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“Look at you, all timely and shit. We didn’t even have to wait. Love, you ready?” Real taunted.
Sighing, I rubbed my forehead. Danny smirked at Real as the passenger door opened and my brother stepped out. He glared at Real and Juvie before looking at me.
“Morning, Ev. You can have the front,” he offered.
I nodded once. “Thanks, Everett.”
Real clapped his hands once, the sound loud and annoying. “Glad that’s settled. We can go now.”
“I’on recall inviting you anywhere,” Danny said casually.
Real laughed. “You slow, cowboy? I thought I made things clear this weekend, but if you need more clarification?—”
I was across the porch and down the steps like I had a touch of Usain Bolt in my blood. At this point, I definitely had some fire in it.
“Okay, Montréal, that’s enough, for real. I don’t know if you getting a kick out of this shit or what, but this is my life! I’m going with Danny and Everett. You are not.”
He turned around as I spoke. I stood one step above him and still had to look up into his scowling face.
He was mad, but I didn’t give a damn. This had gone on too long. Montréal Hamilton was not going to keep toying with me because he thought he’d changed his mind!
“Seriously, Real. I ain’t for these games! I don’t… I mean… who the fuck even are you right now?” I demanded, exasperated.
“The fuck you talking to, Everly? Who am I? I’m that nigga you got fucked up, that nigga you ‘bout to stop tryna handle, Love,” he growled atme.
Oh, shit.The menace in his voice, especially when he said my first name, let me know that he was serious, but I’ll be damned if I understood why he thought he had the right. I made a clean break when my rules became blurred. I didn’t intend to see him again, and he should have accepted that.
It wasn’t like he knew how badly I needed to keep my distance.
It wasn’t like he knew that he made me feel shit that I didn’t want to feel.
It wasn’t like he knew that I left because I was starting to understand what all those singers and authors meant by a “soul tie.”
Nah, I broke that scary thing with no room for misunderstanding. That had taken a lot out of me, something that I hadn’t gotten back. Now, here his ass was, fucking with me. I was exhausted and didn’t have time for this.
“Back the fuck up off her. C’mon, Everly,” my brother growled.
Glancing over, I saw him standing beside the open passenger door. I stepped down then attempted to move around the glowering man next to me.
It didn’t go at all like I planned.
“So, fuck what I been tryna tell you, huh?” Grabbing the back of my dress, Real leaned down and whispered words that sent a chill down my spine. “Go ahead, get in that muhfucking truck. I’m tryna help that nigga out but do what the fuck you wanna do.”
I pulled away before spinning to glare at him. But the Real who was staring down at me was the one I’d only seen a few times, the one who’d used his hands on grown ass men to get a point across. While he wouldn’t touch me, I couldn’t say the same for my brother and Danny. I swallowed, my brain racing to figure out how to calm what had suddenly become a “situation.”
Out of the blue, Danny chuckled lightly, as if he didn’t realize the threat in Real’s words.
“Danny—"
“Ev, I don’t think this is a game to this nigga,” he said before turning to Real. “Look, just to keep me from having to pull this thirty-aught-six on ya,city boy, let me put you out yo’ misery. I'm gon’ explain this to you one time and one time only. Ev and I are just friends. Thick as thieves, as Granny Nette would say, but nothing more. You ain't gotta puff your chest out every time I come around. You the only nigga getting in your way of having her.”
Kissing my teeth, I rolled my eyes at my friend, refusing to acknowledge the suspicious look on Real’s face.
“Our relationship is none of his business, Daniyas,” I muttered.
Unbothered, Danny grinned at me. “My government, huh? You mad, mad. Come get in this truck, girl. He still ain’t riding with us.”
My eyesdrank in the North Louisiana countryside as an unusually quiet Juvie followed Danny, Everett, and Love. All this damn greenery—bald cypresses and pine trees, thick grass and almost unrestrained scrub—I wasn’t used to it. Had she missed this? Had she missed it the way she obviously missed her family… and her precious Danny? Did she see her life here instead of back in the city with?—