“Don’t do that.” Up until now, I’d made it no secret that Kelvin didn’t deserve her. I didn’t have to talk to her every day to know that she’d already invested too much into him—cooking for him, cleaning that fool’s house. That nigga didn’t even deserve a turkey sandwich with no Miracle Whip, let alone a woman as accomplished, as smart, as funny, as sexy as Charlye.
She met my gaze. “Why?”
“Because that’s what he wants you to do.”
“Are you saying this as my friend or as the Wingman for Hire?”
My little side hustle as a teenager had turned into a full-time career. And I made a pretty good living helping women snag their dream guy—or ditch their mistakes. “Both.” I shifted to face her. “If you were my client, I’d tell you to stop making yourself available to him. You tend to drop everything for him, even when you don’t want to. Make him chase you. Make him earn his place in your life.”
“You think so?”
“I know so.” I squeezed her knee. “And as your friend, he’s not good enough for you. You already know that, though.”
“Um…” she swallowed. “I…”
“Stop twisting yourself into knots to hang on to a relationship that won’t last. Start thinking about whatyouneed in your relationship.”
“Whoa.” She threw her hands up. “Tell me how you really feel.”
At this point, I was certain she wouldn’t be able to handle how I really felt. “Do you really want to know?”
The air around us changed again and a familiar tension enveloped us. Charlye must have sensed the truth just beneath the surface, the feelings that would probably never go away, so she did what she did best.Retreat. She stood abruptly. “I better go see if Isis needs anything.”
Like every other time we’d gotten close to the truth, she bolted, practically running across the room to “help Isis”. In that moment, though, I made a decision. That small interaction between us was enough to confirm what I’d known all along. She was everything, exactly what I wanted. She’d always been the woman for me. Now, I needed to show her how it felt to be respected, to be someone’s top priority, to be romanced, to be chased. And I was up to the challenge.
ChapterTwo
YOU’RE NO GOOD
Charlye
Staring at my phone wasn’t going to make it ring. Still, I couldn’t stop picking it up. I couldn’t stop the hope that surged every time a notification buzzed my Apple Watch. The only problem? Kelvin had yet to call, even after staying gone all night, even after I’d texted and called him multiple times since the rehearsal.
Stop making yourself available to him. Dexter’s words kept ringing in my head, last night as I waited for Kelvin, this morning as I stared out the window looking for him, and now. Justus had requested one thing for his wedding—a family breakfast. Just us. My siblings and my parents. Despite the very palpable tension between my mother and father, we’d made it happen.
After I checked my phone again, Justus leaned over and whispered, “What’s up, sis?” I plastered a fake smile on my face and was promptly greeted with a questioning brow. “Don’t try it.”
Growing up, Justus and I were called the “Irish Twins” because we were born less than a year apart from each other. I was the surprise baby. Apparently, my mother cried for weeks when she’d received the news that she was expecting again so soon after giving birth. As a result, I’d often felt unwanted, even though she’d done everything she could to show me that she loved and wanted me.
“I’m fine,” I lied.
“I told you to leave that fool alone, Char,” he grumbled.
“Are you ready for the day?” I asked, effectively changing the subject. “Tux, socks, rings… All of that stuff put up.”
“Dex has it under control.”
Of that, I had no doubt. Dex was as steady, as consistent as they came. While he was technically my brother’s best friend, I considered him one of my closest friends too. Most likely because my brother had dragged me everywhere with him and, of course, because Dex and I were in the same graduating class. When we were teenagers, Dex had sort of taken me under his wing, protecting me from bullies, boosting my confidence. It was just his way. And I appreciated that about him.
“I’m just ready to be married,” Justus continued. “I’m ready to make Isis Mrs. Burke.”
“What are you two whispering about?” My big sis, Elise, asked. “I want to know.”
“That’s because you’re nosy.” Justus grinned. “I love you anyway.”
Elise cracked up. “I can only be me.” She leaned forward and mumbled, “Any conversation is better than sitting in silence for the past twenty minutes.”
I took a moment and scanned the faces of everyone at the table. It had been years since we’d all eaten a meal together. And it showed.
