Page 104 of The Promise

But I kept it respectful and didn’t stare too long. I had to turn away. Then I went right to work, checking all the signals on the dashboard then. Next, I read the logs. All was good, and the speed ofThe Bellawas reasonable.

The energy between Ashira and me shifted a lot in the two days since our blow-up—or whatever the hell you’d call it. I’d been keeping my word on being cognizant of the energy I exuded when she was around. I spoke and even attempted longer conversations. Relaxing my guard around her allowed me to experience something about Ashira’s personality I forgot I enjoyed. Ol’ girl was funny as hell. She stayed lit on vacation, and was her usual life of the party self. The only element missing was her girls hyping her up and joining in.

The crew got a kick out of her humor and, some, her talent. For the past two mornings, Ashira would work out, then go out on the pool deck at around ten, set up a camera, and dance to the same two tracks for about an hour. I didn’t watch for long stretches, but was able to see her make missteps, stop abruptly, or rewind the track and start over again. This morning it hit me: the two tracks she danced to were Pixie’s songs. Ashira had begun choreographing for the tour.

I still didn’t know how I felt about that. Chivon and I were used to not seeing her for long stretches, but I also remembered the shit Ashira said two nights ago about the accusation of being a bad mother—and sister. It was something I’d have to leave to Ashira to figure out. No matter what, I’d support her and would always stay down for Chivon.

I reached for my tea and one of the books I brought in here to read. As soon as I sat down, my phone rang again.

“Yurp, J-O,” I answered casually, flipping through the book for my mark.

“You’ll never believe what happened to me today,” Josie sounded flustered.

“What’s that?”

“My car broke down. Ugh!”

“This place is breathtaking,” Rainey whispered, tenting her hand to block the sun.

Amy snapped pictures of the water right next to her. I laid a couple of over-sized towels on the sand while the crew fromThe Bellaand our security carried our bags and drinks. Ashira, with Chivon in her arms, sat down on one of the towels.

“Wait,” Amy turned back to us. “What’s the name of this place again?”

Rainey laughed then snorted, “Plage du Petit Sperone. Keep up.”

“But that’s not what the captain told us at the port.”

I understood her confusion, but before I could answer, Ashira explained, “Port of Bonifacio.”

That was our current stop. I thought I’d easily get tired of seeing beaches. My ignorant ass thought they were pretty much all the same. Damn. Was I wrong? Almost each one had its own vibe—except the lack of melanin. I ain’t like that shit, but I had been told in advance this would be the case. When you have a skin and language barrier, shit could get hairy. That was my reason for having Francesco host this tour for us. He was around, and his men even closer.

“Look at those guys over there, Aim,” Rainey whispered hard. She tapped her arm. “Let’s go test their English.”

The girls dropped their bags and skipped down the beach. Rainey, Amy’s best friend, was mixed. She actually looked Puerto Rican, having a white father and Black mom, from what she shared with us a couple of days ago poolside onThe Bella. Well, she told Ashira and Bella. I was in and out of one of the books I’d been reading. Maybe Rainey felt she’d been blending in this whole vacation.

“I remember being that carefree,” Ashira mumbled, rocking Chivon in her arms.

“Funny. I do, too.”

“Remember being carefree?” She blew out a harsh breath like she wasn’t buying it. “You ain’t got to lie, Craig.” That made me snicker. “Pretty sure you were born with a “stop fun” button.” Ashira’s goofy expression right after that had me outright laughing. She then rolled her eyes. “You couldn’t wait to get off parole so you could travel with me and bring a whole damn army.”

I wanted to crack the fuck up, but that wasn’t true. Still, I couldn’t front on her jokes. “You act like I was obsessed with you.”

“With me? No. With bossing me? Hell, yeah!” She caught her language and slapped her mouth. “My bad.” She rocked Chivon even faster.

My little girl got off her schedule out here. It was bound to happen with us being so many hours ahead on this side. When Chivon was sleepy, she got cranky. So, there had been a bit of that since she woke up before the sun today. When an over-the-counter sleep-inducing tea Bella made her didn’t work, Ashira decided to give her a melatonin gummy. That had slowed Chivon while we traveled from the boat here to the beach. Now her mother had been rocking her to hopefully the final destination of rest. Ashira said this wouldn’t put her on a schedule but would allow her body to catch up with sleep.

“I’mma Harlem nigga, Ashira.”

Ashira glanced up at Eric and two other dudes fromThe Bella’s crew as they finished bringing our things from the van we rode in. Bob was setting up an umbrella over Ashira and Chivon. “You say this about a million-dollar European yachting vacation you brought your child, her mother, her nanny, and the nanny’s BFF on.” She winked deeply. “Don’t worry: yourHarlem Pridecard is safe with me.” She tried to throw up the sign with her hand, which had me almost falling back on the hot sand, laughing. She was mocking my niggas and me.

This was what I meant. Ashira was funny as hell—silly and could even laugh at herself. I shook my head and reminded her as I sat on the towel next to them, “I have a warrior spirit. In my former life—in ancient times, back in Africa—I protected the village. I was and still am a hunter, a gatherer, a reinforcer, a—”

“Protector.” The muscles in her face relaxed, and Ashira nodded. “I know.” Her eyes fell. “It took me years to realize it. And when I did, I had to understand whether I liked it or not; it is my destiny. I signed on the dotted line the moment I carried your child.”

“Nah. Actually, it was before—” I stopped myself, feeling I’d been too damn talkative around her. Plus, Ashira’s memory wasn’t all that great. She was mine to protect the second I smelled her pussy in my old bedroom at my moms’ place in Harlem. That was some shit I’d definitely keep to myself. “Never mind. I’m ‘bout to hit this water.”

A random plane flying in the distance caught my attention beneath the beach umbrella.

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