Chapter 8 Yale
Chapter eight
Yale
The phone rang five times before it went to voicemail.
I sighed, hung up, and tossed it on the bed next to me.
Grant not answering the phone had become the norm, especially when he was out of town.
I pulled the covers up to my legs and fell back onto the bed to get comfortable.
I’d been home for almost two hours and was bored out of my mind.
I was full and tired, but sleep wouldn’t be visiting me tonight, which wasn’t abnormal.
I hadn’t had a full night’s rest in almost eight years, not since the accident.
Most nights, I was lucky to get four straight hours before I was up and pacing the floor.
My phone rang, and I searched the bed, hoping to find it before whoever it was hung up. When I finally found it, it stopped ringing, and I sighed when I noticed that it was Grant who’d called. I swiped the screen and immediately called him back, only for it to ring twice and go to voicemail.
“Well, shit,” I said to myself, then got out of bed to work.
My office was on the other side of the house, but since Grant was out of town, I’d brought my work into our room.
I grabbed the black briefcase from beside the bed and walked to the sitting room attached to the room.
I sat on the floor in front of the glass coffee table and opened the briefcase.
As soon as I saw the yellow and pink diamonds, my mind began to churn out ideas.
Designing jewelry was my favorite thing to do besides spending time with Amethyst and Consonance.
It was a time when I was free and in the moment.
My laptop started ringing, and I looked at the screen to see that I had a FaceTime call from Amethyst. I tapped the screen and went back to work.
“I knew your ass was up,” he chuckled, and I smiled. “What are you making?”
“I don’t know yet,” I answered with a shrug as I looked at the diamonds.
“Maybe a bracelet.” I looked over at the computer to see him lying in bed.
His hair was piled on the top of his head, and he wore his glasses.
He’d grown it out a few years ago at my request, and I couldn’t say that I hated it.
It gave him an edge but also showcased his features perfectly. “You just getting home?”
“Yeah,” he answered with a smirk. “How did you know?”
“Your old man readers,” I answered, and he shook his head. Amethyst refused to accept that he needed glasses permanently and bought a bunch of readers instead. He reached up and took off the glasses. “It’s too late, Grandpa, I already saw them.”
“If memory serves me correctly, you’re barely younger than me,” he countered.
“The only thing that matters is that I’m younger than you are,” I countered and laughed. “When I hit grandma status, you’ll be great grandpa.”
“Bullshit,” he laughed.
I looked up from the diamonds to see him smiling, and I couldn’t help but smile in return. Amethyst’s smile and laugh were infectious. No matter how bad my mood was, as soon as I saw or heard him, I was instantly happy.
“What are you doing up?” I asked, then sat back against the couch. “You know you like your sleep schedule.”
“I got too much energy, I guess.” He shrugged. “I worked out and everything when I got home to try and kill some energy, but the shit didn’t work.”
I looked at the clock at the bottom of the screen, then back at him. “Go out, it’s only ten.”
“No lie, I thought about it.” He smiled. “That’s why I called you.”
“I am not going out to be your wingman,” I said, shaking my head. Seeing him flirt with women always bothered me, even though I tried to pretend that it didn’t. “You’d better call one of your brothers or homeboys.”
“Citrine is out of town, and Pyrite is busy trying to build the Queens’ roster.”
“I can’t believe he’s really doing a WNBA team,” I said, and he nodded. “I know you’re excited.”
“Legit, I am,” he agreed. “But he won’t show me the roster because he knows I’m going to give him my opinion no matter what.”
“Leave your brother alone,” I laughed.
“I will if you go out with me,” he replied, and I shook my head. “Come on, Yale, it won't even be for long. Just a few hours. It ain’t like you got shit to do tomorrow.”
“I have my appointment, remember?”
“Besides that, and it’s at three.”
“I don’t feel like getting dressed,” I whined, even though going out sounded fun. I hadn’t been out in a while, and that was with Grant. Going out with Amethyst was utterly different. We always had a private suite, but spent all our time on the dance floor having fun.
