Page 28 of Defending the Post (The Complexity of Love #3)

Chapter Fourteen

Fourth Quarter

Marquise

“ W hat the hell?” Erin asked.

I parked my car outside my parents’ house in tears from laughing.

Pops had Herman, Ivey’s boyfriend stretched across the hood of his car.

I held my stomach leaning against the window, cackling at the sight of him patting him down.

Pops checked his pockets and attempted a sobriety test with his hand.

“Marquise, this isn’t funny,” Erin said after she hit my arm.

“This is light work, you should see what he did to her date last year,” I said.

Today was Herman’s prom; although Ivey graduated a year early, she kept her same friends.

Personally, I think he wanted the clout because Ivey was in college.

I pushed aside my anger about the Mother’s Day brunch to be here today.

Anybody taking my sister on a date would see the face that would kick his ass if needed.

After leaving the vineyard, Erin and I had been cooped up in her condo.

For the last two days, we’d unplugged, and it was only good sex, takeout, and cuddles.

Being underneath Erin deepened my love for her and us.

There was no other woman capable of taming and refocusing my fire but her sexy ass.

I parked the car and sprinted up the sidewalk to help stop Pops from roughing Herman up too bad.

“Pops, man, you need to relax before you raise your blood pressure,” I said between cackles.

I helped Herman off the hood of the car. “Man, go inside before Pops lose his mind and strip search you,” I said.

Herman’s eyes traveled to Pops and then back to me before he slid past us.

“These damn kids be doing everything. I had to make sure he didn’t have any drugs on him,” Pops said, and I shook my head.

“Hi, Mr. Jefferies,” Erin said with wide eyes.

I knew eventually she would see the crazy side of Pops but in his defense, he was only protecting Ivey.

“Hey, Erin, I had to check him out,” he tried to justify his behavior.

“She is your little girl. My father has done worse,” she said.

I kissed Erin’s right cheek and slapped her butt before she moved up the sidewalk. After Mom allowed her inside, Pops turned to me and tapped my chest.

“This is what I want to see, you loving and taking care of your woman,” he said.

I turned back to the house as if I had X-ray vision before smiling back at Pops.

“Giving you a heads-up, be prepared. Your mother wants a full breakdown on why you left Sunday. It wasn’t my place to tell her,” he said.

I answered with a light head shake before my brother’s car pulled into the driveway.

Malcolm and Jhae sat in the car for several seconds and by their actions, he was trying to reassure her.

Since the showdown in our living room, she and Mom still hadn’t truly patched things up.

They speak then separate but Jhae missed Mom.

She’s just too afraid to push the issue.

“Khalil,” Jhae said, and Pops hugged her.

I shifted to the other side of Pops to avoid a conversation with Malcolm.

“Pops. Quise,” Malcolm said, and I didn’t respond with a greeting.

“Jhae, can you give us guys a minute?” Pops said.

She scanned the space between us and tried moving back to the car. Malcolm secured her arm and redirected her to the house by turning her shoulders.

“Music Note, it will only be a minute,” he said, and she gave him sad eyes. “Mom is not going to kill you. I promise, it’s only a few minutes,” he said, and she sighed loudly.

We witnessed her approach the door and knock. From the sight of the rose tattoo, I knew Erin let her inside. After the door shut, the silence stood between us men. Pops maneuvered to the side, as Malcolm and I avoided eye contact with each other.

“I don’t want my sons beefing with each other. You two are grown men, talk this shit out,” Pops said.

I leaned against the car with nothing to say because I wasn’t in the wrong for once.

“Quise, man, I’m sorry for inviting Toni. I should have run it by you first. I was wrong,” Malcolm said and extended his hand.

I stood and slapped hands with my brother.

“Malcolm, you have to respect his position when it comes to Toni. Marquise, you need to talk to Niecy. She is operating in the dark and it’s not okay,” Pops said.

We piled into the house to find Erin and Jhae sitting on the couch. I hated to see how Jhae became a shell of herself when she was around Mom. She would have roamed through the house or laughing with Mom, now she’s walking on eggshells.

Malcolm and I sat next to Ivey’s date, glaring down at his ass while Pops sat across the room.

“She is ready,” Mom said, and Ivey emerged in a form-fitting black dress with a sweetheart neckline and diamond earrings.

Herman smiled as he stood from his seat. “Ivey, you are beautiful,” he said, holding a corsage made with a white rose.

“Change!” the men said in unison.

“Mom, you can’t let Ivey wear this. It’s too tight,” I said.

“I’m going to the prom,” Malcolm followed.

