Chapter 20
Dyani
I looked down at yet another call from Darryl and declined it.
We were two entire weeks from his fight with Arris and I was going to answer his calls and talk to him today.
I told myself I was going to give him some time to calm down then check the temperature.
I was just also running around right now.
Arris had changed the locks on my apartment but I’d pretty much moved in with Jayme and Arris anyway.
I loved it. I was happy there and Blake was the cutest kid I’d ever met.
I felt happier than I had in a long time and Jayme and Arris were proving to not only be passionate lovers but the most considerate and present people I’d ever met.
I went to my message thread with Arris and sent him a quick text before dropping my phone into my purse while I stepped into the building’s elevator. I had a meeting only a few blocks from the tattoo shop where Arris had returned after realizing who’d vandalized it in the first place.
After finding out I was going to be that close, we agreed to get lunch together, so I wanted to make sure he was on his way.
I looked toward the tattoo shop when I walked out of the front door of the building and a scream tore from my mouth when a strong hand gripped me by the top of my arm. I spun around and Darryl quickly walked us to the side out of the foot traffic.
“I let you throw your little tantrum, Dyani, but I’m done waiting around for you to grow up and have a conversation with me.”
“Excuse me?” I jerked my arm free. “Darryl, you’re the one who threw a fucking tantrum. Not me. You shoved your way into my spot, tried to fight my boyfriend, and called our dad, who you don’t even like, when you didn’t get your way.”
I watched him clench his jaw.
“Look—”
I cut him off. “Darryl, I’m a grown ass woman and I’m going to date whoever I want. You don’t have to like it or give your blessing or clap it up for me or anything, but you’re going to, at bare minimum, respect them or stay away from me and them.”
“So, what? You’re going to throw your brother away for some nigga you just met?”
“No. I’m giving you an option I never once had to give Arris.
He doesn’t have a problem with you. You have a problem with him.
He never asked me to choose. You are. And if you’re the one putting me in this fucked up ass position, then you should be the one to go.
” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I want you in my life, Darryl. You know that. I’m not going to lie and say I don’t, but I also want Jayme and Arris in my life, and they’d never put me in a situation to lose you.
Why do you think it’s fair to do that to me? ”
“Dyani, Arris—”
I cut him off again. “Is one of your best friends.”
He licked his lips and shrugged. “I mean, I thought he was.”
“And what changed?”
“He fucked my baby sister.”
“Who is a consenting adult,” I added. “And he didn’t hunt me down or manipulate me or anything.
I approached him on that type of time and he made it clear that he wasn’t down for anything without strings attached because he cared about your friendship and didn’t want to risk it for something stupid and meaningless. ”
“He said that?”
“Yeah, Darryl. He said that.” I exhaled and let my arms fall to my sides. “Darryl, you know Arris and you know me. I’m asking you to just let me make my own choices and trust that your best friend who you obviously thought was a good guy is still a good guy.”
“Dyani,” he exhaled. “Look, I love you and you mean the world to me. I just… I don’t want you caught up in this DP shit and the same way you said I know Arris, I know you. You’re a good girl and—”
I cut him off. “Woman,” I corrected.
“Alright. You’re a good woman, and I know that, and Arris knows that.
But ultimately, that nigga and Jayme have been together for years and have a son.
I’ve had my own share of threesomes and you know what happens?
Somebody gets jealous and somebody gets cut.
No matter how respectful that nigga is or how supportive or protective or how good of a fucking provider and sweet talker that nigga is, that’s Jayme’s nigga.
And he got the fucking brand on his throat to prove it.
You’re playing a losing game, so what? You want me to watch you get played? ”
I understood what Darryl was saying completely, and in the context he was speaking, it made sense that he would be worried about me getting played.
“I want you to let me make my own choices, and if I’m being an idiot, let me do that.
” I took one of his hands into both of mine.
“Darryl, I really care about them, about both of them,” I stressed.
“And I want to ride this out. I’m going to ride this out.
I don’t intervene with who you date or fuck and I’m expecting the same in return.
And if I get my heart broken, oh well. It happens.
It might hurt really bad but I won’t die, and eventually I’ll rebuild, but I want to take the risk. ”
He clenched his jaw.
“Alright, Dyani. Do you.”
“Are we good?”
“Yeah, I guess.” Darryl shrugged. “Go ahead and make your own choices and mistakes, but you can’t ever say I didn’t try to look out for you or that I don’t care.”
“Fine, and if it goes horribly, I’ll take the loss and do my best not to cry on your shoulder.”
