hasn’t. It just doesn’t feel right.
Once I’m at the counter, I see that the multi-state lottery is up to a billion dollars. Now, I never play the lottery or buy scratch-off tickets, but I would be a fool not to buy at least one five-dollar ticket.It’s a billion damn dollars!
A few minutes later, I walk out of C-Mart with two tickets, my drink, and chips. I only have half of the chips and none of my soda when I pull up to my parents’ home. For years, my dad would commute from Diamond Falls to Crescent Falls every work day but once I graduated from high school, they finally moved. They built this beautiful three bedroom, two bath, ranch-style home in the nice Crescent Pointe neighborhood. It’son a corner lot and their front and backyards are huge and beautifully landscaped.
I pull into the driveway in front of the garage and get out. Since I have a key, I let myself in. The sound of Sol’s soulful voice can be heard the moment I enter. My mom is obsessed with his music, and if she’s cooking, Sol is singing. He’s also her Mother’s Day gift. The weekend after Mother’s Day, The Metropolitan Hotel is hosting a Soulful Night with Sol. It’s an intimate dinner and concert on their famous rooftop. I have two tickets for her and my dad and she’s going to love it.
When I walk into the kitchen, I find her at the island. There’s a large pan in front of her and she’s layering lasagna noodles. She spots me and a smile spreads across the face that mirrors mine. I have no doubts how I’ll look in twenty-years; looking at her is like my own time machine. I’m truly her twin: same hazel eyes, round, caramel face, high cheeks, and thick but perfectly arched brows.
“Last layer then I can come get my hug,” she says, beaming.
“Lasagna?” I ask as I step closer to the island.
