Page 29 of Loving a Libra
“If he magically turned into the perfect man, it wouldn’t move me one way or the other. The thought of him disgusts me. I can’t wait until the realtor calls me back to let me know what the current owners decided and give me a closing date. I’ll fuck around and leave everything and buy all new shit.”
Our offer on the house was accepted fairly quickly. Once the mortgage was secured, a few issues arose during the inspection. We were waiting to see if the current owners would agree to reduce the asking price by five grand or have the issues fixed.
“That’s a little extreme, but if you want to start from scratch, I got you.”
She looked at me with a questioning gaze. “Really?”
“Without a doubt. We can go shopping for clothes and furniture today if you want.”
“I don’t want either of us to have to spend unnecessary money. I have to work the next three days anyway. Going shopping is out of the question.”
“That’s right. It slipped my mind. Don’t worry about how I spend my money. Whenever you’re ready, just let me know, and I’ll clear my schedule for an all-day shopping spree. We can’t wait too long, because we should have a closing date soon.”
She gasped. “The realtor just texted me. The owners agreed to the terms, and the closing is tomorrow at ten. I can’t believe it’s about to happen.”
“Congratulations, baby.”
“Thank you, but I didn’t do this alone. Thank you for everything you did to make this happen.”
“This is all you.”
“Well, if you don’t have anywhere you need to be, let’s celebrate.”
“I know just how I want to start our celebration. Open your legs so I can have my breakfast.”
“It’s good to see you again. Come in,” my mother greeted Devyn as I stood behind her.
We entered my parents’ home and followed my mother into the living room, where my father was waiting in his recliner. Devyn and I sat on the couch, and my mother sat on the love seat.
“Let me start by saying this,” Ma began. “We’ve been around you enough to know you’re a good person. However, since my son has informed us that you two are in love, we want to hear your side of the story. How is it that you fell in love with our son when you’re in a relationship with Maurice?”
“You just cut right to the chase,” Devyn said, followed by a nervous laugh.
“There’s no reason to beat around the bush. Dinner is ready, baby girl, and we’re hungry,” Pops said with a smile, which helped Devyn to relax.
“In that case, it won’t be a long story. Tariq and I were cool, then he became a good friend and confidant. When I didn’t want to bother my best friend about my problems with Maurice, Tariq was my go-to. Ginae can’t stand Maurice, so her advice wasalways to let him go. Tariq listened without being judgmental, and I appreciated that. When Maurice was out doing his thing, we spent a lot of time together, and naturally, we became close. It was all innocent, and no lines were ever crossed. I started to look forward to our game nights, cooking nights, and movie nights. Everything I should’ve done with Maurice, outside of sex, I did with Tariq, and . . .”
“You fell in love,” Ma finished for her.
“Yes. At some point, I preferred being with Tariq more than I did with Maurice. I should’ve realized it then, but I was probably in denial. Mama Kia, Mr. Vince, this ain’t just about revenge. I would never use Tariq like that. I want a future with him, and I hope we have your blessing.”
“You got my vote. Let’s go eat,” Pops said, standing and heading toward the kitchen.
“Will I get some grandbabies out of this?” Ma asked.
“If God sees fit.”
“Amen to that. Welcome to the family.”
My mother stood, welcoming Devyn into her arms. Devyn almost ran to her, and they exchanged a warm embrace. We eventually followed my father into the kitchen, and while she washed her hands at the kitchen sink, I slipped my arms around her from behind and kissed her neck.
“I told you not to worry.”
“Aye,what’s been up with you lately?” Maurice asked when I stepped out of the shower.
“Didn’t we have this conversation not too long ago?”
“Yeah, and ain’t nothing changed. I feel like you’ve been avoiding me.”
