“Since when your sister been cool with Jas andMonica?” I asked.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Jasmine didn’t really have any friends outside of Monica and Rochelle. And Drea’s always been a people person, plus she does hair. Made sense to introduce them.”
“I see.” I stared out the window for a second, then turned back to him.
He cut me a glance. “Say what you gotta say.”
“What’d you tell Drea about me? She looked at me like she knew something.”
His grip on the steering wheel tightened, as he kept his eyes focused on the road. “She doesn’t know about your work,” he said. “But between New York and then Miami? I was fucked up. She pressed me one day, sick of me moping around. So I told her your name and what you meant to me. That I was trying to figure out how to breathe without you around.”
I stared out the window. “She seems cool,” I said eventually. “Didn’t expect to meet her tonight, that’s all.”
Fontaine kept his arm around me as we rode the elevator up to his condo. When we stepped into his place, I dropped my coat on the arm of a dining chair and plopped down on the couch to take off my boots.
Fontaine locked the door and dropped his keys in the dish by the console.
“You want water or something?” he asked.
“I’m good.”
He nodded and headed into the kitchen to grab himself a bottle. “You know it wasn’t just because Jas was in the club tonight.”
“What do you mean?”
“This shit with the Order got Cash on edge,” he said,twisting the cap. “He’s not telling her because he doesn’t want to stress her out. I don’t think they’d touch her, but he doesn’t like her out without a detail. She’s always hated that shit, but you know how it goes. Same with Jelani and Monica. They’re not trying to have them unnecessarily exposed.”
“I told the Order yes.”
“You what?”
“I let them know a few days ago.”
He set the water bottle down slowly. “And you’re just now telling me?
“I didn’t want it to become a thing.”
“Why couldn’t you give me a little more time to do some more digging? You know I was trying to help you.”
I rolled my eyes. “This is exactly why I didn’t want to say anything. I can handle my shit.”
He scoffed, shaking his head. “Figures.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you always carrying shit on your back like it’s your job to be the sacrificial lamb.” He stepped away from the counter and walked over to me on the couch. “You already said yes—so what, you want my blessing? Or you just telling me so I stop asking questions?”
His words stung more than I expected.
“I’m telling you because you deserve to know,” I said. “There wasn’t another option.”
“There’s always another option. You just didn’t give me a chance to find one.” He sat on the edge of the coffee table. “You think you saying yes is protecting everyone? All you’re doing is handing them what they want while pushing me out.”
I stood, fists clenched. “They shot at your car! You just said Cash and Jelani are stressed. If I didn’t cooperate?—”
“We not new to this shit, Nai,” he snapped. “You know how long we been in the game. If it wasn’t the Order, it’d besomebody else. There’s always a risk. Even Jasmine and Monica know that. What aren’t you getting?” He tapped his temple, eyes sharp.
My heart pounded in my chest. He looked at me, seeing through every excuse I clung to. It made me feel too open, too seen. I needed space. I tried to move past him, but he blocked my path.
