Chapter 22 Duke
I couldn’t function all damn day thinking about everything that happened with Solana. There was something about ol’ boy that rubbed me raw. I didn’t like to think about what would have happened had one of my boys not seen it.
I hadn’t even made it to my office at the bar before I was told some dude in a nice car had pulled up. I knew it had to be something from her past. Folks around here could tell when someone was new. I turned around and came back to the shop until she closed.
We had plans to grab food tonight, but I needed to know what was going on and why he was here, at least outside of the obvious. I sat on the bed while Solana moved back and forth in front of her closet. She couldn’t pick a damn thing to wear, but I knew it was because of what happened earlier.
“Solana.”
She stopped in place and waited a few moments before turning to face me.
“You never call me that.”
I released a breath, closed my eyes for a brief moment, then brought my attention back to her.
“It got your attention, didn’t it?”
She nodded and walked toward me to sit beside me on the bed, but I stopped her and pulled her into my lap instead.
“What happened today, before I walked in?”
“I wish I could tell you everything. But he found me and wants me to come back to Cali. I just don’t know what to do,” she responded, then laid her head against my shoulder.
“You actually thinking about going back?”
“Maybe. I don’t know what’s right. I don’t want to be there. I want to be here with you. But part of me feels like he might have been right about a few things.”
I closed my eyes and released a sigh. I didn’t want to make her feel like she had to choose between me and this town. For the first time, I needed someone to pick me. I heard what she was saying about wanting to stay, but the fact that she couldn’t decide was the loudest thing in the room.
“Are you going to say something?” she asked.
I tapped her thigh a few times to signal I wanted her to stand. She stood and stepped back a few steps. I followed, then turned to walk toward the door. Then turned back around to face her.
“Fuck those people. Is that what you want to hear me say? Your home is here and you don’t owe them a muthafucking thing. Stay.”
Solana released a sigh. “I know.”
That was my cue to leave the conversation alone. She wasn’t confused about a damn thing besides trying to please muthafuckas who had run her out of her own home. Her manager was slimy as fuck. I’d been around my fair share.
“I need a minute. If you’re still hungry, I can bring you back food or have someone else bring it,” I told her.
Solana frowned and crossed her arms. “No, I can get it myself. You can go. I guess this is how you act when I don’t blindly follow your every word. That’s fine.”
I stroked my jaw and chuckled. She wanted to argue, but I wasn’t feeding into it.
“Have a good night, love. If you change your mind, text me and I’ll make sure you get those ribs.”
I turned and left the room without giving her a moment to say something she couldn’t take back. I twisted the lock on her front door, then jogged down the steps and did the same with the back.
I pulled my phone from my back pocket and shot Juelz, Benny, Money, and Rico a text telling them to meet me at my house. I sent the address before I could change my mind. This would be their first time coming to my place outside of the city. Only my family and Solana knew about it.
I rode my bike and let the rumble of the engine and the cool breeze clear my head. The moment I made it home, I ordered wings and beers for delivery, then made sure the house was straight before everyone arrived.
I wasn’t sure if Benny would make it with Willow pregnant. He liked to stay close to her and Charlie at all times, which I understood. If I had my own family, I imagined I would be the same way. My doorbell sounded and I headed for the front.
I pulled the door open and Benny was standing there with his hands stuffed in his pockets. I stepped aside to let him in, then closed and locked the door behind us as I followed him into the kitchen. I walked around the island to the fridge to grab a bottle of water or a beer.
“I’ll take the water. Willow was already giving me a look when I told her I needed to head out. You know she still associates you with your hoe behavior from school,” Benny mentioned as I handed him the bottle.
I waved him off and popped the top on my beer, took a swig, then placed it on the counter.
“Man, you can’t believe everything you hear,” I told him.
“I told her hardheaded self that, but you know how she is. Especially when Shirah’s loud ass gets involved.”
I chuckled at the mention of Shirah. She was wild and always the life of the party. Funny thing was, I hadn’t seen her around in a while. But I hadn’t seen many people since Solana walked into my life.
