3. Jasoni Ward
JASONI WARD
The clouds in the sky looked dark and gloomy when I leaned forward to glance out of the front windshield. GPS said I was only a few minutes from the cabin, and my achy knee was thankful. Being cramped up in a car for four hours wasn’t the best move, but I preferred to drive than fly anyway.
The views while driving into Graceland were worth it too.
It was crazy to think snowcapped mountains were only a few hours away from Solaire.
We were right on the borders of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee for our birthday trip.
Well, really, it was Journi’s birthday trip, but she was nice enough to include me—since we were twins and all.
My car was full of all the decorations for the cabin.
Journi had gone all out, but I expected nothing less.
She literally loved her birthday and would talk about it nonstop, even when it was months away.
As a matter of fact, she would be leaving her birthday party talking about the next one.
But her excitement was always contagious, and she never allowed me not to celebrate.
According to her, if there was no me, then there would be no her.
I didn’t completely understand her logic, but I never went against it either.
Pulling up to the large, two-story, wooden cabin, I prayed this would be a good trip.
I knew I was going to be the first one to arrive, so I took my time unloading my car.
I had to put all the groceries away for the private chef too.
By my fourth trip back to the car, I was glad that all I had left to grab was my luggage.
The cold, coupled with the long drive, had my knee stiff as fuck.
I pushed through the discomfort, though, because I would be left to relax after this.
One of the perks of coming early was I told Journi I was picking my room first. She’d put up a fuss but lost because we both knew she was going to put me to work, and paying your help was a requirement.
I accepted payment in the form of choosing a large bedroom on the second floor with its own private jacuzzi and balcony with a beautiful view of the Grace Mountains.
I stood at the sliding doors leading out to the balcony, watching as snow began to drift from the sky.
They predicted a snowstorm tonight that could turn serious.
That was another reason I made sure I was up and out the door on time this morning.
The last thing I wanted was to be stranded while getting here.
Turning toward the door, I paused when I heard thunderous sounds coming from downstairs.
Walking out the room and to the railing at the end of the hall, I could tell the noise was coming from outside.
Causally, I made my way down the stairs until I was close enough to snatch open the front door.
Before she even turned around, I knew exactly who was causing all that damn ruckus.
Oaklyn Bridges was here, and my heart raced because of her.
We hadn’t seen each other in a very long time—not since I allowed my ex-girlfriend Claudette to convince me that cutting Oaklyn off was best for our relationship.
Looking back, in retrospect, that was the dumbest decision I’d ever made.
I couldn’t believe one day I woke up, and we were nothing to each other.
She kept in touch with Journi without a doubt, but when it came to me, she couldn’t care less if I stepped on a landmine while serving in the field.
I licked my lips, hoping to moisten the dryness I felt, but it didn’t help.
My eyes roamed over to the three huge suitcases sitting on the porch and the fourth one she was getting ready to drag up the same path.
We were only here for a week, but she had enough luggage to insinuate that she was about to move in this motherfucker long-term.
“Um, you want some help?” I questioned from the door. I foreshadowed her busting her ass because her hair was in her face, and the steadily accumulating snow made the stairs slick with ice.
My voice made her entire body stiffen. Slowly, her head lifted until her almond-shaped, brown eyes found mine.
For a quick moment, I saw panic in her eyes.
Seeing me was the last thing she expected, which could only mean Journi had kept her promise.
I didn’t think she would be able to do it, because she and Oaklyn told each other everything.
But for some reason, she’d gone along with my suggestion not to tell Oaky I was coming on this trip too.
I knew she wouldn’t come if she knew, and Journi wanted us both to be here. This was the only way she got her wish.
She gulped with a slight shake of her head. In the blink of an eye, she composed herself by taking on an indifferent demeanor. Her hair fell back into her face when she dropped her chin to her chest. “No. I’m good,” she replied stubbornly.
“Just let me help you with your bags, damn. Why you gotta be so difficult?”
“Because I don’t like you.”
“Well, you didn’t always feel that way.”
“It’s how I feel now though,” she snapped with a roll of her eyes.
I expected nothing less from her little sassy ass.
She wasn’t even touching five-five but wanted to act so big and bad all the time.
Even when we were growing up, she didn’t like to ask for help.
I always had to insert myself because her independence could be her downfall at times.
I blew out a breath, wanting to say more but also remembering the way this girl operated.
It was best to wait until she was ready for the hard conversations.
Instead, I allowed myself to drink in her presence like the most potent glass of cognac.
Oaklyn’s almond skin was flawless and radiant.
Having to be on screen had to mean she had a very effective skincare routine.
Everything from her lashes, hair, and eyebrows to her nails were curated to perfection.
You could just look at her and tell she had money.
When the wind picked up, I was lucky enough to smell her warm perfume.
I caught hints of vanilla, marshmallow, and chocolate, which fit the winter weather.
Her little button nose was red at the tip from the cold air.
Even from where I stood, I saw her long tresses sticking to the lip gloss on her full lips, which frustrated her.
The brown fur coat she wore made her look bigger than I knew she was.
There was a petite frame hiding beneath there, but I knew adulthood had done her well, and she had curves now.
Leaning against the door frame, I waited to make sure she was good.
Even if she was too stubborn to ask for my help, I would still give it.
She neared the stairs and lifted the bag to carry it up them, but she didn’t lift it high enough, and it got in the way of her walking.
I saw her tripping before it came and closed the distance between us in time to catch her before she could hit her head on the stairs.
When she looked up at me, it stole the breath from my lungs.
Everything I thought I wanted to say disappeared from my mind, and the only thing that came to mind was, “I’m sorry.
” She blinked twice then tried to release herself from my arms. I steadied her on her feet then repeated myself. “I’m sorry.”
She ignored me, instead turning to face the forest. Her arms were folded over her heaving chest, and I knew there were probably tears in her eyes.
Not sure of what else to say, I focused on getting her things in the house.
I damn near cursed her ass out though because, why were all four of her suitcases heavy as fuck?
I knew she paid the airlines at least a band in fees for all this stuff.
I could only assume life as a successful actress was treating her well. She was rolling up here with a full set of Louis Vuitton luggage and an outfit that looked custom made; everything from the fabric to the color was perfect for her.
Over the years, I’d seen her movies and was proud of how far she’d come.
Even though we no longer talked, I always asked about her.
Journi kept me in the loop, and sometimes, we would have our own premiere nights whenever Oaklyn had a new movie coming out.
She knew what she wanted in life and didn’t stop until she got it. She had my respect for it.
She rushed past me on the fourth bag, and I couldn’t blame her.
The wind was picking up as the intensity of the storm increased.
My car was nearly completely covered, and the snow had only started within the last hour.
I prayed my sister wasn’t going to get stuck in this storm, because it was clearly going to be as bad as expected.
“Just tell me which room you want, and I’ll take them.”
She shook her head. “It’s okay. I got it from here.”
I shrugged because I was not about to keep going back and forth with her ass.
“Fine. Have at it.” I released a breath, wishing there wasn’t this rift between us but knowing it was the result of my actions.
As a man, I had to take it on the chin and pray that since we were both here, we might get a chance to talk and clear the air.
It was my sole purpose for coming on this trip.
I missed my best friend with a longing that had settled in my bones over the last few years.
It was a constant reminder that something was missing, and I needed to get it back.