Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
IT’S SO UNFAIR
Sorinah
After the perfect day with Aldrich, she didn’t expect to be ambushed by her sisters.
Yet that’s exactly what happened once they finally got her alone.
The sisters gathered on the patio with cocktails as twilight settled over Trinidad, painting the sky amber and violet.
Dinah’s children played inside with the men, their laughter spilling through the open doors.
It seemed as if the island was exhaling into the evening as tree frogs chirped and distant Soca music played.
Dinah disrupted the serenity with her cheesy smile, asking, “How did you enjoy your day with Aldrich?”
“Dinah,” Nakinah’s tone warned, a subtle edge of caution in her voice as she glanced between them.
“What?” Dinah asked sharply, her eyebrows arching in mock innocence. “Are we still walking on eggshells pretending those two aren’t seeing each other and are head over heels in love? Their chemistry is enough to build a fucking lab at this point.”
Dinah had a point, and they were her sisters, and fuck it, Sorinah was tired of playing her cards so close to her chest.
“It was the perfect day.” A rush of emotions overtook her at the memory of all that they had shared—the way Aldrich’s hand had felt in hers, the taste of salt on his lips after a kiss by the water, the sound of his laughter as they explored the island together.
Although Nakinah had been warning Dinah seconds ago, both her sisters gave swoony smiles and sighed, their expressions a mix of amusement and genuine happiness for her.
“And how are things going between the two of you besides the day trip?” Dinah pushed, unable to resist probing further. She leaned forward, her hands on the centre table, her gaze intent.
This time Nakinah didn’t try to censor Dinah; her eldest sister leaned forward, eager for her response, her usual reserve giving way to curiosity.
“Really great. I like being with him.” She felt her cheeks heat, the warmth spreading across her face as she admitted the truth. “He’s a pain in the ass, but he’s also a really good man.”
The two older sisters smiled, looking thrilled for her, but the expressions quickly morphed as they exchanged looks, something unspoken passing between them.
Sorinah’s stomach tightened slightly at the shift in the atmosphere.
The hum of the evening breeze now felt cooler against her skin, and she could sense a question hanging in the air.
The coolness of the cocktail in her hand was a comforting anchor, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that her sisters were about to dig deeper.
“What?” she asked, her guard instinctively rising, her body tensing as she waited for whatever they were about to say.
“I noticed you seemed distracted, maybe even upset, right before we left for the trip,” Dinah said, her voice steady but laced with concern. “I’ve tried to check in on what it might be over the last few days. You know, the usual suspects—Mars, work… the only thing I couldn’t ask about was Aldrich.”
Well, since Sorinah was in a sharing mood, she decided to tell them what was really bothering her. “I had an unexpected visitor.”
“Who?” they both asked in unison, their postures stiffening slightly.
“Albert.”
Her sisters shifted in their seats, their faces contorting in anger as the name hung in the air like a bad smell. The scent of tropical flowers from the garden was overpowered by the sudden tension, and the distant sound of tree frogs seemed to fade into the background.
“What the fuck did he want?” Dinah practically growled, her hands clenching into fists on the table. Of the two sisters, she was the one who held the biggest grudge against Albert.
“He wants to see Mars.” Sorinah shut her eyes and shook her head, the words feeling heavy as she spoke them.
“Are you going to allow Albert to see Mars?” Nakinah asked, her tone careful; she sensed the answer would be complicated.
“No!” Dinah answered at the same time as Sorinah, who said, “I don’t know.”
Dinah whipped her head in Sorinah’s direction. “How can you say you don’t know?”
Sorinah took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “Because it’s complicated. If it were only up to me, and I didn’t have to think about my son, I would have told Albert hell no. But I have to consider Mars’ well-being.”
Dinah was adamant. “Mars doesn’t need him.” She stood and started pacing, her movements sharp and agitated. She adored her nephew and had been one of the first people to hold him after he was born.
Part of Sorinah really wanted to listen to Dinah and send Albert packing, but it wasn’t about what she wanted. Or even what Albert wanted. He might think this was about him, but Sorinah was determined to make sure her son wasn’t hurt.
The warm breeze brushed against her skin, carrying the scent of the sea in the distance, but it did little to ease the tension in the air.
Her sisters had been with her every moment as she dealt with her first heartbreak.
While Dinah could be a pain in the ass, she’d stayed up with her, held her as she cried, promising her that everything would be alright.
That they would help her raise her baby.
And Dinah had never faltered. Her sisters had stepped up and been the best village ever.
“Maybe, maybe not,” Sorinah said, her voice soft but firm. “As much as I wish Mars had a better one, Albert is his father. And maybe Mars has questions that only Albert can answer.”
“Well, I know I have questions.” Nakinah turned to Dinah, her tone sharp. “Would you sit down, Dinah? Your pacing isn’t helping.”
