Page 22 of Truce Of The Matter

“Of course. You know I got her. Take care of Truce and take your time.”

I reach into my pocket and pull out my wallet. “We were about to eat.”

“Please do not insult me and pull anything out of your wallet. Please.” She places her hand over my wallet. “Your brother would be so upset. I got her. Go! Take care of Truce,” she insists and I relent.

After putting my wallet back into my pocket, I thank her then walk over to the booth. I slide in and talk to Aryel. “I have to help my friend. She’s really sad and I need to take her home. Your aunt is going to get your dinner and take you to see your Uncle Dax. I’ll come get you later, okay?”

“A lot of people are sad in here.”

“I know. We’ll talk about it, but right now, I need you to stay with auntie, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy, but are you going to eat first?”

“Nah. I’m good, baby. I’ll eat something later.”

“I hope your friend stops being sad,” she says.

“Me too, baby.” She hugs me from the side and I plant a kiss on top of her head. “I’ll come get you in a few,” I tell her before walking out of the restaurant.

I jog to my ride then pull it around to the back of the restaurant. When I knock on the back door, the same man whotried to stop me earlier opens it. He and Taj are standing near the door. As I step in, she nods and flashes me a wry smile then the man gives me a nod of appreciation too. It’s clear this whole team is grieving because the entire vibe in here is different. It’s also clear that they also care and worry about Truce.

I walk toward the office and Truce is standing outside of it with her back against the door and her head bowed. I approach her, sliding my hand onto the small of her back. She straightens and we walk through Taj and the man out of the door.

As soon as we are in my ride, Truce buckles in, reclines the seat all the way back, then turns toward the window. With my hand resting on her leg, we ride in silence to her condo. I practically have to carry her inside. She’s broken and can’t stop crying. My heart really breaks for her because I can’t imagine my life without either of my parents. The death of a parent has to be the hardest.

When we pass the security at the desk, he calls out, “Sorry for your loss, Miss Truce.”

Crescent Falls is small and the news of the death of one of its most prominent citizens spreads fast. Everybody knows the Redmonds and they definitely know Miss Irene. I’m sure the news has even made it to my parents already too.

The moment we enter her place, she seems to get a little burst of energy. She lifts her head and stands upright but I still keep my arm steady around her as she walks to her bedroom. When we pass the sectional, she drops her small handbag on it.

We enter her bedroom and she doesn’t even turn on the lights. She walks to her bed, presses her hand on my chest, then steps out of my arms. While standing, she kicks out of her shoes then removes her clothes. When she’s down to just a brown bra and panties, my eyes study her too damn beautiful body but I keep my carnal desires at bay. Now isn’t the time. After climbing into her bed, she slides over then raises her comforter.

“Can you stay with me until I fall asleep? I’m exhausted,” she says, barely above a whisper.

Without a second thought, I remove my shoes and take my cell, wallet, and keys out of my pocket. I shoot Chantel a quick text, telling her I need to stay with Truce. She responds immediately:

Chantel: That’s fine. Aryel is good here. We got her.

Then I ease into bed with Truce. She climbs onto my chest, rests her head there, then drapes her leg across mine. I caress her back as she snuggles into me. In less than five minutes, she’s out, snoring lightly.

After about an hour, I gingerly ease her off of me then slip out of the bed. I grab my cell then creep out of her room. I snag a bottle of water from her fridge and walk into her living room.

Once on the sectional, I locate the remote and turn the television on with the volume on three. Then I FaceTime Aryel. It’s almost eight and I want to catch her before she goes to sleep. When her cute little face fills my screen, I smile.

“What’s that on your head?” I ask.

“Auntie tied my hair up. She has a lot of scarves,” she says, smiling hard. She really enjoys spending time with Lyra and Chantel. I think a lot of it has to do with her sorry excuse for a mother. Aria’s absence is felt by my baby and I hate that shit. “She gave me this nightgown too. It’s mine for when I come back; so you don’t have to send a nightgown in my bags anymore.”

“That was nice. Did you tell her thank you?”

“Yes, sir, and I gave her a hug. Where are you?” she asks. Her eyes are roaming the screen; she’s trying to figure out my background.

“Still with my friend at her house.”

“Is she still sad?”

“Yeah. She’s very sad. Her mother went to heaven.”

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