“Shit, I’m ready to go beat his ass for playing in your face like that!”
“You and me both, but whoever tagged his ass at the club got him good.”
“Yeah, . . . about that. You’re gonna wanna hold onto your edges when you hear what I have to say.”
My brows creased. “What do you mean?”
“My brother was the one who beat the brakes off his lil light-skinned ass.”
I almost choked on my spit. “Oak?”
Liv nodded as confirmation. “Yup. I got the two in the morning call from jail to prove it.”
I fell back against the couch as if I had fainted. “I cannot! When Pat called, he said some drunk maniac attacked him in the club.”
Liv swung her head. “Another lie! Oak dog walked that nigga when he saw him arguing with his baby mama. Now after hearing your side of the story, everything makes perfect sense. I know my brother is crazy, but he ain’t stupid.”
I wished I could say I felt sorry for him getting his ass whupped at the club, but I didn’t. If anything, I wish I had been a fly on the wall to see Oak give him the beatdown he deserved.
“It’s obvious the wedding is off. The relationship is off. Everything is off. For good.”
“As it fuckin’ should be. Fuck him!”
“I wish it weren’t so last-minute. How am I going to tell everyone the wedding is off, especially your parents?”
“Girl, trust me when I say they will understand. They have always been team Alexis. They wouldn’t want you to be inanything that doesn’t serve you. We all want what’s best for you, and apparently, that includes Oak too.”
Hearing the mention of her brother for a second time made my heart somersault in my chest. “Is he here?” I inquired as my eyes traveled down the hallway to where his room was.
Liv swung her head. “No. He closed on his new house, so after I picked him up from the precinct, I dropped him off there.”
“I need to thank him.”
“You want me to take you over there?”
“Right now?”
“I mean, I’m sure he’s still up. We can call on the way.”
Liv and I spent the entire car ride singing along to songs that made me feel better about my fresh breakup, like Rihanna’s “Take a Bow” and Beyoncé’s “Irreplaceable,” until we pulled into the driveway of Oak’s new spot. From the modern brick accents and oversized windows alone, I was thoroughly impressed. So much so that the word“damn”slipped past my lips in awe.
“It’s nice, right?” Liv agreed. “I can’t even front. My big brother didreallygood.”
“Was today your first time seeing it?”
“Mm-hmm. But he didn’t give me the thorough tour or anything after I dropped him off here from the precinct. He’s been really secretive this entire time about the whole process. Not only with me, but Mama and Daddy too. All we knew was that he purchased the lot sometime in the last year and was building a house on it. I’ve been hinting at him throwing a housewarming party, but you know how he is. C’mon, let’s go.”
“I’m surprised you aren’t sleepy.”
“Girl, after I got that phone call from jail, my body said,‘sleep who?’I’m wired like I had a double espresso shot or something. Knowing me, I’ll probably crash later.”
“Yeah, me too.” I nodded as I reached for the door handle to exit Liv’s car. I felt all sorts of discombobulated inside—sweatypalms, Jell-O limbs, and a heart that wouldn’t stop pitter-pattering against my ribcage. What would I say when I saw Oak after knowing what he’d done for me? Congratulations? Thank you? I miss you? I’m sorry?Maybe it should be a compilation of all of that.
I followed Liv up to the front door, waiting nervously behind her as I prepared to swallow my pride. She rang the camera doorbell and took half a step back. The minute the door swung open, my heart stumbled out a frantic beat.
“I’m baccckkkk,” Liv teased as she stepped inside, “and I brought company.”
“You two do know what time it is, right?”
