Chapter 20
Stone:
You up for meeting me after work?
Shanet:
I always am.
Stone:
Good girl. See you soon.
I shot Shanet the address, letting her know where to meet me. She would be off work in less than twenty minutes, so I was already headed to the spot. Shanet had been begging for pieces of me since we met, and I never wanted her to feel like she had to beg me for shit.
I wanted to give her anything and everything she needed, but it was important that I took things one step at a time. I was not a person who could easily show who I was all at one time. I needed time and space to open up, but Shanet was taking my apprehension as rejection.
I pulled up to the cemetery and waited for Shanet to make it. I hadn’t been here since the day we buried Rome. Mama Bea made sure Rome was buried right beside my mother. She had a spot for me reserved on the other side of my mother, and her spot was reserved on the other side of Rome.
She also had a bench placed in front of their graves so that we could sit down if we planned on being there for a long time. That was going to come in handy today because I wanted to introduce Shanet to two of the most important people in my life.
Shanet pulled up not long after I parked, and she jumped right out of the car. Once she made it over to me, I had already gotten out of my truck and was walking toward her. I pulled her into a hug and kissed her on the cheek.
“Thank you for coming.”
“Why’d you want me to meet you at a cemetery?” Shanet grabbed my hand and rubbed the back of it. Her voice was soft, and I could hear how much she cared. Her eyes were fixed on me as she waited for an answer.
“I got some people I want you to meet.” I took Shanet’s arm and tucked it in mine. We walked arm-in-arm over to where Rome and my mother were. She made the connection when she saw the names written across the headstones.
“Shanet, this is my mother, and this is my best friend, Rome.”
“It’s so nice to meet you both.” She spoke to the headstones. Then she smiled before raising her eyes back to me. Shanet was always graceful, but today, she looked more elegant than I’d ever seen her.
“I know getting to know me hasn’t been easy. You’re used to people pouring their hearts out, but that’s not my style. I lost the two most important people in my life, and getting close to anybody since then has been hard.
“It’s why I left the army after my last deployment.
My mother died of cancer when I got to my first duty station, and Rome was killed while I was in another country fighting a war I didn’t even believe in.
Going back to a job that kept me away from the people I loved at the most important times just wasn’t an option for me anymore. ”
“I am so sorry that happened to you. Not being able to say goodbye is horrible.”
“Yeah, I talked to my mama every day, but with Rome, it was instant. He was killed in a drive-by that didn’t even have anything to do with him.”
“Oh my God. Did they ever get the people responsible?”
“Not yet, but we not giving up hope. Somebody gon’ talk one day.”
“Yeah, I hope so.”
“Then the pain of losing a parent got to be the worst shit I ever felt. I never had a dad, so my mama was all I had. Mama Bea has been my backbone since I lost her, but it’s nothing like having your mother.”
“Tell me about it. I have a complicated relationship with my mother, but she’s still here.”
“As long as she’s still here, there is hope.”
“Thank you for bringing me here, Stone. I’m sorry I’ve pushed so hard to know you and at the same time hid things from you.”
Before I could respond, my phone vibrated in my hand.
It was my new realtor, so I stepped away to answer it.
After Devonte pulled his stunt, I had to link up with somebody else to get another building.
Thankfully, one of my army buddies knew a guy, and he had three options already lined up for me to look at.
It didn’t take me long to choose, because I was ready to move on to the next stage.
“That was the new realtor. He called to let me know our offer was accepted. We close in a week.”
“Oh my God, Stone. Everything is coming full circle. I am so happy for you.”
“Thank you, baby.”
I pulled her into a hug and kissed her lips. Shanet was right. Everything was coming full circle. I had Sakani. I had my gym, and despite her bum ass ex being a stalker, I had her.