“I tried. Once. It was a shit show. It was probably Veya running her off because the girl swore that there was someone else,” DJ shared with a wry laugh. “Whole time she was right.”
“So no girlfriend now? Looking like you’re looking and no one?”
DJ smirked. “You’re the only one who thinks I’m fine, Nyna.”
That earned him a half smile and a roll of the eyes. “I never ever said that.”
“It’s in your eyes. They told on you before your mouth could.”
“I still never said it, Dom.”
“Then say it,” he urged.
She swayed her head. “Mm mm. You got that arrogant ass smirk on your face. What’s understood doesn’t need to be explained. That’s what you said when asked if letting you inside of me without a rubber meant I was your girlfriend.”
“I thought I made myself clear.”
“If that were the case you let your girlfriend go without much of fight,” Nyna said sobering that feeling. She took her engagement ring out of his hand. “This is my ticket to rebuilding my life, so I’m going to need this.”
That comment sent chills over his body as she strolled back inside. The guilt she had was shared. Had he put up a fight maybe they would be in a different place. But reality was neither of them were in a place to fight for what had always been there. This time around he’d make it clear.
No more guessing, imagining or assuming. It needed to be set in stone.
“Okay Veya. I see what you doing,” he buzzed before turning to walk back inside where Nyna was helping Big Mama with dinner.
He sat in the living room and watched as they worked around each other. His mind remembering a time when his brother sat to his left and Veya’s loud laugh filled the house. Nyna’s laugh was quieter coming in like a calmness to Veya’s fits of giggles. While she was Veya’s calm to the storm, he was Phoenix’s. Nowall they had was memories and lingering promise that needed to fulfilled on both ends.
five
Nyna
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Nyna asked coming back down the hall in sweats and a graphic tee. “You’ve eaten, changed the light bulb, I’m sure got changed recently, moved her dresser. You do this every Sunday?”
“Nah, typically we watch football, talk shit and bet on drag races,” DJ announced.
“You take my granny to drag races?” Nyna asked narrowing her eyes.
“Baby, he lets me drive,” Big Mama stated walked out of her room in a new dress.
“Where you going?” they asked in unison.
“Out. I figured you two need some space. And while I love you DJ you can only do some much for an old woman,” Big Mama announced. “Don’t wait up for me. I’ll be back in the morning.”
“The morning,” Nyna screeched. “I thought we were going to watch a movie or-”
“Nyna baby, listen to your Big Mama. The way you’re going to get over one is getting on top or under another one. Preferably that one.”
“Big Mama!” Nyna screeched again clutching the collar of her shirt.
“Nyna. You aren’t even twenty-seven yet. You should be popping pussy and enjoying youth. Youth comes with strong young men just like that one who don’t need pills to get it up,” Big Mama spoke pointing to DJ and grabbing her purse.
“He can hear you,” Nyna spoke embarrassment flooding her being because she wanted to remain in a place where Big Mama thought she was still innocent, enough.
DJ sat between the two, a smirk of amusement on his face.
“I’m trying to understand the point. You act like I haven’t raised you. Or that, I know you. Don’t play innocent for me baby. The time for that is over. It’s time to get real.”
“They aren’t teaching you anything in church are they?” Nyna grumbled.
