Page 57 of Truce Of The Matter

“Everything is really good. You boys outdid yourselves. Smokey’s would not have been this good,” my mom says.

“It would have been easier,” I add.

“But not better. What’s the seasoning on this steak?” Truce asks.

“My secret blend. You give me this lemonade recipe and I’ll give you my blend,” Dax says while holding up his glass.

“I guess I’ll never know,” Truce replies with a smirk.

“That lemonade slap. I can’t lie. Y’all need to bottle and sell that shit,” Mere says and Nyrielle sucks her teeth.

“Boy, that’s what they do. They sell it at the restaurant. Nigga, duh,” she says.

“I know that, big head. I’m talking about in a grocery store or some shit,” he snaps back.

“We know what you meant,” my mom says. “I put the lemonade and a splash of my Absolut in my pineapple. I think I have a new drink.”

“And keep drinking it,” Pops says then he leans in and whispers the rest to my mom and she giggles like a teenager.

“They are too cute,” Truce utters. We continue to eat and talk and I can’t stop glancing at my phone on the table. I’m hoping Lyra will at least call or text. It’s damn near seven and her ass still isn’t here. She’s really fucking up right now. Truce senses my tension and places her hand on my leg under the table. “She’ll be here,” she assures but at this point, I can’t call it.

“Mere, what happened to you bringing yo’ girl?” Dax asks.

“Moved on,” he says, nonchalantly.

“Ol’ girl from the shop with our two cases of cookies?” I questioned because he insisted that I get cases for her and I had.

“Yeah but I’m sure she’ll sell ’em.”

“My cookies?” Aryel asks, all concerned.

“Yeah, lil bit, but you good. I ain’t worried about that. I got you either way. Don’t I always look out?” he says and Aryel nods.

The sound of Dax’s fist landing hard on the table freaks the shit of out of everybody and causes us to look up.The fuck!Before my brain can fully process what my eyes are unbelievably seeing, Dax leaps out of his seat. His chair crashes to the floor and Dax’s hands are firmly gripping the shirt of the nigga who caused him to lose three years of his life.

Romelo is here.

… with Lyra.

What the fuck!

Chantel is yelling for me to intervene. Lyra is pleading for Dax to put Romelo’s bitch ass down and my momma is crying. Then I hear my baby Aryel yell out in a panic, “Uncle Dax!”

Her plea snaps me out of my minute stupor and I get up. I rush to Dax and pull him off of Romelo. Then, before I let my mind exercise any reason, I stall Romelo out with an uppercut and his body falls back and slams into the glass door of the solarium. The heavy duty glass doesn’t shatter but the impact is heard loud and clear.

“Rex!” Lyra screams angrily as she tries to rush me. With one hand, I hold her ass in place. She flails her hands, trying to break my hold or hit me; at this point, I don’t know what the hell she’s trying to do but I do know she’s lost her fucking mind,bringing that nigga here.

Nyrielle rushes over and pulls Lyra back. My mom is distraught and crying. Aryel is bawling her eyes out while Truce comforts her. Chantel is pacing in circles with Dax, trying to calm him down. Mere is standing, positioned to do whatever is necessary. This shit is crazy as hell and I’m just trying to calm down my damn self. My chest is heaving, my palms are itching to box, and I’m mad at myself for hitting a man in front of my baby girl.

“Let me go, Nyrielle! He’s hurt,” Lyra has the nerve to say.

“Fuck that nigga!” Mere and I spit at the same damn time.

He’s beside me now and Romelo is starting to move. When he does, my dumb ass sister has the nerve to break from Nyrielle and run to him.

“If you put one hand on him, I swear to God, I’ll kill him,” I say ominously.

She immediately picks up on my tone and sincerity and pauses timidly, taking steps back. Real shit, if she touches him, I will end his pathetic life without a second thought.

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