Page 53 of Only for the Week
Janelle’s eye twitches and I wish I were closer so I could help calm her nerves. What is it about this woman that makes me want to walk through fire just so she doesn’t burn? “So, I can’t come with y’all?”
“You’d wanna be the fifth wheel?”
“With my parents and my sister? I wouldn’t think I’d feel like a fifth wheel in that situation.”
I look at Arnold, waiting for him to get involved but he’s back to being the guy that just sits around, letting this shit happen.
“Ri, what the fuck? Why can’t she just come?” Eve asks, stomping her foot.
“It’s all good, Evie,” Janelle assures her with her palm up.
“No, it’s not. Because you starting to piss me off, Ri.”
“What the hell did I do?”
“You’ve been acting shady with Nelly all week.”
Amerie’s nostrils flare and she cranes her neck toward Janelle. “Is that how you feel?”
A war rages in Janelle’s eyes. Yes, surrounded by our friends on an empty stomach with the humidity bearing down on us probably isn’t the best place for her and Amerie to have it out, but this is a moment that probably won’t come around again. She looks at me briefly and I will her to acknowledge her true feelings, but the deep exhale she lets out lets me know she’s not about to do that.
“I don’t wanna fight, Ri. I just want you to have the best wedding.”
Beside me, I hear Dani let out a somber sigh. Everyone is growing tired of Amerie’s bullshit, but everyone knows it has to be Janelle who puts her in her place.
“See, she disagrees.”
“Ri, stop,” Dani barks.
“That’s not what the fuck she said, Ri.” Eve’s words come out as a harsh growl. If Janelle isn’t willing to lean on me this week, I’m glad she has Eve and Dani in her corner.
“Okay, that’s enough,” Arnold, now deciding to use his vocal cords, interrupts.
I step in before he can put his foot further down his throat. Holding up my hand to stop all conversation, I address Janelle directly. “J, I’m pretty sure my brother is on the same flight as your parents, and I have to pick him up so you can ride with me; that way you don’t have to be where you aren’t wanted.”
Arnold hangs his head as Amerie scoffs. “That’s not…” The look I send Amerie’s way cuts off any rebuttal that was threatening to jump off her tongue. “Well, it looks like Rome solved the problem, so there we go.”
Christian lets out a whistle as he and Micah back away slowly.
“I like you.” Eve pats me on the back, grabbing Dani and pulling her away from the group. Arnold gives Amerie a tentative kiss and then guides her out as well, leaving me alone with Janelle.
“You didn’t have to do that but I’m glad you did. Thank you.”
I don’t even respond. I just tip my head to her and make my way to the car.
After driving almost two hours to the airport in comfortable silence and then sitting for thirty minutes with Arnold and Amerie in uncomfortable silence, a man that could very well be Janelle’s twin exits the terminal. Janelle is up and running toward him before I can even point him out.
He scoops her up in a bear hug and plants a kiss on her cheek. A shorter woman with a short pixie cut, who I assume is her mother, stands beside them, watching with a smile. Amerie grabs Arnold’s hand and drags him over to join the welcome wagon.
I see my brother exit the terminal, flagged by an overenthusiastic white man. The look in Jalen’s eyes screams“save me”so I jog over to greet him.
We pull each other into a bro hug and when Jalen starts talking to me without acknowledging the man, he gets the hint and leaves.
“Excited fan?”
“He talked the whole damn flight. Gave me a dissertation on why the sport needs me back and why I should specifically look to play for LA. Apparently, Tyson Richards and I would make a dynamic duo.”
Jalen is an NBA legend. He played for the Washington Blaze, bringing home four championship rings, four MVP awards, and three Olympic gold medals. Three years ago, at the age of thirty-five, he shocked the world by announcing that he was retiring from the game. While he made it clear that his decision was final, only our family knew the reason behind his retirement was issues with his ex-wife causing him to need to dedicate all his time to being a dad, so fans have continued to hold out hope that he’ll one day return.
