Page 172 of Rather: The Therapist

My father’s eyes tightened as he looked to Kofi and shook his head.

“Clean yourself up. You’re heading down the aisle in thirty minutes or less. Goddamn, boy.”

“I’m not walking down that aisle, Pops,” Kofi informed him, holding the towel up to his face.

“What the hell you mean you’re not walking down that aisle. Nigga, do you know how much money I spent on this fucking wedding. If I have to drag you down that aisle, you’re getting down it.”

“He won’t be getting married today, Pops,” I co-signed.

“The hell is going on? Priest, explain!”

“Rather is for me.”

“Fo– for you? Nigga, have you lost your goddamn mind?”

“I have, in fact. But, I’m not willing to lose my heart, too. Consider this my resignation. I can’t lead the family by example if I can’t set a good one. I’ve broken a few commandments myself. And, as qualified as I am to run the family’s empire and as much as I love it, I love Rather more. The business doesn’t bring me the peace she brings. The business doesn’t give Princeton what he needs. She does. I can live with my choice to step down. What I can’t live with is the decision to let my brother marry the woman who has had my heart for two whole years.”

“Tw– two years?” Pops drew his head back.

“Two years?” Kofi questioned.

“Another conversation for another day. Today, there’s a chapel full of guests who are expecting a wedding to begin in thirty minutes.”

I faced Chemistry. The look in his eyes told me this was not news to him. He’d known already. That shouldn’t have been news to me, but it still caught me by surprise.

“Chemistry, if I could have your sister’s hand in marriage, I’d like to give the people exactly what they came to see. A wedding between two people who love one another.”

“I don’t give a damn who gets married, son. It had better be some damn body. Too much money has gon–”

“Chemistry–” I urged him.

“Rather’s heart is no playground, Priest,” he began, “I expect you to fulfill the obligations of the arrangement and pay her accordingly. But more than the money she’ll receive, the love she receives better be greater than any love the world has ever known or I will turn over every bead of soil in the world to find you. There won’t be a rock you can hide under and I can’t get to you.”

“You’re not talking to a pussy. My guns shoot like yours.” I reminded him.

With a smile, he nodded, “But your aim isn’t as accurate. You have my blessing.”

I wasted little time stepping to the man I’d wronged and wrapping my arms around his frame. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let this one get away, Kofi. She’s too precious to me.”

He remained silent, but the pat on my back let me know that all would be well, eventually.

“Pops–”

“Go ahead. We’ll deal with this shit later. You niggas done ran my blood pressure through the roof. Where is my wife? Kofi, you didn’t give a damn about the girl, anyway. You haven’t stopped running the city since she got here. Fix your damn face and give your brother that tuxedo. Priest, you and I have unfinished business. You hear?”

“Yes.”

I pushed through the door with my heart on my sleeves. There was only one person I wanted to see. My feet didn’t stop moving until I reached her suite. Despite protests from those near, I entered after a warning knock.

The doors swung open and every mouth in the room hung with surprise. Rather was breathtaking. The picture I had on my lockscreen in the same dress didn’t do her justice.

Her eyes grew in size at the sight of me. Nevertheless, I kept pressing until I was mere inches from her. She froze, unsure of what to say or what to do.

“Sorry to intrude, but I have a very, very important question to ask.”

“Priest, what are you doing here?”

“Claiming what’s mine.”

---