Page 71 of Taeja

Taeja smiled. “That’s so nice of him.”

Zain nodded. “My brother is my best friend.”

“That’s why it makes me sad that you guys are fighting.”

He scoffed. “We’re not fighting. Damon knows not to fuck with me like that.”

“And if he does, nuh do nun to him,” she said with a deep glare.

Zain placed a hand over his heart. “I knew you had a favorite.”

Taeja laughed, so cheery and loud in the dark of the night. “Look at you, making jokes.”

“I know how to joke, Taeja,” he said, then lowered his voice. “I just don’t remember how to express myself well sometimes.”

“You’re doing your best, and that’s fine with me.” She smiled. “And my curiosity is getting the best of me. I know I said I wouldn’t ask but… whyyou and Damon a argue over Liza? Unu used to deh wid her?”

Zain’s jaw clenched as one of his hands balled into a tight fist. “No,” he spat, his tone laced with disgust.

“Sorry, I—”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Taeja.”

She sighed. “Sorry. I mean sorry for saying sorry. Sorry—” She paused as Zain smirked, loosening his fist.

“Why do you apologize this much?”

“My grandma,” Taeja answered without missing a beat. “When Cassedi left me, I spent most of my days with Teddy. She always got mad at me over the simplest of stuff, so I just…”

Zain’s anger boiled inside him as he thought of all the gruesome ways he could make Teddy pay.

“I don’t want to talk about her. I hate her,” Taeja spat. “I should go to sleep.”

“You don’t look sleepy. Me and my dick can fix that for you.”

“No,” she said, chuckling. “I’m trying not to have sex with either of you until you’re on good terms again.”

“Okay, come suck my dick, then. Cause you did earlier, and I guess that doesn’t count as sex.”

“It’s still sex! And it’s not happening again. Aye, stop look pon mi like dat cause mi mean it.”

“Whatever you say,” he said, watching as she made herself comfortable underneath the duvet.

Silence settled between them for a few moments.

Zain used the time to think about his argument with Damon. It’d been a little over a day since their argument, and he missed his brother terribly. But, unlike Damon, Zain knew he had a valid reason to be angry.

He glanced at Taeja. “Can I tell you something?”

Taeja rolled over, the room’s darkness falling over her face as she nodded. “Of course.”

Not wanting to see her reaction, Zain looked away from her to the shadows that streamed through the window and danced on the bottom of the duvet. “Doyou know much about the army, Taeja?”

“No.”

“Then I’ll make this as simple as I can. Liza and I used to be good friends. Back in college, when there were five of us — me, Damon, Tsion, Liza, and Marco. Marco and I dropped out to join the army, and we dedicated ten years of our lives to a branch that doesn’t even exist.”

She gasped. “What?”

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