Page 15 of Gaining the Heart of a Gemini (BLP Signs of Love #15)

Mama had planned a dinner for both families to get together, so I was on the way to pick up Parrish and Loyal. I wasn’t quite sure how the night would go, being that Papi still wasn’t feeling his best, but he assured us he would be present. His nurse would be somewhere close by if we needed her.

I arrived at Parrish’s house and rang her doorbell. When she opened the door, she instantly turned around and jogged down the hallway.

Over her shoulder, she apologized, “I’m sorry! We’re almost ready. I’m finishing up Loyal’s makeup now.”

I closed the door behind me and started in the direction she went, following the sound of music.

“Damn, Mami,” I whispered to myself as I laid eyes on Parrish.

The two piece, yellow skirt set she wore looked damn good on her.

The skirt was long, stopping right above her ankles to show off the clear heels on her pretty feet.

Her top was haltered, showing off the right amount of cleavage.

I admired her shapely figure, and I had to fight with myself not to caress every part of her.

I guess she sensed me staring because she peeked over at me, smiling. “You look handsome, Klay.”

“And I was over here thinking to myself how damn good you look, Mami. I’m loving that yellow on you.”

“Doesn’t she look good?” Loyal chimed in. “I told her you’d appreciate it.”

“That, I do.”

Parrish playfully flitted her eyes upward. “Thanks, y’all. And I’m done.” She stepped back to admire her work, grinning hard as she nodded her head in approval. “I must say, I did that. This might be my best work on you, Loyal.”

“Ooo, let me see.” Loyal pleaded and got up before Parrish could hand her a mirror. “Oh, yes! I’m loving this look, Parrie. What did you do differently?”

“I switched it up and set your face before applying the base. It gives it a smoother look in my opinion,” Parrish explained, and I had no clue what she was saying.

“I like the switch up. You need to do it every time.”

“It’ll only work for certain people. I change things up depending on the person, skin type, and other factors. I wasn’t a fan of the last beat I did on you, so I figured it was time to change things.”

Parrish was in her zone. The sparkle in her eyes as she talked about her artistry of makeup showed how passionate she was about it.

It was something she poured into, and I wanted to do the same for her.

I wanted to show her I was dedicated to whatever it was she desired, so I made a mental note to look more into a few things for her.

She already wasn’t working, and I had no plans on letting her go back.

Loyal spoke to me as she scurried out the room to finish getting ready.

Parrish walked up to me. Her neatly decorated eyes traveled up and down the length of my frame.

She stopped about an inch away from our bodies connecting.

With my arm around her waist, I pulled her into me, and our lips collided.

My intention was to savor the taste of her lips, but Parrish quickly moved her head and giggled.

“It took me some time to perfect these lips,” she informed me, sliding her thumb over my bottom one with a smirk. “I can’t ruin them before I take pictures and eat dinner. It’s a part of my FameVsYou profile aesthetic.”

“They do look good. How long does it usually take you to do your makeup?”

“Depends on if I’m doing something light or a full face. Most of the time, I have a full face, so it’s anywhere between ten to thirty minutes.”

“And for your clients?”

“Depends on a few factors as well. Most of my clients take at least forty-five minutes because I love getting their input throughout the process. It’s for them, so I want to make sure everything is how they like it.”

I nodded, impressed with her answers. It gave me a few ideas on what I could do for her.

Hand in hand, Parrish and I walked back to the front, where Loyal waited for us. She repeatedly tapped her index finger and thumb together while looking us over.

“Patrick and Javier knew what they were doing by setting y’all up. Y’all look like y’all were made for each other, and I’m not exaggerating. Let me snap a few pictures of y’all.”

I peered down at Parrish, who shrugged her shoulders and said, “I’m fine with it if you are.”

“I have no reason to oppose to it.”

“And don’t.” Loyal agreed, pulling her phone out. “Pose however y’all want, but Klay, make sure you let the people know my girl is yours.”

Since I wasn’t big on taking pictures, I followed Parrish’s lead. She guided my arms around her waist with her back resting on me. Her hands were on top of mine as Loyal snapped picture after picture from different angles. When she felt she had the right one, she showed it to us.

I had to agree. Parrish and I looked damn good together. We complemented one another well, and a part of me couldn’t wait to see how we looked on our wedding day.

My phone went off in my pocket, and it was Karmen texting, asking where we were. We hurried out the house and headed to my parents. By the time we arrived, everyone else was present. They were all sitting in the sunroom with drinks and appetizers.

Mama spotted us first. She hopped up from her seat, careful not to spill her champagne on her nude, silk dress and made her way to us, beaming. “There goes my baby. Hey, Son. You look so handsome.”

“Hey, Mama.” I greeted her with a hug and kiss to her cheek. “You remember Parrish?”

“I do. Hey, sweetie. You are so gorgeous, looking just like your mama. How have you been?”

“Thank you, Mrs. Ramirez. I’ve been good, just navigating through life. How are you?” Parrish responded.

As I expected, my mother looped her arms with Parrish’s and took her away. Loyal had joined Mrs. Wells, so I headed over to where Parrish’s brothers were talking to Carter. I chopped it up with them briefly before going off to find Papi and Patrick. I found them in Papi’s treatment room.

My fucking heart hurt.

Patrick was helping my father get ready, and it was the first time I realized how small Papi had gotten.

It made me think back to the times when I was younger and how I used to yearn to be as big and strong as him.

As a child, I viewed my father as a gentle giant.

Hispanics had a rep for being short, but Papi stood at six feet even with a muscular, athletic build.

To see him lacking muscles, hunched over, and slowly moving brought tears to my eyes.

I stepped out of the doorway with my back against the wall.

