Page 23 of Defending the Post (The Complexity of Love #3)

Chapter Twelve

Game Night Confessions

Marquise

I f this bitch touches me one more time, I’ll snap.

“Dance with me,” Whitney said, pulling me onto the dance floor.

Reaching the middle of the floor, she immediately grinds her ass against my soft dick. She rolled her body, but I wasn’t moving. Pops twirled Mom around before we caught each other’s attention, and his brows dipped in confusion.

I knew this wasn’t right, but Erin’s rejection in the bathroom crushed me.

Over the past few weeks, I've changed everything about myself. I was back in therapy, blocking every woman calling my phone, turning down top-tier pussy, and for what? All I wanted to do was show the world who owned my heart. Erin’s too busy worrying about what people would think.

When we met, I was a ladies’ man, and I never hid who I was.

“Marquise, dance with me,” Whitney whined, with big hope-filled eyes.

She extended her hands toward my neck, but I pulled them down.

I preferred that she didn’t touch me at all.

Scanning the party in search of Erin, I found Malcolm instead.

Following his eyes, I scooped Erin in conversation with some dude in the corner.

It appeared they had exchanged phone numbers, and I was heated.

“Marquise,” Whitney whined, reaching for my hand.

I freed myself to remind Erin’s ass that she belonged to me. Right now, I was in the wrong, but I didn’t give a fuck. Pushing through the crowd, Malcolm met me, blocking my path.

“Quise, calm down. You started this back at the apartment,” he said.

I hated when he held me accountable. With us sharing features, it’s as if the mirror was speaking back to me.

“I understand, and you’re right, but get out of my way. Erin is my woman,” I said.

Malcolm smirked before he moved aside but followed me. I approached Erin, stepping in between her and whoever this was.

“Marquise!” Erin yelled with hiked nostrils and wild eyes. “I’m talking…” she said.

I jolted my head backward. “I personally don’t give a fuck, if you want me to be honest,” I stated.

She attempted to walk away, but I gripped her elbow, stopping her departure. My shoulder jerked backward, seizing my attention. I turned to find a man several inches shorter standing toe-to-toe with me.

“I believe the lady doesn’t want to leave with you,” he said.

I chuckled. “How would you know what my woman wants?” I asked.

Erin pulled on my arm for my attention, but I didn’t honor her request. She moved next to me, tugging on my shirt.

“You are overreacting. It isn’t what it seems, and not that you had the right anyway. Didn’t you just leave the dance floor?” Erin questioned.

I peered down at her, trying to cap my temper.

“Erin, are you okay?” the guy spoke around me.

He asked for attention, leaving me no other option but to address him again.

“Walk away before I knock you out,” I warned. “I gave you two passes already, talking to my woman and touching me,” I said.

“You didn’t give me shit,” he said, and I released my grip on Erin

“Barry, don’t escalate this. Please walk away,” Erin said at the point of pleading, adding more fire to my burning anger.

“I knew you were a pussy with the name Barry,” I said.

“Marquise, please, baby, it’s not what it seems,” I heard Erin pleading with me.

He laughed as his eyes diverted over to Erin. “But you left your pussy unattended chasing another piece of pussy,” Barry said.

I pushed his ass, and his body stumbled backward. I lifted my fist to knock him down, but Pops caught my hand.

“Cool off!” he yelled in my face.

Pops moved me backward to get my attention by snapping his fingers. I couldn’t see anything but Barry and how I should’ve knocked him out.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Jefferies,” I heard Erin apologize, but I was enraged.

“It’s okay, Erin. Malcolm, take your brother outside for some air,” Pops instructed.

Malcolm pushed me out the door, and I knocked over a highboy table with my hand.

“Bro, I have never seen this side of you. You should’ve hit him when he grabbed your shoulder. I had your back,” he said.

I gave Malcolm a heated glare before I saw Pops comforting Erin through the glass. Malcolm blocked me from going back inside.

“Quise, you are not calm. Pops got it,” he said.

Pops handed Erin to my mother before walking through the double doors.

“Marquise, what was that about?” he questioned.

I exhaled before answering. “I went to get Erin, and he got disrespectful toward my woman.”

Pops ran his hands over his beard. “Erin said he owned an event space, and she was getting his number for Jhae. That’s what she tried to tell you before you flew off the handle.”

I walked away from Pops and Malcolm as remorse punched me in the mouth.

“Marquise, what is going on between you and Erin? Son, you moved foul in the party grinding on another woman and in front of her face,” Pops said.

I sighed. “Before I came to the party, I wanted to go public, but she rejected me.”

