Chapter 14
SYNDER
Yakira’s phone went to voicemail a second time, which didn’t deter me from calling again.
While I smashed the salmon and salad Sienna made me, I peered at the ornament sitting in front of me on the kitchen table.
I could’ve put it on one of my trees by now, but I was savoring receiving such a thoughtful gift.
Play three was supposed to be casually entering her space and seeing how close she would let me get. Although she retreated to her bedroom, it was safe to say that play three was a slam dunk. A few kisses later, and I was ready to set the whole world on fire for Sienna. Starting with Yakira.
“Hello!” she answered with too much hostility.
“Aye, I’on know what you and yo’ baldhead eyebrows havin’ ass homegirl are on but keep that shit away from Sienna.”
“I knew her scary ass was gon’ run back to you. Nobody said shit to her.”
“You forget, I know you, Kira. You messy as fuck, and I’on want that shit around my people.”
“Yo’ people?” she asked indignantly. “I’m yo’ people, Syn. That girl has got yo’ head fucked-up already. You didn’t even call us for Thanksgiving.”
“The phone works both ways.”
She smacked her teeth. “Here you go with that bullshit. Just tell the truth. You think you’re better than us.”
“Oh, aight,” I replied.
“Yeah, do what you always do and shut down. No woman is ever gon’ take you seriously.
That’s why Courtland dipped. All you think about is yourself and your career.
You don’t come home anymore, and now Whimsy doesn’t even have a real relationship with us.
She has family you never let her see because you think you’re too good for any of us. ”
The scent of Sienna alerted me to her presence. She walked into the kitchen with an empty plate, went to the sink to clean it, then dried it and placed it in the cabinet. There was no question if she heard what Yakira said because I had Yakira on speaker.
Yakira chuckled. “And what makes you think a billionaire ho wants anything to do wit’ you?”
“Easy on that ho shit,” I warned her as Sienna cleaned the pan she’d used.
“Now you’re defending her?” She laughed. “I’m not even surprised. You just like yo’ whack ass daddy.” Yakira hung up on me after that.
By now, Sienna was wiping down the counters. Her back was to me, but I noticed the tension in her shoulders.
“Would you like to talk?” she asked just above a whisper. She turned around and peered at me. Her eyes were soft and inviting. “I won’t judge you.”
I glanced at the chair closest to me, and Sienna took the hint. She sat down and propped her chin on the palm of her hand. I hadn’t seen her go to the nail salon once. However, her nails were always perfect and shining with a different color polish.
A few minutes passed before I asked, “You think she’s right?”
Delicately, her shoulders lifted, then fell. “I’ve known you for two weeks. I can only gauge the type of person you are from what I’ve seen.”
“And what have you seen?” My appetite was gone, so I placed my fork down to give Sienna my undivided attention.
“I see someone who cares about his emotional health. Yakira thinks you staying away from the family is akin to feeling like you’re better than them.
In actuality, you stay away because it hurts you to see them the way they are.
My second point is that despite you taking care of them, they’re still not happy because the dysfunction was never about things, stuff, and money.
My third point… They know you love them.
Yakira’s simply trying to make you feel guilty for choosing peace over chaos.
You turn around and feel guilty because, although you made it out, and although you brought them out with you, it’s still not enough. ”
I mulled over what she said and nodded. “I fuck wit’ ya analysis.
My pops is the king of not facing shit. He’ll keep quiet and let my mama run the whole damn house.
My mama disassociates because she knows my pops doesn’t really fuck wit’ her.
I shut down because talkin’ to them is like talkin’ to a brick wall.
After a while, I stopped wasting my breath.
That’s with anybody. All that back and forth shit angers me more than anything. ”
“Is that why you don’t talk shit on the court?”
Grinning, I replied, “You peep that, huh?”
She grinned too. “I do. Your quiet, beastly game reminds me of Tim Duncan. You just let your game speak for itself.”
Leaning back, I observed Sienna as if she were a newly found artifact. She was already sexy, but speaking my language made her dangerously sexy. Recalling the feel of her lips on mine, I wanted us to take it there, again. I wanted to take it too far.
“You’re beautiful, Sienna.”
She glanced away, but the blush on her face was unmistakable. “Thank you,” she murmured. “And for the record, Yakira is wrong. You don’t shut down. You’re actually pretty cool at expressing yourself. To me, anyways.”
Smiling, I said, “I feel some type of way about you. I’m just doin’ what I can so that I don’t cross ya boundaries.”
Briefly, she tucked her bottom lip between her pretty white teeth. “I appreciate you respecting me.”
“Mmm… That’s just it, baby. I don’t wanna respect shit. I wanna be so disrespectful wit’ you…” I licked my lips and chuckled because I saw how fast her heart rate picked up. Talking shit was going inside the playbook. I loved riling her up. It was too easy to rile her up.
“At least you’re being honest,” she lowly replied.
“Always honest, baby. So, what are we gon’ do about this attraction we have to each other?”
Her eyes met mine, and the contact was soul deep. “Maybe it’s just a phase.”
I shook my head. “Don’t minimize what we feel for each other.
” Leaning forward, I said, “In fact, I’m patient.
As long as you promise to give us some thought.
This ain’t about the fact that I wanna do shit to you that questions my sanity.
” I’d skipped several plays to get to this point.
She was open, though. So, I had to go big.
“I want us to be together. If I had it my way, you’d never leave me and Whims.”
Her eyes bore into mine. She wanted to relent. It was right there. However, she said, “I’ll think about it. And it’s not fair bringing Whimsy into this. You know I love her.”
Pleased, I responded, “The feeling is mutual.”
Standing, she mumbled, “Good night,” then hurried off.
Good, I thought with a wry smile. I’d gotten somewhere with her. Then again, I didn’t want to ruin it with the mood I was in. Yakira had me fucked up. She wanted to bring out a nigga who’d been quiet for so long. My days of being a hothead were long gone.
Just in case I didn’t make myself clear, I shot Yakira a text.
Me: I meant what I said. Leave Sienna alone. Don’t make me be that nigga.
She didn’t respond. As long as she got the message, she could ignore me all she wanted to. If she pushed my back against the wall, she was going to hate me.