The tightness building in my chest was unfamiliar.

A lump formed in my throat I couldn’t swallow.

Before anyone could see me, I jogged down the hall to one of the spare rooms and closed the door behind me.

My eyes closed as I took long, deep breaths.

That didn’t help, so I paced back and forth.

Like water breaking through a dam, I was beginning to crack.

I hadn’t shed one tear since Papi’s diagnoses.

All my emotions were bottled up, shoved down deep to pile my mother’s and sister’s on top.

Everything was all good dealing with theirs, but facing mine was one of the hardest things I had to do.

Despite the cracks in my body, darkness was creeping its way in.

Everything was hitting me at once, and I wasn’t sure how to handle it.

I sat on the floor with my back against the wall, feeling the tightness in my chest worsen.

The lump in my throat had grown so big, I couldn’t get a word out if I tried.

And then, she called out my name.

Parrish’s voice came from the hallway, instantly easing some of the uneasiness I felt. I still couldn’t find my words, so I repeatedly tapped on the door to gain her attention. Seconds later, she appeared and fell to her knees beside me.

“Klay, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

All I could do was shake my head. Parrish kneeled next to me and engulfed me with her arms around my neck.

I laid my head on her breasts, closed my eyes, and released a shaky breath.

Before I knew it, tears steadily seeped from my eyes.

My shoulders bounced the harder I cried.

The tightness in my chest began to loosen.

For the first time, I released my emotions in a healthy way.

Without question, Parrish held me. She held me while I released my emotions, and I never felt more vulnerable in my life.

No one had ever seen me cry. When my grandparents passed away, I didn’t shed a tear, even though I slowly crumbled on the inside.

My father and his cancer hit me differently.

It was as if he was vanishing right before my eyes, and I was just now privy to it.

I wasn’t sure how long we sat there, but the feel of Parrish rubbing her nails up and down my arm was soothing. I’d noticed her doing it to herself a few times, and now, I understood why.

Once I gathered myself, I sat up and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. Parrish leaned over and thumbed away my tears, face full of concern. Whatever makeup was on her cheeks was ruined from the stream of tears cascading down her cheeks.

With a swipe of my tongue over my lips, I expressed, “Thank you, Mami. I needed that.”

“I can tell, which is why I let you get it out. Is it your father?”

“Did you see him?”

Parrish expelled a sigh and bobbed her head. “I did, and it made my heart ache. He’s so fragile now.”

“He is. I’m just now realizing that shit, and it fucked my mind up. I’ve been trying to be strong, but that shit broke me. I don’t know if I purposely shut it off from my mind or what, but seeing Patrick help him made me see it differently.”

“Trauma can change our way of seeing and feeling things. For you, you’ve suppressed it all and tried to look through new lenses. In the end, it always catches up with you.”

I leaned my head back against the wall. “I see. You know what I think hurts the worst?”

“What?”

“Seeing him like that made me come to terms with the fact he’s probably not going to get any better.

He’s strong, but there’s only so much a person can take.

I know Papi. I know how his mind operates.

With all the pain he’s in, he’s probably only concerned with how everything will affect us if this takes him out.

And that concern is the one thing keeping him. ”

I lowered my head, willing myself not to cry again. The shit was too much for me. My emotions had me feeling as if I was out of control, and I had to get it together before we headed down to dinner.

Parrish laced her fingers between mine and laid her head on my shoulder. I rested mine on top of hers, grateful to have her close.

“That shows where you get your strength and selflessness from. You’re a reflection of your father in more ways than you think. Have you talked to him about how he feels?”

“I haven’t had the heart to besides the surface level questions. Questions about how he’s feeling internally but not mentally. I know I need to, but I also know that shit will be hard to hear.”

“You do, but when you’re ready. This situation is life-changing and emotional for all of you.

I know you’re concerned with how everyone else is doing, but you need to slow down to process your emotions.

Avoiding them will only cause you to break again.

You allow them to build up, and that’s not healthy. ”

“I’m learning.”

Parrish’s phone vibrated on the floor. She checked it and turned it around to face me. “I guess they’re looking for us.”

It was her mother calling. To be real, I wasn’t in the right headspace to be bothered with anyone other than Parrish. My mother had put a lot into the dinner, so there was no way I could disappoint her by leaving.

As if she could read my mind, Parrish said, “We can leave if you’re not feeling up to it.”

“I don’t want to disappoint my mother. She put too much into this night for us. We’re the guests of honor, so it’d be fucked up if we left.”

“Look at me,” Parrish demanded, palming the side of my face and forcing my eyes to hers.

“There’s nothing wrong with having weak moments.

There’s nothing wrong with needing time to yourself.

Yes, your mother may have put a lot into tonight, but I’m more than sure she’ll understand if you can’t be present.

I know I keep telling you, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to put you first at times. Stop being hardheaded and listen.”

I no longer cared about the shit she said earlier about her lips.

I slipped my hand around the back of her neck and hungrily kissed her.

Eagerly, she accepted, slipping her tongue into my mouth while scooting closer to me.

Our hands started to roam one another’s bodies the deeper our kiss got.

My dick was hard as fuck against my thigh.

If it wasn’t for Parrish’s phone vibrating again, I would’ve accepted all of her without hesitation.

“I can ignore it,” she whispered against my lips.

“Klayton!” Mama’s voice bellowed from the hallway.

Parrish and I stared at one another before sharing a laugh. I pecked her lips and instructed, “Let’s go join them.”

“Are you positive, Klay?”

“I always show up for my family. I can’t let them down now.”

“I understand. I admire that about you.”

“Come stay with me tonight.”

Surprisingly, Parrish agreed with no pause. “I’d be more than happy to.”