“What did she say exactly?” Malcolm asked.

“Why does it matter?” I questioned him.

“Because you hear what you want to hear,” Pops interrupted.

Malcolm and Pops stared at each other and then back at me.

“Exactly what I thought. She didn’t reject you, Marquise. She asked you to slow down. Once you post y’all are in a relationship, dick pics, videos, and text messages gon’ wear her inbox out. Y’all need to be solid first,” Malcolm said.

Pops lowered his eyes, but he didn’t disagree.

“Son, she didn’t reject you. Didn’t I tell you to move slow?

And at her pace, Marquise. You’ve got some serious making up to do with all the women.

Niecy is pissed off and in crisis mode. Erin is ready to leave yo ass, and Jhae is her cheerleader.

I convinced Erin to stay but give her time to cool off before you approach. ”

I trekked three fingers across my forehead, stressed and ashamed of my behavior.

“Let’s enjoy the party. Give her time, Marquise,” Pops said.

I followed him back into the party. He kissed Mom, pulling her onto the dance floor.

Erin and Jhae sat in the lounge area on the white leather couches.

Today did not go as I envisioned. The wrong emotions had ruled me all day.

Every woman I cared about was upset with me.

I rested my back against the bar, waiting for an opportunity to get to Erin.

Malcolm sat next to them, eavesdropping on their conversations, giving me head signals.

I ordered a can of soda from the bartender and caught Toni and Caleb tucked in a corner laughing.

I secured my drink and focused on Malcolm. Once we made eye contact, I tilted my head toward Toni. Malcolm stood, moving in their direction, and I followed with my drink in hand.

“Hey kids, what’s going on?” Malcolm asked.

Toni gave a nervous smile as her eyes danced from Malcolm to mine.

“I was talking to your. . .”

“Toni,” I interrupted Caleb with hiked brows. Calling Toni my mother would’ve set me off. He cleared his throat as everyone stood silent and uncomfortable. Caleb rubbed the front of his throat as the music played.

“What’s going on over here?” Mom appeared, making this an official party.

“Nothing, I was talking to Caleb because I didn’t know anyone else. And the boys came over to join us,” Toni said.

Mom’s eyes bounced from mine to Malcolm’s.

“Toni, they are intimidating Caleb because he is talking to you,” she said, shaking her head. “You two... leave,” Mom said to me and Malcolm, pointing her thumb in the opposite direction.

“You heard her, Toni, let’s go,” Malcolm said, extending his arm in her direction.

Backing my brother, I nodded my head toward the opposite side of the room.

I’m sure Malcolm and I were coming from two different points of view.

We were protecting two different people.

He was looking out for Toni, but I was helping Caleb.

Mom gave an exasperated sigh as she caressed the bridge of her nose.

“She doesn’t have to leave. Toni, you can enjoy your conversation with Caleb,” Mom said.

Caleb tried to keep a blank stare, but his body language suggested something else. I shook my head in disapproval. He should have come to me first and I would’ve given him the heads up. All eyes landed on Toni as she shrank in the moment.

“It’s okay, I don’t want them upset,” Toni said and walked away with Malcolm.

I wanted to correct her because I didn’t care, but I knew Malcolm did.

“You two are out of control,” Mom said to me.Caleb bit down on his bottom lip, walking away, but one day he would thank me.

“Marquise, what is going on with you, Son? Fighting at your dad’s party and now you are blocking Caleb from Toni,” Mom said as she adjusted my clothes.

“Mom, I don’t care about Toni. I was trying to protect Caleb. He doesn’t need to get wrapped up in her craziness,” I announced, and Mom’s head jerked backward.

“You better be joking, young man. Toni is a wonderful person, but you won’t return her texts. I’m not threatened by her... You are my son. Do you hear me?” Mom reaffirmed.

She caught my face between her hands. As a child when I acted out, she reassured and settled me the same way.

“The cake is here,” the DJ said after he lowered the music.

I gave an instant smile, and she slammed her eyes shut.

“What did you do?” she asked.

The crowd laughed. I escorted Mom to the cake area to find Pops cackling.The cake topper was a football player gripping his knees with a referee beside him. Malcolm and I slapped hands, proud of our creation.

“Y’all see how my sons do me,” Pops said, as the crowd erupted in laughter.

“But your knees do be cracking,” Roman, his former teammate, said.

Pops pointed in his direction. “You got an Elite Bowl ring, don’t you?”

I maneuvered into the background of the crowd, circling everyone until I located Erin. Slipping my arm around her waist, I kissed her ear.

“Sorry, baby,” I whispered, but she ignored me, focusing on Pops.