Page 159 of Rather: The Therapist

I was rinsed for a second time. Rome stepped up, handing me the towel. I turned the water off and dried my body while still in the shower. When I emerged, I was given a glass of wine and the robe from her hands.

“And, I’ve fallen in love with him.”

“Him who?” They asked in unison, everyone but Roulette. She was already privy to the information.

“Priest,” I revealed.

A pin could drop and it would be heard a mile away. Everyone stilled. There wasn’t a sound made. Not until I pushed out the breath I’d been holding, praying my sisters didn’t chew into me for the choices I’d made. I should’ve known better than to ever believe that. Those girls were my rocks.

“Well, I could make Kofi disappear so you can have your happily ever after. He’s a risk factor. His disappearance wouldn’t be unlikely. After all, that’s why they’re eager to marry him off.”

“Rugger.”

She picked the dirt from beneath her nails, completely unbothered by the stale faces staring back at her.

“Anything to see my sister smile.” She shrugged. “If you change your mind, don’t hesitate to call. I’ll be on the first thing smoking. I’m itching for an assignment.”

“It won’t be Kofi,” I promised her. “He’s a decent guy. A little wild, but he’s not awful. And, we’ve become friends, sort of. I think it’s the foundation to a happy marriage. Well, one as happy as it could be given the circumstances.”

“You’re a stronger sister than me because I’d try my best to sit the fellas down and have them both agree to share me. Together and separately,” Roulette explained, “I have two holes. They’re both fillable.”

“Three,” Royce corrected her.

“See, I knew I liked you better for some reason. The brother Killian wouldn’t be a bad idea. Rugger showed me a picture.”

“Please.” She was too much at times, but I knew she was being completely honest.

Monogamy wasn’t her way of life. She was a girl who liked to dibble and dabble and keep her hands in a few baskets.

“I have to be at my last fitting at four and then it’s straight to the dinner for hair and makeup.”

“Well, that gives us two hours of girl time. To the kitchen, shall we?”

We filed out of the bathroom. Every woman had a glass in her hand that would need to be refilled soon.

FIFTEEN

The ballroom was filled to the brim with unfamiliar faces. The guest list totaled ninety-eight people and I hadn’t chosen a single one of them. Ashland was in charge of the invitations and who received one. As long as my family was in attendance, no one else mattered.

“Kleigh, this is Rugger, Range, Royce, Roulette, Rome, and Roaman,” I introduced the girls.

“It’s so nice to meet you all. I’ve heard so much about you. I’ll admit I’m a bit jealous you had such beautiful women surrounding you your entire life. You girls are lucky. All I had was the guys.”

She lifted her chin, angling it toward Kofi and Killian who were only a few feet away.

“Two more Chem’s wouldn’t be such a bad thing,” Royce countered.

I heard every word shared, but my eyes were elsewhere. So was my mind and my heart. I could feel his presence, but I couldn’t see him. The anchor on my chest made it evident he was near. Still, I hadn’t laid eyes on him.

Curiosity guided my orbs across the room. There wasn’t a sign of Priest other than my intuition and the forbidden bond we’d created over the last few months. But, he was near. I knew it and so did my heart.

He’s here. I warned, preparing to encounter the man who had stolen my breath away from the very first moment I saw him two years ago.

Backward and forward, across the room, my eyes scurried in search of him until finally, the doors of the ballroom opened. I steadied my gaze and waited anxiously for confirmation of my suspicion. I wasn’t prepared for what was revealed to me. I wasn’t prepared for what was presented.

Dapper in a three-piece suit that was black in every aspect of the world was Priest. Just inches away, but close enough to reach out and touch, was a beautiful, caramel-skinned woman who I was sure had seen hundreds of runways in her days.

Find someone you can learn to love and don’t wait until your heart gives you permission. Do it sooner than later to put us both out of our misery. I’ll live my life, Priest. I want you to live yours. What’s going to happen to us is inevitable. Your lonesomeness doesn’t have to be. For Princeton’s sake, find somebody to love.

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