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“Ain’t shit potential about that, baby. I’m putting down the gauntlet tonight,” I said. “I got plans to have you walking funny tomorrow.”
Brooklyn grinned at me. “Do you, now? Like old times, huh?”
“On life, baby,” I promised.
“If you two horny negroes don’t stop! How could this happen without me knowing? I knew something wasn’t right when my dreams just up and stopped out of the blue. I should’ve seen this coming!” Sharla said.
Brooklyn frowned. “What?”
I took it she didn’t know about Sharla’s gift.
“What were you going to do if you’d seen it coming? Try to stop it? Look, I told you because I’m not hiding shit anymore. I love her. She loves me, and if I have my way, we’re going to spend the rest of our days together. That shit is not up for debate with you. I know you think I’ma hurt her, that I’m gonna jump up and leave like I usually do, but you’re wrong. I was looking to make a change before the cancer. I’vebeenwanting to be with her. I’m not going anywhere,” I assured my sister.
“No. It’s notyouhurtingmethat she’s worried about,” Brooklyn said, finally sitting down.
Sharla rolled her eyes. “Here comes the bullshit.”
“It’s not bullshit,” Brooklyn began. “You told me you didn’t want to see me get hurt, and I believe you truly don’t. But what you didn’t say is that you’re also worried that I’ll hurt your brother. Because as hard as I’ve worked to regain your friendship, you still see me as you always did. You think I just want him because I can sing and he’s a manager.”
“And he has money,” Sharla mumbled. “A lot of money.”
“You got money like that, Vann?” Brooklyn asked, eyes wide.
“I work for Messiah. I ain’t exactly broke, but damn. I know I ain’t got but one eye, Cake, but a motherfucker can’t just love me for me?” I asked.
Nothing from Sharla.
“See, this is why your dreams left you. You’re petty. The ancestors knew you were gonna meddle,” I said.
“Meddle?! Two of the people I love most in the world decided to keep a huge ass secret from me! I’m fucking hurt!” Sharla yelled. “And I’m probably going to get reported and fired for screaming in this office. Why would y’all leave me in the dark about this?”
“Uh…because your ass is mean. Do you see how you’ve been reacting?” Brooklyn said.
“Y’all two just…leave me alone. I gotta let this marinate.” My sister shook her head. “Damn. Justdamn.”
CHAPTER25
BROOKLYN
He stood on the other side of my door in gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt, a gleam in his eye as he handed me a bouquet of red roses.
“Thank you,” I said, accepting the roses as my stomach awoke with butterflies. I felt twenty all over again. “Where’s Percy Periwinkle?”
“On his way back to Mississippi to finish out his little break from work so I’m off babysitting duty.”
I laughed. “Who would’ve thought he’d be so…um…”
“Silly? Goofy? Regular as fuck? I suspect a lot of celebrities are just like him.”
“You’re probably right.”
“Yeah. So…you still mad at me for telling Sharla about us this morning?”
I sighed. The day had been tense after Vann’s impromptu announcement, but I was still glad to see him. Nevertheless, I said, “A little.”
He smiled. “Is there anything I can do to make it up to you, Brooklyn Skye? Anything at all?”
Now my ass was grinning. “I’m not sure. What did you have in mind, Mr. London?”
