He hangs his head, letting out a short chuckle. “That’s crazy. I’m a trustworthy guy!”
Without another word, I add Rome to the call. Christian sinks deeper into his seat when he sees that I’m ringing him.
Rome answers with raised brows and narrowed eyes. “What y’all on?”
I cut Christian off before he has a chance to speak. “If you had a sister and she told you she was dating Christian, would you fuck him up?”
His nose scrunches. “Wait … are Christian and Bailey dating?”
“No,” Christian and I both answer.
Rome’s eyes swing back and forth like a pendulum. “Okay. Then yeah, because why you ain’t tell me you were interested in her?”
Christian rolls his eyes. “After you get over that, what’s up?”
A softer voice creeps in on Rome’s end of the line to say hello. Rome shifts the phone so we can see Janelle standing behind Rome’s couch.
“How you doing, Janelle?” I ask.
“Janelle! How you doing, baby?” Christian adds.
“I’m good, how are y’all?”
We catch up with her briefly before Christian turns the conversation back to his hoeish ways.
“Janelle, I would ask you this question, but that might be too soon, right?” His smile is so wide he can’t close his mouth.
Janelle holds up her middle finger. “And for that, I hope you step on a Lego.”
Christian grabs his heart. “Ahh, Janelle, I was just playing.”
She shakes her head and waves him off before kissing Rome on the forehead and walking off, yelling for Dani to text her later before she completely disappears.
“Come baaaack!” Christian sings.
“You ain’t shit,” Rome laughs.
“The kind of ain’t shit that you’d want to be your brother-in-law?” he asks.
“I mean I guess. You know I’d kill you if you hurt my sister, so I wouldn’t be worried.” He demands to know why we’re asking, so I fill him in, and he roasts Christian, insisting he’s going to tell Evie next time he sees her.
Dani assures him she’s already on it.
“All we’re saying is maybe if you treated all women like they were mine and Rome’s sisters, you wouldn’t have a reputation.” I shrug. It’s such a simple concept, and I can’t wait until the day Christian finally understands it.
He pleads his case some more, but we’re not trying to hear it. Janelle’s voice chimes in again, telling him that she’s going to pick up their food. She tried to argue that he should stay and talk to us when he says that he’ll go with her and drive, but he shakes his head. The last thing he says is “fuck them” before he flips us off and hangs up on us.
Christian jokes about him being whipped, but I can’t bring myself to do the same.
I had no idea Rome was harboring feelings for Janelle for so long. I thought I’d recognize that level of desperation in someone else, but I missed all the signs. I’m just glad to see my boy happy now, even if I’m a bit jealous.
“He is so interesting,” Dani comments under her breath once Christian and I hang up.
I howl with laughter. “That’s probably the nicest thing a woman’s ever said about him.”
“Damn. Let me walk that back then. Evie would kill me if she knew I damn near complimented the man.”
“Your secret’s safe with me,” I promise, zipping my lips shut and pretending to throw away the key.
