Page 21 of Our Promise
“Gavin wants to talk to you.” Lorielle interlocked their fingers then crossed her legs, bringing them as close as they could be while sitting beside each other. He wasn’t complaining, but a little worried about what the news could be.
“Spit it out. Whatever it is. I don’t like the dramatics.”
“I don’t want to come work with you,” Gavin blurted out.
Well, damn.Benny didn’t know what to expect, but it wasn’t that.
“What?”
Cup of Jo was the family business. It was like a rite of passage to work there.
Hearing Gavin say he didn’t want to work there was like a knife in his heart. He immediately thought about all the thingshe had done that may have pushed his brother away from the idea of being in the business, but he stopped himself. He had to hear his brother out and not assume. That was what he stayed fussing at Elle about.
“Are you mad?” Gavin asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. “I mean, it’s not like no forever, just not next year.”
Gavin had graduated early, so he had a little over six months to do whatever he wanted until college in the fall.
“What do you plan to do instead?” His parents were going to ask. Or did they know already? Benny asked that as well.
“They know and I want to do this…” He patted his guitar. “There’re these guys that asked me to be a part of their group.”
It had started. Playing the guitar was officially no longer a hobby. Hell, he was going to college for arts in music. Gavin wanted to be a musician. It wasn’t ideal, but he wouldn’t kill his brother’s dreams. He would support him like he always did. He would pray that his brother wouldn’t fall victim to the dark ways of the industry.
“Benny, say something.”
He realized Gavin was silently seeking his approval. Pride swelled in his chest. Benny reminded himself he had someone looking up to him. Someone who valued his opinion.
Benny rose to his feet. So did Lorielle. He walked over to Gavin and extended his hand. “Congratulations.”
Gavin took his hand, standing and pulling his brother in for a hug. They patted each other’s back. Emotions flowed between them, but they kept it together.
“I’m a little hurt that I won’t be bossing you around, but I love that you’re going to explore your options and do what you love to do.” Benny gripped Gavin’s shoulder before moving back to Elle. She was waiting for him with a warm smile. He reached for her hand, and she slipped it to him, locking their fingers easily like they had been doing it for years.
“Whew, I knew I waited till the right time! Good look, Elle. You have to stick around. You see how calm he is?”
Now his ass wants to be funny.
“So, Elle’s the reason I embraced you?”
“Man, if I would have told you this a few weeks ago, you would’ve hit the fan. Sometimes you are worser than our parents.”
Benny couldn’t help but laugh. It was the truth. At first, he would have been pissed and maybe said some things he didn’t mean, but later he would have come back respectfully. “Whatever. Tell me more about this group. What’s the name of it?”
“Midnight. My first show is in February. We’re going to do something for Valentine’s Day, then we’ll kick off a tour for spring and summer. Then in the fall, I’ll start school and only perform on the weekends and breaks.”
Benny nodded. “Sounds like you have a plan.” It was all good as long as he stuck with his plan.
“I do, Benny. I just need y’all to believe in me.”
They slapped palms and Benny pulled him in for a half hug. “We believe in you. You got this.” He patted his brother’s bird chest. Benny wasn’t bulked up, but he wasn’t skinny either. “You need to put some meat on your bones.”
“Your girl loves it. Ain’t that right, Lorielle?”
She shook her head, laughing. “Leave me out of it.”
“Yeah, okay.” Benny and Gavin playfully shuffled before Gavin grabbed his guitar, saying he was going to leave them alone.
Benny appreciated that. He hadn’t seen her since that morning, and he was craving some alone time with her.
