Chapter 19
B reakfast had barely ended when Orion confronted Sunny in the hallway leading to their rooms, walking in front of her, then blocking her path.
“Who the hell is Luke?” he snapped, grabbing her by the elbow.
She blinked, feigning surprise. “Excuse me?”
“You heard what I said.” His eyes narrowed, jaw clenching over and over. “Who the fuck is that pretty motherfucker you brought?”
Sunny snatched her arm from his grip. “It’s none of your damn business.”
He exhaled through his nose, his fury making Sunny’s skin crawl. “So you brought some little boy to make me jealous, is that it?”
“Do you hear yourself?” she said, choking back a laugh. “How did you make it all the way to 47 without so much as a shred of self-awareness?”
He crossed his arms, looking her up and down. “You’re trying to hurt me, aren’t you?”
“Ugh. No . Not everything is about—look, I brought a man who knows how to act in public and not embarrass me. You should try it sometime.”
That stung, she could tell. He stepped closer, eyes flashing. “You been fucking me for months, Sunnecia. I’m not supposed to have questions?”
Her eyes darted around, her voice lowering. “That was a mistake. One I won’t be making again. And you can have all the questions you want. Doesn’t mean I have to answer.”
Orion scoffed. “Alright. I’ll just say it. I want you back. I want my damn family back.”
She blinked rapidly. “Another woman currently has your ring on her finger.”
He shrugged helplessly. “And?”
She opened her mouth to cuss him clean out, but a familiar voice called from the far end of the path before she could.
“Sunshine!”
Tigra waved, sauntering toward them in big black sunglasses, gargantuan gold hoop earrings, and a white linen jumpsuit that hugged her frame just right.
“Ew, weird vibe over here,” she said as she pulled her best friend into a hug. Her eyes roamed Orion’s face. “What you do to my friend?”
Orion turned and walked away, leaving Tigra laughing with delight.
“He still hates me,” she said, almost singing it. “I love that for him.”
Sunny shook her head. “Girl, let me get you to your room. You missed a lot.”
Tigra’s room was at the far end of the hall, leaving Sunny to wonder how many bedrooms this damn house had. Tigra flopped on the bed and toed her shoes off, her eyes widening with every detail Sunny spilled.
“It’s raining men,” she said after Sunny finally finished talking. “Hallelujah, bitch.”
“Whatever.” Sunny laughed, ecstatic that her best friend was finally at her side. “You’re supposed to be helping me.”
“With what? Sounds like you have it handled. Three fine men want you—well, Orion’s seen better days, but you know what I mean.”
“Luke doesn’t want me. He’s just a friend.”
Tigra nodded. “Remind me again, which one of them did you fuck last?”
Sunny shot her best friend a look. “That’s crass.”
“So is fucking three men in one week, but I ain’t judgin’. Just gathering the data so I can help you.”
“ Two ,” Sunny said. “And Kez was last.”
Tigra rubbed her perfectly manicured hands together. “This is just…everything I’ve ever wanted for you. Well done.”
“So you don’t actually plan on helping me, then. You’re just gonna watch it all play out, right? Just so I’m clear.”
Tigra’s eyes drifted up to the ceiling as she thought about that.
“Yeah, I think that’s where I’m at with all of this,” she said, donning her winning smile. “It’s the most interesting you’ve been since I’ve known you.”
“On that note, we need to get down to the beach. We have mani pedis in five minutes.”
“I wanted to speak to the boys first.”
“They’re at a tuxedo fitting. You can see them later.”
“Alright, then. I’m following you.
A cluster of chaise lounges and spa chairs had been arranged under breezy white cabanas along the private beach. Bowls of sliced oranges and cucumber water sat between plush towels. Silver trays were lined with nail polish and flowers. The sound of soft waves and relaxing music floated in the air around them.
The bride and her maidens were already seated. Sunny introduced them all to Tigra, then took the empty chair next to Brooklyn, who had her eyes closed and her air pods in. Sunny slid her feet into the warm soak. The stress of Orion and everything else began to dissipate immediately.
Her spa technician knelt beside her, smiling. “Ms. Dixon, after your manicure and pedicure, you’ll receive a full-body massage in one of the beach tents.”
Sunny frowned. “I didn’t book that.”
The tech leaned in discreetly, lowering her voice. “Your host requested it. You mentioned that you needed one.”
Her stomach fluttered.
Tigra’s eyes were already on her when Sunny turned her head.
“I like him already,” she said with a grin.
After Sunny’s nails and toes were done, she reached over and tapped Brooklyn on the arm.
The girl’s eyes examined the tech’s work. She gave an approving nod before raising her eyebrows.
“Everything okay?”
“That’s what I was gonna ask you,” Sunny said. “How are you, sweetheart?”
Brooklyn’s stare moved to the waves crashing against the shore. “I don’t know. I feel…weird. Off-balance.”
“Nerves?” Sunny offered gently. “Pre-wedding jitters, maybe.”
Brooklyn bit down on her lower lip. “I don’t think so. It’s not Dav. He’s amazing. Something’s just off. I can’t explain it.”
“Just breathe,” Sunny said. “It’ll be fine. I promise. It’s normal to be nervous and to feel like you forgot to do something or pay somebody or…something. Anything . Trust me. It happens to all of us. You’ll be fine.”
Brooklyn gave her a tight smile, and Sunny knew her words had fallen on deaf ears.
On the other side of Brooklyn, Jules sat up and peeked around the bride to address the in-law.
“So, Ms. Sunny,” she said with a teasing smile. “You sure know how to pick ‘em. That man is fine .”
Sunny smiled politely, fully prepared to stonewall the hell out of this girl until it was time to leave. Maybe on her way out, she’d slide Luke’s number her way and let fate handle the rest. But for now? Luke was hers. He had to be.
“How’d y’all meet, anyway?” Brooklyn asked.
Sunny sipped her mimosa. “Why do you ask?”
She squinted against the sun. “At the table, when my dad asked you, you seemed kind of…cagey about it.”
“It’s a long story.”
Jules chuckled. “I think she’s telling you to stay out of grown folks’ business, Brookie.”
Sunny didn’t give a verbal agreement, but her smirk at Jules told the tale.
“I’m gonna use the restroom,” she lied, giving Tigra a nod. “Be back.”
She made her way past the bridesmaids, then circled around the side of the house to get back to the beach tents.
Inside, her tech worked out the kinks, the worries, the stress, and all lucid thoughts. Sunny was boneless and half unconscious, but she was present enough to allow thoughts of Kez to float around in her mind. He’d always been the type of man to fix things, even when he was almost too young to be considered a man—not to mention broke.
Bringing her groceries when she was down to her last pack of ramen noodles. Walking her home after class when she was forced to take an 8 pm class to graduate. Braiding her hair when she sprained her wrist. He even sold his favorite pair of sneakers to buy her a formal dress when she got nominated for homecoming queen.
Kez was a fixer, and Sunny loved that about him. She was starting to realize she still loved everything about him, and that scared her. She thought she’d be emotionally unavailable to every man after Orion. For her own protection. But here she was, defenses down.
That was the scariest thing of all.