Page 74 of Intentional Foul
“Please don’t tell me you and Jhae are tripping again,” he said.
Marquise covered his eyes with his arm after he asked his question.
“No. How do you feel about me and Jhae and be honest?” I said.
Marquise lifted from the bed, giving me his full attention. “You know I love Jhae. She is family, and she is your true love. I mean, are you having second thoughts?” he asked.
I jerked my head back at his statement.
“Hell nawl. Jhae is my heart, but I don’t think Mom is going to be as open as I hoped. I need to know you’ve got my back during the hard and rough parts.”
Marquise jerked his head backward this time.
“Mom isn’t unreasonable. She will be pissed, but she will calm down. You know I always got your back,” he said.
I released a nervous breath as I rubbed my beard.
“If she doesn’t, I’ve ruined her and Jhae’s friendship. It’s going to be hard for me to live with. What if Mom tries to disown me or something?” I questioned.
Marquise stood on his feet and captured my shoulders. “Mom is not going to disown you. She took us in when nobody wanted us. Pops always got our back. If she tries, we’ll make her take us back,” he said.
I shook my head, accepting his statement. Usually, his protectiveness required me to reel him back in, but I needed his reassurance.
“You’ve got to believe it if you expect Jhae to buy it,” he continued
“Yeah, you’re right I had a moment of doubt because Jhae is giving up on her relationship with mom.”
“We will fix this if it goes left.”
“While we’re fixing things, how can I get you and Momma Toni back on track?” I questioned.
Marquise dropped his head before putting space between us.
“Not gonna happen. Please stop unlocking my phone and unblocking the fraud you know as Toni,” he continued.
“Why is she a fraud, exactly?” I questioned.
He slumped his shoulders as if he were a disappointed parent. “She wants your money, bro. After you meet the rest of the family, they will be calling for loans. Leave the past in the damn past,” he said.
I knew he wasn’t fond of Toni, but I wasn’t sure how far his anger went until now. Everything about this posture, tightening jaw line and eyes spoke of his disapproval.
“She hasn’t asked for any money,” I confirmed.
“And she betta not. She knows what I told her. I don’t play about my brother,” he said.
I folded my arms across my chest before I asked. “What did you tell her?”
“Not to ask you for a fucking thing. Keep her greedy hands to herself.”
“Because you are my protector,” I inserted.
Marquise moved closer as he sighed. “Correct. Somebody has to be.”
“Does your protection of me extend to Jhae?” I questioned.
Marquise bit down hard on his bottom lip. “Jhae was included whether you married her or not. Stop talking to me about those frauds. We’re in paradise and I don’t have a date for tonight,” he said.
I chuckled at his statement but outstretched my arms in his direction, motioning for a hug.
