“Nah. Not yet. We didn’t leave Jacksonville until almost three. I got another two hours on the road. This shit’s wild,” he admits.
“I’m gonna have to agree. These twin sisters are like damn ghosts. There’s hardly any shit on either of them. Between the foster system and the fire at the group home, their first eighteen years is a mystery. And shit, the years after are no better. Besides the medical records of one and the college transcripts of the other, I?—”
“Sunjiya,” Akeem interjects.
“Sun-ji-ya. My bad,” Axton enunciates and Akeem hears the smugness in his brother’s tone. “Let me say her name right,” he goads. “Damn, you got it bad. I can hear that shit in your voice.”
“Yeah,” is all Akeem can say, because shit, his brother is speaking facts. “I’m feeling her,” he admits after exhaling.
“I knew it. It’s loud and clear and about damn time,” Axton admits.
He was never Team Charis. It was always something about her. Because he’s missing one of his senses, Axton often picks up on other shit most people might miss. With Charis, it was her lack of reciprocal love for Akeem.
Akeem is all or nothing. When he loves, he’s all in, loving and protecting those in his life full force. He gives unconditionally and would sacrifice his life for his loved ones. He takes after their father in that respect and his stint in the military only exemplified his blind dedication. Charis realized that after their first month together when he stepped in after Quise’s father walked away and relinquished his parental rights. Akeem stepped up in a big ass way, and even though she wasn’t in love with him, she knew he was too good of a man to let get away.
She loved how Akeem accepted her son and treated him like his own, how their family and parents accepted and loved them both, her new upgraded life with Akeem. But even after years of marriage, she couldn’t stay faithful. She craved attention, and even though Akeem adored and doted on her, it was never enough.
Any new man who whispered sweet nothings in her ear or showed her any attention could have her and Axton knew it. The one time he shared his suspicions with his brother, there was tension between them for weeks. It eventually subsided but Axton learned to keep his thoughts about Charis to himself. He felt vindicated when Akeem finally caught her cheating, but out of respect for his brother, Axton didn’t rub it in his hurt face.
“You fucked her yet?” Axton asks.
He knows his brother well. If Akeem answers and gives details, then this thing with him and Sunjiya isn’t more than physical. But if he refuses to answer, it’s real. Akeem is truly feeling Sunjiya and he’ll do whatever it takes to find her twin.
“That’s none of yo’ damn business,” Akeem huffs and Axton smiles.
“It is serious. I better work on those damn numbers and see what I can figure out,” he says, then laughs.
Ignoring his brother’s bullshit, Akeem just shakes his head then says, “You do that. I’ll hit you once we talk to your Pri leads. Hopefully, one of them pans out.”
“I got a good feeling about the first one I gave you.”
“I hope your feeling is right. We need a fucking break. I’m ready to find her and deal with that nigga,” Akeem admits and Axton knows exactly what “deal with” means. His brother is going to kill Marcelin.
“This lady Pri might be the key.”
“Let’s hope. I gotta get back on this road.”
“Be easy,” Axton says before ending the call.
Right as Akeem takes a pull of his blunt, he feels someone approaching. Then the wind carries a faint but sweet scent to his nose.Sunjiya.He turns to face her. She’s walking toward him, dangling the key fob.
“Where are we?” she asks as soon as she’s directly in front of him.
“Tallahassee.”
“Damn. I was tired,” she says with a yawn.
“More like full and tipsy,” he corrects before snaking his arm around her waist. She steps in closer as he lightly coaxes her. When her head is under his chin, he blows out his smoke then smudges the tip of the blunt on the tree bark. “I needed a smoke break and didn’t want to wake you.”
“My bladder woke me and those bathrooms are a no. I checked. There’s a big truck plaza one exit back and all the reviews say the restrooms are so clean.”
“You gon’ make it?” he asks.
“If we leave now,” she says with a titter. After tapping her hands on his chest, she adds, “Like right now.”
“Oh. Shit. Then let’s ride,” he says and they rush back to the car.
He merges onto the highway, takes the next exit, and U-turns. They pull into the truck plaza five minutes later. Based on the amount of cars and trucks, lines for the over twenty pumps, and crowds of people going inside, the place is very popular. No spots available are in front so he pulls up, lets her out, then finds a spot on the left.
