One Stop: Euphoria

Prologue

“The next time you even think about taking my car, I’m gon’ fuck you up. You may be my son, but that shit wasn’t cool.”

My mama was pissed. She’d never really threatened me in that manner.

She was always my lifesaver. Shit, I was thirty-two years old and never wanted for a thing.

She was a world-renown criminal defense attorney.

Even celebrities sought her out for her expertise in the law.

She was on her shit. My dad owned his own accounting firm.

The nigga was a beast with numbers and shit and also had celebrity clients.

He’d threatened me a million times and took me to this fucking drug dealer to be his mule.

Scared the fuck out of me when I was fifteen years old.

“I’m sorry, Ma. For real.”

My dad shook his head. “Nigga, when Corey told me he saw you in that Maserati, I almost called the police on your ass and reported that shit stolen. You gon’ have to get your shit together, Graham.

You too old for bullshit like this. A simple phone call or text, asking permission, would have eliminated all this. ”

“I said I apologize.”

I turned to walk out of their house, but my dad stopped me.

“We spoiled you, but you too grown to blame your childhood upbringing anymore. You don’t listen, and that shit gon’ get you in more trouble than a little bit. Your mama ain’t gon’ always be there to bail your ass out.”

I lowered my head and took a deep breath, knowing he was right. “You right. The dealership is coming to pick me up so I can get my car. They are probably outside now.”

He extended his hand, and I shook it. The frown on his face let me know just how serious he was.

Devin Taylor didn’t frown unless he was angry.

He was a jokester . . . a corny ass jokester.

I knew I had better take heed before he hung me out to dry.

Their support meant everything, and their money afforded my current lifestyle.

They had a lot of money, but I also made my own money. I was working at a refinery in Baytown, but I hated that fucking job. I’d gotten a master’s degree in chemical engineering, but I wished I had pursued something else.

Before leaving, I asked, “Dad, are y’all still investors in Premier Wings Airlines?”

He frowned slightly. “Yeah. Why?”

I shrugged. “I’m just considering my options. I honestly hate the refinery.”

“That’s cause yo’ ass is a pretty boy.”

My eyebrows lifted. “As if you’re one to talk!”

“Nigga, that’s how I know!”

I laughed and slowly shook my head. “I might apply for a job with them. It depends on the positions they have open. I don’t want to do no maintenance or no shit like that. I want to be amongst the people.”

He nodded. “You know I can probably get you in there. Your aunt Sonya is a member, and so is Shane and Sharee.”

“I don’t know about that. You know Aunt Sonya don’t too much care for me.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “That’s something you need to make right.

You know she petty. I don’t think you’ve ever apologized to her.

You were a teenager, but you definitely knew better.

Grown men don’t avoid shit. They take accountability for their actions and do their best to rectify them. You’ve been grown for a long time now.”

I huffed loudly. Aunt Sonya was so fucking fine.

I used to fantasize about her and gave her creep vibes when I was younger.

Technically, I wasn’t blood related. Devin and Sidney Taylor adopted me when I was a baby, but the Taylors were the only family that I knew.

I felt like that was part of the reason why they spoiled me.

Secondly, I almost died from a Tylenol overdose as a baby as well.

That didn’t help things. Dad said my mama was ready to burn Beaumont to the ground trying to figure out who had her fucked up.

It all came out that my Aunt Shannon was too busy getting her pussy sucked, not paying attention to my cousin, Chloe, who gave me a lot of Tylenol because I was crying.

She didn’t know any better. She was only like five or so at the time.

I nodded at my dad again and shook his hand. “I’ll eventually talk to her. Make sure my funeral arrangements are paid up.”

He laughed loudly and pushed me on the shoulder.

Shiiiid, he was laughing, but I was serious as hell.

That woman didn’t give a fuck about me. I actually felt that Uncle Shawn and my cousins didn’t give a fuck about me either.

The only cousin I talked to was Cooper. Nicholas and I used to be cool, but even as kids, he stopped wanting to be around me.

Uncle Corey wasn’t feeling him being at our house anymore either.

Damn. Am I really that bad of a person?

After getting into the car waiting for me, I greeted the driver, then pulled out my cell phone. Looking at Uncle Shawn’s phone number, I took in a nervous breath, then sent him a text.

What’s up, Uncle Shawn? It’s Graham. I need to talk to you and Aunt Sonya. Are y’all free next weekend?

What’s up, man? We’re free. You coming out here? We can’t talk by phone?

I closed my eyes for a moment and slowly shook my head. It was time to grow up, at least where it concerned my family.

I would rather do it in person. It’ll just be me.

Okay, man. See you Saturday?

Yes, sir. See you Saturday around noon.

I slid my phone in my pocket and hoped I could finally make things right.

“What’s up, Graham? Come on in, man.”

I gave Uncle Shawn a tight smile and walked inside. Once he closed the door, I shook his hand. “It smells good in here. Y’all cooking?”

“Aren’t we always?” He chuckled. “Umm . . . I didn’t tell Sonya you were coming. Her ass prolly would have skipped town.”

