Chapter 15
—DEVYN
Valentine’s Day was magical. In those three days I spent with Azani, I fell deeper, and so did he. I glanced down at the ring he gave me, feeling the way I’d been feeling since he slid it on my finger. Wearing it made me believe that when it was time for me to wear my real ring, I’d be ready.
I’d been home for two days, and he was away on business.
He was coming back home today, so I decided to stay with him.
I still didn’t trust him fully, but I was making a conscious effort to let him earn it.
Fighting it was only hurting me. He’d already laid his truths bare.
Told me the part he played and didn’t hold back, even the ugly parts.
I’d just finished a class at my Princess for-sale sign in his yard. All his social media disappeared. He vanished with no explanation.
Daddy scratched his head, mumbling under his breath. Mommy gave him a look, and he sat up straight.
“Zuri, his family was crazy. They tried to say they’d ruin your reputation and all kinds of crazy shit if you didn’t marry their son. So, I did run them off. I wasn’t going to have anyone threatening my girl.” His eyebrows were scrunched together, and it made me giggle.
“Well, thank you for sparing me. His parents were crazy. They kept sending me passages from the Bible and everything. They wanted to scare me so bad.” I laughed, holding my stomach.
“Hmmm, you ain’t done, Dakota,” Mommy said, folding her arms against her chest. “Tell her what happened to Nathan.”
“No, you don’t have to. Azani told me. He told me what he and Daddy did. Y’all took turns terrorizing him.” I shook my head, laughing. “Nathan wasn’t anything serious. He had other girlfriends that I found out about after y’all ran him off. I dodged a bullet.”
Daddy smirked, grabbed my hand, then kissed the top of it. “We love you, Zuri. I hope we can earn your trust again.”
“I love you, Daddy. And, yes, you can earn my trust,” I said, leaning over to kiss his cheek.
Daddy held my hand longer, looking down at the ring on my finger, then back at me. “Did you say yes?”
I nervously tucked my hair behind my ear, thinking of what this ring meant. “I said yes to our relationship being real. I know I don’t have much time to get down the aisle, but he’s also working on gaining my trust.”
“Okay,” he said quietly. “That’s all I can hope for.”
Nanna was unusually quiet, watching us. She would usually be the one in control, carrying the conversation and its pace, but not today. She was observing. I glanced at her, then back at Mommy and Daddy.
“Dakota, Vicki… give me a minute with my girl. I want to speak with her alone,” Nanna said, holding my eyes with hers.
Mommy stood first, then Daddy. They both wrapped their arms around me, kissing my face. Then, they both leaned over and kissed Nanna’s cheek. Once the door closed, the air in my office got thicker. More serious, but the layer of sadness couldn’t be mistaken for anything else.
“Come… sit with me so I can tell you a story,” she said softly, turning her chair toward me.