“Man, then I’m coming over so we can go swimming.
” He pushed up from the bed and looked around.
“I would say come over here, but it’d just be easier for me to come to you instead of me coming to get you to come back here and then me having to bring you back once we’re done.
” He looked at the screen, then smiled. “Unless you’re trying to stay the night.
As a matter of fact, yeah, that’s what you’re going to do.
Stay here tonight, your appointment is on this side of town, so that’s less driving I have to do. ”
“I can take an Uber,” I suggested, and Amethyst gave me a death stare. “Or not.”
“Or fucking not,” he said, nodding. “I’m about to leave now, call Grant and let him know you’re going to stay at my spot for the night.”
“Okay,” I said, nodding. There was no reason to tell Amethyst that I was playing phone tag with Grant because he’d want to know why, and I didn’t have a real reason besides we just were.
He’d have questions, and I wouldn’t have answers.
It wasn’t like our relationship was in a bad spot because it wasn’t.
We were just at an impasse. I was moving in one direction while he was standing still.
Grant was comfortable with just existing at times when I wanted to live.
The only thing we agreed on was kids. We agreed it was time, and while I never imagined having them with him, I’d always wanted them.
“Give me thirty minutes,” he said, then hung up.
I closed my laptop and then looked at the diamonds.
As much as I wanted to design something, I wanted to be with Amethyst more.
I pushed up off the couch, closed the briefcase, and then went to the closet to grab my shoes and clothes.
After I packed my bag, I returned to the sitting area, grabbed the briefcase and my laptop, and packed them away.
“Ay yoo!” I heard Amethyst yell from downstairs. I picked up everything I needed and left my room. “Grandma, where are you?”
“Very funny,” I replied as I came down the stairs.
Amethyst stood at the bottom, with a smile on his face.
He put out his hand, and I gave him my bags.
“I see you still have on your readers.” When I was close enough, I reached up and tapped the corner of his glasses and smiled.
“These aren’t the ones you had on when we were talking. ”
“I left them at the house; these are my drivers,” he answered as we left the house. I locked the door, and we walked to his waiting car. Amethyst opened the door and then stepped to the side so I could get in.
“A man with options,” I said as I got in. He smiled at me before closing the door, rounding the car, only stopping to put my bags in the backseat, then getting in. “You eat?”
“Man, a salad after the gym,” he answered with a nod as he drove. “You?”
“Earlier.” I got comfortable in my seat and rolled down the window.
The night was warm, but I wanted to feel the wind on my skin.
I rested my arm on the window seal, then put my chin on my forearm to enjoy the breeze.
Amethyst reached over and took my left hand in his and interlaced our fingers.
“Tell me about the surgeries that you had today.”
“Nothing too crazy.” He looked over at me and smirked. “Just a DUI that came in.”
“Oh, what happened?” I looked over at him and took in his features. Even though the truck was dark, I could see all my favorite things about him. His full lips, long lashes, and beard. He was a beautiful man, there was no denying that, and his cocky ass knew it too.
“Broke damn near every bone from his hips down,” he answered, and I nodded. “Tore his chest open and damn near split his skull open.”
“Was there anyone else injured?”
“Nah, just him,” he said, shaking his head. “He wrapped his car around a pole and lived to tell people about it.”
“You helped save him?”
“All hands on deck type shit.” He shrugged as if it were no big deal, but I knew the truth. Amethyst loved blood, guts, and gore. The more fucked up someone was when they came in, the bigger the adrenaline rush he got.
“The not being able to sleep now makes sense,” I laughed and shook my head. “You’re on a high that hasn’t come down yet.”
“Probably,” he laughed. “But it’s going to be cool because I got you with me now.” He brought my hand to his mouth and kissed it. “We are going to swim, laugh, talk some shit, and then chill. I might even cook for you in the morning.”
“Oh, you’ll feed me, or I’m not ever coming back,” I replied, and he looked over at me and smirked. “You don’t believe me?”
“I do, which is crazy, but I’d literally do anything for you, and you know it,” he said.