I slid my hand down my face. She really didn’t fuck with me.

I couldn’t say I blamed her. I followed him toward the back of the house where the kitchen was.

Aunt Sonya was at the stove and looked to be tasting something.

When she heard footsteps, she quickly put the utensil down and turned toward us.

“Why you all in my pots?” Uncle Shawn asked her.

She looked like she wanted to laugh until her eyes landed on me. I swore I was about to sweat. “Hey, Aunt Sonya.”

“Hello, Graham.”

She was about to walk right past us until Uncle Shawn grabbed her hand. “Graham is here to talk to us, baby.”

“Us? About what?”

“Well, we have to wait and find out.”

She turned her gaze to me, and I swore there was ice in that shit, because I fucking shivered like I wasn’t a grown ass man.

“Why didn’t Sidney and Devin come?” she asked me.

“I didn’t tell them I was coming. Some of the things I need to say . . . or rather explain, don’t need the extra ears.”

She frowned slightly and turned to head to the sitting area.

Uncle Shawn nodded at me and followed her.

I took a deep breath and fell in behind them.

Thankfully, I’d been around Uncle Shawn enough to know when he was being genuine.

He seemed to be genuinely interested in what I had to say.

He didn’t seem to be holding any animosity towards me.

Once we all sat, I fidgeted somewhat.

“Aww, fuck. It’s that bad?” Aunt Sonya asked.

I took a deep breath and began. “It’s nothing new .

. . just old shit that I never apologized for or explained.

I’m not going to go into full detail with my explanation, but I want to give you enough to help you understand my past behaviors.

Dad made me realize that I never apologized for my behavior toward you, Aunt Sonya.

I’m sorry for being a fucking pervert as a kid.

I know I gave you creep vibes, and that was fucked up. ”

Her facial expressions softened. She was no longer frowning.

Her eyebrows had lifted slightly. “I apologized to my parents, but you are the one that I should have apologized to immediately after. I probably should have apologized to you first. I was disrespectful to you. Although I was a teenager, I knew better. I just . . . I mean . . .”

I took a deep breath. This shit was hard to vocalize.

I didn’t like talking about my feelings or explaining a damn thing, yet here I was.

“I used to hear them talk about you, so I started watching videos you were in, even old ones that you’d done when I was super young.

My mama used to get so angry about all the attention you got and how men desired you. I wanted to see why they desired you.”

I glanced over at Uncle Shawn. He wore a blank expression on his face.

I continued. “My dad never said anything negative. He would just say that you’d definitely found your purpose .

. . your lane. I hate to bring up old shit.

I don’t want you getting angry about stuff y’all already squashed.

My mama just seemed to be jealous of you.

You were her whole conversation when you and Uncle Shawn got married.

It was like in order for her to be supportive of Aunt Serita, she thought she had to be against you. ”

“Graham . . . that’s enough. I get it. Apology accepted. Thanks for that,” she said, swiping a tear that had fallen down her cheek.

I knew those times were hurtful for her.

I remembered hearing Kyla, Chloe, and Sharee talking about it.

Kyla couldn’t stand Aunt Serita for the longest time.

Aunt Sonya was like a mother to her. So much so, until she started calling her mama.

The last falling out my mama and Aunt Sonya had was because of that.

We were out here, in Dallas, for Kyla’s high school graduation.

That was the same day I grabbed my dick while staring at Aunt Sonya, making sure she saw me do it.

I lowered my head for a moment, then looked back up at her and nodded.

Standing from my seat, I decided it was time for me to leave, even though it took four hours to get here.

I was so uncomfortable. They weren’t saying a word.

Uncle Shawn had put his arm around her, trying to bring her back to the present, I was sure.

“Well . . . umm . . . I guess I should go.”

I turned and headed toward the door so fast I should’ve gotten dizzy.

My nervousness was warranted. Uncle Shawn wasn’t to be fucked with, being that he used to be heavy in the streets, and Aunt Sonya was known to lay a bitch out in her day.

I’d heard the stories of what she did to Shane’s girlfriend and her mama, not long before he got reacquainted with the woman he was married to. That was only a few years ago.

“Graham!”

I turned to see Aunt Sonya walking toward me.

She was still a beautiful woman. Thankfully, I’d gotten a handle on my obsession with her by the time I graduated from high school.

Otherwise, this day would have never come.

When she got to me, she extended her arms with a smile on her face.

I gave her a tight smile and embraced my aunt for the first time since I was kid.

“I know you smell this food. You are not leaving. You need to get some rest. Stay here tonight, and you can drive out tomorrow.”

I smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”

I followed her back to the sitting area to see she’d turned the TV on. “Relax. I’m going to go supervise your uncle in the kitchen. Sharee will be here in a little while. Kyla, Nick, and the kids are coming up too. She finally decided to stop working so hard and take some time off.”

“Sounds like I picked a good weekend to come up then.”

She gave me a wide smile and kissed my cheek. When I sat on the couch, I exhaled relief. I couldn’t believe things had gone so smoothly. I should have been done this, but I supposed the timing was perfect.