“To be with him?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“You should know that I’ve only ever wanted you to be happy, Demi. I just knew I wasn’t the man to make you happy. I shouldn’t have held on to you the way I did. I had my own selfish reasons, but none of that excuses my behavior. And I’m sorry.”
“Thanks for that.” I nibbled on my bottom lip, considering my next words carefully. “I hope that you and Duke can finally sit down and have a talk. You’re brothers. You need each other.”
Tristan flashed a sad smile. “Maybe one day. Not today.”
I giggled. “Understood.”
He squeezed my shoulder. “I’ll see you at breakfast.”
Tristan walked away. For the first time, I watched him go without sadness, hurt, or anger. I just felt happy. And free.
“There you are?”Dallas smirked when I joined the family at the kitchen table. “I thought you were going to miss brunch.”
Duke was at the island cooking something that smelled divine. He met my gaze for a brief moment before he continued what he was doing. I sat next to Dallas. “I’m tired.”
“I bet,” Blake mused, biting a piece of pineapple.
Ignoring Blake, I scanned the room. “Where’s Ma and Pop?”
“They left,” Bliss said, feeding Naija. “Dad whisked her away late last night, for alone time.”
That explained why they weren’t around for the scene in the hallway upstairs. I also sent up a silent prayer that they weren’t in the house while Duke was making me come.
I still can’t believe I had sex with Duke. Good sex. I crossed my legs, shifting in my chair to ease the ache in my pussy. Apparently, I hadn’t had enough.Don’t look at him. Damnit, I looked. When I did, his eyes were on me, his intense stare providing the match to ignite my flame. The half-smile, half-smirk on his lips told me he knew it too.Shit.
“Hmm?” Dallas asked.
I hadn’t realized I’d said that out loud. “Nothing,” I mumbled.
Paityn waddled into the room, Bishop on her heels with their bags. “We made it!” She moaned. “Just in time for those grits. Did you put cheese in them?”
Duke grinned. “Gouda.”
“Oh yes,” Tyn groaned. “Is it almost ready?” Everyone greeted Paityn and Bishop with hugs and kisses. She finally plopped down in her chair, smoothing her hand over her growing belly. “I’m not gon’ lie. Now, I know why Dallas and Bliss were trippin’ when they were pregnant. This is ghetto. I have cankles.”
Bishop massaged her shoulder. “Because you won’t sit yo’ ass down.”
“And I can’t back it up on my man without getting a crook in my leg,” Tyn explained.
“Hey,” Asa said. “Not at brunch, Big Sis.”
“Baby brotha, you probably just snuck a woman out of your room.” Tyn waved a dismissed hand at him. “You know what’s up.”
“I wasn’t the one sneakin’ out of rooms this morning. Right, Demi?”
I froze, leveling a glare on Asa. “Shut up.”
Blake did a chair twerk. “Alright, nah, Demi.”
“I told you,” Dallas said, giving her a high-five.
“Traitor,” I whispered.
Dallas patted my hand. “Sis, all I’ma say is… It’s about damn time.”
