Page 12 of Our Promise
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You don’t think it’s too soon after Tara?”
She gave him a knowing look. “Baby, I know you thought you loved Tara, but she wasn’t right from the start, and she definitely didn’t stand a chance the second time around. I know you. Hell, I raised you. I never played that cheating stuff. If you need to cheat, what do you need me for?”
He nodded, understanding and agreeing with every word that left his mother’s mouth.
Man, he had tried, but he couldn’t get past her infidelity. His mother was right. She had raised them better than that. He vowed he would never cheat on his woman, and he expected the same from her. She had shown she couldn’t be trusted, and if they didn’t have trust, they had nothing.
“That may be true, but how do you know I’m ready to take it there with Lorielle?”
Yes, he talked a good game, but he couldn’t deny there was a bit of fear. She had already turned him down once. If he put on a full pursuit, showing her he was her ideal man and she still denied him, he wasn’t sure that was something he could bounce back from.
“Sunshine, the way your eyes lit up when you first saw her…You didn’t even know her name and was captivated. She had your attention that whole night.”
Benny was fresh from college and ready to take over the company. It didn’t work like that. His father had a lot to show him, and Bernard Sr. wasn’t bowing out until he knew the company was in capable hands. That day, he had been in the kitchen bitching to his mother about how hard his father was being on him when Jo came in with Lorielle. When Benny saw her, he had a hard time keeping his mouth off the floor.
Later that night, he got a chance to talk to her. He picked her brain about the tech industry when, in actuality, he just wanted a chance to be in her presence without others. Benny swore he had fallen in love that night. He promised the next time he saw her, he would take a chance. However, he was tragically shot down. Lorielle explained she had just gotten her freedom back and wasn’t ready to give it up.
“Look at you!” his mother exclaimed. “That was the same look. Just thinking about her brings a smile to your face. That’s the woman you’re supposed to be with, the one you’re supposed to marry.”
“What if…” He couldn’t fathom her rejecting him again.
His mother joined him at the table. “What’s on your mind?”
“I don’t know if I can deal with another rejection from her.” Rejection from anyone else he could handle, but not her.
“It’s about time you really stake your claim. You’ve learned and grown into an exceptional man that I, for one, am proud of.” She patted his hand before standing from the table and moving to the counter to clean up. “You just have to make her a lifelong offer she can’t resist.” His mother looked at him with a teasing smile.
Or make a promise they had to keep.
Feelingthe odds were in his favor, Benny dialed his sister’s number, praying he could put his plan in motion tonight.
“What?” Jo answered with an attitude.
He shook his head, steering his car down the busy street.Tomorrow can’t get here soon enough. Her bobble head ass is going to pay me back for all this disrespect.
“You with Lorielle?” He knew she was. He checked his sister’s location before calling and saw she was at Lorielle’s house.
“Yeah. Why?”
He ignored her question. “Let me speak to her.”
“Why?” she pressed.
He sighed, getting irritated. “Because I want to talk to her.”
“That means you need to talk to me first. I told you I wanted to talk to you about the two of you hooking up. I don’t want to see either of you hurt, but you more than her. She doesn’t play games.”
“Is she around you while you’re talking like I’m some scrub?”
“No, Benny, and I’m not talking like you’re a scrub. I’m just keeping it real. I was there for it the other day, but as I started thinking about it more… and with this shit between me and Trey, it’s just opening my eyes to a lot of things.”
“So, it’s not about me and Elle? You’re putting your relationship problems on us before we even get together.”
Jo was going to kill him before tomorrow. This entire conversation had him ready to tell her about the surprise so he could make her see clearly, but he wouldn’t do that.
“I’m sorry, Jo. I know you’re going through a lot right now, but I promise everything is going to work out for you. You know one thing about me: I keep my promises. As for this between me and Elle, I got me, and I got her. No one is going to get hurt.”
