Chapter 6 #7
“You cheated!” Leila accused.
While the room erupted again, Elias pressed a kiss to my temple, grounding me in the middle of all the noise. His thumb never stopped its lazy circles, soothing me, anchoring me.
I let myself lean into him, smiling so wide it hurt. For the first time in forever, family night didn’t feel heavy. It felt right.
I cleared my throat, trying to redirect before my siblings broke into another round of clowning. “Alright then, Detective. Since you’re so sure you and EJ own me now, what do y’all want for lunch tomorrow, baby?”
Elias didn’t hesitate, eyes locked on mine. “Surprise us, gorgeous. As long as it’s coming from you, it’ll taste like the best thing I ever had.”
And just like that, my whole chest melted again.
The way he said it, like every word was lined with devotion, had me blushing all over again while my siblings hollered about me being “soft.”
And for the first time in a long time, I didn’t mind one bit.
The table was pure chaos. Jason shuffled the deck like he was auditioning for Vegas, Leila sat curled into his side but talking the loudest, and Jonell had her shades back on, indoors, narrating every move like she was a sportscaster.
“Go on and deal ’em, Jason,” Jonell said, fanning herself. “Just don’t rig the deck like last time. Man swear he slick.”
“I don’t gotta rig nothin’,” Jason fired back, passing cards around. “I win fair and square. Y’all just sore losers.”
“Fair and square?” Leila snorted, snatching her hand up. “Baby, you skip me one more time, and we gon’ be separated in this marriage.”
We all hollered. Jason leaned over, kissed her cheek, and whispered something that made her swat him, laughing.
Elias sat behind me on the couch, my back resting against his chest. He had one hand steady on my hip, the other lazily tracing circles on my arm while I held my cards. Every now and then, he’d peek over my shoulder, pretending he wasn’t absolutely cheating.
“You see this?” I whispered, nudging him. “You supposed to be my man, and you spying on my hand?”
He smirked, lips brushing my ear. “Correction. I am your man. And yeah, I’m spying. Gotta make sure you don’t fold under pressure, gorgeous.”
My stomach flipped, heat rushing to my cheeks again. “You’re impossible.”
“And you’re fine,” he murmured, like that was the only truth that mattered.
Of course, Jason caught the tail end. “Aye, Elias, quit sweet-talking my sister while she tryna play. That’s cheating.”
Elias grinned, unapologetic. “Everything with her is cheating. She got me from day one.”
The table went wild, Leila squealing, Jonell hollering, “Ooooh, that’s game,” while I buried my face in my cards.
Jason leaned back cockily, three cards in his hand, grinning like the villain in a movie. “Aight, y’all might as well pack it up. Game’s over. Big bro always wins.”
Leila smirked, leaning into him, sweet as sugar. “Oh yeah? That so?” She laid a card down slowly, eyes glittering. “Draw four, husband.”
The whole room erupted. Jonell nearly fell out of her chair. I slapped the couch cushion so hard Elias had to catch my hand midair. Jason’s face crumpled like somebody stole his lunch money.
“You…” he sputtered, glaring at Leila. “You supposed to be on my team!”
Leila kissed his cheek and shoved the draw pile toward him. “Ain’t no teams in Uno, my love. Pick ’em up.”
Jason groaned so loud the walls shook, dragging four new cards like they weighed a ton.
Jonell was already cackling, shuffling her hand like a magician. “Oh, it’s my time to shine. Everybody, sit back. Skip, skip, skip.” She threw cards like confetti. “Ain’t nobody moving but me.”
“Unfair!” Jason shouted. “Illegal play!”
“Shut up and eat your cards,” Jonell sang, slapping her final skip down.
I glanced at my hand, heart thudding. Only one card left. I laid it down, smooth as silk. “Uno out.”
The room froze, then chaos.
“What!” Jason bellowed, cards flying from his lap. “Hell naw! Run that back!”
Leila was doubled over, tears in her eyes. “She really dusted you like that!”
Jonell pointed at me like a preacher in the pulpit. “Ladies and gentlemen, your reigning champion, Deputy Gorgeous!”
Elias’s laugh rumbled against my back as he wrapped his arms tighter around my waist. “That’s my girl,” he said before kissing my temple. “Smart, fine, and undefeated.”
I tried to hide my grin behind my hands, but Elias tugged them down, whispering against my ear where only I could hear. “Told you. You don’t just play the game, gorgeous. You own it.”
My blush gave me away, but for once, I didn’t care.
Jason was still salty, shuffling the Uno deck like it had betrayed him personally.
“Nah, I don’t like how that ended. Run it back.”
Jonell stretched out in the chair, smug as hell. “Or,” she drawled, “we could graduate to Spades and really hurt your feelings.”
Leila clapped her hands. “Yes! Spades. Now we gon’ see who really know how to play and who just talkin’ noise.”
