“Dad made it worse.” Blake chuckled. “He coaxed her into booking the pastor and his family—”
“And all the other guests that had planned to stay with them,” Bliss interrupted.
“—vacation homes or hotel rooms,” Blake continued.
“They left right before we came here,” Dallas explained. “So no more Chastity.”
We all laughed. And it felt good to be with my sisters. “Oh, I needed that laugh,” I said on a sigh. “Thank you.”
“Okay, so back to the matter at hand.” Dallas bit into another slice of pizza. “This pizza is good as hell. Anyway, how do you feel about Duke?”
A few months ago, my answer would’ve been a resounding “Nothing.” Except, even that wouldn’t have been true. I could never feelnothingfor him. Because he was too important to me. “I’ve been thinking about it for a little while. For every life-changing event, he’s been there.” And not just with me physically but present in the moment with me, offering advice, pancakes, or even a joint. “I guess I never even considered that it could be more than what it always is between us. It's not like he can’t have any woman he wants. There’s always someone vying for his attention.”
“He doesn’t care about them hoes,” Blake said matter-of-factly. “Hedoescare about you, though.”
“I know.” I picked at the edge of my sweater. “I care about him too. Now that the switch has been flipped, I can’t stop thinking about him. I can’t stop wanting him.”
Bliss smiled. “Aw, that’s so beautiful.”
“But what does that say about me?” I asked. “Last year, I was waiting for Tristan in a hotel bar.”
“He didn’t show up,” Dallas said. “His loss.”
I averted my gaze. “Now, I’m kissing his brother.”
Blake smacked her lips. “Here’s the deal. Before I finish, I need you to know that I charge a lot of money to clients for this same type of treatment. Ready? All of us knew that Tristan was never the man of your dreams.Youjust needed to realize that for yourself. That non-meeting at the hotel bar was necessary for you to remember that you don’t need Tristan. You never did. He’s not your hero, Demi. He’s a flawed, asshole-ish man. I love him, but it’s true.”
“He’s not that bad,” I countered. “He’s just tortured.”
“He is,” Blake agreed. “That’s not your problem, though. You shouldn’t accept his bullshit ass excuses because he’s too damaged to do the work on himself. Sis, I love you. I will toss a grenade and blow some shit up for you. Tristan is my brother. I would cut a bitch for him too. But he’s not for you. Dead ass.”
Bliss turned sincere eyes on me. She squeezed my hand, offering the comfort only she provided. “From my perspective, it’s not that surprising that you and Duke are discovering these feelings for each other. The way he was ready to kick Tristan’s ass Thanksgiving weekend? I don’t even think Dex would’ve been able to hold him back.”
“That’s sad,” I said. “I don’t want to be a source of conflict between them.”
Bliss squeezed my hand again. “In a way, you are. But you’re not. The issues they have with each other are deeper than you. They’ll get it together. Like Blake said… not your problem. Duke is many things, but he’s never been callous with your feelings. Or his. I can’t see him risking your relationship to get his dick wet.”
“Bliss!” Dallas shouted. “You said dick!”
Bliss smirked. “I like dicks. I just haven’t sat on one in a while.” After Naija was born, Bliss had put all her energy into her daughter. To the exclusion of any man. Not even the man she wanted.
Dallas took another shot. “Jace has a big one for you.” Then, she cracked up. “Go sit on his.”
Jace was a neighbor and close friend of the family. Him and his brothers spent a lot of time at the house when we were teenagers and he’d always had his eye on Bliss. But she’d been laser-focused on everything and everyone else.
“How do you know his dick is big?” Bliss asked. “Have you seen it?”
“We all did,” Blake replied. “Don’t tell Lennox. But remember when we went to the lake after the Fourth of July barbecue that year? He jumped in the water and somehow lost his swim trunks. Quite a sight.”
“Damn, I missed it,” Bliss exclaimed.
“You still have time,” I told her. “I’m sure he’d be willing to show you that thing whenever you ask.”
Bliss pouted. “You know I’m not asking.”
“That’s why we’re different, Sissy,” Blake said. “I need to see the goods.”
Dallas changed the subject back to me. “So I guess it’s my turn. I’ll keep it short because I’m sleepy and ready for Preston to give me some. Okay… Duke is one of my favorite people in the world. Not just because we shared a womb but because of who he is. He’s solid. I never have to question where he stands. He’s gonna get my back even if I’m wrong. He’ll tell me about myself later, but he’s still #TeamMe. I’m gonna get mushy now. And I might even ugly cry. But you can’t hold it against me.”
