Page 89 of Devanté
“I do. Imperial was more interested in keeping me as a cash cow I won’t be sad to leave.” His eyes slid up and down my body, leaving tingles in their wake.
“Okay, I guess I can understand your decision,” Mom nodded. “I know you’re going to be at my party. Blake is planning it and we should be getting a few deliveries today, right, sweetheart?”
“Yup.” My smile was tight. Too tight. Devanté reached over and ran his wide palm up and down my back. My body hummed for him.
“So, will you be bringing a date? I can’t wait to see what kind of little beauty you’re with.” Mom’s question made my cheeks heat. Miss Liza smirked before taking a drink of water.She knew.
“Oh, she’s a knockout,” Miss Liza said, twisting the top back on her bottle. “Absolutely gorgeous.” She made sure to smile at me and I appreciated it but it still didn’t dull the sting I felt from my mother’s words. I didn’t know why though. Her words weren’t even directed at me and they still cut. I hated the power she had over me.
“Aww, that’s great. Maybe you can talk some sense into my daughter. She broke up with the only man who wanted to date her.” She rolled her eyes and looked at me like I couldn’t do anything right. I pulled my shoulders in and forced myself to see nothing less than a queen when I looked within. “Sit up straight, pumpkin.” Mom tapped my shoulder and my spine turned into a rod.
“Sorry, Ma.”
“It’s fine. just remember to keep your posture straight. It makes you look less…round.”
“Yelinda, cut it out. There’s nothing round about Blake. She’s built. I bet you have a hard time keeping the men away.” Miss Liza smiled.
“I don’t know about that.” I rubbed my hands on my pants and stared at the tabletop. When I felt a strong hand on my leg, I looked over to see Devanté’s long fingers splayed out. His fingertips pressing into my thigh.
“You better not have any men around you.” He gave me a squeeze. “I’m the only man allowed to be around you.” He knew how to make me smile no matter what was going on.
“When exactly did you become a man?” I quipped, my lips twitching with a smile.
“Oh…you know the answer to that.” He winked and our mothers melted away. I pressed my thighs together and tried not to slip into that magical space where we were the only ones who existed.
“Oh, Blake…don’t you have to pick up the flowers from the florist?” Mom asked, holding her pointer finger in the air.
“Yes, I do. Let me get out of here.” I stood up and Devanté stood with me.
“I’ll ride with you.” He guided me out the door with his hand on the small of my back.
“Okay, sure. Let’s go.”
When we got outside, I pulled in a deep breath and leaned against my car. In that little bit of time around my mother, my head started to throb, and every vein in my body pulsed.
“You still let her get to you, Blake.”
“Am I supposed to cut her off and never speak to her? She’s my mother, of course she still gets to me. She’s about the only person who does.”
“I didn’t say cut her off but you definitely need to stand up for yourself. I know you don’t like it when I step in but it’s hard watching her talk down to you. Mother or not. I don’t like that shit.” His thick, dark brows were pulled together creating on angry scowl on his handsome face.
“Me, stand up totheYelinda Remington? Yeah right,” I scoffed.
“What were you and Noa talking about at the party last week? The Boss Bitch Society? Well, do you think as the founder you can let people steamroll all over you? Even if it’s your mother.”
He had a point but I still needed to chew on it for a while.
“Come on, Jodeci. Let’s go to the florist.” We got in the car and I let him drive so I could clear my mind.
“I didn’t overstep my bounds, did I? You’re quiet.” He stole a glance at me when we came to a stop sign.
“No. I just don’t know how to stand up to my mother. I’ve never tried beyond taking petty swipes at her.” I knew I would have to stand up to her once she found out Devanté and I were in a relationship. She would lose her mind and wonder if he’d lost his.
Oh my god.
My mother was the little voice of insecurity in my head. The one I always worked so hard to stomp out. The one that kept returning no matter how much healing and growing I did. I kept my mother around and so the voice stayed too.
“Shit,” I said shutting my eyes head and letting my head fall back against the headrest. “I have to tell her about herself or I’m never going to get over my toxic view of myself.”
