Chapter 12
NONI
When we walked into my parents’ home, I was grateful Bali hadn’t gotten here yet.
I wanted to be able to avoid Red at all costs, and I knew he would be arriving with them.
After Carter proposed to Bali, this Sunday dinner was going to turn into an engagement party.
It wouldn’t be a formal one, but a party amongst family.
Daddy said he would call everyone once Bali arrived. That would give Carter time to propose.
A few people would be here. Obviously, Milana, Ferris, and Asad would be here, since I rode with them, but Ashanni my siblings, and the Semiens would also be here.
I was also pretty sure Mr. Red and Mrs. Shana would come, too.
They were playing it off like they wanted to celebrate Carter’s winning ride and Red’s new record time.
I took a deep breath and got out of Milana’s truck. Before we could get to the door, I saw Daddy standing in the doorway with a frown on his face. When I got close, I said, “Hey, Daddy Mayor.”
He stared at me for a moment, then pulled me in his arms and hugged me.
I was pretty sure Bali had told him what happened, especially since Aunt Tiff wanted to talk to me yesterday.
Milana wouldn’t have told her a thing. Daddy had to have called her and asked her to talk to me.
I didn’t remember a word she’d said, because I was barely listening.
I was thinking about Red the entire time and how I could have fucked up his mental by the shit I did. I wasn’t sorry about what I did. I was sorry about doing it this weekend at the rodeo. Red had me fucked up. I was tired of being everything for him and getting nothing in return.
When Daddy released me, I walked inside to go and speak to Mama and Remy. After rounding the corner, I saw Iesha. My eyebrows lifted. I supposed Seven got some act right in him for her to be here. She stood from her seat and smiled. “Hey, girl,” she said.
“Hey.”
“We ain’t together. I’m just here to see Bali’s moment. Afterwards, I’m leaving. I might end up punching your brother in the mouth.”
I chuckled. She just didn’t know . . . Whether he was right or wrong, she wouldn’t get away with that.
Ain’t nobody would just sit here and let her whup our brother’s ass.
That was for us to do. “Well, you better get ready for him to be in your face. Ain’t no way he gon’ just act like you aren’t here. ”
“Oh, I am prepared to shut him down,” she said and giggled.
I walked away from her and went to find my mama. She was in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on dinner. She glanced at me, then took a deep breath. She knows, too. “Hey, Mama.”
“Hey.”
Before she could say anything else, I walked out to the back patio and hugged Remy. Thankfully, he was on the phone and didn’t have time to get on my nerves. Just as I was about to head back inside, Daddy walked outside.
“Let me talk to you.”
I wanted to roll my eyes. I didn’t want to talk about that shit. It was over and done with. I knew that Red fucked up. I knew that I fucked up by bringing that shit to the rodeo. Whatever.
“Fix that attitude. We out here talking because of shit you did. Had you not fucked up out there, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
I’m the last muthafucka you need to have an attitude with.
Secondly, whether you wanna talk about the shit or not, I’m the Storm.
I’ll fuck around and flood this bitch. Take you a deep breath and regroup. ”
I closed my eyes for a minute. I knew he was serious as hell. It wasn’t like he and I hadn’t talked about my breakup with Red and how torn up I was about it. When I reopened my eyes, I saw he’d gone to the far end of the patio and sat, so I went over there and sat next to him.
“I’m finna say some shit my mama used to say all the time .
. . shit I never listened to. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
I know you petty and shit, but you was fucking with that man’s career.
What if he would have went out there and got hurt or killed?
Would you have been able to live with yourself?
Then you did it with his brother’s best friend.
That was cold as fuck, Noni. I know Squared ain’t perfect, and he got a lot of shit to work on, but he still loves you.
You broke up with him. You don’t think that’s punishment enough? ”
I didn’t respond to him. The things I chose to deal with regarding Red were my decisions.
I made the decisions because I knew I had some shit to me as well.
I realized, though, that I couldn’t deal with my decisions to accept him the way he was.
He promised to make changes, but those changes hadn’t happened yet.
“You didn’t have to go to that rodeo. You went there to torture him. That was wrong. You owe him an apology. I know that shit ain’t gon’ taste good coming out of your mouth, but neither does throw up. Get your mind right for what you need to do when he gets here.”
