Chapter 6 #2
After seeing multiple celebrities in wax form, we did the escape room.
I got scared halfway through because I thought, for sure, we’d never get out.
After putting our minds together, we were able to solve the puzzles to get out.
From there, we went to the amusement park, rode the rides, played the games, and won my Scottie a brown teddy bear that I was able to fit inside my purse.
We decided to sit down and eat next, since we hadn't eaten since breakfast. He ordered macho nachos that we decided to split.
Truce ordered some wings and fries as well.
I asked him why he ordered so much food, and he replied that he was a big man.
That was true—big, tall, fine, and sexy as ever.
“So, what do you do for a living?” I asked him, sliding a nacho in my mouth.
“I’m an architect and builder. I design homes and make the buyer's dreams come true.”
“Wow. That's pretty cool.”
“Thanks. It’s always been a dream of mine. My late father was a designer and builder, so I got the creative niche from him.”
“You and Damien don’t have the same father?”
He shook his head. “Nah, I spent most of my time at my pops’ crib growing up, so Dame and I would only see each other during the summer or winter breaks.
My dad didn’t want me around Dame’s father too much, so they came up with the agreement that he’d take the majority of custody, and my moms got to have me for the summer.
When my pops passed away, of course, I had to move in with my moms full-time.
That's when shit became a little tense.”
“How’s that?”
“Dame’s pops used to abuse our moms. Even before I officially moved in with them, those summer months I stayed, I’d peep him being too controlling.
Then, when my pops died, I noticed a change in my mom.
She would be depressed, stressed, and walking funny most of the time.
At first, I had no clue what was going on until I peeped her black eye.
I used to hear her crying and screaming some nights, but I couldn't do shit about it because I was eight, while Dame was six. I was around sixteen when I told that nigga I’d kill him if he put his hands on her again.
My threat went ignored because he started hitting her in places we couldn't see, and he’d do it when we weren't home.
“One night, I walked in the house and caught his ass stomping her out. I took a crowbar to his legs, breaking his shit, then made him get the fuck out. Seeing my moms lying on the floor, face swollen and bloody, did something to me. It’s now a trigger for me to see women in domestic violence relationships. ”
Wow.
Fucking wow.
I had never claimed to be a psychiatrist, but I knew something was wrong with Damien when he manipulated me into believing my family was trying to control me.
I should have known something then, but I ignored the red flags.
Once we left, he started putting his hands on me a few months later.
The fact that Ms. Delilah was a victim of DV and ignored everything I told her about her son made me angry.
How could she disregard what her son was doing to me, knowing the same man she had him with had done the same thing to her?
In what twisted world was that shit okay?
She didn’t give me a warning, a sign, not even a fucking smoke signal, to leave her crazy-ass son alone.
That just made me look at her even more differently than I already had.
“I’m sorry to hear that. I’m glad you were able to get rid of him.”
“Yeah, but I know my brother is still fucking with that nigga, even though I told his ass not to. His dad corrupted him. That's why he’s still in the streets.”
“Well, at least you turned out okay… Well, from what I see, anyway. You could be crazy too.”
He chuckled. “I’m a different kind of crazy, shorty. But anyway, enough about me. Tell me about yourself. I see you like to dance. Is that something that you always wanted to do?”
“Yes! It was my dream, at one point. I used to dance to try to make it to the big leagues. Now, I dance to escape from my reality.”
“And what's your reality?”
“That I… live a boring life now.”
I couldn’t tell Truce that his brother crushed my dreams and damn near crushed my skull the night of the business deal with his connect. He swore I was eye-fucking him when he was the one who told me that I needed to make eye contact and be flirty so he could bag the deal.
“Then it’s time to take your life back. I can help you, if you want me to.”
“Do you always help people you believe are in need?”
“Yeah, to people I like.”
“You like me?” I asked, grinning. The words came out a little too softly as I dropped the smirk.
Get it together, Jela.
He leaned back into the chair and nodded. “I do.”
I like you, too, I wanted to say, but decided against it.
We finished our food and then went to go play laser tag.
I was having so much fun that I didn’t want the day to end.
We were on our last round as I tried to hide from Truce.
I ducked behind one of the pillars, looking around the dark, glowing room, trying to find him.
When I didn’t see him, I tried to rush to the next pillar when I felt arms wrap around me.
I quickly turned to see Truce standing in front of me with a straight face.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, concerned.
Truce pulled me in by my waist and crashed his lips into mine.
Caught off guard, my body tensed until I felt his tongue slide into my mouth, and my eyes closed, finally accepting it.
We both let out a breath as he backed me into the pillar.
The kiss was passionate and so intense that I felt my knees go weak, and my panties became ruined.
The way he fucked my mouth with his tongue made me want to feel it on my other set of lips.
Just from the kiss alone, I knew he’d drive me insane if the opportunity ever arose for him to use it any other place on my body.
Jela, what the fuck are you doing?
“No, stop,” I said, pushing him back. “I can’t.”
“I know… But you want to, and so do I.”
Our foreheads connected. “You’re his brother,” I whispered.
“I know that too.” His thumb rubbed my chin as he stared at me.
“W-why would you kiss me like that, Truce?”
“I couldn’t help it. I’m sorry, Jela.”
“We should go… I have to go,” I told him, slipping from his grasp and hurrying out of the room.
I’m a dead bitch.