“This is not what we agreed to, Niecy,” Pops said as he focused on my mother.

Mom rolled her eyes, waving him away with her hand. The room remained quiet, and I could sense a gender divide. The women nodded their heads in approval while we were outraged.

“Malcolm, thank you for buying my dress. The money from the bet was plenty. I told you Marquise was going to crash out and fold first,” Ivey said, and Erin gasped, slapping her hand over her mouth.

“Shit,” Malcolm said and Jhae tapped his arm with narrowed eyes.

“Backfired, huh,” Ivey announced before she slapped hands with Mom.

I don’t know where the time went with Ivey. We transitioned from headlocks to following her to the prom last year, graduation, and now she’s turning into a young woman. Herman hurried to put the white rose corsage on Ivey’s wrist as we stood from our seats.

“Baby sis, make this your last prom. You are in college. Mom needs to have a conversation with you and Erin,” I said.

Every woman in the room shifted their head in my direction.

“Why do I need to talk to her?” Erin asked after tapping my arm.

I studied her crinkled nose and the dip in the middle of her forehead. “Baby, you gon get a yeast infection. I keep telling y’all about these tight clothes. Mom can educate you about women’s health,” I said.

“Marquise!” Mom and Jhae yelled.

Erin hit me twice with mom’s brown throw pillow as I shielded my face with my hand. The room broke out into giggles at her actions. Ivey twirled in her dress once more and gave me a mocking smile. The men in the room stood with scowls.

“Aww...Mom, don’t they remind you of a rap trio,” Ivey said. Jhae and Erin chuckled.

Mom ushered Ivey to the door and snapped pictures as if this was her first prom.

Last year, she had a photographer and full production with balloons and an event planner.

She forced Pops to smile as he scoffed at her suggested poses.

Herman’s smile lightened after he saw the scowl on our faces.

We piled behind them as we walked down the driveway.

Mom continued to take more pictures as if this was a runway show.

“Curfew is nine, Ivey,” Malcolm announced, and Ivey’s brows bunched as she side-eyed him.

“Malcolm, I’m an adult now, a whole college student,” she said in a mocking tone, and he jerked his head backward.

“Chill out, you are barely eighteen. Taking college classes don’t mean you’re grown,” Malcolm said as Ivey hugged his waist.

“One is a reasonable time. We trust you, Ivey,” Mom said as she glared at Pops.

The sight of Mr. Jefferies’ hiked nostrils was a clear sign he was forced to accept the curfew.

“That’s not gonna work. Ten is the latest,” I said what Pops couldn’t say.

Mom turned to me and sucked her teeth. “You didn’t come home on your prom night with a two-a.m. curfew,” she said.

I extended my arms to Ivey, careful not to smudge her makeup. “You call me if you’re in trouble, you hear me? And no means the fuck no. Do you understand?” I said and her eyes watered.

“Yes, I know who to call if I need help,” she said, and I kissed her cheek.

“Curfew is nine,” Malcolm yelled again, and Ivey rolled her eyes.

Mom waved as Herman and Ivey pulled away in the black SUV. I knew she paid for the transportation once I saw Carson in the driver seat.

“You three need to get it together. Ivey is growing up. We have to trust her to make good decisions,” Mom said, and we all groaned. “And Kal, did you have to pat him down for drugs?” she asked, and I erupted in laughter, holding my stomach.

We wandered back into the house after Pops suggested he put some food on the grill.

I hurried to the two-seater to snuggle next to Erin.

She couldn’t help but laugh as I kissed her neck and playfully reached for her phone.

This woman was unaware she signed up to be bothered at every available opportunity.

“Jhae, we could use some of your famous potato salad,” Mom said from the kitchen.

My eyes traveled from Malcolm to Jhae and they glossed within seconds. She peered up at Malcolm before standing on her feet and said, “okay.”

“Can you add some baked beans to that,” I said, and the room laughed but I was serious because I missed the two things Jhae could cook.

“Erin, would you like to help?” Mom asked as she wrapped the red apron around her neck.

My Weirdo looked from my mom back to me. “Sure, I can lend a hand. I can make any dessert or...”

“You can’t cook,” I interrupted Erin. She frowned at me after she stood from the couch.

“Why yes, Marquise, I can cook. But I don’t, with you ordering out and having a chef on retainer, why would I extend myself,” she said.

I straightened in my seat, staring at my woman with all her curves. “I bet I stop ordering out. We are buying groceries moving forward,” I said, and Erin waved me away as she strolled toward the kitchen.

“How did Marquise get on the album?” Mom asked Jhae.