“Man, tell me about it. I haven’t seen her loud ass either. She still giving yo’ boy a hard time?”
Benny shook his head and took a drink of his water. “Jordan can handle it. I think he likes that kind of thing. But I know you didn’t call me out of bed with my girl to talk about them. What’s up?”
Benny was a straight shooter who didn’t do much extra talking, so I knew small talk only went so far with him. Usually I wasn’t big on it either. I leaned against the counter and nodded.
“I was trying not to rehash all this, but thinking about it, I don’t need advice from folks who would prefer to be single.”
Benny pulled out the chair against the island and waited for me to say more.
I told him who Solana was, which didn’t seem to surprise him much.
Then I went into what she had been through before coming here and the situation with the stalker.
I didn’t go too deep. I already felt like I was sharing things she hadn’t given me permission to.
But I needed someone outside of the situation to help me think straight.
So I kept going and told him about her manager popping up out of nowhere wanting her to go back, and how she mentioned she was considering it but not to stay. Then I stopped and waited.
“Damn. Willow and I actually saw her when she first came into town. We were walking with Charlie to the movies in the square. Then we saw her again later. We kind of figured it out but it wasn’t our place to say anything.
It seemed like she wanted a fresh start.
But I say all of that to say this — you know she might just need to go back, right?
Would you rather be at her side helping her through it, or sitting here pouting with us? ”
The question was simple, but exactly what I needed to hear. My fear of being set aside was showing up in a situation where it had no place.
“Well damn, you trying to get home bad, huh?” I asked, then laughed. Benny joined in with a nod.
“My peace and my heart are back at the house. I’d do anything to keep it and get back to it every night.
Keep that in mind. When Willow told me she was going back to her old spot to wrap up her old life, I thought that meant we were done.
That she wasn’t coming back to be with a man who had a crazy baby mama and a child. ”
I almost forgot everything he had gone through to get where he was with Willow. It was hard to see the journey when you were staring at the end of the rainbow.
“Tierra was definitely crazy as fuck.”
Benny laughed, able to now that things had changed for the better.
“Nah, but for real. My mom had to tell me I better go after that woman, and I did. I didn’t let my situation or hers stop what we were building.”
“I hear you loud and clear. I was getting ready to let the stuff with my mom bleed into what I have with Solana. It might be time to have that conversation with Heiress.”
Benny nodded. “If it’s getting in the way, hell yeah. But you know this could have been a text or a phone call, right?”
“Hell yeah, if I knew you were just going to ask me one question,” I replied.
Benny smiled and picked up his water when his phone rang. He flipped the screen toward me to show Charlie was calling, her smiling face on the screen holding that popsicle I had given her at the backpack giveaway.
“Because of you, this little girl is stalking me for ice cream. Had I not left the house, she wouldn’t have thought a thing about it.”
He answered and Charlie’s little face was pressed close to the screen like she was trying to see into the house.
“Daddy, you don’t look like you got my ice cream yet. Where you at?”
I ran my hand down my face, looking forward to the days I could experience something like that. I saw all of it with Solana, as long as she forgave me for acting like a fool over this situation.
“Charlie, what did I tell you about patience? It’s a what?” he questioned her.
“It’s a erchew,” she replied somberly, like she had been reminded of this more than once.
I couldn’t help but laugh as Benny shook his head trying to hold a straight face.
“Virtue, baby. But if you went to bed you wouldn’t have to worry about it. I’ll be there soon. Your uncle Duke is footing the bill too.”
Benny flipped the camera around so Charlie could see me. She waved both her little hands and arms wildly.
“Thank you, Uncle Duke!”
I smiled, more than happy to give up a few dollars for her ice cream. It was the least I could do since I needed to borrow her dad.
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”
Benny turned the phone back toward him and reassured Charlie he would be back soon.
I laughed as she tried to convince him she needed to stay on the phone and watch him get it.
Willow showed up not long after and got onto her for calling about ice cream after being told not to.
Otherwise I think my boy would have found a way to ride over and show Charlie in person.
The things a man would do for his family.