Dinah stopped mid-step, her chest heaving with frustration, but she sat back down, her hands gripping the edge of her chair.
The hum of the evening wrapped around them, the ambient sounds of the island a stark contrast to the emotional weight of the conversation.
Sorinah could feel the sting of old wounds reopening, but also the steadfast support of her sisters, their love an unyielding presence in the face of her uncertainty.
Dinah huffed as she crumpled back into her seat. “It’s so unfair,” she muttered, her voice tinged with frustration. “Sorinah is happy and finally moving on in a positive way. Now his useless ass pops back up. I don’t get it.”
“Well, that was my question,” Nakinah said, her eyebrows knitting together. “Why now?”
“And what the fuck does he want?” Dinah added, her tone sharp. “Because I know his ass is up to something.”
Sorinah took a deep breath, trying to steady the unease in her chest. “Well, I don’t know what he’s up to, but I have to get answers.
I don’t want to turn Albert away in case he has answers Mars needs.
I’ll get to the bottom of it and then decide.
” She finished her cocktail and placed her glass on the centre table, the clink of the glass echoing in the brief silence.
“So, does Aldrich know about all of this?” Nakinah asked, her tone softer but still probing.
“I haven’t told him yet,” Sorinah admitted, her voice low.
“Um… do you really think it’s a good idea to keep things from the person you’re dating?” Nakinah’s scolding tone transported Sorinah back to when she was younger, sitting at the kitchen table being lectured.
“I’m not keeping anything from him,” Sorinah clarified, a hint of defensiveness in her voice. “I have every intention of telling him, but I’m going to wait until I have answers.”
“You didn’t ask for my opinion, but I’m going to give it to you anyway,” Dinah said, her tone so quintessentially her that Sorinah almost rolled her eyes. “Tell Aldrich sooner rather than later. Don’t wait until you have everything sorted out. I don’t want Albert to come between you guys.”
The thought made Sorinah’s stomach unsettled, a wave of discomfort washing over her.
She had no intention of allowing Albert to come between her and Aldrich, but her sister’s advice stuck with her.
Sorinah almost dismissed it, but when she thought about the good place she and Aldrich were in, she decided to go ahead and tell him.
Besides, he was often a good sounding board.
The day before their vacation ended, she grabbed the opportunity to chat with him when everyone came over to his house for a barbecue and to swim.
He’d needed to do a run to the store to get some more charcoal, and she’d accompanied him, the warm sun beating down on them as they drove with the windows down.
“Did you come with me so you could have me pull over somewhere and you take advantage of me? You doh have any shame?” he teased, his hand caressing her bare thigh, his touch sending a shiver of warmth through her despite the lighthearted tone.
“First of all, you wish,” she shot back, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Second, I came for the ride because I’ve had something on my mind.”
Sorinah’s heartbeat quickened slightly, not just from his touch but from the weight of what she was about to share.
She knew Aldrich would listen, but she also knew this conversation could shift the tone of their otherwise perfect vacation.
Still, she trusted him—and herself—to navigate whatever came next.
He got serious behind the wheel, his grip on the steering wheel tightening as if sensing the shift in her tone.
“What’s that?”
“Before I left for vacation, I had a visit from Mars’ father.”
“Oh really, and what did he want?” Aldrich’s tone was cold, his words clipped, the air in the car suddenly feeling heavier.
“He says he wants to see his son.”
“Interesting…” They were stopped at a light, and he gave her a meaningful look. “…and are you going to let him?”
“I don’t know yet. I need more information before I let him anywhere near my son.”
“Well, that sounds wise. I know you will do your best to look out for Mars.”
“Thank you.” His confidence in her meant more than she thought it would, a warmth spreading through her chest despite the tension in the car.
“If you need anything at all, you know I’m here.”
“I do.” She nodded, the weight of his support anchoring her.
“Good.” He squeezed her thigh again, the gesture both reassuring and grounding.
If Aldrich was worried by Albert showing up, he didn’t let on. Well, that was until she came completely clean about who sent her the flowers.
“It turns out he was the one who sent me the flowers.”
Although his response seemed neutral, it was his physical reaction that gave him away. His tone sounded even, but the knuckles on his hand holding the wheel turned white, and she could feel the tension radiating off him.
“I see.”
He didn’t ask any follow-up questions. She heard him suck his teeth, the sound barely audible over the hum of the engine and the warm breeze coming through the open window.
Well, at least she had discussed it with him and wasn’t keeping any secrets.
Her goal was to be transparent as she tried to navigate this mess.
The scent of the ocean still lingered in the air, and the distant sound of laughter from a nearby beach carried through the open window, a stark contrast to the heaviness in the car.
Sorinah’s stomach tightened, but she was glad she had told him.
Aldrich’s silence spoke volumes, but his hand remained on her thigh, a small but significant reminder that he was there—even if the situation was far from easy.