Jason perked up, his pride ready for redemption. “Bet. I got Leila. Jonell, you can sit this one out—”
“Excuse you?” Jonell cut him off, sliding to the table. “Ain’t no game without me. But since you think you the king of cards, go ahead. Take Leila. I’ll sit out.”
That left me.
Elias leaned forward, smile slow and dangerous. “That means I got Gorgeous. Y’all better get ready to lose.”
I blinked at him, startled. “Do you even know how to play Spades?”
His arm brushed mine, confidence rolling off him. “Better question, do you trust me?”
The way my chest fluttered at that nearly had me folding before the first hand. I swallowed. “Yeah. I trust you.”
“Good,” he said, voice low, that smirk curving just enough to set me on fire. “Then we already won.”
The game kicked off, and the table was all trash talk. Jason slammed cards like they owed him money, Leila was hyping him up even when he was dead wrong, and Jonell sat back, sipping wine like she was watching a pay-per-view fight.
Elias and I, though? We were locked in. Every time I played a card, he followed like he’d read my mind. Every time he leaned back with that smug look, I knew he was holding heat.
“This gon’ be our game. Watch,” Elias called, tossing down his card smoothly. Jason groaned so loud the neighbors probably heard.
“Boy, you ain’t even supposed to know how to—”
“Book,” Elias cut him off, calm as Sunday service. He slid his arm around my chair, eyes glittering. “Good lookin’ out, gorgeous.”
Heat climbed up my neck as I tried to keep cool, pretending my heart wasn’t sprinting. “Just don’t mess it up, Detective.”
He chuckled lowly, licking his lips. “Mess you up? Maybe. This game? Never.”
By the time the last hand hit the table, Jason had his head in his hands, Leila was fake-pouting, and Jonell was wheezing from laughing so hard.
“Game!” Elias declared, leaning back with a grin as cocky as it was fine. “Me and Gorgeous, undefeated.”
I couldn’t help it; I threw my hands up, laughing so hard I had to lean into him. Elias caught me easily, his arm snug around my waist. He kissed my temple like the win was just the excuse he needed.
“Told you,” he murmured against my skin. “Trust me, and we’ll always win.”
“Y’all disgust me,” Jason grumbled.
“Y’all got dusted,” Jonell shot back, pointing at the score. “Big bro finally met his match.”
Elias’s gaze dipped to mine, his lips curving slowly, secretly. “Nah,” he whispered just for me, voice warm as honey. “I met my partner.”
The blush lit my face up so bad Jonell hollered, “Lawd, she glowing again!”
And honestly? I didn’t even care. Because for once, I wanted them to see it.
We cleaned up in waves, cards stacked, empty glasses taken to the sink, and leftover snacks tucked away. I ducked into the bathroom to pin my locs up for the night, but on my way back, I paused in the hallway as I heard voices drifting from the kitchen.
Jason’s low rumble. Elias’s steady tone.
I hovered, heart thudding, not trying to be messy, but… unable to stop myself.
Jason sighed. “Look, bruh. I clown a lot, but real talk… I ain’t never liked Kam. Not once. He ain’t ever been good for my baby sister. She’s different now. Lighter. And that’s ’cause of you. So if you serious, and I can tell you are, you definitely got my respect. Welcome to the family, bruh.”
There was a beat of silence, then Elias’s voice, calm and strong with no hesitation. “I’m dead serious. Ain’t no games with me. Jonay’s safe with me. Always. On me, I’ll protect her mind, body, and heart. You don’t ever have to question that.”
There was the scrape of chairs, then the sound of a firm handshake.
“Bet,” Jason said. “That’s all I needed.”
I pressed a hand over my mouth, smiling so wide it hurt. My chest swelled, warmth spilling through me like sunlight in the middle of the night.
When I finally walked into the kitchen, Elias glanced at me immediately, eyes softening like he knew I’d caught more than I was supposed to. He didn’t call me out, though, just reached for me, his thumb brushing my arm in those slow, little circles that calmed my whole soul.
Jonell popped her head back in, ruining the moment, like always. “Alright, lovebirds, I’m out. Got an early flight in the morning. But y’all better FaceTime me tomorrow at lunch with EJ ’cause I need proof this family extension is official.”
Leila kissed my cheek, Jason gave me a squeeze, and soon enough, it was just Elias and me left in the quiet house.
He leaned down, kissing my temple, his voice low and steady. “Told your brother already, but I’ll tell you again. You got nothing to worry about while I’m around.”
And the way he said it, I believed him.
The door shut behind Jonell, her laughter still echoing in the driveway, and for the first time all night, the house settled into silence.
No Jason cracking jokes, no Leila giggling, no Jonell stirring the pot; it was just me, the soft hum of the fridge, and Elias still leaning against my counter like he’d always belonged there.