Page 49 of Love's Free Will

She leaned back in her chair, making that stupid humming noise again like she had to physically hold herself back from correcting him. And I was glad he shut her ass up.

Dinner was dry. The roast chicken was overcooked, and the tension was medium-rare. Every time Royal spoke to someone, my mother reacted. Loud sighs. Clicking her tongue. Cutting her eyes like she was slicing onions.

“So, how’d you two meet?” Brandon asked, trying to keep the vibe light.

“His label head brought me in to work on some music with him for his new album,” I answered. “Royal didn’t want me there,” I added, smirking.

“That’s true. I didn’t want her there at all. All I kept saying was what can some tv witch do for my sound. I was pissed and causing problems from the jump. But Ave came out swinging, after she cussed my ass out.” he admitted causing chuckles to vibrate against the walls. “I was obviously wrong; she has been a major part of developing my album.”

Candace whispered loudly, “That’s romantic as hell.”

Allison’s knife clinked against her plate. “I suppose being ‘wrong’ is a common theme in your life, isn’t it?”

That was the last straw. I set my fork down slowly, my hands starting to shake. “Okay.”

“Averi,” my dad warned.

“Nope. No more warnings. No more silent stares. Mama, you’ve been nasty all night.” Her eyebrows shot up like I had just cursed in a church. “I’ve tried to be patient. I’ve tried to be respectful. But let’s be clear—if your goal was to embarrass me, mission fuckin’ accomplished.”

“Averi, watch your mouth. I’m just concerned?—”

“No, you’re controlling. You don’t care about my happiness; you care about appearances. You want me with someone youcan brag about at brunch. Not someone you don’t understand. Someone who doesn’t fit into your little curated life.”

“You’re being dramatic as usual.”

“And you’ve been judgmental since the day I told you I wanted to write music instead of filing legal briefs and kissing ass at law firm holiday parties.” She opened her mouth, but I wasn’t done. “You want the truth? I don’t admire your marriage. I don’t want your life. You and Daddy have been pretending so long, y’all don’t even know how to love each other anymore. You sit in this cold-ass house, throwing wine and shade, but you haven’t smiled at that man across the table in ten years!”

The room went dead silent before my daddy spoke; “Averi, that’s enough.”

“You think I want that?” I asked ignoring him, feeling my temper rising with each word I spoke, “You think I want to settle into a life of silence and social climbing? You think I want a man who looks good on paper but doesn’t see me?”

“Sis—” That was Elias who was to my right, putting his hand on mine but I snatched away from him.

Tears were hot in my eyes, but my voice didn’t waver. “Royal sees me. He don’t want me to be nothing or nobody other than who I am. If he could want that for me, why the hell can’t you?” My mama was speechless for once. Mouth slightly open. Fork mid-air. I stood up, straightening my shoulders. “This dinner—oh no wait—I mean interrogation, is over.” I turned to Royal. “Can we go?”

He nodded then he stood without a word and followed me out like he always did—calm, quiet, and unfazed. The second we pulled off, the tension evaporated like smoke.

“You good?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry,” I muttered, wiping a tear from my cheek. “I didn’t mean for it to go like that.”

Royal reached across and took my hand. “You stood up for yourself. I respect the fuck outta that.”

“I just… a part of me wants to say I can’t believe she would act like that but who the fuck am I kidding? That’s just my mama.”

He squeezed my hand. “Ain’t nothin’ she said bothered me, Ave.”

“Well, that’s my fuckin’ family.” I shook my head exhaling. “Every bit of the bougie ass people you thought me to be, right?”

“Hell yeah.” He laughed. “But look, I met your real family back in Cali. And they fuck with me heavy, so it don’t even matter.”

I laughed through my sniffles. “They really do.”

“And I fuck with you, Ave. All the way. Let them talk. That just mean we doing something right.”

“Right.”

And in that moment, in his car, hand in his, I realized this man—tattoos, rough edges, hood past and all—was the safest place I’d ever been.

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