Page 16 of Fire & Roses: Harli

“I was so fuckin’ scared but excited too,” Kruz chuckled.

“Set It Off ain’t got shit on us!” Ryda bragged as she did a little dance. “Uh, Earth to Harli.”

“We have areas we can improve in,” I sighed. “We were cuttin’ it close with the ten minutes. Then Scott wannabe heroic ass made me draw blood, and I wasn’t tryin’ to do that. What if he sensed that you were helpin’ us Ryda? I gotta watch the news for the next few days and see if any of the shit we could’ve improved gonna get us caught up.”

“Harli, you gotta relax,” Kruz stressed. “We ain’t Set It Off level, but Ryda is right. We got away with it. A win is a win, and we gotta celebrate that.”

“Thank you, Kruz,” Ryda huffed.

“I mean…” I dragged as I became excited that we’d successfully hit our first lick together. “We fuckin’ did it y’all!”

Chapter 10

Trench

As I sat across from Harli, I was all smiles until I felt the wind get knocked out of me. I had to pinch myself because I truly thought I was dreaming as I noticed my parents headed towards us. The closer they got, the drier my throat became because I’d been trying to keep them separate from each other. Not because I was ashamed of Harli, but to protect her from their ways. Plus, I figured a nigga wouldn’t have any chances because of the parents I had. They made it to the table before I could tell Harli, and I prayed that this didn’t become a shit show.

“My, my, my, if it isn’t my long-lost son,” my mom shook her head in disappointment. “Where are my manners? I’m Travis’ mother, Tiffany, and this is his father, Bruce.”

“Um, nice to meet you guys. I’m Harli,” Harli smiled before she wiped the corner of her mouth. “Will you be joinin’ us?”

“I will just keep you company while Travis and his father run to the car,” my mom answered. “Travis be a dear and help your father grab the stuff I had for you in the truck.”

“I can come by and get it tomorrow because I’d like to finish my date,” I countered.

“Date?” Her head popped hard in my direction. “You’re on a date with this young lady? That’s funny because you’re supposed to be dating that CEO’s daughter, but I guess you’re experimenting with a DEI program.”

“Oh, wow,” Harli gasped at the underhanded jab that just flew from my mom’s ignorant throat. “Tren… Travis, I’ll leave you to finish dinner with your lovely parents.”

“Harl…”

“Son, if she doesn’t want to be kept, you let her go,” my mom hissed as she pushed me down by my shoulder.

The death stare I gave her when I looked up not only silenced her but made her snatch her hand off of me. Harli was already out the door by the time I was able to leave the table. As my biggest fear became my reality, I prayed like hell I could fix it. Scanning the parking lot, I spotted Harli and took off. I needed her to know how sorry I was for my mom’s behavior, and how much she meant to me. She’d just opened her door when I finally made it to her.

“Harli, wait,” I pleaded as I closed her door by stepping in front of her. “I’m sorry for my mom. I didn’t know they were gonna pop up.”

“Tuh, but she isn’t sorry for her behavior,” she rolled her eyes as she created some space between us. “I already felt like you were usin’ me for some ghetto chick fetish you had.”

“Man, Harli, you know that ain’t it.”

“Do I? I peeped a while ago that you had money, so I figured yo’ folks would be uptight. Even after I peeped that, I never once fixed my mouth to ask you for money. Which is something I’m sure they would expect somebody like me to do. Just like I’m sure yo’ mama probably thought I was gonna behave like a hoodrat after she was disrespectful to me for no reason. I should’ve given her just that, but I didn’t want to step out of my character! So, just focus on datin’ the daughter of a CEO because it fits yo’ aesthetic.”

“I don’t give a fuck who she thinks I’m supposed to be with. You’re who I want to be with. Me knowin’ yo’ character, I know you weren’t after my money. Hell, I have to fight with you to pay for shit, so you weren’t on that type of timin’.”

“Uh huh. I need you to move so I can leave, Travis.”

“Don’t call me that. I don’t want to leave, Harli.”

“Travis is the real you, and Trench was just a character.”

“Oh, damn. You can’t believe that.”

“But I do. You don’t have to keep hiding me in hotel rooms, so you can play that character. You’re free to be the real you. Now, move so I can leave, Travis.”

Her words cut me deep because we’d talked about how much I felt like an outsider in my family. I stepped out of her way as I looked at her in pure disbelief. There was a slight look of regret on her face before it turned cold as she looked past me. I turned around and noticed my parents walking over to us. Looking back at Harli, she was in her car when our eyes connected again.

“She was no good for you son,” my mom had the nerve to speak.