Chapter 13
THIRTEEN
Sitting across the table from Keanu wasn’t exactly how I’d expected my Sunday night to end.
As laughter filled the room, I found it hard to find humor in anything anyone was saying.
In fact, I hardly heard anything other than the loud ringing in my ears as I stared off into the distance while everyone passed their plates around the table, instructing the person in front of their favorite dishes to load them up.
My plate sat in front of me as I tried to comprehend exactly what was happening.
“Lyric,” Ever whispered firmly in my ear as she squeezed my knee underneath the table.
“Huh?” I snapped my neck in her direction.
“Snap out of it, babe,” she told me while grabbing the plate that was being handed to me.
“Salad?” she asked Laike.
“Yeah!” he yelled across the table.
Salad was my dish. I hadn’t made it or brought it over but I was sitting in front of it.
“Thank you,” I whispered in her direction.
The next plate headed in my direction. This time, I grabbed it and without asking, I piled the six-layer salad onto it.
Still numb and out of touch with reality, I did the same for the next two that were passed along.
It wasn’t until everyone’s plate was complete, that I realized I never put mine in the lineup.
With it being left out of the rotation, there wasn’t a single scrap on it.
“Lyric, you’re not eating anything?” my father asked from across the table, seeing as though everyone was digging into their plates but me.
“Of course,” I chuckled, nervously, “running my mouth and forgot all about my plate.”
I lied. Though I hated it, to cover for my lapse it was necessary.
“Says she’s trying to lose five pounds. I don’t see why?” Ever interjected, “You’re literally perfect but the salad is fire so I understand if that’s all you want, still.”
She was a lifesaver. As she patted my leg underneath the table, I rested my worries a bit. The pressure didn’t seem so intense and my father’s attachment to her words redirected his attention to a completely separate topic.
“Five pounds?” He sniggered. “You’re definitely your mother’s child. Five pounds where, Lyric?”
“From that head of hers,” Laike interrupted.
With a shake of my head, I decided against responding to either of them.
I didn’t have the words, anyway. Luca’s eyes caught my attention instead.
They pierced right through me, concern scribbled in the round, brown circles.
Lifting a thumb, I assured him that I was fine.
With a nod, he accepted my response to his non-verbal communication before digging into his plate.
My phone vibrated between my legs, scaring me half to death as I piled the salad onto my plate.
Though there was a rule prohibiting phones from the table, I always kept mine near.
Once I was satisfied with my proportion of salad, I unlocked my cell with my passcode being that I couldn’t lift it to my face for facial recognition. I’d be caught red-handed.
The black heart that rested beside the word Babe hiked my heart rate. The vessel drummed against my chest as I struggled to release the stream of air necessary for the continuance of life.
Tighten up.
My eyes found his a half-second after reading the simple instruction. With a nod, I agreed. The gray bubble formed as his eyes fell from mine and down toward his cell. I waited with bated breath as he began typing again.
Tonight is the perfect night, he suggested.
Beads of sweat formed underneath the layers of clothing I wore. I could feel the moistness of my skin as I perspired, my pores opening and allowing sweat to surface.
Two weeks, I responded, swiftly.
The last thing I wanted was Keanu getting any ideas. I at least had that left. He’d given me the time, and I wanted to reserve every second of it.
Two weeks, he replied.
Sighing in relief, I finally picked up my fork and dug into my salad.
From across the table, his lips turned upward into a smile – one that hardly concealed the disappointment that radiated from his bones.
And, just a bit more, I shrunk at the thought letting him down again.
Before I was able to get too caught up in my feelings, I heard the screeching of Ever’s chair as she slid back and stood.
“Where are you going?” Luca asked, standing, too.
The pair was in sync, so much so that it was hilarious.
I wasn’t even sure if they noticed, but they’d truly become one.
My brother was head over heels for the dirty blonde bombshell and I couldn’t blame him.
Hell, I was in love with her too and had been for the last decade.
She was addictive, her and that angelic spirit of hers. One couldn’t help but grow attached.
“Remember that thing,” she said, lowly.
Nodding, Luca seemed to have quickly been reminded of whatever she was referring to. He tossed his dinner napkin on the table and followed behind her. The two disappeared around the corner in seconds, leaving my mother with a smile on her face and my father shaking his head.
“He just can’t stay off the poor girl. Her little body won’t ever catch a break.” My father huffed.
