Emani approached the table, purposely avoiding having to speak to or acknowledge Jahlil. She needed to have some sort of peace tonight. She walked into Carson’s arms. As he hugged her tenderly, he whispered, “You good? You don’t look happy.”
Emani groaned before perking back up. “I’m fine. He didn’t do what I asked. But it doesn’t matter, right? He chose me, I chose him. It’s all fine.”
Carson tensed at her statement. For years, he’d watch her give up a little bit of what she wanted to fit into a box she was never supposed to be in. She thought this was her last option, considering the only option she ever wanted belonged to someone else.
“When it’s not, will you tell me?” Carson asked, before she pulled away and smiled.
“Of course.”
Carson gritted his teeth, shot Jahlil a look, and pulled her chair out for her.
Kyrie picked up her hand and held it in his. “This is a big ass ring. You didn’t know about this, C?”
“Nope, had no clue,” Carson stated. Considering he knew everything, he was just as shocked and disappointed as everyone else.
Emani giggled and took her hand back. “It was the smallest one to choose. This shit is obnoxious.”
“He wants to make sure all the niggas like Jahlil, know you taken,” Ashton spoke with a mouthful. “Why you over here with us? You’re supposed to be taking pictures with your soon-to-be mother-in-law and husband and faking and shit.”
Emani rolled her eyes. “I love all four foot of you too, Ashton. And I was over there before she told me my dress was inappropriate to be around his team. So here I am, in a dress he bought and insisted I wore, unable to eat because it’s too tight. Is that a good enough answer for you?”
“It’ll suffice until later. And I’m coming for that ass,” Ashton assured. “I’ll eat for both of us. Carson fronting the bill anyway.”
Jahlil cut him a look. “You are cheap.”
Donnée spoke up. “Emani, you remember Jahlil right? Jahlil, you remember Emani?”
Emani very briefly looked at Jahlil, careful not to send Malik into another frenzy. “Jahlil. Congratulations.”
“Congratulations are in order for you too, E,” he commented before taking Donnée’s drink and downing it.
Emani nodded and turned back to Kyrie, “I need you to listen to something.”
“You better be talking cash money shit on it too. I want the old E.Rose, type shit,” Kyrie stated, going along with Emani’s need to deflect. She couldn’t handle the way his eyes bore into her. Like her saying yes had violated some secret agreement. The last she’d checked, Jahlil was a married man.
“So how soon is this wedding?” Ashton asked.
“You do need time to order your tux from baby gap,” Carson shot.
“Uh about that,” Emani hummed. “I know everyone is in town for homecoming. Malik wants to get married right before the first game.”
“Like in two weeks?” Kyrie croaked. “E, are you-”
“I’m down with whatever you need,” Carson spoke. “Still need me to give you away?”
“If you don’t mind. Janet is going to be on me about making this traditional as possible,” Emani shared, uneasy in her spirit but for now, she was willing to let it go. Carson knew and by tomorrow morning, he was going to be on her line helping her work through this. Donnée sensed Emani’s uneasiness and changed the subject.
“Let’s talk homecoming,” Donnée spoke up again. “We got the house. I figure we do it like old times.”
“Excuse me, what?” Emani and Jahlil sounded off at the same time.
“There you go, Mani,” Malik’s voice floated over, zapping the conversation of protests before it could start.
Ashton chuckled and sipped from his glass. “Oh, this shit is going to be gold.”
Yes, baby,” Emani hummed, falling back into her role.
“I know y’all reuniting but I wanted you to meet the owners for Dose,” Malik stated, offering the table a fake apologetic look. What he wanted was to get her and keep her as far away from Jahlil as he could.