“Daddy, you do realize I’m grown and don’t have to apologize to him if I don’t want to, right?”
He frowned hard. “Well, carry your grown ass to your house then. You ain’t finna have everybody uncomfortable in here for what is about to be the happiest day of Bali’s life.
You know he’s going to be here because Carter is like a brother to him.
If you can’t behave like an adult, maybe you shouldn’t have been in a relationship to begin with.
We all fuck up, so ain’t none of us above rectifying shit and apologizing. ”
He stood from his seat and walked off, leaving me in my feelings.
I stood and walked around to the other side of the house to see Carter and Bali arriving, then Red Squared right behind them.
I took a deep breath and exhaled. I was happy for Bali.
I really was, but I was somewhat jealous of what she and Carter had.
He loved her so much. He was willing to sacrifice everything for her .
. . even his career. She would never put him in a position to do so, but I knew that he would if he had to.
That was how much he loved her. She naturally evolved from the love he encompassed her with.
His aura sucked her in and made her better.
They were perfect together. It made me wonder if Red and I were trying to force things.
It should have been effortless if we cared for each other so much.
I made my way back to the door, and Remy was standing there about to go inside. “What’s up, Noni? You good?”
“Yeah, I’m cool.”
He stepped aside and let me go inside first. I quickly ducked off to the other sitting room and sat there by myself.
I didn’t want to be social. The only reason I was here was because I knew Bali would never forgive me if I wasn’t.
She would know soon enough that everyone knew about this beforehand.
“Why you in here by yourself?”
I looked up to see Seven. “Because I wanna be. Get on.”
“Naw. Own yo’ fucked up shit. Don’t be embarrassed now. You did the shit, now stand in it.”
“I’m not embarrassed. I don’t feel like being bothered. Leave me the fuck alone and worry about why Iesha ain’t fucking wit’cho ass.”
“If you don’t feel like being bothered then you need to carry yo’ ass home. I got my shit on track. Fuck you talkin’ ’bout.”
I rolled my eyes. Seven and Seven Junior.
Ugh. He walked off, and I saw my mama in the doorway.
She tilted her head toward the main room.
I supposed that meant Carter was about to propose to Bali.
I huffed and stood, making my way to the front room where everyone was.
Ashanni smiled at me and hugged me. Had she not been pregnant, I probably would have pushed her away from me.
Maui was next. When she hugged me, she said, “I love you, Noni.”
I rested my forehead on top of hers. “I love you, too.”
I quickly released her, and my eyes met Bali’s.
She was angry. It wasn’t the first time she was angry at me, and it sure as hell wouldn’t be the last time.
She didn’t say anything and neither did I.
I sat across the room, completely ignoring Red Squared’s gaze.
I could see him in my peripheral. I sat on a barstool somewhat away from everyone but close enough to see what was going on.
Carter was talking about the bull he rode and how “rank” it was. Mr. Legend was cosigning and admitting that he was nervous for Carter.
“That nigga got my genes running through him, though. I got my best time when I dismounted and got hit in the face. That was when Harper came flying her ass to Memphis because she thought she’d lost me. She knew she was fucking up by rejecting me.”
Mrs. Harper rolled her eyes while everybody laughed.
“She knew all along what was up, just like Aspen. She was running, too. Look at all this shit. All the women wanted me, but I only wanted her. She eventually got her act together.”
I was so fucking miserable listening to their love stories. My mama rolled her eyes. Carter took his arm from around Bali and leaned over. I had to assume that he was about to do it now.
“See, that’s what I got. She ain’t running, though, and I’m grateful for that.”
Bali shoulder bumped him and gave him a one-sided smile.
“I mean, she tried to run while she was in Atlanta. When I showed my ass up at her apartment, she got her mind right.”
He laughed as Bali pulled him in a headlock. They were so cute together. I wanted to cry.
Finally, after she released him, he said, “Since she ain’t running, I think it’s time I make some shit official.”
He slid off the couch and went straight to his knees. When he propped his other leg up, the tears sprang from my eyes. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop them. They were tears of joy and tears of heartache.