“Did you forget that we have three children, all two years apart? Meaning, that there was only about a year in between all three of my pregnancies? 34. 36. 38.”
“I haven’t forgotten. I made them,” he sassed.
“Then, act like you know,” my mother responded, “and get ready to see her with a few more swollen bellies because your son made it clear from a very early age that he wanted a family twice our size.”
“Yeah. I remember that, too.”
“Him and Lyric are our only hope, anyway.”
“Y’all not going to start talking about me like I’m not at the table,” Laike interjected, munching on the stuffed salmon that was almost completely gone.
“Well, it’s true.”
“For all of y’all’s information, my time is coming, too. All these kids and all this love got me feeling a way. Even Lyric done settled for a lame. So, maybe I’m y’all’s only hope.”
Everyone at the table burst into laughter. It seemed as if Laike had consumed too many of Luca’s bar contents. Keanu’s face was unchanging. Hearing Laike refer to Collin wasn’t exactly funny to him, especially not when it was actually him whom I’d settled with.
“This nigga,” he spoked, shaking his head.
“Oh, son, you’re right behind him. I ain’t getting shit out of you, either. Birds of a feather flock together,” my father tittered.
“I’m well on my way, old man,” Keanu stated as a matter of fact.
My mother’s eyes found mine quickly. I closed mine, immediately, praying to God that Keanu didn’t continue. He, too, had been drinking whatever Luca was feeding their bellies before we all sat down to eat.
“I can speak for this nigga, but as for me… I think it’s about time to retire and get me a little forever thang,” Laike blurted.
“I’d sure like to see that,” a familiar voice spoke from behind me.
I didn’t have to turn around to see who had entered the dining hall.
The contortion of Laike’s face as he swallowed the lump in his throat told me everything I needed to know.
Gnawing on the inside of my jaw until I drew blood, I waited for our new guest to round the table.
Now, the seat between my mother and I being empty made more sense.
It was the one that was directly across from my brother.
“Baisleigh,” my mother cheered, “I wasn’t expecting to see you, tonight.”
Family dinners were private events, but according to history, Baisleigh would always be part of our family.
She and Laike shared a long, difficult past that could’ve been as beautiful as Ever and Luca’s but he’d chosen to break her heart instead of nourishing the love she had for him.
And she’d stuck around for his antics. But to her credit, after years of disappointment, she walked away without looking back again.
“Ever insisted I come.”
“Yes, because someone planned to be stuck on the couch on such a special day.”
“If we’re being fair, my couch is very, very comfortable.”
The black one-piece that Baisleigh exposed when she removed her coat was sickening and so were the curves underneath it. I cringed, watching as my brother nearly foamed at the mouth. His eyes never left her frame, watching as she turned and handed her coat to Luca.
“Liam, Lyric, Ken,” she spoke to everyone at once. “Where are the babies?”
“Upstairs with San,” Ever informed her as she lowered herself into her seat, again. Baisleigh took the seat next to me.
“Okay, body,” I whispered as I leaned over.
“Too much?” she asked.
“Just enough.” I sniggered.
“Now, what’s this about you retiring? Is hell close to freezing?” Baisleigh chuckled. “Or is Ashton Kutcher casting for Punk’d?”
Scooting his chair back slightly, Laike wiped his face with his dinner napkin and leaned back in his chair.
His entire demeanor changed whenever she was in the equation.
As much as he claimed to be past that part of his story, I knew that Baisleigh’s escape was still a thorn in his side.
Since her, he hadn’t slowed down long enough to even see what the girls he laid down with really even looked like.
When she was near, Laike got his act together. He actually made sense. And, for the life of me, I couldn’t understand why he hadn’t rekindled the flame between them. Though it was low, the fire was still there. I could see it dancing in both of their orbs.
“Happy birthday, Baisleigh,” calmly, he said, eyes fixated on her.
“Thank you, Laike.”
“Oh God, it’s your birthday!” My mother scrambled.
“Which is why Ever spent all evening making this damn cake,” Luca complained, appearing with a colorful cake that resembled Baisleigh’s House. Gold candles protruded as sparkles crackled and popped.
“Of course you did this,” Baisleigh said, emotions quickly overwhelming her. “Really, Ever?” She fanned her glossy eyes.
“You deserve to be celebrated,” Ever told her.