“I do, and I’d do the same for you.”
“So then why would you stay away because I won't cook?” he questioned, and I watched him closely. He looked upset and genuinely hurt.
I took my hand from him and buried it in his beard. “Amethyst Stone, the only person that would ever keep me from you is you,” I truthfully told him. “I was just joking. I wouldn’t stay away, but I’d tell your daddy that you were mean to me.”
“You trying to get me fucked up?” He looked over at me and lifted his brow. “You know how that nigga is about you, and you over here threatening me with his wrath?”
“Yes,” I answered, and he laughed. “I’m not even ashamed to admit it either. The day you break my heart, I’m going to tell on you.”
“Good thing I never plan to do that.” He pulled into his driveway, then pressed the garage door opener and parked his car. After he turned off his truck, he closed the garage door, then looked over at me and smirked. “It ain’t even in me to hurt you, Sunshine. No matter what you do.”
“Remember that when I dunk on your ass later,” I said, and he started laughing.
Amethyst got out of the truck, grabbed my bags from the back seat, then came to my door and opened it. I got out, and we went into the house. The sound of little feet running echoed through the quiet house, and I waited for Toddles to come running to me.
“Hey, Toddles,” I bent to greet the little piglet. When Amethyst mentioned that he wanted a pet, I jokingly told him to get a miniature pig because I always wanted one. To my surprise, a few weeks later, he walked in with Toddles, a sandy brown ball of cuteness. “How are you, baby?”
“Spoiled and tearing shit up,” Amethyst answered as he stepped over Toddles. “Her ass has been on punishment for the last two days because she tore up my shoes.”
“It’s because he doesn’t spend enough time with you, isn’t it?” I asked Toddles, who snorted and rubbed her side against my knee. “You can come to my house when I leave, since he’s being mean to me.”
“The lies,” Amethyst said. I looked up to see him shaking his head, and I smirked. “I paid for daycare, so that’s where she’s going. Let her run off her energy there.”
“I still can't believe you found a dog daycare that will take her,” I laughed as I scratched between her ears one final time, then stood, washed my hands at the sink, and followed Amethyst, who had left while I was washing my hands.
I went to his bedroom, knocked on the door twice, then waited for him to start fussing.
“Why do you always do that?” he asked, coming from the bathroom.
He’d changed into his swimming trunks and no shirt.
Amethyst’s body was amazing. Muscular, with tattoos that littered his back and arms. His chest was still bare, and when I asked him why, he said he was waiting for his wife to tell him what to get.
“I’m not going to walk in on you naked,” I said, walking into his room and sitting on the edge of his bed. “I have respect for you.”
“Yeah, alright,” he said, nodding. “You can change. I’ll be downstairs.”
“Okay.” I got out of bed and went to my bag to get my swimsuit. After Amethyst left the room, I changed and then went downstairs.
Amethyst’s house was huge and beautifully decorated. My favorite room was the one he used as his office. It was big and had the most windows. Every time I was over, I found myself spending most, if not all, of my time there just working.
“I swear you said you were going to dunk on me,” he said as soon as I walked outside, throwing me the pool basketball. “You want to get clowned now or later?”
“It’s a shame I’m going to have to embarrass you in your own pool,” I laughed as I walked down the steps. The water was warm, which I was grateful for. “But you know a girl’s job is never done.”
“Get the fuck outta here,” he laughed. I shot the ball and made it. “You trying to play horse or get a full game?”
“Always a full game.” He passed the ball back to me, and I shot it again, but this time I missed. “Why, are you scared or something?”
“You barely make your shots, but I’m scared?” He smirked and shook his head. “You’ve been huffing those fumes too much.”
“Shoot the ball, Amethyst Stone,” I said, pointing to the basketball. “And when you lose, just be prepared to hear my mouth nonstop for the next few weeks.”
“Just like last time, huh?” he asked, and I nodded. “I’ma stop letting you win, Sunshine.”
“No, you aren’t,” I denied as he shot it and missed. “You don’t want to see me cry if you do.”