Page 68 of Exile & Lula
“He won’t force her.”
“Are you sure?”
“If I thought he was the kind of guy to do that shit, would I leave him alone with my sister and nieces?”
Lula sized me up in her lawyerly way. “I want to say that men make mistakes when they’re too close to predators. But I think you’re paranoid enough that you wouldn’t let your guard down.”
“Thank you, I guess.”
Smiling suddenly, Lula shrugged. “I want to be smart and protective of my people, but I also have this wildly unabashed crush on you. It’s really difficult not to simply nod approvingly at everything you say.”
Despite grinning at her, I struggled with my mood. Everything shifted so fast today with the arrival of Nova and the girls. Then, Tricky arrived to start trouble. As soon as he was gone, everyone embraced a party atmosphere.
Outside, Elle’s dog ran around with Xena and Ramen. Nearby, Zodiac joked around with Clint, who had lost his edginess once Elle was gone.
Sitting on the couch, Lula’s mom doted on the girls. Skylar remained wary and likely in need of a nap. Lyric, though, showed off for Bebe by doing dances and jumping jacks.
In the kitchen, Nova laughed in a weirdly unguarded way. I’d never seen her act so goofy before. She thought Sabrina, Xandy, and Moe were hilarious. I also noticed her whispering to Ivy.
Skylar eventually decided her mama was having a suspiciously good time and came to supervise.
I watched my family bond with Lula’s and tried to picture what next week would look like. A week ago, Lula was nothingmore than the Crimson Guard’s lawyer. I never imagined sharing her bed, let alone owning her heart.
The future felt chaotic. Where would we live?How long would Zodiac’s patience hold out? Could Nova deal with me living only part-time in Baton Rouge?Hell, I wasn’t even sure how Dillon and my nieces would get along tonight.How could I imagine a month from now?
Giving up on guessing the future, I wrapped an arm around Lula’s shoulders and enjoyed the positive vibes currently around us.
LULA
Arriving home, Dillon wasn’t sure what to make of the house filled with people. She fled to her room, making me worry she couldn’t tolerate the noise. Before I was able to check on her, she emerged, wearing shorts and her “Visit Earth” T-shirt from last Christmas.
“How was the test?” I asked, kissing her head.
“I aced it. I also won my debate by flustering the other kid. You know, the older one from middle school? I got him to start mumbling and checking his notes.”
“Baby Blair Witch,” I cooed, winning a proud grin from my daughter. “Are you okay with Exile’s family staying here?”
“Sure. I figured they’d visit eventually. He’ll stay now, right?”
Dillon looked toward Exile nearby, seeking his promise more than mine. His gaze found hers, and he smiled reassuringly.
Part of the reason I never dated—besides finding most men uninteresting—was my concern for Dillon. I’d gotten lucky with her stepmom being someone cool. I never had to worry if Alani would treat Dillon right.
With Exile, I noticed the way he often subtly checked on Nova, Skylar, and Lyric. Once Dillon arrived home, his gaze naturally flashed to her to ensure she was also safe and comfortable.
As pizzas were delivered and people moved around the house, I found myself standing with Clint. Nearby, Ivy and Nova talked about dogs. My cousin could barely peel his gaze away from the woman he met so randomly only months ago. They’d been nearly inseparable since that day.
“I want to apologize,” I told Clint.
“I forgive you.”
“Do you know why I’m apologizing?”
“Yeah, you realize you should have trusted my certainty about Ivy. You viewed love in an overly rational way, but you now understand how it feels when things click. Am I right?”
“Exactly so,” I said and poked him. “You could have let me pour out my heart and admit my shortsighted thinking.”
“If our roles were reversed, I’d think you were being overly impulsive with Exile. But I know you’re a sensible woman, so I would have settled into the new reality quicker than you did. I suspect marriage to Jarred made you overly cynical.”
