Chapter 12 Quade
“Shit.” I wasn’t supposed to be paying attention to her.
I had tools in my hand and a shelf to build, but I couldn’t help myself.
Every time I heard the shuffle of Noa’s wheels across the hardwood, my head jolted up to glimpse at her.
Putting the finishing touches on her drying rack wasn’t enough to keep my eyes off her.
“Slow down, Noa!” She exhaled from the kitchen.
She was moving fast, not like speed fast, but frantic fast. Her eyes had been bouncing from her phone to her canvas, to the bag stuffed with bubble wrap and a few pieces of her work all day.
Shawty even had sweat glowing on the tip of her nose.
I didn’t know if her beautiful ass was nervous or just pressed for time.
Today was the day of her art show. She hadn’t mentioned it to me, but I knew what today was.
I’d looked it up the same day she’d told me she might be entering.
When she painted her first piece for the exhibit, I went right online and purchased a ticket.
The show was in a few hours, and I still didn’t know if I would stop by.
I wanted to support Noa. I wanted to see her in her element.
This was a big step for her. Watching her pursue her art these last couple of days moved me in a way that I never thought it could.
“Dammit!” She let out a frustrated grunt that had me putting my drill down and walking toward the kitchen.
“You good?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“I’m fine.” She looked up, lips tight. Cap. Her tone said ‘leave me alone’, but her body? She was damn near folding herself over to keep the canvas still. Stubborn as hell. I almost smiled.
“Lemme help.”
“I got it.”
“You strugglin’.”
“I prefer to struggle on my own,” she muttered, snapping the tape with her teeth, damn near about to fall out of her chair.
I didn’t bother asking again. I just stepped in, grabbed the tape roll, and started smoothing the plastic around the edges of the painting.
I recognized this one. It was the one I watched her zone out on for days.
She didn’t know I peeped. She didn’t know I listened to the music she played while she worked.
Shit, SZA and J. Cole had become permanent fixtures in my own playlist now.
I taped down one side, then handed her the scissors. She passed ’em back without even looking. We didn’t talk much, but we didn’t really need to.
“You nervous?” I asked once we packed the last piece up.
“I don’t wanna punk out,” she said, nodding.
“You won’t.”
She gave me a look like, are so sure?
“’Cause I see you,” I said, shrugging. “And nothing about you says punk.”
That made her stop and look up at me. Her lips twitched a little, and a cute ass smirk pulled at the corners of her mouth.
Suddenly, I noticed how close we were at this angle.
She must have noticed, too, because she leaned back slightly.
I didn’t budge. In fact, I leaned in, and for a second, everything else got quiet.
Her eyes stayed on mine longer than normal, and I damn near stopped breathing.
Shit, I could swear she did, too. Her soft scent engulfed my nose.
I reached for her chin, brushing my thumb across her bottom lip.
When she didn’t protest, I leaned in. I’d been dying to feel her lips on mine since the first day I’d laid eyes on her.
When her phone vibrated on the table, I wanted to fuck up whoever the hell was on the other end ruining the moment.
“I need… to ge-get that.” She stuttered, backing away and grabbing her phone. I straightened to my full height and stepped back, giving her room. My hands fidgeted at my sides. I wasn’t ready for the moment to end, but it already had.
“Hey, T,” she answered as I turned toward the wall, pretending to look for something to do.
“These ready to go up front?” I asked, nodding at her wrapped canvases.
She glanced at me and gave a quick nod, then wheeled over to grab her pieces.
I followed, carrying the heavier ones up to the door.
I thought about just returning to my work in the art studio, but the disappointment in her voice had me making my way back to the kitchen.
“No, no, Teagan. It’s okay. You didn’t plan it… I’m not mad,” she said just as I reentered the kitchen. I didn’t need the context of the conversation to know Teagan must have gotten held up at school again.
“No, I’ll figure it out. It’s not that deep. I can call a Lyft or—”
“I’ll take you,” I blurted before I thought it through. She stared up at me, the phone still pressed to her ear.
“Who is that? Is that Quade?” Teagan’s voice shot through the speaker.
“You d-don’t have to do th-that.” Noa stumbled as she turned to face me.
“I know,” I said steadily. “But I am.”
“Quade…”
“I’m almost done here,” I told her. “I can shoot home, throw on some clean clothes, and be back in time to get you there before the show starts.”
She didn’t answer. She just stared at me like she was trying to figure out what she should do. It didn’t matter how long she’d thought about it, because I had already decided she wasn’t missing this moment.
“You sure?” she asked, voice low.
“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t.”
“Take the damn ride, Sis!” Teagan shouted through the phone, and Noa gave a slow nod before finally agreeing.
“Okay.”
“Alright then. What time do they need you there?”
She hesitated before answering.
“Doors open at six, but artists gotta be there by five to help set up.”
“Bet.” I pulled my keys from my pocket, backing toward the door. I could finish the shit I was working on tomorrow. This was more important.
“I’ma slide out, go put on real clothes, and be back by four-thirty to pick you up.” I offered her a smile. “You just be ready, alright?”
“Okay.” She nodded again, worry written all over her face.
