Page 25 of Touch of Smoke
Ro had finished with the ice she’d seen him put into a plastic bag and rest on his knuckles, because he was already on his way to the foyer where she stood.
“Ro’s had it out for him for years. Ever since Larry told the cops that he was the one that stole that car,” Kim said.
“That’s what he told you,” Ro said to Kim as he entered the space but moved to position himself in front of Sariya. “That I stole the car and I was the one who got off?”
He chuckled but it was far from a funny sound.
“Your brother stole that car and he picked me and my boy Charles up from the basketball court. His buddies were already in there. The two that had dropped out of school a million years ago but still liked to hang out with kids,” Ro continued. “That’s why he got the six months in juvie and me and Charles got probation before judgement And because his friends were adults, they got six months in adult jail.”
“Your parents paid somebody to get you off,” Kim shot back as she tried to hook her arms under Uncle Larry’s armpits to help him up. “Just like they sent you away that summer so Larry couldn’t beat your little ass for lying on him.”
Ro chuckled again. “Yeah, your brother couldn’t beat my ass then, anymore than he could tonight. But I guess he gets a C- for trying. Now, I want both of you out of my house in the next ten minutes or I am calling the cops.”
“Fuck you!” Kim spat.
“That’s enough!” Sariya said stepping from behind Ro. “You will get your brother and take him home and you won’t come back here again. Not until you learn to respect Ro and me.”
“You gon learn that lesson the hard way,” Kim told her now that she and Uncle Larry were standing. Well, Uncle Larry was leaning heavily on her, so that Sariya couldn’t really call that standing.
“Whatever I learn will be my business and you no longer need to be concerned with that. But you won’t come here disrespecting us again,” she told her mother.
“Don’t nobody want to come over here anyway,” Kim said as they headed toward the door.
Ro held it open and a second after they’d made it over the threshold, he slammed it shut.
“What did I tell you, Sariya?” he asked.
“I’m not arguing with you, Ro,” she said and walked away from him, heading into the kitchen.
He followed her. “Good, ‘cause you’re obviously not listening either. Jumping into a fight with full grown men. What the hell is your problem?”
“You did look like you were gonna kill him,” she said as she picked up the bag of ice and returned to where he stood. “I didn’t want you going to jail for murder.”
She put the ice to his bruised cheek and he hissed. “You could’ve gotten hurt,” he said. “I would’ve definitely killed him if you’d gotten hurt.”
“But I didn’t,” she said and went up on her toes to kiss his cheek.
“He came over here starting shit with me,” Ro said after a few seconds. “I was never going to disrespect him or your mother, because of you, Sariya. I would’ve just steered clear of both of them for you.”
“I know,” she said. “My mother probably sent him over here. They’re both so angry and bitter, blaming everybody for their mess but themselves. Uncle Larry couldn’t even finish school now he’s mad with the world because he can’t get a job paying him more than minimum wage. And Mama, she allowed a broken heart to break her spirit and I just can’t with either one of them. I can’t and I won’t.”
He settled his hands on her hips then and lowered his forehead until it touched hers. “You don’t have to,” he said. “You’ve got me and Donyell and my parents. You’ve always had us, bae. Always.”
“I know,” she said quietly. “But I wanted to have it all, you know. I wanted to be happy and in love with you. And have my best friend who’s trying to get me to try edibles. And your parents who’ve always supported me. But I wanted to have my family too, Ro. They’re all the family I have.”
He shook his head. “No. They’re all the blood relatives you have, but I’m your family, Sariya. Me, Mama, Daddy and Donyell, we’ve always been your family.”
He was right and despite the pangs of hurt left by her mother and uncle, there was still joy in her heart because Ro was absolutely right.
“Is it weird that you were like my brother in the family first and now you’re giving me mind-blowing orgasms?”
Ro let his head fall back as he laughed, then groaned because obviously that action caused him pain somewhere. “Nah, not weird at all since there was never a blood connection.”
She nodded. “I guess you’re right.”
“Mind-blowing?” he asked with an arched brow.
“You’re sore from fighting,” she said with a shake of her head.
