Page 66 of Truce Of The Matter

“No, Truce. No. I’ll be fine. Besides, I have a presentation Thursday then a test Tuesday. I was going to come home early for spring break and leave next Wednesday,” she says and I smile.

“Did you get your ticket yet?”

“No. I’m driving. I need to bring some clothes home and some of my other stuff.” I simply say okay but I want to scream. I need to see her and having her home for over a week gives me plenty of opportunities to try. “Maybe you can talk to him before I come?” she asks, pleading actually, and I don’t have the heart to hurt her more.

So I simply say, “Maybe.” I’ll tell her the whole truth when she’s here with me.

“Thank you.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come tonight?”

“Yeah. I have to meet my project team at eight. I’ll be okay. Just try and talk to him please.”

“I will,” I lie because the look on Tremayne’s face today confirms that there’s no talking with him. “I’m going to check on you later.”

“Okay. I gotta go.”

“I love you,” I say but she ends the call before I get my words out.

Chapter 18

“Have you talked to her?” I ask Dax.

“No and I’m not. I still can’t even look at Lyra’s ass,” he scoffs.

Although it’s been almost two weeks since our parents’ disaster anniversary dinner, neither of us has spoken to Lyra. The only person she’s spoken with is our mother and naturally, she’s already forgiven Lyra. That’s our mother, a woman with a forgiving heart and spirit. I inherited a small piece of it but not enough to forgive Lyra yet. I’m sure I will soon but the shit is still too damn fresh.

“She’s at Momma’s now; Aryel called and let me know she was there.”

“I thought they leave in the morning,” he says, intentionally moving the subject from our sister. I’m still angry but he’s hurt,real hurt. As he should be. He spent years behind bars, away from us, over that nigga and Lyra just forgot all about his sacrifice.

“Sunday morning. Their ship leaves at one. That’s why she has Aryel tonight.”

“So, what yo’ ass gon’ do? And don’t say be with me either, nigga. My baby’s planning some naked picnic shit at the house and I’m trying?—”

“Bruh, chill. I’m not trying to picture you and sis like that,” I say, interrupting his ass, and he chuckles.

“Before I forget, Truce is your plus one for the wedding, right?” he asks and my facial expression causes him to quickly say more. “Ay, Chantel told me to make sure. We are finalizing the list this week and I didn’t want to assume shit.”

“No assumption needed. It’s a fact that she is mine. Whose ride is out there?” I ask, motioning to the repair bay. His large office windows allow him to see out. “She’s all mine and she’ll be there.”

“Bet.” He nods then smiles. “Real talk, I’m happy for you. Shit is real different when you have your real one in your corner. Speaking of non-real ones, what’s up with Aria?”

“She said she’s coming this week but nothing’s confirmed yet. Aryel still says that she doesn’t really want to see her so I’m going to let her come to the crib. I’m not making my baby go anywhere with her if she doesn’t want to and she damn shole ain’t going if she brings that nigga with her. She wouldn’t even give me his full name so I can check him out.”

“Then you already know it’s bullshit.”

“Exactly,” I say while nodding. She shouldn’t have even hesitated when I asked but she did and talked all around the subject of his last name. “Me and her are going to have a real ass conversation. No more half in and half out. Either she’s all in with Aryel or not at all.”

“She’s good without Aria; she always has been. Don’t even think twice about that shit.”

“I’m not. Real shit, I shouldn’t have let her back in Aryel’s life. I thought I was doing the right thing. It was just me with a baby. I was struggling at first and Momma was in my ear sayingAria could have left from postpartum. And hell, she was Aryel’s mother so I said fuck it and let her see our baby. But she’s not consistent. She’s not being a mother and I’m over that shit. All in or all out. Those are her only options,” I state with conviction. Mere taps on the window and we both look up. He’s waving. Truce’s new set of tires are on and her alignment is done. “The cookies are in the trunk. He can get them out before he pulls it around.”

“She still leading in sales?” Dax asks before standing. My whole family is invested in Aryel being the top seller.

“You know it. She’s doing so good I promised her a sleepover at the house.”

“A bunch of screaming little girls in your crib! Hell naw,” he scoffs.

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