“Don’t stress, mama. I got you. You just worry about looking pretty and killing this shit,” I told her, being sure to stare into her eyes. She didn’t say anything else, just sat there looking at me as I exited the front door.
I didn’t get dressed up much. Hell, I could count on one hand how many times I’d worn a button-up shirt, not because I didn’t have the money to look decent or because I didn’t know how to clean up when it counted.
I just had nowhere to be that made it worth the effort.
But this? Escorting Noa to her big day required effort.
I threw on my cleanest pair of jeans, a button-down that still had creases from the bag, and a blazer that smelled like the price tag was still hanging off it.
Shit, I had washed my face and brushed my teeth twice.
I wasn’t ashamed to admit that I was nervous.
“Unc, you going on a date or somethin’?”
I glanced up from the bathroom mirror to see Zy standing in the doorway, the PS5 controller still in his hand.
“Nah,” I said, adjusting my collar. “Just… got somewhere to be.”
“You never wear blazers, Uncle Q. Where you going?” Zy stepped further in, his eyes narrowed like he didn’t believe me.
I chuckled as I pushed past him into the hallway.
“If you must know, lil’ nigga, I’m escorting a friend to an important event.”
“This friend Noa Green?” Ron joined us in the hallway holding Nyla on his hip, like he was just strolling by. I knew his ass was being nosy. I didn’t look at him. Just kept walking.
“Might be.” I shrugged.
“Who’s Noa Green?” Zy questioned, following behind me.
“The reason your uncle be going to work at six in the morning,” Ron replied with a stupid smirk on his face. This wasn’t the first time he’d mentioned Noa. All the guys at Northside had a running joke. I didn’t care. I wasn’t really trying to hide my interest in her.
“Since when is takin’ pride in my work a problem?” I asked.
“Ain’t say it was.” Ron held up his hands.
“So where y’all goin’ on your date?” Zy smirked.
“It’s not a date,” I reminded him.
“You pickin’ her up and dropping her off?” Ron asked, one brow raised.
“Yeah.”
“You grabbing something to eat?”
“Maybe.”
“Then it’s a date,” they said together and burst out laughing. I cracked a smile as I shook my head.
“It’s not a date. Her sister couldn’t make it. I’m just takin’ her to her art show.”
“Wait. She’s an artist?” Zy’s voice perked up.
“Yeah. She cold with it, too.”
“You think you could bring one of her paintings back?” he asked, sounding serious. I knew art was his thing, so I nodded.
“I’ll see what I can do, Nephew,” I told him.
“So, now my question to you is…” Ron’s voice went all serious. “Why ain’t it a date? You been feeling her.”
I didn’t answer right away. I straightened my blazer instead, staring past both of them. “Because I ain’t in no position to be takin’ somebody out, not right now. I need to get my shit together.”
“Get your shit together?” Ron raised a brow.
“Yeah, I ain’t even got my own place.”
“Q… love don’t always wait till you perfect, man. Sometimes it meets you right where you are.”
That hit harder than I wanted it to, and I let out a slow breath.
“I hear you.”
“Make sure you get her some flowers. The weird, artsy girls eat that up,” Zy called out, and both Ron and my eyes flew to him.
“What you know about what girls like?” I questioned. These new-aged teenagers were something else. When I was sixteen, I didn’t give a shit about bringing a female some flowers.
“I get the girls, Unc,” Zy replied.
I shook my head but didn’t argue. The way his phone stayed ringing, I knew he was speaking facts.
“For the record, this house? It’s gonna be yours soon. I bought us a spot, been sittin’ on it for a while. I knew your sister wouldn’t abandon this house until you were out and ready to take it over. Now, I’m just waitin’ on yo’ sister to finally let me make her my wife.”
Zy’s eyes went wide. “You gon’ marry my mom?”
“Damn right,” Ron said. “As long as it’s cool with you.”
“Yeah… I mean, y’all already kind of are. As long as I ain’t gotta change schools. My girlfriend not gon’ like that.”
“You won’t. You’ll actually be closer.”
I stared at Ron for a minute before speaking. “You serious?”
“Serious as a heart attack.” He nodded.
My chest tightened a little. My big sister was finally getting the happiness she deserved, and with a dude I actually respected. Ron had stepped in and held it down without ever asking for shit. He worked hard, stayed out of the way, and treated Jess and the kids like royalty.
“When are you doing it?” I asked.
“In a few weeks.”
“Big grand gesture?”
“Jess will fuck around and say no if I didn’t.”
“As long as you know.” I held out my hand to dap him up. “Well, not that you asked, but you have my blessing. Welcome to the family.”
“Appreciate it, bro.”
We both exhaled and just stood there for a minute, letting the news he’d just shared settle. They would soon move out, and the house would be mine to do with as I pleased. I didn’t know how to feel about that just yet. I bought this house for Jess. I never intended to live here.
“Now, go get that woman to her show. And don’t forget them weird ass flowers.”
“Yeah, Unc, don’t forget the flowers.” Zy snickered.
I grabbed my keys off the counter, smirking. “I’ll think about the flowers.”
“Uh-huh.” Ron sucked his teeth. “Don’t be late to your date, lover boy.”
I shook my head as I headed out the door, my phone in hand, Googling the nearby florists.