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“I don’t need your permission to date anyone.”
“Please, Luke. Tell us where we went wrong. We raised you the best we could. We paid your school fees. Sent you off to college and did our best to support you from here. Why can’t you see how much you’re dishonoring us?”
“Give her a chance, Mom. You don’t even know her.”
“You would really chose a woman over your parents who’ve raised you all your life?”
“Why can’t I have both?”
“Talk to him,” his mother muttered.
A moment later, his father came on the line. “Son?”
“Hey, Dad,” Luke said with a sigh.
“What’s going on? Your mother’s been crying herself to sleep for three days now. Let the war end and do the right thing.”
“Dad, why are you and mom being so extreme? If you had a problem with her personality or her character, I’d understand. But you’re denouncing her simply because of her race.”
“You want to call me a racist?” His dad hissed. “Fine. I’ll be a racist to protect my son. The world will say much worse.” He paused. “I need to go. Your mother is bawling again.”
Luke didn’t know what to say so he remained quiet.
“Goodbye, Luke.”
He listened to the dial tone and then let his arm drop. The water crashed and the wind moaned through the coconut trees. He inhaled deeply before turning away and sliding into his car.
Luke started driving and somehow ended up outside Ashanti’s house. He blinked rapidly, struggling to remember when he’d given himself permission to come here. At that moment, the door burst open and Ashanti flew out.
Her curls blew behind her head like a lion’s mane. She wore a blue, oversized shirt and white shorts.
He rolled the window down, surprised to see her. “Ash. What are you doing out here?”
“Not to burst your bubble, but you’re the one parked outside my house, Luke.” She ran her fingers through her hair as if that would make the stubborn curls behave. “I recognized the sound of your engine.”
He smiled at that. “You’ve memorized the sound of my car engine?”
“Don’t make it weird.” She stepped back and gestured to her house. “You came all this way. Come in.”
“It’s late.”
Ashanti whirled back around and eyed him through the lowered window. “I’m aware. Now hurry up before the neighbors think this is a drug deal or something.”
He chuckled and followed her into the house, feeling lighter already.
“Let me guess,” she said as she locked the front door, “you enjoyed sleeping in my couch so much the last time that you’re back for another stay?”
“Ah, no.” He laughed and sank into the love seat. “Were you sleeping?”
Ashanti jumped into the cushion beside him. “No. I was working on an article about a missing persons case turned murder so… I pretty much spent the past few hours freaking out at every weird noise the house made.”
“You act all fearless, but inside you’re a big fat scaredy-cat.”
“To be fair, I’ve never lived alone before. Dad or Grandma was always around. Even when I was away at college, I had roommates.”
“You should get a dog.”
Ashanti made a face. “I can’t even keep a plant alive. And all they need is a little water and sunlight. No way.”
