Page 51 of Can I?

My dad chuckled as my mama looked on unamused. Lana quickly grabbed my plate and began loading it with food. The smothered okra had seafood, sausage, and chicken breast in it, so I was ready to dive into that. Right after she fixed small portions on her plate, we got to it. My daddy glanced at her plate and said, “Is that all you’re eating?”

“Yes, sir. My family is having a meeting at four, and we always have food. I need to save room for whatever Aunt Jen and Aunt Chrissy cook.”

He chuckled. “So you’re double dipping. Smart woman.”

“Greedy ass,” I said.

She shoulder bumped me and ate some okra and rice. “This is good, Missus Paula,” she said after swallowing.

“Thank you.”

My mama hadn’t said a word. My dad kept glancing at her, like he was trying to figure out what her deal was. Finally, my mama said, “So y’all are going to eat and leave, huh?”

Milana looked up at her. “Well, I didn’t want to decline the invitation. I already know you don’t too much care for Ferris having a relationship with me. So instead of not coming at all, I wanted to make more of an effort for things that are important to him.”

My eyebrows lifted.Aww shit.Milana had answered her question before I could even attempt to. She was prepared for the shadiness. I was too, but she was definitely quicker with the draw.

“We wouldn’t have been offended, Milana, if you had other things you had to do. We could have picked another date.”

“Originally, the meeting was at six, so I thought I had time. They moved it up to four because some of the guys hired to help with issues in Nome have to fly out tonight.”

“We understand,” my dad said.

“Well, I wish you would have declined and picked another date so we wouldn’t feel rushed.”

“Ma, chill. You don’t have to feel rushed. Why would you feel rushed if you aren’t really talking to her? You’re doing more talkingather thantoher.”

I glanced over at Milana to see her cleaning her plate, clearly not fazed by my mama’s foolishness. When I noticed she was done, I said, “I’m sorry, baby. Are you ready to leave?”

She looked up at me with her eyebrows lifted and scrunched together. “I’m okay unless you’re ready to leave. We have to leave in the next forty-five minutes anyway. Enjoy your family, baby. Excuse me.”

She stood and took her plate to the sink and rinsed it out as I stared at my mama. “Why are you being like this toward Milana?” my dad asked.

My mama cut her eyes at him as I stood from my seat. I scratched the rest of my food in the trash. My disgust was speaking loudly because I didn’t throw food away. I joined Milana at the sink and rinsed my plate off then grabbed her hand, pulling her away from it. “Let’s go, baby.”

She rubbed my hand between hers and stopped my forward progress. When I turned to her, she lowered her head. “I’m sorry the drama with my family and the shit I did is coming between you and your family. That’s your mother.”

I lifted her head by placing my fingertips under her chin. “You my woman. I want you to be my family. You come first, Lana.”

I went to the front room and shook my dad’s hand before my anger spilled over and affected everyone.

“So you just gon’ leave? Why can’t you see that she isn’t good for you? You done already got shot fooling with her, Ferris! You gon’ choose her over your family?”

I was wondering when her issues would come falling out of her mouth. I could feel my lip twitching, my anger threatening to take over. Holding our joined hands up, I said, “This is the woman I love. This is the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. I know that, because it happened so fast. I don’t typically movethisquickly. She came into my life, and her aura sucked me all the way in. I refuse to let her go because of your reservations.”

I closed my eyes for a second, realizing I’d spilled the contents of my heart, stunning Milana in the process. I pulled her out of there before I revealed anything else. That wasn’t the way I planned to tell her that I loved her. I wanted to be deep within her walls, stroking her to ecstasy when I confessed my love and obsession with her beautiful ass.

I opened the door, allowing her to walk out first, and slammed the door behind me. My dad was completely stunned. I was too. My mama had never behaved this way, and I didn’t understand what her beef was with the Hendersons. I understood her concern with the situation because of what had happened to me, but this shit was next level.

We quietly walked to my vehicle, and after I helped her in, I went to my side and got in. Milana was staring at me, and I saw a couple of tears grace her cheeks. I didn’t respond to her, because the last place I wanted to be when I looked into her eyes and expressed my love was at a place she wasn’t comfortable at. I refused to do that in a place that represented hate and envy right now.

The ride to my house was quiet. I hadn’t even turned on music, because I wanted to think about how she was feeling right now. Hearing her sniff every few seconds was making me softerand softer by the minute. The minute I parked in the driveway, I turned off the engine and hopped out, making my way to her side.

I opened her door and helped her out then pulled her in my arms for a moment. Her body trembled as she hugged me back. It was too hot outside to be spilling feelings everywhere though. The sun was being disrespectful, and it was only May. The summer was gonna be damn near unbearable if it was already in the nineties. Pulling away from her, I led her inside.

After closing the door, I turned to find her leaned against the counter, staring at me. I slowly walked over to her, staring directly into her eyes. I needed her to see my love and admiration through my gaze. This shit hit me fast, and I didn’t know how, especially with everything that was going on.

When I stood directly in front of her, I leaned against her, our bodies flushed. Her tears were falling still, and I gently swiped each one away then leaned in and kissed her lips. Pulling her tank off her shoulder, I kissed her there too.

---