“I’m down. Let’s smoke first.” Crew sparked his blunt and leaned against the bumper of his car.
Maisie jumped up beside him and swung her legs off the back.
“We need to talk about Mama’s 70thbirthday party, too. I plan on opening the club, but we need a theme and menu. It’s a surprise, too, so keep it quiet around her.”
“Is that why Lou is MIA?” Giselle joked, taking the blunt from Heavy when he passed it to her.
He rested his hands on her hips, bringing her between his legs with her back against his chest.
“She’s at some sorority shit,” Gem answered.
“Why aren’t you there? Shouldn’t you be experiencing college life and all that instead of being here with some dude?” Giselle took another pull of the weed and passed it back to Heavy over her shoulder.
“Shouldn’t you be minding your own business? Don’t you have plenty of problems of your own?” Gem sniped, turning her nose up. “I thought coming back here had humbled you a little bit. You don’t even know Solo, but you quick to judge me and him when you got knocked up on a one-night stand and lied about it.”
“Ooop.” Maisie choked when she inhaled smoke, and Crew had to pat her on the back a few times to help her catch her breath.
A glacier of ice might as well have filled the space between them. Giselle’s fiery stare seared Gem spitefully, but her little sister had no intention of backing down.
“That was cold, Gem,” Crew muttered, shaking his head.
“She started it.” Gem waved her hand at Giselle and sucked her teeth.
“I can finish it too.” Giselle straightened up, but Heavy’s strong arm kept her locked against him as he tugged on his blunt.
“Why are you all in my business anyway? You’re not my parent,” Gem reminded her.
“Maybe not, but I am the oldest, and I’m trying to spare you from making mistakes.”
“Well, I don’t need it. I’m not stupid or some fucking airhead. I like Solo. I don’t have my head in the clouds about him either. We’re having fun getting to know each other. I don’t appreciate you trying to micromanage me. I’m not one of your kids. From what I’ve heard about you, why the hell would I take any advice from you? You didn’t even care enough to say goodbye to me, so why the hell would I want to be around you now? Maisie feels sorry for you, and Lou is a mess herself. I don’t need you,” Gem slurred.
She’d had a few cups of Rose before they arrived and left sober about an hour ago. Hurt flickered behind Giselle’s gaze, and Gem recognized it. She was drowning herself, and the only person she was able to talk about it with recently was Solo. He was impartial to the situation unlike Maisie and Lou. Part of her was jealous that they all got to grow up together. Sometimes she still felt like an outsider. Giselle was their family, and right or wrong, they were going to ride for her. She knew the same wastrue for her, but she still held some resentment toward her big sister for abandoning her the way she did when she thought they were trying to build a relationship.
“Gem—” Maisie chastised.
“What!” Gem snapped as Solo came up behind her. “You going to defend her… again, Mais? She doesn’t deserve it! She went and created a whole other family and X’d us out. She had kids and never said a fucking word! How is any of that okay!”
“I never said it was,” Maisie argued. “But we’re family.”
“It seems like it only matters to the rest of us and her when it’s convenient.” Gem shot a hardened glare at her sister as her eyes misted.
“If you think any of this was easy for me, think again! The world ain’t black and white little girl!” Giselle pushed away from Heavy. “But you right, why take advice from me?” Giselle stormed off before she put Gem’s head in the ground.
“Oh, Lord.” Maisie rolled her eyes. “Now you’ve done it.” She sipped her concoction through a straw.
“I’m not about to walk on eggshells for her,” Gem declared.
Maisie hopped off the back of Crew’s whip and passed the weed to Gem.
“Nobody is asking you to. Giselle knows better than anybody that she fucked up, but it doesn’t help to keep reminding her of it. She’s been through something none of us can relate to, though. So, yeah, I give her a little grace because I’ve never had to sit quietly and watch my parents be murdered. Think about how that could fuck anybody up before you write her off.” Maisie marched off to catch up with Giselle along the docks, leaving Gem staring after them.
“Man, you fucking Knox women know how to stress a muhfucka out.” Crew chuckled.
“Why am I the bad guy, though?” Gem brought a hand against her chest.
“You’re not.” Crew exhaled a cloud of smoke. “Maisie been protective of Giselle since she was born. Those two might have a gap in age, but that ain’t never changed their bond. Believe it or not, G ain’t trying to be a bitch either. I think she sees a lot of herself in you, and she just doesn’t want you making the same mistakes she did. She left you here because she knew you were where you were supposed to be… with family.”
“How are you the one with the wisdom in all this?” Gem turned up her nose.
