Page 309 of When a Soul Cries

Like she felt me staring, she suddenly looked up and caught my eyes in the mirror.

Her eyebrows lifted. “What?”

I looked back at the road, fighting a grin. “Nothing.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

Yeah.

I wasn't touching that shit today.

One Devereaux brother losing his damn mind at a time.

My phone started ringing again.

**ROME.**

I stared at the screen in disbelief.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me.”

“Don't answer it!” Zari yelled.

Ma pointed toward the dashboard. “If you answer that damn phone again, I'm throwing it out the window.”

I answered.

“What now?”

“Where y'all at?”

“ROME!” Ma, Zari, and I yelled together.

The nigga started laughing.

Then the GPS interrupted.

**You have arrived at your destination.**

“Thank you, Jesus,” Ma breathed, sagging against the seat.

I turned down the road toward the bungalow, and Zari leaned forward between the seats, pointing.

“There! That has to be it.”

I barely had the SUV in park before Ma ripped off her seat belt.

“Come on! Move!”

“Ma, damn. Give me a second.”

“Ain't nobody got a second! Sol nervous, Roman blowing up the phone, and y'all done had me riding down this highway with Dale Earnhardt.”

Zari was laughing while she unbuckled Halo. I grabbed the ring from my pocket, checked the box one more time, and climbed out.

By the time I shut my door, Ma was already halfway toward the bungalow.

“Hurry up!” she yelled over her shoulder.