Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Rashawn Kentrel Williams
We were slowly approaching the seventy-two hours mark since I last saw Elise on Monday.
And she only gave me that bullshit hug before we went our separate ways at the school since Nash was there.
I tried to go see her after chilling at Essex’s house for a little while, but she was already asleep before I made it there.
Practice had my baby tired that night. Then I had a night class on Tuesdays and didn’t get out of there until ten when she was already asleep again.
For the most part, I was ready. But thinking back to the last conversation I had with Essex proved to me that I had come a long way, though I still had work to do.
“So what are we going to do about Myron?” I questioned.
We were sitting next to his pool, smoking a blunt while Nariyah finished cooking dinner. The dark sky and the stars twinkled between us. My phone vibrated, and I lifted it to read the message while Essex puffed on the blunt.
Shay: Handsome. I’m exhausted. I’m calling it a night early. I love you.
Me: Damn, so you sending me back to my own crib?
Shay: You’ll be fine.
Me: I love you, beautiful. I’m so proud of you. Good night.
Shay: Good night.
I looked up as Essex passed the blunt back to me. He still hadn’t provided an answer, so I tossed out suggestions. “I ain’t too far removed. I can make that move real quick. Reading those messages had me HOT!”
“Nah,” Essex shook his head from side to side.
All calm and relaxed about the situation.
“In this next phase of your life, you have to start learning how to problem solve without killing motha fuckas. Our lawyer filed an injunction for protection against Myron, and he was served today. I still talk to his brother Mitchell, and they still get Nash from time to time. I sent that shit to him, and he gave us Myron’s address to make it easy to serve him.
We had an in depth conversation with Nash, and he’s starting therapy next week. ”
“Damn, you really maturing. What do I have to do to speed my process up?” I laughed.
“Shit, you see that?” he pointed through the sliding glass door where Nariyah stood with Nova on her hip, with Nash in front of them, tickling his sister.
Nova was throwing her head back, exposing that gummy-nubby smile.
“I’ll never do anything that could trick me off these streets and take me away from my family.
After running up in Myron’s gathering that time, I promised to keep my crazy in check for them. ”
Nariyah pulled the sliding glass door open. “Y’all ready to eat?”
“We coming, beautiful.” He smiled at her.
The love festering between their gaze was almost blinding.
I left their house that night and prayed that I could experience that feeling so openly with Elise.
Hence, why I was headed to Elise’s house.
I wanted to make her day special, show her that she had been on my mind since we parted ways Monday evening.
On the drive to Elise’s house, I stopped by my crib to grab the boxes off my porch, then shot over to Elise’s favorite hibachi spot to grab the food I ordered.
When I pulled up to Elise’s townhouse, I drove to the visitor’s parking lot to help conceal my presence until she entered the house.
My phone notified me that the DoorDash driver delivered the flowers, and I smiled because everything was going smoothly.
When I got inside of Elise’s townhouse, I checked her location on the map.
I still had twenty minutes before she got home from work.
Half of the high school students went on some type of field trip, and all of the girls on the wrestling team were on the trip, allowing Elise to come straight home after work.
By the time Elise’s security system annoyingly announced that the front door was opening, the setup was complete.
I collected the bouquet of flowers and rushed through the back door.
I met Elise in the living room, and a smile quickly spread across her face.
“What are you doing here?” Elise bubbled, accepting the bouquet of sunflowers while I took the bag from her grasp to lighten her load.
“I couldn’t wait another second to see you. I missed you. I was having withdrawals,” I admitted, leaning down to peck her lips.
Elise wore a black smock dress with ruffles on the shoulders that swung down to her calves. She paired it with her mauve Keds and matching earrings. Her braids were pulled back in a low ponytail, and a faint peach scent lingered on her skin when I leaned in.
“What are you wearing today? That’s not the perfume you usually wear.” I wondered on my trek over to the couch to sit her bag down.
“I wanted to try something new today,” she chirped, following behind me.
“Trying something new when you didn’t even have plans to see me today. Don’t get no body fucked up.”
“Hush, Rashawn,” she giggled, plopping down on the couch to remove her shoes.
“No, leave your shoes on. We are going out back. I have a little surprise for you,” I notified her, placing her bag down on her dining room table.
