Sunday

1. Cedar Omarion Jackson

Cedar Omarion Jackson

“ I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

Those words were like salt on an open wound. I clapped along with everyone else, though, and fought back the bitterness that cloaked me like a leather bomber jacket in the winter and ate through my soul like a leech.

My hands stung from clapping so hard and loudly, and I tried to keep my eyes on the happy couple. But as they always inevitably did anytime my ex was around, my eyes roamed the room until they landed on the object they sought.

And as if she knew that I would search her out, Taylor’s eyes were on me too. She quickly averted her gaze, leaned toward the dark-skinned woman beside her, and said something to make the other woman laugh. They both looked at the happy couple and nodded before they stood along with everyone else.

The pastor presented my sister and her new husband as Mr. and Mrs. Emmett Crawford to the wedding guests, and I had missed the announcement. The only reason that I knew was because my beautiful sister, Mrs. Tiffany Jackson-Crawford, beamed at me as she passed me by and gave me a tiny wink.

I breathed a sigh of relief because I could escape now, at least for a little while. Everyone poured out of the church, and I looped arms with Ebony, the bridesmaid I had escorted.

“They make such a beautiful couple. How long do you think it’ll be before she’s popping out babies?”

“Aye, that’s my sister you’re talking about.”

Ebony giggled and nudged me with her elbow. “Come on, Cedar. We’re all good friends here. I know she’s your sister, but she’s married now. You can acknowledge that Emmett will be blowing her back out.”

I tugged my arm free from hers and stalked away from her as we exited the church.

“Hey, Cedar,” she called after me.

It was bad enough that years ago, back in high school, I’d had the immaturity to chase after my sisters’ friends. What hadn’t made it better was that I’d fucked Ebony one drunken night during college. She’d spent every year since trying to get that night back.

“You good?”

A light hand tapped me on the back, and I spun around. My heart lurched in my chest. If Taylor had the power to raise negative emotions in me, then Sunday had the power to bring light in me and chase away the darkness.

She smiled brightly up at me, and it was like the sun had come out from behind the clouds.

It was a beautiful day outside, but inside, I felt like I was in a severe thunderstorm.

Between seeing my ex-wife, Taylor, with her former best friend turned lover, Monica, and being paired up with Ebony’s horny ass, I felt like a thundercloud.

“Hey, Sunny. Yeah, I’m good. Thanks for rocking with me today, love,” I remarked as I dropped my arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

Sunday Monroe, whom I affectionately called Sunny because of her positive disposition and the sunshine she brought to my life daily, was my roommate and also a co-worker.

I had known that today would be difficult for me the minute that I learned my sister, Tiffany, had invited my ex-wife to the wedding with her plus-one.

It didn’t feel good having my face rubbed into my failure of a marriage.

I couldn’t get out of the wedding, and Tiffany wouldn’t uninvite my ex-wife because they were good friends.

Tiffany hadn’t condoned how my ex-wife cheated on me with her best friend, but she hadn’t stopped being friends with her either.

“Always got your back. You know this. And if I need to check somebody, let me know that too.”

I laughed loudly and shook my head at her little feisty ass. I knew that she meant every word she said. I removed my suit jacket and placed it on her. She tugged it closer, buried her face in the lapels, and closed her eyes.

I smirked as I watched her inhale and then look back up at me with the most beautiful smile.

“You always smell so good.”

I dropped a kiss on her upturned cheek. “So do you, beautiful.”

“You ready to head to this reception, big guy?” Sunday asked and wrapped her arm around my back as we made our way through the parking lot to my Range Rover.

“Hell nah.”

She smirked at me as I unlocked my SUV and helped her inside.

“It’s okay, boo. Your new woman is in town, and I’m about to teach all of them bitches how to treat a good man,” she declared with a wink.

I laughed and shook my head at her.

“I’m telling you. She married that nigga for his money. My uncle’s old ass is sixty-two years old. Why else would that twenty-eight-year-old be interested in him?”

“She might actually be in love with him, Cedar, and he might be in love with her.”

“He’s in love with the pussy. I promise you that, and she’s in love with his wallet. That’s the beginning and the end.”

“Okay, so what about your Aunt Shirley? What’s her story? That boy is young enough to be her son.”

Sunday hadn’t lied. She’d been right by my side from the moment we arrived at the reception.

