“I don’t regret it.” His voice was low and frustrated when he spoke next. “A nigga was confused, and I didn’t want to make shit worse with Heavy. I already know that situation is complicated.”
“If you haven’t noticed, everything is worse now.” Prischa let out a shaky breath. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. What are we even doing?”
Swallowing, he inched closer.
“I don’t know, Pri. I swear to God, but for the first time, a nigga trying to find out.”
Her breath hitched, and for the first time today, she didn’t avoid his keen coffee brown eyes.
“Lord have mercy.” Petal sighed and shook her head. “You two are already toxic as hell. Is this what we have to look forward to?”
“I can’t even think about this right now. You realize how this makes me look?” Prischa took in the faces around the room.
“Like a homie-hopper,” Horace acknowledged over his shoulder.
“Oh, my God.” Prischa buried her face in her hands. “I need to go. I can’t be here right now.”
“Pri, you’ve been walking through this house since you were thirteen years old. You are family regardless of what happens with you and Heavy. Now, I get that you had this fantasy in your head … but that was never realistic.” Petal grabbed a towel off the counter to dry her hands. “Trust me when I tell you, what’s for you is only for you. You can’t go around chasing these men or expecting anything of them that they never offered. Now, I believe he cares for you deeply and wants the best for you, but that is not him. Lord help us all if it’s Viggo.” She looked her youngest grandson up and down.
“Why am I always the nigga labeled as a fuck up?” he questioned.
Usually lighthearted, it was obvious he was genuinely offended by the notion, and Prischa frowned as Petal’s mouth hung open with no answer. She used the towel in her hand to dry a skillet and faced him with his brows all bunched together.
“I didn’t know you were so sensitive either,” Petal teased, half smirking as she looked between he and Prischa.
Now it all was making sense to her. Viggo used his sense of humor to mask a lot, and he’d been doing it since he moved in with them as a child. He’d always had eyes for Prischa, but since he was younger and Heavy’s cousin, she had never looked at him like that. Viggo ran through so many women so he didn’t have to sit around, pining or waiting for Prischa to show him any attention. It was nothing for him to find a seat filler, but he was a playboy. He’d never had anything long term and never even considered it if he was honest about it.
The front door slammed shut, dragging them from their conversation as a set of urgent footsteps moved in their direction. Heavy’s large figure filled the doorway, and Viggo stood tall against the island counter beside Prischa.
“Didn’t expect you back here tonight,” Petal spoke up. “I thought you would be with Giselle and the kids.”
“She said she needed to be alone,” Heavy answered, voice tight as Henna and Toussaint rolled in behind her.
“Oh, were her little feelings hurt?” Henna mocked with a pouty face, catching daggers from her brother as she sank into one of the chairs at the oak table.
“You know what? Fuck you, Henna!” her twin barked. “I’m sick of you and all your little underhanded comments. You don’t like her. Fine. Keep that shit to yourself or don’t fucking come around me!”
“Are you serious right now?” Tears filled her eyes.
Heavy had never spoken to her like that. A piece of her heart cracked when she caught the conviction behind his glare. He meant every word.
“That’s what the fuck I said.” He gritted his teeth.
“You would cut me out of your life for her?” she demanded, shooting to her feet.
It was all starting to sink in for her, which left her trembling in fear. She loved her brother to death. What would she do if she didn’t have him to talk to? He’d always been a safe space for her, too, but him threatening to take that away left her reeling.
“You and anybody else that got a problem with her.”
“You don’t even know her!” Henna shrieked. “You fucked her one time, years ago, and got her pregnant! You think because you made babies with her that she’s what… your soul mate or some shit? She doesn’t deserve you. She ran out of here and never even let you know she was pregnant. She married another man and let him raise your kids as his! How the hell can you even look at her, let alone want to be with her?”
Silence met with tension filled the air as everyone waited for Heavy to respond. The cold hard facts hit him in the chest.
“That’s enough, Henna.” Petal sighed.
“No, it’s not. He wants everyone to forget about the past and move on when it’s convenient for him!” Henna ranted.
The light tapping at the door as Toussaint came strolling into the kitchen marred their attention. Petal peeked at her watch on her wrist. It was almost 7:00 p.m.
