He was right and I knew it, but it was still hard for me not to feel some sort of way about it. I guess a part of me still cared about Royce, but there was no point in trying to explain that to Siah. I knew I didn't love Royce, but I did care. Either way, it didn't matter anymore. What’s done is done.
“I’m about to take a shower. I have a long day tomorrow.”
I lied because I wanted to end the conversation, so I forced a smile as I stood and started toward the bathroom, but Siah stepped in front of me. Once I was still again, he placed one hand on each side of my face and pressed his lips against mine before he spoke into them.
“I’m not sorry, but I apologize for how it went down.”
His arms circled my body and he held me tight against him for a minute before he let me go and then stepped around me. I heard him leave the room while I entered the bathroom. Once I shut the door, I leaned against it for a moment to clear my head. After releasing a long frustrated sigh, I decided to let it go. Some things were out of my control, and this just happened to be one of them.
*****
“Get up and get dressed, we have something to do.”
“Siah, no. I don't have any appointments today, and it's too early to be up,” I whined and pulled the covers up over my head, which he yanked right back down to my shoulders.
I was tired because I really didn't sleep much last night. After my shower, I went to check on Siah and he was in the living room on the phone talking business, so I climbed in bed with my mind heavy. I dozed off at some point because I felt Siah climb in bed with me and wrap his body around mine.
He just held me, no sex, just laid there with his arms around me and went to sleep. Problem was, I was up at that point and couldn't go back to sleep to save my life, so I laid there listening to him breathe, thinking about my life. My mixed up, crazy life. With no answers to be found I eventually fell asleep again, and now this dummy was kissing on my face and neck trying to make me get up, and I was sure I had just fallen asleep.
“Come on, Pretty, get up. I need you to make a run with me.”
“To do what?”
“Just get up. It's a surprise, but I promise you’ll love it. Now get your lazy ass up so we can go.”
At this point, I still hadn't really opened my eyes, so when I finally did, I realized this idiot was already fully dressed. I should have known when I inhaled his cologne.
Siah moved his body from mine and smacked the shit out of my butt, making me jump and yell. “Damn, Yosiah, that hurt. You better stop playing.”
He laughed and moved to the door. “Get up then, and I won't have to do it again.”
An hour later I was dressed and we were in Siah’s G Wagon on our way to God knows where. He wouldn't tell me, so I stopped asking. It was pointless because it was like some kind of high for him to keep it a secret. When we reached our destination, it was this cute little house out in the middle of nowhere. It was painted blue, with nothing else around it, but a sign out front that said, Welcome, Leave Your Worries Behind.
Siah jumped out and opened my door, and when I was on my feet, he took my hand and led the way, grinning like a damn child. This was one of the things I loved about this man. When it came to business, he was always serious and on point, but really he was a big ass kid, well with me at least. We had so much fun sometimes that I got lost in who he was and forgot the other side of him, the Siah that people feared and hated.
The second we entered, I fell in love and couldn't hide my smile. The place was some sort of restaurant and it was rustic and quaint, but my smile was because I laid eyes on Senior. He was on his feet with his arms open, so I took off and ran to him, falling into his embrace.
“There she is. I missed you, Nonie. You really need to stop hiding from me, Pretty.”
I smiled when he called me that. He and Siah were the only ones, well and Jock, but Jock only did it because of Siah, it was sort of their thing. I remember telling Siah once that if I ever heard him calling anyone else that, there would be hell to pay and he promised me the name was mine. I later found out that it was what Senior had called Siah’s mother, so it meant something to me, just like his promise that it belonged to only me. How true it was I didn't know, but I believed him.
“Break that shit up. Damn, he’s not all that,” Siah said, waiting for me to break my embrace with Senior, who chuckled and kissed me on the cheek.
“I not hiding from you, Senior, I’m just busy and he never brings me.” I made sure to place the blame on Siah because it was actually true.
“You don’t need him to come see me. You know where I live, Nonie.”
“I told her that same thing, Pops. She just be acting funny and shit,” Siah said, trying to be pay me back, before he pulled my chair out and waited for me to sit. Once I did, he scooted his chair close to mine and sat down, while Senior took a seat across from us.