She was attentive to everything I wanted or needed and showed extreme displays of affection.

There had been a time or two when she had sat on my lap and ground her ass against me during a sexy song that had my shit bricked up.

Kissing my neck and cheek had been just a few of the things she’d done whenever she saw Taylor looking my way or any of the other females who set their sights on me.

The girl had gone as far as to fix my plate when it was time to eat, and she served me.

And though I knew it was only for show, she had a nigga feeling pretty good.

“He’s actually her son’s former roommate. My cousin, Tijuan, fell out with that nigga when he found out he was fucking his mama.”

“Can you blame him?”

“Listen, all I’ma say about that is old hos need love too.”

“That’s your aunt, Cedar!” Sunday smacked me on the hand, and I laughed at her ass.

“By marriage, baby girl. She was married to my mother’s brother, Uncle Snookie. When he passed, she got her groove back a couple of years later with her son’s roommate.”

“So, is that about money?”

“Nah. Aunt Shirley ain’t got no money to give that yung’n.

Besides, he’s the one who’s clocking dollars.

I mean, she does all right with her catering business.

But she gives big discounts to her family like she did here at Tiff’s reception.

That nigga, on the other hand, is a biochemical engineer.

He started with just under six figures, and now he’s well into the six-figure range. ”

“So, you’re saying that he’s paying her and giving her good loving?”

“I don’t know whether it’s good or not. But an old ho like Aunt Shirley just wants some dick.”

“How old is she?”

“She’s fifty-six, and he’s twenty-five.”

“Damn. Do you think that you’d ever be with an older woman?”

“I mean, I already was. Taylor’s older than me.”

“Four years. That doesn’t count.”

I shrugged. “Not too much older. Not at my big age of thirty-one. I mean, maybe a woman up to forty or forty-two. Not too much older than that. What about you? You ever been in a relationship with a much older man or younger one?”

“No. I generally date within my age range. The youngest guy I ever dated was the same age that I was, and the oldest was five years older. That was a big mistake. Older men tend to be manipulative.”

“Not all of ’em.”

Shrugging, she replied, “In my experience. I learned from it, though.”

A twinge of disappointment shot through me.

I was six years older than Sunday. If she thought older men tended to be manipulative, and she claimed to have learned from that, I didn’t stand a shot in the dark.

Not that I should’ve been thinking of her that way, anyway.

She was my roommate, and I didn’t want to fuck up the vibe.

But that didn’t mean that I wasn’t feeling her.

“What’s up with your cousin Alex?”

“What do you mean?” I scanned the room and found Alex kicking it with Emmett’s brother and his best friend.

“He keeps eyeing me. He approached me earlier for a dance, and we danced. But there’s something different about him, and I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

I chuckled and pulled my whiskey to my lips.

“You’re not going to tell me.”

“Tell you what?”

“Whatever you were laughing about, Cedar.”

“Alex is . . . Alex.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Shrugging, I replied, “That’s the way we’ve always talked about Alex in our family.”

“Why?”

“How do I say this politely?” I twisted my lips while staring at my cousin for several seconds. “Alex has had difficulty deciding whether to be a boy or a girl.”

“He’s trans?”

“Alex is a hermaphrodite. Alex was a little girl growing up. Then, in middle school, Alex decided she felt more comfortable identifying as a boy. By the time high school hit, Alex was a girl again. During college, Alex decided to be bisexual and not claim a gender. These days, Alex is presenting as whatever she needs to get the person’s attention she’s attracted to. ”

Sunday’s mouth dropped open as she stared at Alex, who happened to turn and look at us. My cousin Eric approached us at that moment and invited Sunday for a dance. She was still speechless as hell, so Eric took that as a yes.

I was laughing my ass off and watched my cousin creep away with my roommate. Sunday had been floored, and she needed a minute from me talking about my crazy ass family. I was sure one more minute of learning about my family secrets, she would have bolted.

After about an hour, I was in a funk. Everyone was having a damn good time except for me. I danced with Sunday through three songs before I sat my ass down. She was still on the floor now seven songs in. The longer she danced, the sourer my mood became.

My mother pulled me onto the floor for a dance, and she warned me about my bad attitude and energy. Then, my oldest sister, Amber, followed up with the same advice.