Page 62 of Heart of a Savage
“Facts! I’m trying to marry me a baller!”
“Thank y’all.” She beamed, and I sat watching her, at a loss for words. She looked beautiful, even without the glamorous make-up and fancy hairdo. She looked at me through the mirror and smiled.
“You don’t have any words for the dress, sissy?” I tore my eyes away from her, trying to discreetly clear the wetness from my eyes.
I walked up to the stage, taking her hand. “You look stunning, sis,” I told her.
“Thank you.”
“Priscilla and Joe would be so proud,” my mom said, joining us on the stage.
“I’m sure they would. Now it’s time for you all to try on your dresses,” Paige said, quickly shifting the topic away from her parents.
“I can’t,” I said, looking down at my phone, seeing the text from Messiah. He said he had something special to show me, and I hated that I was anxious to see what it was.
“Oooh! Not you ditching me for dick,” Paige whispered, rolling her eyes.
“I am not!”
I really wasn’t, though. I was putting restrictions on our little rendezvous. He had been fucking me every which way from Sunday for a month straight. Although I enjoyed every last moment of it, I had to slow thissituationdown some.
“You’re seeing someone?” Sabrina queried.
“Sort of… not really.”
“Mama ‘Brina, Arieana is on her way down the aisle next the way her and Messiah been going at it.”
“Bitch, shut up,” I said, mushing her.
“Ayyyye! Talk to her, P! We’ve been following her and his ass all over the city. He done took her to an art show, a play, and to Traverse City for a weekend getaway. Not to mention, how many times he’s been to her house,” Mayani revealed.
“Wooow. Just tell all of my fucking business, why don’t you?”
She shrugged. “I’m just saying.”
“Arie, baby, that’s great news. I need to meet him.”
“No, Mommy. He may not even be around much longer.”
“Girl, please. He’s going to be my family. He’s going to always be around.” Paige waved me off.
“It doesn’t meanwe’regoing to be together,” I defended.
“We see the glow, Arieana. We love that for you. There is nothing wrong with liking someone and being in a relationship. Love is a beautiful thing. If you guys have the chemistry, don’t stop it from manifesting into something beautiful. You never know… this man might change your life for the better,” Aunt Eva chimed in.
I rolled my eyes, feeling uncomfortable. Putting on a fake smile, I turned to the ladies, waiting for me to respond to my aunt. “This day isn’t about me. Keep the energy on the bride-to-be while I go check on some things. I’ll see you later, sis.”
I kissed Paige and my mother, said goodbye to the ladies, and then headed out to my car just as Uncle Lamont was calling.
I cringed, hating that I had been spinning him since our last meeting. I had yet to tell him that I wasn’t going to go through with the hit. I just felt as if the street shit was pointless now. My uncle was pushing sixty years of age. Where in the black community did men his age continue being a product of the streets? He had more money than he knew what to do with, and I felt like his greed was going to be his downfall.
I loved my uncle dearly and would be devastated if something happened to him, so it was time for him to let the streets go and enjoy the rest of his life while he had it.
“Hello?” I answered as I pulled out of the parking lot.
“Come see me… now.”
“I have an app?—”
