Page 231

I eased up immediately.

Yonas dragged a hand down his face before finally coming clean about everything with his job. By the time he finished, there was nothing left to misunderstand.

Lakelyn scoffed, shaking her head lightly in disbelief. “Wow, Yonas. Really?”

“Whatever got ahold of his ass—Caspian, a demon, one of the ancestors—I support it wholeheartedly. Keep torturing his ass! Matter of fact, pinch him too! Because what you not gon’ do is come in here lying to my sister and think the living are the only ones you gotta answer to!”

I laughed.

Damn, right, sis.

Since Willow requested it, and just because I could, I pinched him.

Yonas hollered and slapped at his side. “Man, what the fuck?!”

He glared at Willow before turning back to Lakelyn. Some of the irritation drained from his face as regret finally started to creep in.

“Lakelyn, I’m sorry. I should’ve been—”

She cut him off before he could finish. “Did you get money from it?”

There was no softness in her voice, and judging by the look on her face, whatever sympathy he thought he could pull out of her was gone.

“What?” Yonas asked, like he hadn’t heard her the first time.

“Nigga, you heard her. Now stop stalling and answer the damn question.”

I barely touched the back of his knee.

His leg buckled. “Yes! Damn!”

Lakelyn folded her arms, clearly livid. “So why lie?”

Willow chimed back in. “Yeah, because clearly we’re missing a whole chapter in between I’m just here for the weekend and now somebody in this house, that we can’t see, got him under investigation too.”

I laughed.

“Nigga, tell my baby why you really came back,” I said.

Yonas immediately shook his head. “Hell no!”

“No?”

I sent another warning through his ribs. I concentrated the force into one sharp hit, making it feel like somebody had driven a fist straight into his side.

Yonas folded slightly around the pain. “The fuck, man! That shit hurts!”

“It can do worse. Keep making me repeat myself and I’ma have you on this floor wishing all I did was scare you. Now talk.”

He finally gave in. “Aight. I didn’t only come because of the party. I came because I wanted another chance with you.”

Lakelyn’s face changed.

Yonas rushed on before she could respond. “Lakelyn, I really did love you. I still care about you and Kaidence. That part was never fake. I thought if I came back and spent some time around you, maybe we could work something out.”

Lakelyn shook her head. “Yonas, I already told you where I stood with us. I wasn’t confused when I ended things, and I didn’t need you to come back here and spend a few days around me hoping I’d change my mind. If that was part of the reason you came, then you wasted your time.”

Her expression softened slightly, but her voice didn’t.