Page 15 of Divine II

“It’s dark, but it’s a part of you. I want to know the whole you, not just the parts that you’re comfortable talking about. Lord knows you know all of my shit.”

“We’re getting off topic. I brought you out here to show you my mom’s garden.”

“I love it. I think it’s so cute that you got your love for gardening from your mom. I have no idea how I’m going to keep mine up while you’re gone. I guess I should have been out there trying to learn something.”

“Just add water,” he told me.

“Until you come back?” I asked. “You are coming back, aren’t you?”

“I need to make sure everything is good around here. There are a few things I have to take care of. My mom thought of everything. She made all of the necessary arrangements, but part of her plan included me coming back to take her place.”

“She must have known that her time was limited.”

“She did. She was diagnosed with breast cancer a while back. I’ve been combing over her paperwork. She called me on the day she got the news, but she never mentioned it once. She didn’t even let on that something was wrong. We just had our regular surface level conversation. She told me that she loved me and was glad that I found peace. I told her the same.”

“Oh, Liam,” I said, pouting as I looked up at him.

“It’s not a big deal. Not sure I would have run home to see her anyway.”

“I would have made you come had I known.”

“Thankfully neither of us were plagued with the burden of having that information for months.”

“You never answered my question. What do you need from me?”

“I’m pretty sure I said nothing.”

“Come on, Lee. I’m not psychic like you. You have to give me something to work with.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be busy with your new suitor?”

“Fuck all that, Liam. You come first.”

He chuckled. “You say that like you mean it.”

“Because I do. Nothing is more important to me than our friendship.”

“I bet. Have you met your new man yet?” he asked.

“Bishop is supposed to let me know when it’s time.”

“But I’m supposed to believe I’m so important to you.”

“You are, Liam. What they’re asking me to do is make believe. This shit between us is real.”

“So, why even let them use you like that, Divine?”

“The boys have done everything for me. The least I can do is play pretend for a few months to help them,” I said, deciding not to reveal the real reason behind me agreeing to the deal.

“You shouldn’t have come here, Divine.”

“What do you mean?”

“I work for your cousin. I’m your bodyguard. The fact that you’re here without protection is already a problem. Then add on the fact that you are about to be prostituted to help your family business is a whole other thing. I can’t have you hanging around here and making people speculate that something is going on between us when it’s obviously not.”

“Liam, come on. Don’t do that,” I protested.

“I’m gonna need you to leave, Divine,” Liam said, turning to head back inside.

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