“What are we doing in the back?” Elise eyed me.
“You’ll see.” I took Elise’s delicate hand in mine and led her through the dining room and out of the back door.
“Rashawwnnnn!” She squealed once we stepped onto her screened in Lanai.
The last time Elise saw her patio, there was a small glass table positioned between two zero gravity chairs. Her townhouse overlooked the pond and water fountain in the community, and she kept saying she wanted to make the space more comfortable before summer, but I sped up the process.
There was a grass wall with sunflower garland covering the edges and string lights lining the top.
Two brown, hanging egg shaped hammock chairs with beige cushions sat in front of the grass wall.
Solar sunflower stake lights lined the exterior of the lanai, soaking up the last few seconds of sunlight to help keep the lanai lit at nightfall.
A brown wicker coffee table sat in the middle of the patio.
Elise couldn’t see the glass top because it was covered by a white tablecloth, gold silverware, and our food containers.
“This is beautiful. Even better than I thought about doing. How did you do all of this?” Elise questioned, slowly lowering herself onto one of the hammocks.
“ same day delivery, DoorDash, and Redbull,” I affirmed.
“Thank you. I love it,” she bounced out of her seat and leapt into my arms. I held onto Elise, my hands cupping her ass as she leaned in to kiss me. My tongue slipped into Elise’s mouth, but I quickly pulled back and leaned down for her to meet the ground again.
“Slow yo ass down. We need to eat, and you trying to give your neighbors a show,” I joked, centering myself before my dick got hard.
“Okay. I’m sorry. Let’s wash our hands and eat,” she blushed, walking back into the house.
After washing our hands, we returned to the hammocks, and Elise held my hand before she started the prayer.
“Dear Lord, I want to thank you for blessing me with a man as handsome, loving, patient, and caring as Rashawn. You really outdid yourself when you placed him in my life. Please continue to watch over both of us as we enter the next phase of our life together, and allow our families to accept our love and the bond we share. In Jesus name. Amen.”
“Amen,” I chimed in, then pecked her lips. “God did his biggest one when he placed you in my life,” I complimented.
“Thank you,” she bubbled.
Twenty minutes later, we were done eating, and Elise found her way into my lap. The sunset as we overlooked the dark water while the solar lights did their thing.
“I want to marry you, Elise. I’m not trying to wait much longer. Are you ready for forever with me?” I questioned, interrupting the silence.
“You’re never getting away from me again. I love you, Rashawn. You’re the only man I could see myself with. I want to start the rest of our lives. I’m a little nervous to have the conversation with Essex.”
“I’m not,” I shrugged.
“Why?”
“What the fuck he gon’ do? Take his belt off and beat us?”
“I guess not.”
“Exactly, so you just have to be prepared to accept whatever reaction Essex has. Nobody else will give a fuck.”
“Well, then there are my parents,” she reminded me. “They already know, though.”
“What? You told them?” I spluttered.
“Well, not exactly. After my altercation with Faith my mother jokingly said something about it being college all over again and asked was I seeing you too. My poker face wasn’t in the room, and she immediately called me out.
That’s partially why I was so distraught leaving the church.
If they aren’t sure, they at least have an inkling, so they won’t be shocked. ”
“Damn, why didn’t you tell me that part of the story? You love to leave out key details.”
“I didn’t want to talk about it. We went on to spend our first Halloween together, so I didn’t care to relive the conversation,” she explained.
I left the conversation alone and allowed the blend of frogs croaking and cicadas buzzing to fill the distance.
After a few minutes, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and connected it to the waterproof speakers positioned at opposite ends of the flower wall.
When everything was connected, I started the playlist I created when we were eighteen.
Over the years, I’d add to it whenever I heard a song that reminded me of Elise.
She had access to the playlist on Apple Music and could listen to it when she wanted to think about me.
Elise’s head rested on my chest, and I gently ran my hand up and down her back as we fell into a still silence while enjoying the music. Elise sat up and straddled me in the hammock.
“I love you, Rashawn. I want to do life with you. I don’t care what anybody thinks.”
“I want to do life with you, too.” I leaned down and kissed her lips while my hand cupped her chin.