“Man, fuck out of here.” Darryl gave me a little smile. “You can always cry on my shoulder.” His eyes jumped to someone behind me and I knew it was Arris without having to look back. “What’s up?” he greeted him.
“What’s up?” Arris greeted him and glanced at me. “You ready to go, baby?”
“Sure.”
“Actually, I was hoping I could holla at you,” Darryl said.
“For what?”
“So we could talk about you and my sister.”
“Your sister is a grown ass woman and can choose where she wants to be and who she wants to be with. I’m not discussing shit with you about my grown ass relationship and I’m not about to bow down and kiss the mothafucking ring because you just happened to come from the same pussy as my woman.
Now, if you want to get together and talk about the relationship you and I had as coworkers, friends, and brothers, then that’s cool.
But that’s all I got for you right about now, lil nigga.
There ain’t no beef but understand there ain’t no mothafuckin’ respect here either. ”
Darryl clenched his jaw and exhaled. Honestly I was proud of how he and Arris were holding themselves together.
“Fine. Then let’s talk about us,” Darryl said.
“Cool. I’ll call you in an hour and we can meet up then because I told baby girl I was taking her to lunch so that’s what I’m about to do.”
“Okay, cool. Call me in an hour.”
“Yeah, alright.”
“I love you, Dyani,” Darryl called.
“I love you too.”
Arris threw an arm around my neck and spun me around toward the direction he had come from.
We walked a little down the sidewalk before I set a hand on Arris’s chest and looked up at him.
“Are you actually going to call Darryl?”
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
“I wouldn’t lie to you, baby. I’m gon’ reach out to that nigga,” he assured me.
“I want to hear him out. I mean shit, I feel like we at least owe each other and you that.” He looked down at me.
“I’m going to be respectful out of the respect I have for you, but like I said, I’m not going to bow down and kiss that nigga’s ass because he’s in his feelings. ”
“I’m just glad you’re going to hear him out at all honestly.”
I smiled up at his sexy ass and he quickly kissed me.
“Anything for you, baby.”
I squeezed his hand in mine and he gave me a grin as we continued to walk together.
The two of us headed into one of my favorite spots and got a place to sit pretty quickly.
I took my time looking at the menu since I’d made it my mission to try something different every single time I came through.
I was still flipping back and forth between the second and third pages when I felt someone staring at me.
I did a once over of the restaurant before realizing what I’d felt was Arris staring at me. I peered at him from behind my menu.
“Are you just going to stare at me all lunch?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
“You make me nervous when you do that,” I admitted.
“Why?” Arris reached over, grabbed my menu, and slowly lowered it to the table. “And look at me while you answer me.”
“I don’t know,” I confessed. “I just really like you and it makes me nervous I guess, wondering what you’re thinking about when you look at me.”
“Usually it’s how lucky I am to be your friend and man for the most part… about how beautiful, sweet, and smart you are. I think a lot about how nurturing you are and how good you are with Blake. I stare at you sometimes and just imagine our future years from now.”
“Yeah?” I propped my face up on my hands. “And what do you think that looks like?”
“You, me, and Jayme all living together in a nice ass spot with Blake and maybe one or two other kids. Y’all would have some nice sized rocks on y’alls fingers because we did some kind of binding ceremony since The US don’t really fuck with the whole multiple wives shit, and we’d all just be happy. ”
I felt a big, stupid smile crossing my face, even while I tried to stop it.
“That’s really sweet, Arris.” I reached across the table and twined our fingers together.
“It’s easy to think of our future when I’m looking at you and Jayme honestly.” He ran his thumb along my finger. “Dyani, I love you,” he blurted. “A lot.”
I opened my mouth then closed and opened it again and nodded.
“I love you too.” I stuck my lip out and he smiled.
“Why you looking like you want to cry then?”
“Because I love you too,” I repeated, which made him outright laugh. “And it’s just scary to be this in love with not one but two people.”
“Ay, there’s nothing for you to be scared of, Yani.
I’ve got you and I’m always going to have you, whether we’re together for the rest of our lives or not,” he made clear, “but I want you to know without a doubt, the plan is to finish this life with you, Jayme, and our babies, born and dreamt up, and I mean that shit. I love you and I’m not going nowhere. Ever.”
“Me either.” I nodded in agreement.
“Good.” Arris reached over for my chair and jerked it closer to him so we were sitting side by side. Then he leaned in and kissed me. “So is now a good time to ask if you want to move in with me and Jayme or is that too much today?”
I shook my head immediately.
“It’s not too much. It’s perfect.”
“Good.” Arris kissed me again. “Fuck. I love you,” he said against my mouth.
“I love you too.”