Her breath hitches on a barely audible whimper and she relaxes against me with a soft sigh. “Thank you.” She rests her forehead on my shoulder for the space of a few heartbeats and then pulls out of my arms to face everyone else.
“Oh my God, you’re still here?” she says when she sees Stephen.
“I know I did wrong, and I've apologized more times than I can count. I know you’re not ready to forgive me yet. But I want us to try,” he adds with a broad smile.
She makes a sound in the back of her throat that sounds like a laugh, but I know is muffled scream.
I scowl at him. “What a fucking stupid thing to say.”
“Kwame!” Mrs. Sackey chides.
Stephen stands up and looks at me like he’s only now realizing that I’m there.
“Sorry, who are you?” He takes a step toward me.
“None of your business, chief.”I square my shoulders.
Sin rushes to stand between us. “This is Kwame. He’s a family friend.”
“He doesn’t look friendly,” the idiot chirps.
“I’m not. Especially not to assholes.”
“I know you. Don’t I?” Stephen stares at me, narrowing his eyes. “What’s your last name?”
Dread coils around my gut like a constricting snake. My throat goes dry.
Sin leans out of my arms and bares her teeth at the man. “It’s none of your fucking business.”
“Sin!” her parents shout at the same time.
“Sin, you’re my business.”
“Not anymore,” I snap. “This is all me, now. Friend,” I snarl.
There’s an awkward silence and Mrs. Sackey turns to look at me. “What is all you?”
I turn to Sin and her eyes meet mine, full of a silent but undeniable plea. I want to tell the truth. But she just had her other secrets laid bare and her trust violated. The last thing I’m going to do right now is break my word to her.
I immediately deflect. “It means, she’s my best friend. No one can talk to her like that if I’m here,” I say. But this game of pretend isn’t going to work anymore. We’ll have to talk it out, but I can’t wait to tell her parents that she’s not just my best friend and is the most beautiful woman I've ever met, and I've been falling in love with her since I laid eyes on her.
“Oh, that's so nice,” her mother says but her smile doesn’t reach her eyes.
“I’m tired,” Sin says. “Mama and Daddy, I’m sorry for everything. I didn’t want to disappoint you.”
“Sin, we love you. We want the best for you. I’m sorry we haven’t made that clear.”
They hug each other, and I’m so grateful to be able to witness this kind of love between parents and their child.
“Kwame?” Sin’s voice is tired and I get up and go to where she’s sitting.
“Could you take me home, please?”
“Absolutely.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Kwame
