Page 19 of Honey Sugar
“Damn. Turn down some of that humility, baby girl.” He flashed me a perfect smile with perfect white teeth. I kinda missed his gold fronts but I’d never admit it after I made him take them out.
“Whatever. Have you talked to your mama?”
“Of course. After you fell asleep last night, I called her at work. She’s fine. She’s going to get a new car today. I left her the money I made over Mardi Gras. I told her the only way I’d lay low like she wanted was if she got herself another car and paid for it with cash. Otherwise, I’d bring my ass back home to check on her.”
“You’re such a good son, Titan.”
“I try. Mama is stubborn though. She won’t let me help as much as I want to.” I turned my eyes to his and snickered into my palm. His narrow-eyed glare straightened me up right away. “What are you laughing at?” He quizzed.
“I’m laughing at you fussing about Auntie Sarah being stubborn. Where do you think you got it from, Titan? You’re stubborn as a mule yourself.”
“Nah. No I’m not. Not like her.”
“Yup. Just like her. We’re all stubborn in this family. Deal with it.”
Titan took his gloves off and reached over to grab me. I squealed with laughter while his long fingers marched up and down my sides, tickling me relentlessly.
“Now we can see how stubborn I am when you beg me to stop and I keep going.” His voice was so deep now. I wasn’t used to it. It wasn’t smooth like silk or chocolate. It was rough and gritty. It was obsidian hewn straight from the earth. It pulsed with energy.
I laughed at the way he tickled me but my mind took a detour and went somewhere else. I yanked the wheel and steered it back to the present moment. The road it was trying to travel down was dark and murky. It was twisted and I knew if I let my thoughts travel there I’d crash.
When Titan and I were kids, I could break out of his skinny arms with ease. Now, things weren’t that easy. His arms were reinforced with muscles and he used them.
“Stop!” I begged, laughter bursting in the air making Honey Sugar feel fun and happy. Not like work at all. It felt like it did seven years ago when I was a kid.
I kicked my feet in front of me and hit the counter. The tray of chocolates slid forward and three candies fell on the floor. Titan and I paused and looked at each other.
“Five-second rule,” we both called out before making a mad dash to save the candies. He scooped up two and I got one. Laughter hung over our heads as we sat on the floor and shoved candies in our mouths like children.
“What are you two back here doing?” Mama poked her head in the kitchen. Me and Titan hopped up off the floor and hid the evidence of stolen chocolate in our palms behind our backs. Balled up candy papers poked my skin as I shrugged my shoulders and looked at her with big innocent eyes. She didn’t believe me for a second.
“Y’all too big to keep playing like you did when you were kids,” she warned, wagging her finger at us.
“Sorry about that, Aunt Liv. Your daughter acts like she doesn’t have home training. She’s a bully.”
“Me!” I gasped and slapped Titan’s arm with the hand that wasn’t concealing candy paper.
“Yes you, Ivy Lynn Marchand.”
“Whatever. That was all you.” I shoved him and he stumbled over dramatically. He knew my little shove didn’t budge him that much. Mama looked at me and the side of her mouth lifted in a smile.
“Even though you two are up to no good…it’s nice seeing you laugh, Ivy. Keep making her happy, Titan.” She disappeared and left Titan and I to stare at each other.
“You’re still a liar, I see,” I sniffed, moving past him. He poked my stomach and I laughed a little before tossing the candy paper in the trash.
“Stop crying. You know Aunt Liv didn’t believe shit that came out of my mouth.” Titan’s coal eyes followed me around the kitchen as I got the hard candies and lollipops ready to be set out.
“Why do you keep looking at me like that?” I asked him. I couldn’t help wondering out loud.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged his shoulders and helped me carry candy to the front of the store. He still remembered the right order to put them in. I smiled a little watching him work.
“Titan, you need to get that hair done. You can’t work around my candies with it out like that.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” I didn’t say it out loud but…I liked when Titan had his hair out. It was beautiful and wavy. I wanted to run my fingers through it over and over to see if it was fluid as black water.
“I can braid it for you,” I said to him. His eyes were on me again and I felt my skin burn under his gaze.
“Yeah, that’s cool.” He nodded and went back to putting candy on the displays. We both seemed to only come to life around each other. Whenever we were around anyone else we became quiet and withdrawn. Somehow Titan still managed to be charming even when he was quiet though.
