Page 53 of Stoplight
“Honestly, when Tuck was arrested, he called me. We hadn’t spoken in years before that. He was salty with me, and I was too stubborn to get him to see things my way.”
Irish nudged his shoulder. “You’re a stubborn man, huh?”
“Yeah, I’ll admit that. I move when I want to, and nobody can make me do shit.”
Irish simpered but didn’t respond. She just hung onto every word that left his lips.
“So, when he called and asked me to get shit in order, I thought about it. He promised it wouldn’t be permanent. That I needed to get the snakes out of TLM. I thought about it since he was in such a compromising position. I felt like I owed him for leaving the nigga out to hang so I came back.”
Noble had eliminated all of the rats out of the organization. He got rid of the weak links and put in some sort of chain of command to keep everyone protected in case someone went snitching. TLM was now a serious conglomerate because of the changes he had made.
“Well, whatever you did, it worked. Of course, there are still some wild ones but for the most part, I don’t hear about TLM being wild.”
“‘Cause I don’t fuck around. Niggas ain’t about to be wildin’ out while I’m running this shit. I don’t have no problem getting rid of a mothafucka, especially when it comes to my freedom.”
Irish wrapped her arm around his. Noble was a closed book. It took people years to get past the first chapter. However, talking to Irish was a breeze. He wasn’t hesitant. He wasn’t resistant. Their conversation flowed like rainfall. He didn’t have to watch his words for fear that she would plot on him. Irish was cool. A little too cool for his liking. Only because getting so comfortable with a woman that wasn’t his felt unfamiliar.
They walked to a nearby bench and took a seat. Noble didn’t have many easy days. The only time his mind was able to relax was when he was with Kenji. Now he had to add Irish to that list.
“Sometimes, I take the beach for granted,” she said as the wind gusted over her hair. “I need to come visit more often.”
“Did you grow up here?”
Bobbing her head, she answered, “Yeah, I grew up in Havenwood.”
Noble smirked. “Yeah, right.”
“I’m serious. I grew up in building C, right by the park.”
“I used to be over there a lot. My auntie lived there, and I would always go hang with my cousins. We probably crossed paths.”
“No, I don’t think so because I would’ve remembered you.”
Noble looked forward, appreciating the serene feeling encompassing him. He hadn’t felt peace in a long time. There was always something on his to-do list. A risk he had to take. Nothing was simple until now. Irish represented something in his life that he needed but his guilty conscience wouldn’t let him accept that.
“Havenwood makes me sick,” she revealed, capturing his full attention.
“What you mean?”
Irish licked her lips before answering. “It reminds me of my childhood, which was… chaotic. The only time I visit now is when I have to go check on my mother.”
“She’s still there?”
Scoffing, Irish replied, “Yes and she will never leave. She loves living in the past but ignoring the key moments.”
Noble picked up on the disdain evident in her voice. He had just peeled back a layer of Irish. There was some sort of discord between her and her mother. He had always been told that mother/daughter relationships can be tricky. They’re either best friends or enemies. No in between.
“My relationship with my mama ain’t great either. You not alone.” He was unsure of what made him share that fact. Maybe it was her vulnerability that had infected him.
“You know what I don’t understand.” She faced him. “How do parents fuck up so badly and be able to move on like nothing ever happened? That has always amazed me, ya know. It’s like do they think they’re exempt from raising their children the right way? Or do mothers think because they sacrificed their bodies to bring their children into the world that it makes them above reproach? I don’t know… I think about it often.”
Irish’s speech made Noble wonder. Lyra’s fuckups were mountainous, yet she still paraded around making him the bad guy when he rejected her. Everything about Lyra angered him. He was able to swallow some things but there were times he gagged on the demise of their relationship. Her decisions had changed his life forever and unfortunately, Noble knew he would never see her in the same light he once had.
“I’m sorry for making the night so gloomy.” She giggled. “It’s just when I think about my childhood, I get really bitter about it.”
Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, Noble brought her close. “You don’t have to apologize. I want you to tell me whatever is on your mind.”
Irish looked up, gazing at him with eyes that he would proudly get lost in. Noble knew he should’ve cut the cord on whatever connection they possessed. It would’ve been smart on both of their parts, but Noble’s selfishness coerced him to keep exploring. Irish had something he needed. He didn’t know what it was, therefore, he couldn’t walk away just yet. Not when he was getting to the core of what they were creating.
