“Why’d you want me to meet you at a cemetery?” Shanet grabbed my hand and rubbed the back of it. Her voice was soft, and I could hear how much she cared. Her eyes were fixed on me as she waited for an answer.
“I got some people I want you to meet.” I took Shanet’s arm and tucked it in mine. We walked arm-in-arm over to where Rome and my mother were. She made the connection when she saw the names written across the headstones.
“Shanet, this is my mother, and this is my best friend, Rome.”
“It’s so nice to meet you both.” She spoke to the headstones. Then she smiled before raising her eyes back to me. Shanet was always graceful, but today, she looked more elegant than I’d ever seen her.
“I know getting to know me hasn’t been easy. You’re used to people pouring their hearts out, but that’s not my style. I lost the two most important people in my life, and getting close to anybody since then has been hard.
“It’s why I left the army after my last deployment. My mother died of cancer when I got to my first duty station, and Rome was killed while I was in another country fighting a war I didn’t even believe in. Going back to a job that kept me away from the people I loved at the most important times just wasn’t an option for me anymore.”
“I am so sorry that happened to you. Not being able to say goodbye is horrible.”
“Yeah, I talked to my mama every day, but with Rome, it was instant. He was killed in a drive-by that didn’t even have anything to do with him.”
“Oh my God. Did they ever get the people responsible?”
“Not yet, but we not giving up hope. Somebody gon’ talk one day.”
“Yeah, I hope so.”
“Then the pain of losing a parent got to be the worst shit I ever felt. I never had a dad, so my mama was all I had. Mama Bea has been my backbone since I lost her, but it’s nothing like having your mother.”
“Tell me about it. I have a complicated relationship with my mother, but she’s still here.”
“As long as she’s still here, there is hope.”
“Thank you for bringing me here, Stone. I’m sorry I’ve pushed so hard to know you and at the same time hid things from you.”
Before I could respond, my phone vibrated in my hand. It was my new realtor, so I stepped away to answer it. After Devonte pulled his stunt, I had to link up with somebody else to get another building. Thankfully, one of my army buddies knewa guy, and he had three options already lined up for me to look at. It didn’t take me long to choose, because I was ready to move on to the next stage.
“That was the new realtor. He called to let me know our offer was accepted. We close in a week.”
“Oh my God, Stone. Everything is coming full circle. I am so happy for you.”
“Thank you, baby.”
I pulled her into a hug and kissed her lips. Shanet was right. Everything was coming full circle. I had Sakani. I had my gym, and despite her bum ass ex being a stalker, I had her.
“Hello?”
“Hello. You miss me, baby girl?”
“Who is this?”
The question was rhetorical because I knew the answer. Getting a call from Devonte wasn’t on my Bingo card. As a matter of fact, I had no idea how he got my phone number, but this was typical of him over the years. He’d track me down and somehow find my phone number.
He would call me, and every time, I’d either block the number or get a new phone number. This time, I wasn’t going to do that. I was going to tell Devonte, plain and simple, I was with Stone, and if he had a problem with it, he might want to take it up with him.
I knew he wouldn’t do that, because comparing Stone to Devonte was like comparing a Cane Corso to a Chihuahua. Devonte looked like a little ass kid standing next to Stone. I knew he wouldn’t have the heart to take anything up with him.
“Why are you calling me?”
“I’m trying to figure out why you didn’t call me to check on me after that thug you were with hit me across my face with an alcohol bottle.”
“I wouldn’t call you if I had your number, and he should have done more than that. Springing that on him like that wasn’t cool, and we are not together.”
“Well, I told him that he needed to give me my girl back. He didn’t listen, so it’s time I move on to the next phase of my plan.”
