37. Deacon
Chapter thirty-seven
Deacon
It had been three weeks since Halloween, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how Lyla’s hips fit perfectly in my hands. I should’ve been thrilled when Cassie texted me the morning after the party to say we should meet up more often when we go out. I should’ve been excited that she hadn’t stopped texting me.
But only one name lit up my screen and brought a smile to my face—Lyla Brooks.
I was two days away from meeting the famous Aaron Brooks, the man who made Lyla crumble at just the thought of having to see him. I hated how uncertain she looked when she spoke about him. Everything I liked most about Lyla—her smile, laugh, witty responses—couldn’t exist in the version she had to be for her dad.
It was my last night in the apartment since I would spend the next two days at Lyla’s place. Nathan and Andre were heading home after their classes tomorrow morning, and the thought of the apartment going untouched for an entire week didn’t sit well with me.
Andre watched as I sprayed down the kitchen and prepared the mop for the floor. When his staring became obvious, I looked over at him. “What? ”
His eyes narrowed, and he laughed. “I’ve been watching you clean for like two hours. Are you always this way before a break?”
“ Watching . So you knew you could help, and you just didn’t want to?”
“I’m not about to clean everything for it to be dusty in a week when I get back. That doesn’t make sense.”
I couldn't argue with his logic, but I needed some sort of outlet. I stress cleaned, so what? There were far worse choices out there that people opted for to avoid dealing with emotions.
Technically, if I told Andre what was bugging me, I wouldn’t be lying. I paused my mopping and said, “I’m meeting Lyla’s dad on Wednesday, and he’s apparently a douche. I’m just nervous I’ll make things harder for her.”
Andre swatted the air in front of him. “You only have to worry about the parents if you’re making it official. Until then, does it really matter what they think?”
After I met Cassie’s parents for the first time, she told me that they loved me. My parents never offered me a response when they met Cassie. My mom never mentioned Cassie when she talked about me having kids, and my dad always described her as a “nice girl” and dropped the subject. I wanted my parents to root for me and the girl I brought home because what they thought mattered to me. I wanted to check another one of their boxes.
“Are you about to ask this girl to marry you the same night you meet her dad?” Andre’s eyebrows shot to the top of his forehead, like that idea was the most appalling thing he’d ever heard.
“Nope,” I said through a cocky grin. “I’m all for the happy ending, but I’m not an idiot. ”
“You’re the only person I know who would even consider marriage right out of college.”
“You know, lots of people get married their first year out of college,” I argued.
Andre had a shit poker face, and his shocked expression grew more intense the longer we lingered on the subject. He shook his head, prepared with another rebuttal. “False. A lot of women want to settle down, and that pushes men to pop the question. Marriage is a piece of paper.”
“It’s not a piece of paper to me. It’s an opportunity to build a life with someone. Marriage is a new chapter. I want someone to be my person—to grow old and raise kids with.” I looked up, and Andre was smiling. I threw the washrag at him, and he laughed. “Shut up, man.”
He raised his hands defensively. “Hey, I get it! I want my person too, just maybe ten years from now.”
I chuckled at his response and searched under the sink for garbage bags.
“Question, though,” Andre said from the recliner. “I know you’re with Lyla, but were you going to ask Cassie to marry you?”
I rested my hands on the trash can. May seemed so long ago, back when I was Googling engagement rings and planning to have Cassie live with me. I always had to stay one step ahead of Cassie, so I knew she was happy.
I changed the trash and tied up the bag. “I was going to after graduation,” I admitted. “I had the whole thing planned out in my head.”
“Shocking,” Andre murmured.
I shook off his comment. “Anything else need to go in here? ”
“Nah. You’ve cleaned every inch of this place like five times.”
I left Andre with his Xbox and walked the trash to the dumpster. It was cooler outside, and it was officially sweatshirt season. I stuck my hands in my pockets and leaned against the trunk of my car. My eyes lingered on the stars above me until I found the Big Dipper.
“Every time.” I grinned, allowing my gaze to wander.
One of the worst parts about winter was the overcast and cloudy skies. When the sky was clear, I felt closer to Dominic. It was like he had a better view of what was going on below him.
My phone vibrated in my sweatpants.
Lyla
Did you really drop off flowers this afternoon?!
Deacon
It’s Monday goofy.
Lyla
I’m about to be gone for a week!!
Deacon
Take them to Jane. She’ll love them.
I sighed at the thought of losing more flowers to Lyla’s caretaking. It wasn’t entirely her fault since it was my request in the first place for her to have them. More dots appeared and then reappeared on my screen. She was in her head about something.
Lyla
What dress should I wear on Wednesday? Green or yellow? Not the yellow one from Usher. A different one.
Deacon
Green
Lyla
Really? Why green?
Deacon
It’s your favorite color, and you’ll feel better wearing it.
I knew what dress she was referring to. It was a dark green and exposed one of her shoulders.
Lyla
You’re right. I’ll text you when I get home tomorrow, and we can figure out food.
Deacon
Sounds good. Goodnight Lyla.
She sent me a heart emoji and her usual “Goodnight, Daddy Deacon” response. It made me smile every time, and when I looked up at the sky, I knew Dominic was rolling his eyes.